Having been lucky enough to catch Follakzoid in action at the 2013 Le Guess Who? the arrival of four new songs in the shape of new album III was a pleasing prospect & proves to be equally pleasing in reality.

With three songs at around 12 minutes each and final number 'Feuerzeug' clocking in at a mere nine you know even before pressing play that you're in for some seriously tripped-out drone.

The band's Domingo Garcia-Huidobro is on record as saying that the rhythms the trio employ are firmly rooted in ceremonial music from throughout the Andes & that "it sort of resembles trance-like Tibetan sounds" and by the middle of second track 'Earth' you'll be in no doubt about that as the looping sounds take on the density and primitive nature of noseflutes. Head music in more ways than one.

As they're not the speediest of bands it's that looping and repetitive nature of the Chileans' output that, with its ability to bring such things as those noseflutes to mind and thereby envelope you in an aural mirage, keeps them as interesting live as on record. Sure, you can find your way inside the music (or is it finding its way in to you?) and slip around in there and zone out to your heart's content but the towering peaks they manage to create on works such as 'Piure' can also easily keep you focussed and tuned right in to the here and now, visualising the guitar playing much as you'd stay tuned to the performance were it on stage before you.

Each year I feel it takes me longer and longer to come across the early albums that I think will be amongst those I can see myself caring enough about to still be playing the year after (or which at least impact enough to stand a good chance of "rediscovery"); with III Follakzoid have made themselves very firm contenders for continued play and the propogation of their works as widely as I can manage.   

III is available from amazon & iTunes.

London quintet Oh! Gunquit initially split the jury here with their cover of the Angry Samoans’ ‘Lights Out’. They certainly make it their own and it’s a less than obvious choice but is it a version that’s going to deserve spin after spin in the future?

For the answer to that question you really have to hear the track in conjunction with the rest of the contents of the band’s debut album Eat Yuppies And Dance. Released on the venerable Dirty Water label it contains a body of work at once slightly removed from the label’s staple garage, surf and beat sounds but which nevertheless displays a firm grasp of the constituent parts of those genres & more besides.

Tina Swasey & Simon Wild’s vocal interaction is a real strong point on the album and it’s particularly pleasing to have them alternate the lead vocal parts. The B52s often come to mind, especially on third track 'Caves' whilst the heavier 'Bad Bad Milk', with the saxophone up front, recalls The Cramps with a more vocal Poison Ivy.

The sax plays a prominent role on 'Hope In Hell' as well, the first of the band's trashier party numbers & one that likely goes down well live. As, really, you'd have to imagine all ten songs herein do, such is the pace & verve the five players imbue their work with. This is a great party album which demands that its title be lived up to by the listener (although dancing on a heavy stomach of Yuppie may not be the best for you so maybe pass on the bankers). 

Oh! Gunquit can be experienced live at the third outing of the Hipsville festival at Bisley, Surrey over the third weekend of May (event website here).

Eat Yuppies And Dance is available from amazon & iTunes.