Mommy And Daddy

Fighting Style Killer Panda (2005)

Matt_Whelihan

Yes, they are another two-member band that has embraced the bass over the guitar, and yes, they are another musical pair made up of husband and wife, but Mommy and Daddy still able to offer their own twist on dance punk and indie duos.

On Fighting Style Killer Panda, the band's new EP and first U.S. release, husband and wife Edmond Hallas and Vivian Sarratt take turns playing fuzzy bass and electronics like drum machines and synths to create a sound that mixes the pop and dance of 80's new wave with some of punk rock's snot. Think the B-52s if they spent more time at basement shows than the love shack. The band also trades off vocally, with Hallas bringing the psuedo-shouted rants and Sarratt bringing the hyper pop squeals.

Despite such a stripped down sound, Mommy And Daddy are able to keep things interesting and fun throughout the EP. The beats are simple but toe-tapping, the bass lines are repetitive but appropriate, and the vocals are like half-eaten candy: sugar sweet but sticky enough to pick up some grit. Fighting Style Killer Panda may not blow any minds, but its tracks will fill many an iPod at hipster dance parties.