I rarely champion bands here more than once or twice, which just means there’s so much music – or only so much music you’ll listen to time and again; (sort of) fact: people only listen to around 23% of the songs on their iPods habitually.
Mumm-Ra, as of now, are among the 23% of my listening habits.
Sounds menacing doesn’t it.
Mainly since my audiobloggery I’ve been getting spam. Occasionally though you get a mail of good augur. Mumm-Ra’s label saw right through me and sent me the band’s first release, an EP that I knew for sure was going to be good and checking it out avant-premiere-style would also be good. There, all good things considered, I just needed to know what specifics to render here to you guys (or, you Rabbits and Bunnys and all things fluffy! as the band addressed their MySpace friends last time).
The overall sound is what some people might tag as indie rock. Quivering guitar here, distort there, balanced lyrics referring to personal situations and various social references… But there’s that extra magic that makes some indie-ish bands not blow it. What I like on my plate is diversity within a genre. I took my iPod, took a walk, and soaked up the Mumm-Ra. I was wonderfully surprised by the way “There She Is” rolls out gently like a fluffy carpet on a winding road. There’s a typically bucolic sadness about all the songs and especially “The Temple“. It progresses from percussion-glowing-pop laced with minor chords, to a little bit of madness – imagine a crying trumpet on a deserted landscape while all the other instruments are planning a siege. Finally, they jump on the lonesome trumpet.
“Black Hurts Day And The Night Rolls On” is out tomorrow, and it does its job well enough; I’ll pre-order the LP, when there’s something to order in a ‘pre’ fashion.
You have to read their bio – laid-back and inconspicuous, with just the style of writing I tend to appreciate (that or the mention of sugary-based delights).
Whatever they attract, it won’t be flies. I’m patting said EP on the back. And its creators, the Mumm-Ra gang: Tate, Noo, Oli, Niall and Gareth.
Mumm-Ra myspace (check out the artwork)
eashfa 
i was about to say “mp3’s?” (they were a little hidden) but of course you’ve already got it all figured out.
Landon dude I would have shared the whole EP, buuut, they’re indie still, it’s only four tracks.. I feel personally responsible for bands that have potential, you know? And with music these days, people have attention spans of rats on crack I suppose.
If it were an album, I guess I would have! ‘Cause punters go out and buy albums they care for.
I’m going to buy it tomorrow, haven’t had a day of this week so far but tomorrow is the day! 😀 I love “The Temple” and “Song B”, I can’t wait to hear the other 2 songs. I think I moved to England this year just to discover Mumm-Ra…
The other two songs are more laid-back, an inspiring array of indie on one EP! Good job, Paulina, I’m sure Mumm-Ra are happy they made you move to England before you even knew them 😉
you know i completely understand that. i probably download a couple albums a day, listen to them each once or twice and them throw them away. it kinda sucks for both myself and the artist in that i miss out on so much and something that the artist poured his/her/their hearts and souls into is consumed at a rapid pace only to be discarded after a few listens. but sometimes i do find an album that i just fall in love with that i would have never found if i didn’t download it. and that kind of makes it all worth while.
p.s. you should make another mix. i loved loved loved (notice the three loves) one of your other ones.