Dzhango (Джанго) is the stage name of Aleksey Viktorovich Poddubniy (Алексей Викторович Поддубный), a Ukrainian and Russian pop, rock, and folk composer, vocalist, and leader of a band of the same name. The band Dzhango became especially well-known in Russian and Ukraine after their track “Cold Spring” (“Холодная весна”) was featured on the soundtrack of […]
And My Friend the Truck… (И Друг мой Грузовик…)is a Ukrainian indie rock band who sing almost exclusively in Russian. They are noted for their minimalist instrumentation, consisting of only drums, bass, and vocals. The band was formed initially in 1997 as Me and My Friend the Truck (Я и Друг Мой Грузовик) for a […]
33ა (33a) is a Georgian folk-rock band based out of Tbilisi. It was founded in 1994, during the troubled “dark 90s” of post-Soviet Georgia, led by Niaz Diasamidze. The name of the band, in fact, comes from the address of Diasamidze’s Tbilisi Apartment – 33a Paliashvili Street. All of the band members are Georgian. Diasamidze […]
Lyuk (Люк; translates to “manhole” in Russian, but the members said they just liked how it sounded) was a Ukrainian rock and rock-adjacent band that broke up in 2011. They’re also affiliated with the genres of punk, acid jazz, lounge, funk, hip-hop, and a bunch of others—the band members themselves have had a hard time defining exactly […]
Naik Borzov (Найк Владимирович Борзов) is a Russian rock musician, poet, and singer-songwriter. He is known as the founder of the seminal but short-lived Russian punk band Infection (Инфекция), and more widely for his solo work. Naik organized Infection when he was only 14 years old. During their early career, the group produced two full-length albums, Onanism […]
Gilza (Гильzа) is a contemporary Russian rock band fronted by Lesya Gismatulina (Леся Гисматулина). Gismatulina has quickly risen to prominence as one of the leading rock vocalists in Russia, and was nominated for Best Soloist by Nashe Radio in 2016. As a group, Gilza is enjoying a lot of popular success as well, having recently […]
Casual is a contemporary Russian rock group. Started in 2009, Casual has seen quite a bit of success, with a number of singles climbing the Nashe Radio charts, as well as four successful albums: Inside (Инсайд), People Always Went (Все время люди шли), 242 Grams (242 грамма), and Be Quiet (Сделай тише). The group has played […]
Roads Change Color (Дороги Меняют Цвет, or ДМЦ) is an alternative Russian-singing folk-rock band from Poltava, Ukraine. Originally a two-piece group composed of vocalist Andrey Grechanik (Андрей Гречаник) and guitarist Sergeу Starostenko (Сергей Старостенко), the band has since expanded to include a keyboardist, bassist, drummer, and, for a brief period prior to her tragic death, a violin […]
Yolka (Ёлка in Russian) is a Ukrainian pop star, actress, and television personality who sings in Russian. Born Yelizaveta Valdemarivna Ivantsiv (Єлизавета Вальдемарівна Іванців), she received the nickname Ёлка (“fir tree”) when a childhood friend mispronounced her name; it amused her, and the name stuck. She has gained wide popularity and critical acclaim for her […]
