Always on the hunt for something new and funky, today we travel to Montevideo, Uruguay for experimental band Uho!. Their latest release ¡PA! on El Octavo Records follows Manuales Ilustrados del Pequeno Tesla Vol.2: Hágalo Usted Mismo from 2011. This release shows the band moving towards a beat influenced sound with Afrobeat, Jazz, Candombe and Funk influences, while still keeping that experimental spirit and passion during liveperformances. One of the most popular bands to come out of Uruguay at the moment, Uoh! keeps any party or concert going way past curfew. This 5 song album combines guitars, percussion, cowbell, saxophone, trumpet, bass and other instruments to unleash a fury equal to Liverpool’s striker Luis Suarez (without the biting). With the energy of a marching band, the creativity of a Jazz fusion band, and the power of a Rock band, Uoh’s sound is a merging of genres and audiences to bring out the listener’s inner groove. There is much improvisation throughout, which leaves for even more funky results. It’s a refreshing sound, like Go Go Bordello picking up turntables and mixing it up a bit. Uoh! have 3 songs on this 5 song release over six minutes, which may or may not consider them a jam band (“Gizmo y Baco rompen todo” drones on like a Muse encore), but cuts like “Vampiro” snake along with an Afrobeat feel, while “Semen EA” has chants and grooves that remind me of the 90’s instrumental band Critters Buggin’. This record definitely at times borders on experimental noise, but that’s not a bad thing. Uoh! keep the beat going with the best of them, and with these longer tracks, why not throw some improv in there? The overall feel I get is that of many of the traveling marching bands here in the US, one that comes to mind is the Extra Action Marching Band, a high energy outfit out of San Francisco that injects Funk into their sexy marching band format. It’s this energy and similarity that Uoh! carry with them as they preach their gospel all the way from Montevideo. They have released this limited edition LP in a quantity of 200 in hopes to press the release in a gate fold vinyl. If you dig what you hear, pick up this and support indie music. Try a little something different on your Monday morning. Enjoy-

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