Slavic

Olga Arefyeva (Ольга Арефьева) is a Russian singer, published poet, dancer, theater actress, and educator. Born in a small town (Verkhnyaya Salda/Верхняя Салда) outside of Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) in 1964, she—along with her band, The Ark (Ковчег)—has released a staggering 18 albums since the early 1990s and composed more than 400 original songs. She is […]

Grigory Leps (Григорий Лепс) is a Russian singer best known for his contributions to shanson (a genre of Russian music that often tells stories about the criminal underworld). Leps is from Sochi and started playing music when he was young, which initially competed with soccer in his affections—but luckily for us, music won. He studied […]

5’nizza (pronounced “Pyatnitsa,” Russian for “Friday”) is a Russian duet who plays across the genres of hip-hop, reggae, and funk. Originally from Kharkiv, 5’nizza existed from 2000 until 2007 and then, after a long hiatus, re-formed in 2015. They have played shows around Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and the United States. 5’nizza consists of Sergei Babkin […]

Patrick the Pan is a Polish soft rock band consisting of frontman Piotr Madej, Justyn Małodobry, Kuba Duda, and Adam Stępniowski. The band’s first album was composed, recorded, and performed entirely by Madej. Patrick the Pan’s music is soft and sad, as well as artfully composed. In Madej’s own words, their songs are “sad songs. […]

Lao Che is a Polish rock band that plays a crossover of alternative rock, punk, ska, ambient, and folk. Lao Che was formed in 1999 by former members of the seminal Polish band Koli. The band’s popularity grew quickly after the release of their album Warsaw Uprising (Powstanie Warszkawskie), a concept album that was nominated for a […]

Skubas is the stage name of Radosław Skubaja (formerly known as Sqbass and MC Sqbass), a Polish musician. As Skubas, Skubaja performs acoustic guitar songs that straddle the line between folk and grunge. Skubas is known for his unique and distinctive voice, as well as his grungy guitar riffs and melancholy lyrics. Born in 1981, […]

Daab is a long-running Polish reggae band. Originally from Warsaw, the band formed in 1982 and still actively tours today, having reached something of a cult status in Poland. The band was originally named Daab—Muzyka serc (“music of the heart”). Daab’s original lineup consisted of Dariusz Gierszewski, Andrzej Zeńczewski, Artur Miłoszewski, and Piotr Strojnowski, who […]

2Tm2,3 (also known as Tymoteusz) is a Polish Christian metal band. Their name refers to the Bible, verse 2 of Timothy 2:3 (“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”). The band is made up of members of various top Polish heavy metal and alternative rock bands, including Acid Drinkers, Flapjack, Armia, […]