Follakzoid - Amos Piper -- May 20 2015

Amos Piper - This quarter, make that trio tonight, is from Baltimore and they are missing their 'bleeps and bloops' player. So it is more straight forward light psychedelic rock from the trio. They establish a decent psyche rock vibe, not too heavy, not too wild, but it is there throughout. They are playful at times and perhaps could do a bit more to vary things up a bit, but that could be where there missing member comes in. A good set here to set the tone works well enough for the crowd in the backstage room.

Follakzoid - Chilean Krautrock? It exists and is here at the Black Cat tonight in front of 50-60 very sharp minds with fine ears that want something well beyond the normal indie rock experience. They come out as a four-piece with guitar, bass, and drums along with a keyboardist who works magical sequencer parts that really take you back to the German scene of the 1970s. The songs and rock stylings remind me heavily of Algarnas Tradgar, with bits of International Harvester and Group 1850 in the mix. They play four songs that are distinct enough, but all feature a long groove that drones on with careful fluctuating parts and spacey vocals sneaking in at times. It is a wonderful groove that not too many bands are capable of creating. But these guys know their psychedelic history, which includes fine psychedelic bands from Chile like Blops and Los Jaivas to many other South American countries as well as the obvious Syd Barrett and beyond from Europe. Simply great.

Facebook Grab of the Day: courtesy of Ed Kuepper, this Robert Leighton cartoon...