Leningrad Cowboys (FIN)
The Leningrad Cowboys is a Finnish rock and roll band famous for its humorous songs and concerts featuring the Soviet Red Army Choir.
The band were the invention of Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki, a fictional band in his 1989 film Leningrad Cowboys Go America. However, for the fictional band he used members of a real Finnish band, the Sleepy Sleepers plus a few others, and in the film they are joined by Nicky Tesco, former lead member of UK Punk rock band, The Members. However, following the film, the band then took on a life of its own, appearing in their own right in recordings, videos and concerts. The band appeared in two other Aki Kaurismäki films, the Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses (1994) and the Total Balalaika Show (1994), the film of a joint concert, held in Helsinki in June 1993, between the band and the full 160-member Red Army Choir. Kaurismäki also wrote and directed two videos featuring the band, their cover of the 60's folk standard Those Were The Days (1992) and Thru The Wire (also featuring Tesco) (1992).
In 1994 the band appeared, together with 70 members of the Red Army Choir, at the 11th annual MTV Music Awards, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York, where they sang the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic Sweet Home Alabama. The show was seen by an estimated world-wide audience of 250 million people. That same year the band and ensemble made a joint concert, the "NOKIA Balalaika Show", in Berlin.
Currently, the band has eleven Cowboys and two Leningrad Ladies. The songs, all somewhat influenced by polka and progressive rock, and performed in English, have themes such as vodka, tractors, rockets, and Genghis Khan, as well as folkloric Russian songs, rock and roll ballads and covers from bands as diverse as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, all with lots of humour.
Discography
A can of Leningrad Cowboy beer.- 1917 - 1987 (Megamania 1988)
- Go America (Megamania 1989)
- Those Were The Days CD-Single (BMG Ariola 1991)
- Those Were The Days CD-Single (BMG Ariola 1992)
- Thru The Wire CD-Single (BMG Ariola 1992)
- We Cum From Brooklyn (Johanna 1992)
- Total Balalaika Show - Helsinki Concert (Johanna 1993)
- Live in Prowinzz (Johanna 1993)
- Happy Together (Johanna 1994)
- Jupiter Calling CD-Single (BMG Ariola 1996)
- Where's The Moon CD-Single (BMG Ariola 1996)
- Go Space (Johanna 1996)
- Mongolian Barbeque (Johanna 1997)
- Thank You Very Many - Greatest Hits And Rarities (BMG 1999)
- Be Worry Don't Happy CD-Promo Single (Megamania 1999)
- Terzo Mondo (Johanna 2000)
- Go Wild (BMG 2000)
- Happy Being Miserable CD-Single (Roadrunner 2000)
- Global Balalaika Show (Johanna 2003)
- Zombie's Paradise (Sony BMG 2006)
Official website: http://www.leningradcowboys.fi/
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Lines of Leaving (FIN)
Playing catchy, melodic, politically aware and melodramatic rock, with ferocious guitar riffs, Lines of Leaving has been stirring the Finnish music scene since the band was formed in the end of 2003. The members decided to create a band that would feed its musical hunger from wretchedness and distress of the world and the crimes against humanity. The band doesn’t fit easily into just one genre thus it combines styles from guitar-based rock to punk and heavy metal even to ethnic music, never underestimating the listener. With every song they try to raise awareness and provide something new and interesting to the schooled and boring “mass-production”-music industry with nothing to say. In their music they will ask questions and give answers that others won’t dare to ask.
Although several Finnish record labels showed interest in the band, they founded their own independent record label called Independent Sounds in January 2007 who released their debut album Battle for Humanity in June 2007. Lines of Leaving have two clear and distinguished objects:
1) To make people more aware of the alarming problems that others usually keep quiet about, and
2) To get people to empathize for the weak and powerless who can't stick up for their rights on their own so that the world wouldn't become a place where survival of fittest (equals wealthiest these days) would take a place among humans too.
In order to achieve these goals Lines of Leaving (Timo Nyman- Vocals, guitar & song writing, Janne V. Väänänen-guitar, Juho-Heikki Visakoivu-bass and Jens Källström-drums) have already e.g. organized a campaign for the Finnish Homeless, taken part in multiple benefit concerts and perhaps most importantly are constantly giving information about the much avoided problems their song tell about on their homepage with the help of their controversial and speaking up products like their Anti-Bush t-shirt.
”The best thing is that this band doesn’t just try to benefit from being fashionably politically aware but actually do and write about things that others just talk just about.” – VALPASVUO, DESIBELI.NET
BATTLE FOR HUMANITY -DEBUT ALBUM
Released 20.07.2007
Recorded & mixed by Jani Viitanen at Headline Studio*
Mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers
Produced by Lines of Leaving & Independent Sounds Oy
*(except track 11 recorded by Lines of Leaving and mixed by Emil Lähteenmäki)
(Lines of Leaving have been our Band of the Month - May 2008)
Official website(s): http://linesofleaving.com || http://myspace.com/linesofleaving
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Lost Alone (GBR)
LostAlone are 3-piece rock band based in Derbyshire (Midlands,UK). They are part of a new wave of British rock acts which are attracting much interest and support in both the UK and foreign press.
