Winning friends and influencing people should be no problem for London-based “art school” rock band Lesser Panda. Charm and charisma comes in the way of front-man Mariano Robles, whose low-fi haunted vocals echo the dark angst and melancholy of the early 80s new wave bands. I am not alone in sharing this view. They have impressed Vice Magazine’s Piers Martin, who writes, “Some say it’s the sound of early, angular Simple Minds blended with the doomed romance of Echo and the Bunnymen. Or Interpol if they just lightened up a bit.” Their music has also won the admiration of XFM’s John Kennedy and DFA mixmaster Tim Sweeney.

The band’s first EP with indie label Superdark Music is now on sale on iTunes. The EP features “Happy Birthday”, which was produced by London electro-magnet wonder boy Riton and is accompanied by a trippy oceanic remix of “Happy Birthday” by Architeq. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy and get as addicted as I am. The 7″ is due for release in February.

The band broke the London scene in 2006, when Mariano apparently “frogmarched four startled guys out of an East London bath-house straight into his studio round the corner”, according to music blog Allez-Alllez, who also featured a mix from the Panda crew (right-click here). Urban myth or truth, who can say? I suppose it didn’t hurt that the studio in question happened to be Hot Chip’s Brick Lane studio. The four “startled” guys in question are Chris Fenner, Chris Howarth, Ben Chatwin, and George McLeod, who all look fresh out of university, but who, over the past two years, have worked with Mariano to develop a sound that’s energetic and moody without being derivative, for all the comparisons. I’m transfixed by Hot Chip’s remix of “Anthem”, which sounds like it’s been taped in a bathroom (the vocals I mean) and the ever-yearning “Ghostdance”, which touchingly reminds me The Cure. And if some dickhead hadn’t stolen my ipod, I’d be listening to the Architeq remix like permanently on repeat.

Mariano’s solo act (with DJ duo Toilet Disco) is heart-breaking (caught him in France), so I can’t wait to catch the band live. Their live sets are reportedly bursting with all kinds of goodness, so if you want to check them out for yourselves, here are their upcoming gigs.

Tuesday 22nd January, Artrocker Club @ Buffalo Bar, Upper St, London
Saturday 26th January @ Catch 22, London
Sunday 27th January@ ULU, Malet Street, Bloomsbury, London

Download preview of “Ghost Dance”: The guys have given me a preview of their next release, but it’s time-bound so get it before I take it off [right click here]

LESSER PANDA: http://www.lesserpanda.co.uk/
ILIKE: http://www.ilike.com/artist/Lesser+Panda/
FACEBOOK: http://apps.facebook.com/ilike/artist/Lesser+Panda/
GARAGE BAND: http://www.garageband.com/artist/lesserpanda/
LAST FM: http://www.last.fm/music/Lesser+Panda/
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/lesserpandamusic
(and their evil twin) http://www.myspace.com/lesserpandaremix

BUY THEIR EP