Prog-rock six-piece the Mother Earth Experiment are Zappa to the core, from their geeky funk-rock grooves, to their dense psychedelic atmospheres and their unabashed ecological proselytising. ‘Cool Down Mama’ is a case in point, clean licks, bellbottom-tight grooves, bongo jams and straight-up freaky breakdowns. Nothing’s off-limits in the Mother Earth Experiment’s handbook, and the band’s pure earnestness is what carries the whole thing off. (CD)

Fri 13 Jul 9pm, at The Dark Horse, 145 Alcester Rd, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8JP www.facebook.com

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