Partners in penetration

Fresh from the ashes of local rock band The Academy, bassist Dave Wong and drummer Paul MacLean are pulling out the stops and penetrating hearts and minds with their new duo DP.

Mixing a bit of metal, grunge and psych-rock, the boys recently blasted out at yumla. Although immediately drawing comparisons with now broken up Canadian duo Death from Above 1979 for aesthetic reasons rather than sound, it was cool to see that DP have chucked out imitation and forged a unique sense of direction. And with their pop sensibility and instrumental breakouts, DP should have enough material to record a decent EP at the very least.

But the real question to ask is are they going to market themselves as sort of suave romantic Air Supply tandem, or more on the edgy rock duo model shown by the White Stripes? Well, it’s really neither because although they have a rockier edge, they weren’t in matching outfits (a shame) and they definitely did not play soft rock grooves, though it must be said they should reconsider if they want that coveted duet with Kenny G at some point in the future.

The venue: Although yumla is predominantly known as a place for DJs and underground styles of dance music, the live music thing is certainly a decent fit for them. The only thing that could be said is that the crowd did not really get into the moshing and head-banging aspect, but whether or not that’s because of the crowd or venue it’s hard to say. Props to yumla for trying new things out, and most importantly, for staying unpretentious!