Dragons That Make Love To Pandas – ‘Roundabouts EP’ [Review]
Their name might evoke images of seedy backstreet Chinatown massage parlours, but Dragons That Make Love To Pandas offer much more than just happy endings. Every moment on Roundabouts is masterfully tuned to elicit maximum pleasure of a different sort – the kind of excitement that comes from having one’s auditory cortex stimulated by a unique combination of stylistic elements. DTMLTP drop ska, math, guitar-pop and more into the musical equivalent of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, and what emerges is appropriately awe-inspiring. Read more…
Aphex Twin represents a musical culture all his own. If you’re new to Cornwall’s most unorthodox export, then look no further than this brand new album for proof. Take in minipops 67‘s sandpapery beats; 4 bit 9d api+e+6‘s vibrating bass bubbles; and 180db_‘s demonic dissolving-club vibe – or try out CIRCLONT6A, where 8-bit bloops find themselves ambushed by subterranean bass monsters. It’s overwhelming and even oppressive at times, but nonetheless deeply rewarding. 
And now for something completely different.
I made a big mistake the first time I listened to this EP. I didn’t play it loud enough. 
The UK needs more bands who kick ass and don’t give a fuck – and Fake The Attack are a worthy addition to the ranks of serious contenders discovered by TMMP so far. Foreign Words is a delicious slice of crunchy pop-rock songwriting sure to inspire many an end-of-set singalong in venues across the country – and, if there’s any justice, internationally. I don’t get many opportunities to use foreign words these days, so I may as well finish by saying Fake The Attack sont putain de gènial! 
If you’re a regular TMMP reader, jazz is probably not your thing. If that’s the case, don’t switch over to Facebook or porn or whatever other services people use the Internet for – instead, picture a jazz band in your head. Imagine them running through a tune.
I love bands that mean it. Cold Summer have spent a fair few years working on themselves – and on Car Crash (In Progress), it really shows. Polished and professional yet still raw, passionate, and in your face, this is a total barnstormer of a song that you need to check out right now.
In an era when musicians with great songs are a dime a dozen, going the extra mile and digging out something exceptionally creative is essential. By combining poppy catchiness with jazz fusion’s labyrinthine intricacy and top-drawer musicianship, Morning Bound stand head and shoulders above their commercially-oriented contemporaries. I Did Fine – only song #2 from this New York-based trio – combines vocal loops, heartfelt lyrics set to epic melodies, and a hell of a rhythm section performance into five-plus minutes of awesomeness. 
Metal’s been around for a long time now – but it never ceases to amaze me how many musicians are still finding ways to breathe new life into a genre so frequently mocked for its backward-looking retromania.
TMMP is all about stretching beyond your comfort zone – and this set of super-intricate fusion tunes will definitely aid in that quest, regardless of how “out-there” you may have been before.