Laika & the Cosmonauts
Laika & the Cosmonauts were a Finnish rock band. They were named for the Soviet Union space dog, Laika.
Laika & the Cosmonauts | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Finland |
| Genres | Surf rock Instrumental rock Rautalanka |
| Years active | 1987-2008 |
| Labels | Yep Roc Records (US) Grandpop Records (Finland) |
| Members | Mikko Lankinen (guitar) Janne Haavisto (drums) Matti Pitsinki (organ and guitar) Tom Nyman (bass) [1] |
The band's genre was surf rock. A Boston Globe reviewer said their sound was "far beyond the limitations of any specific genre."[2] They played mostly Finnish rautalanka (instrumental traditional) music.
Laika & the Cosmonauts were not well known in the United States. They were well-liked by many musicians. These include Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Mike Palm of the band, Agent Orange, and an early surf rock musician, Dick Dale. Al Jourgensen of Ministry said they are "the best f**king band in the world."[3]
History
The band began in 1987. They still had the same members when they stopped making records in 2008. They toured the United States and Europe several times. The band also played several times on European television.
Laika & the Cosmonauts said in an email on April 23, 2008, that they were quitting after a twenty-year career. They ended with an American tour. The last shows were at the Continental Club in Austin, Texas in the autumn of 2008. A compilation album, Cosmopolis, was released at the same time as the tour.
Discography
- C'mon Do the Laika 1988
- Surfs You Right 1990
- Instruments of Terror 1992
- The Amazing Colossal Band 1995
- Zero Gravity (US compilation) 1996
- Absurdistan 1997
- Laika Sex Machine (live) 2000
- Local Warming 2004
- Cosmopolis 2008 (Compilation)
References
- ↑ Discogs - Laika & the Cosmonauts profile and discography Retrieved 5 July 2015
- ↑ "Laika and the Cosmonauts: Local Warming". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2004/02/06/laika_and_the_cosmonauts_local_warming/. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- ↑ "Laika & The Cosmonauts". Yep Roc Records. Retrieved 5 July 2015.