The following profiles of under-the-radar bands from Europe and Russia feature kick-ass songs that we either featured only on playlists or social media but we’re now bringing to a post right here. These are some fine tracks worth flashing back to.
Royalball – Prague, The Czech Republic
Wolf Saga – London, Ontario
Desert’s Mind – Vladivostok, Russia
Prisma – Geneva, Switzerland
Nightcars – Madrid, Spain
The roiling track, “Pink Heels,” was a song that we shared on a number of playlists some years back. Not too surprising to us, the song did very well in that aspect. The track comes via Prague indie band Royalball. The band mixes indie pop and rock, Britpop, and alternative rock.
Our first introduction to the band was via this smoking, under-the-radar, The Strokes-meets-The Smiths-sounding single, “Pink Heels,” and the follow-up infectious song, “Whole Love Tonight (Love Is Calling Don’t Forget Who You Are),” both off the six-piece band’s 2013 debut EP.
Band Members: Jan Wonder lead vocal; Daniel Thatch drums; Matej Pleskac guitar; Ondrej Koci guitar; Valentine Wolf bass guitar; Daniel Patras – synths, piano
Musical influences: Morrissey, Blur, The Strokes, Gorillaz, Suede
Johnny Saga of London, Ontario, sent us the tantalizing electronic indie cover of Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks,” featuring Lemon, way back in 2012 (seems like a few years ago; not nearly 10!).
It made the rounds big time on Soundcloud amassing nearly half of a million plays in a matter of weeks.
The swirling feel-good synth riffs, cooly-tuned drum machine beats, and bumping bass lines, not to mention the interplay of Saga’s and Lemon’s vocal stylings, made it a hit. In fact, Wolf Saga has dropped many covers over the years that have blown up – none more so than his cover of The Strokes “You Only Live Once” featuring Lyon.
Saga began producing electronic music using Logic Pro and a Korg R3 back in 2012. His musical influences are Phoenix, Dream Theater, Danger, David Bowie, M83, and Boston.
facebook.com/enterwolfsaga
Spaced out, slow jam riffs on percussion and electric guitars combine with snarly vocals. Driving in the dark, chilled night; haunting, melancholic industrial gloom and occult worship.
It’s Velvet Underground influenced jams with raw, emotive guitars, and booming bass and drums in the epic-like trilogy, “Shadows.”
These are the sounds and moods created by Desert’s Mind, a psych punk rock band from Vladivostok, Russia, up near the borders of China and North Korea in the northeastern most edge of the continent where Asia meets the Pacific Ocean.
Part Two of the “Shadows” song series delves viciously and head-first into a wall of punk-inspired guitar garage rock coupled with insanely powerful, and heavily reverb-laden vocals that are unforgettable. Damn! These Russos can bang your head with their full-force hurricane of angst punk psych rock.
However many times we try to word it – the fact is these guys play a mean punk/garage/psych rock stew that makes you believe they are a breakout band from a working-class American city, not hailing from easternmost Russia. Technically, they’re closer to America (Alaska) than most Russian, or even European, bands are. So, there is that.
Band Members: Aleksei Chepinoga, vocals; Egor Volokitin, guitar; Konstantin Chistokhin, bass; Andrei Taranin, guitar, and Alexander Shevtsov, drums.
Musical Influences: New Candys, Kyuss, This New Puritans, and Kap Bambino.
Based in the historic European city of Geneva is the indie rock band PRISMA. Founded in 2013 by brothers Paulo Mendoza and Dennis Benavides, and their fellow friend Costi McFrosty, the band broke through with a hot international single, “Prophet.”
They define their music as an exotic cocktail with influences such as Biffy Clyro, White Lies, Nirvana. In 2016, Prisma released its self-titled debut album which includes the band’s first international single ‘Prophet’. The 80s new wave keyboards, fast, punching beats, and shimmering synths remind us a little of the Pet Shop Boys.
Band Members: Dennis Benavides – vocals, guitars, keyboard, Paulo Mendoza – vocals, guitars, Costi Mcfrosty – bass Jose Pettina – drummer
Musical influences: Nirvana, Biffy Clyro, The Verve, and White Lies
Based in Madrid, the alternative indie bandNightcars features four friends/musicians originally from Venezuela and Uruguay.
The band’s debut single, “Neon Girl,” has obvious 80’s and 90’s influences, slick grooves, chilled keys, downtempo beats, frenetic guitars, and injections of soul and R&B elements.
The single is from the band’s debut album, Extended Play. Band members cite musical influences such as Lionel Richie; The Cure; and The Cars.