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All Music Guide:
Centered around vocalists Mira Luoti and Paula Vesala, the Helsinki-based PMMP -- which has also included drummer Heikki Kytölä, bassist Juho Vehmanen, and guitarist Mikko Virta as members, along with significant assistance from producer, songwriter, and longtime friend Jori Sjöroos -- is a band that debuted in 2003 with "Rusketusraidat," a single that was met with immediate success, beginning their ascent to status as one of Finland's most popular music acts. From 2003 through 2005, they released three albums: Kuulkaas Enot!, Kovemmat Kädet, and Leskiäidin Tyttäret, all of which peaked within Finland's Top Ten album chart. Their sound is likely to vary from song to song; they're equally adept at whipping through simple but sharp punk-inspired numbers and drifting through dreamy, melodic pieces, which partly explains their appeal to both teens and adults.
Wikipedia:
PMMP is a Finnish band fronted by singers Paula Vesala and Mira Luoti and backed by musicians Mikko Virta, Juho Vehmanen and Heikki Kytölä. The name of the band is often said to be an abbreviation of the sentence "Paulan ja Miran Molemmat Puolet", which can be translated in English as "Both Sides of Paula and Mira". However, in an interview on the Finnish talk show Krisse Show, they stated that the name of the band comes, like ABBA, from the names of 4 of its members: so PMMP is Paula, Mira, Mira, Paula. PMMP's albums are produced by Jori Sjöroos who also wrote the music for all the songs. The lyrics are written by Paula and Mira. The band is an acclaimed live act.
PMMP first became well known in Finland with the 2003 summer hit Rusketusraidat ("Tan Lines"). They then enjoyed great success with their second album Kovemmat kädet ("Rougher Hands"), which went gold (double platinum year 2010). An extended version of the album was released in August 2005. Oo siellä jossain mun, a single from the aforementioned album, is PMMP's biggest hit so far in Finland.
In November 2006 PMMP released their third album Leskiäidin tyttäret ("Daughters of a widow mother"), which went platinum on the day it was released.
They released an album labeled Puuhevonen ("Wooden Horse") with traditional children's's songs in 2007, around the time their first children were born. In 2009 they released their fourth rock/pop album Veden varaan ("Overboard") and their fifth album Rakkaudesta ("For Love"), released in 2012, is considered as their comeback album.
"Matka jatkuu vaan" – The journey continues [edit]
In an article titled "Matka jatkuu vaan" in the biggest Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat (17.2.2007), journalist Leena Virtanen attempts to explain how it is that PMMP appeal to both children and adults, concluding that while indeed an energetic pop band PMMP "live within the space between childhood and adulthood", referring to the lifeworlds of both children and adults, carried through with eternal optimism. Virtanen concludes with the words from one of PMMP's best known songs "Matkalaulu" (travel song), which is in fact a song about the band being on the road: "Tämä voi olla koko elämämme ihanin päivä. Ajetaan hiljempaa. Toivon, että matka jatkuu, jatkuu vaan" [This could be the most wonderful day of our whole life. Let's drive slower. I hope the journey goes on, goes on and on..."]
