Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad is out on the road promoting their first electric studio album in six years and lucky for us, we will have a chance to see them live and for free at Founders on Sunday night.
This album’s release, according to band members, has always been about timing. The April 2012 release of In These Times is a big leap for Giant Panda from their last release, Country, which was a pure roots album.
But for fans of Giant Panda’s earlier sound that made them popular, this is the album that they have been waiting for -- an electric Panda reggae release.
While some may say that six years is an awful long time to wait, I can argue that good art takes time. After only a few minutes into the new release, In These Times is right on schedule for those seeking to kick off their summer playlist with a solid modern reggae groove. This new release is sure to be on repeat in many disc players and iPods around the city.
Fans will enjoy their commitment to the popular themes of love and enjoyment of life, but also true to reggae’s other side, Giant Panda does not sidestep the social justice aspects of this genre.
Oh, and their name. Well, let’s just say it is a long story, but the short version is that when they formed in 2001, the band came into possession of some rather large panda costumes and the rest, as they say, is history. A Panda band was born.
Admission: Free
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