The bands style combines fast, heavy riffs with slower, melodic sections and strong vocal harmonies to create a sound that is not easily pigeon-holed but sits within the rock/emo scene. Currently signed to their own Scorpia Label, they formed in 2005.
Main influences of the band have been cited as Queen, Iron Maiden, Mansun, Pink Floyd, Weeze. Whilst none of these are particularly prevalent in the bands overall sound, there are subtle nods to these bands both musically, lyrically and dynamically in the bands music. Battelle in particular, embodies the energy and direction of the band. A versatile vocalist and guitarist, he has developed a unique stage style and aesthetic which has grown to include alternative slide guitar techniques, push-ups on stage mid-song and the inimitable, crowd-pleasing 'flip-catch-guitar-solo-with-shoe' move. Steven Battelle and Mark Gibson have been writing partners for the past 15 years, having played together in various bands from the age of 13. The first notable band being Im.Mortal which featured on an early '90's episode of children/teen programme Why Don't You
Touring
LostAlone have toured extensively across the UK and Germany, supporting several bands, most notably Enter Shikari Paramore and My Chemical Romance. They have also completed two UK headline tours (Light The Waves Tour in 2006 and Say No To The World Tour in 2007) and one German headline tour in December 2006. The band have also appeared on numerous high profile european festivals including Taste of Chaos, Give it a Name, Download, Rock am Ring, Rock im Park, T in the Park, Oxe
Members
Steven Battelle - Vocals, Guitar
Mark Gibson - Drums, vocals
Tom Kitchen - Bass, Vocals
Discography
Singles
Blood Is Sharp (2006 Scorpia)
Unleash The Sands Of All Time (2006 Scorpia)
Elysium (2007 Scorpia)
Albums
Say No To The World (2007 Scorpia)
Track Listing:
Elysium
Unleash The Sands Of All Time
Silence
Music And Warm Bodies
Ethereal
Genevieve
Blood Is Sharp
Predators In A Maze
Our Bodies Will Never Be Found
Star Chorus
Standing On The Ruin Of A Beautiful Empire
Official website: http://www.lostalone.com
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Lovex (FIN)
Lovex is a rock band from Tampere, Finland. The members are Theon (vocals), Vivian Sin'Amor (guitar), Sammy Black (guitar), Christian (keyboards), Julian Drain (drums), and Jason (bass). All the band members have pseudonyms and do not use their real names.
The band started in 2001-2002, when several members and one former member, who had previously played in other bands, decided to start their own band to play rock music and have fun. As of 2004 they wrote and recorded many songs, and got a record deal. In August 2005 their first hit, "Bleeding," was released to stores. Their second single, "Guardian Angel," was released in January 2006 and became a huge hit in Finland. The band's first album, Divine Insanity, was also released in March 2006. In Germany, Switzerland and Austria, the single Guardian Angel was released at 5th of January 2007, and album was released at 16th of February 2007. The album will be released for other European countries later Spring, too. Lovex tried to get to Eurovision song contest 2007 with song Anyone, Anymore, but in Finland's Eurovision final it was left to 3rd after Thunderstone and Hanna Pakarin
Members:
Theon (Torsti Mäkinen) - Vocals
Vivian Sin'Amor (Risto Katajisto) - Guitar
Sammy Black (Sami Saarela) - Guitar
Christian - Keys
Julian Drain (Juho Järvensivu) - Drums
Jason (Timo Karlsson) - Bass
Former Members
Jussi Selo - Vocals (2003)
Tuomas Rajamäki - Drums (2003)
Singles
Finland:
Bleeding (10.8.2005), contains non-album song Yours
Guardian Angel (1.2.2006), contains non-album songs Heart of Stone (demo 2004), Guardian Angel (late night version) and Guardian Angel -video
Remorse (9.8.2006), contains non-album song Shout
Die A Little More (9.8.2006)
Bullet For The Pain (promo-single, not for stores)
Anyone, Anymore (21.2.2007), contains non-album song Wild And Violent
Take a Shot (27.02.2007
Turn (28.03.08)
Rest of Europe:
Guardian Angel (5.1.2007) in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, contains non-album songs Divine Insanity, Yours and Bullet For The Pain (live)
Anyone, Anymore (11.5.2007) in Germany, Switzerland and Austria
Bullet For The Pain (2.11.2007, only digital version), contains also the song Guardian Angel
Take a Shot (2.05.2008)
Albums
Finland:
Divine Insanity (1.3.2006)
Divine Insanity - Special Edition (8.11.2006), contains extra-CD, what contains songs Shout, Heart of Stone (demo 2004), Guardian Angel (demo 2004), Yours, Runaway (live(cover, original version by Bon Jovi)), Die A Little More (live) and Bullet For The Pain (live) and videos Guardian Angel and Bullet For The Pain
Divine Insanity - International Version (21.2.2007), contains extrasongs Anyone, Anymore, Shout and Yours
Pretend Or Surrender (30.4.2008)
Rest of Europe:
Divine Insanity - International Version (16.2.2007) in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, will be released in whole Europe later Spring
Pretend Or Surrender (30.4.2008) in Germany, Switzerland and Austria
Japan:
Divine Insanity - International Version (17.9.2007)
Pretend Or Surrender (30.4.2008)
Official Website: www.lovex.fi
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