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Jun 13th, Midnight Sun Film Festival - Festival club, Sodankylä |
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Jul 19th, Sierravuori, Eura |
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Jul 26th, Karmarock, Harjavalta |
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Jul 27th, Kisapuistorock - Päätösklubi Alex Parkissa, Lahti |
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Aug 9th, Twang Fest 2008, Lappeenranta |
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Laika & The Cosmonauts was founded in 1987 by Mikko Lankinen (guitar), Janne Haavisto (drums), Matti Pitsinki (organ and guitar) and Tom Nyman (bass). Their first album "C'mon Do The Laika" was released already in 1988. The group has since then released five more studio albums, all with the same line-up.
Their popularity in Finland and the rest of the Europe began to rise, surprisingly, only after they had made themselves a household name among the surf/garage/punk/alternative audience in The USA! There this foursome has released three original CD's ("Instruments of Terror", "The Amazing Colossal Band" and "Absurdistan") as well as a compilation of their early stuff (from "C'mon do the Laika" and "Surfs you right!"). For these records they got rave reviews, good amount of airplay on the radio and won over the hearts of many famed musicians from "the king of surf guitar" Dick Dale to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench. Other well-known Laika fans are Mike Palm from the surf-punk legend Agent Orange and John Jorgenson from The Hellecasters who, also played with Elton John for several years!
In US they have done six nationwide tours, one of which was as a supporting act for The Ministry on their "Filth Pig" tour. The singer of Ministry, Al Jourgensen wanted Laika & The Cosmonauts to join the stadium tour because, in his words; "They are the best f***ing band in the world!" Just check out their superb live album "Laika Sex Machine" (2000) and you'll come to the same conclusion yourself.
The music of the band has been also included in number of movies including Flipper, LA Without A Map, Fox Hunt, Blood and Donuts, The Iron Horsemen.
Since the members are big fans of movies and soundtrack albums one of the main goals is to get the Laika-music on the big screen.
Laika & The Cosmonauts is also continually touring Europe and their home country. They have done dozens of TV appearances (including a live TV-show shown all over Europe called "Absolut Live") and hundreds of radio interviews/shows in the USA as well as in Europe. In Japan some people might even know the band members from their work as record producers with artists such as "Lemonator", "Super", "The JP's", "Värttinä".
Laika and the Cosmonauts latest studio album,
LOCAL WARMING, saw daylight in January 2004 (January 13th in the USA &
Canada and Jan.16th in Finland) The new release (on Yep Roc Records
in the
US/Grandpop Records in Finland) is by far the band's best and most
rocking
record, thus keeping up the high musical standards and manifesting the
band's artistic ambition and constant development. 2004 also
witnessed the
band touring extensively both in the US and Europe.
Laika & the Cosmonauts is turning twenty soon!!
Yes, with the same lineup all along!
A 20th anniversary compilation album is in the production phase. The
record will be released by Yeproc records in the US and by Grandpop
records in Finland and Scandinavia. The album will also contain BRAND
NEW,
PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED MATERIAL - songs and tunes from the Laika & the Cosmonauts composition + accompaniment to the Fritz
Lang silent film classic METROPOLIS!!!
To celebrate the 20th anniversay and the release of the new album a US
tour is in the works for Feb/March 2008.
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