Laika & the Cosmonauts were a Finnish rock band. They had the same lineup from the time they formed in 1987 until they stopped recording in 2008. The band was named after Laika, a Soviet space dog that died on board Sputnik 2 in 1957. Their sound was usually described as surf rock, but a Boston Globe review noted that the band's sound is "far beyond the limitations of any specific genre."[3] The band relied heavily on the Finnish rautalanka electric guitar tradition. They toured the United States and Europe several times. Al Jourgensen of Ministry called them "the best f**king band in the world".[4] In an email to the band's mailing list on 23 April 2008, Laika & the Cosmonauts announced they would be drawing their twenty-year career to a close with an American tour through the summer of 2008. The tour ended with shows at the Continental Club in Austin, Texas that fall. A compilation album, Cosmopolis, was released at the start of the tour.[citation needed]
Laika & the Cosmonauts | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Finland |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1987–2008 |
| Labels |
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| Past members |
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Band members
edit- Mikko Lankinen – guitar
- Matti Pitsinki – organ, guitar
- Tom Nyman – bass
- Janne Haavisto – drums
Discography
edit- C'mon Do the Laika (1988)
- Surfs You Right (1990)
- Instruments of Terror (1992)[5]
- The Amazing Colossal Band (1995)
- Zero Gravity (US compilation, 1996)
- Absurdistan (1997)
- Laika Sex Machine (live, 2000)[6]
- Local Warming (2004)
- Cosmopolis (compilation, 2008)
References
edit- ^ "Laika & the Cosmonauts: profile and discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- ^ "Laika & the Cosmonauts". yeproc.com. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ Tomlinson, Sarah (6 February 2004). "Laika and the Cosmonauts: Local Warming". Boston Globe. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- ^ "Laika & The Cosmonauts". Yep Roc Records. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- ^ "Laika & the Cosmonauts – Instruments of Terror". allmusic.com. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Laika and the Cosmonauts – Laika Sex Machine". atomicmag.com. Retrieved 9 August 2021.