The greatest Russian rock band ever!   Today’s SXSW showcasing artist, Mumiy Troll,  hails from the red land of Russia.  Vocalist and songwriter Illia Lagutenko leads Mumiy Troll  into Austin with a swagger not yet heard from the eastern nation.  Their first North American tour ever was just last year but it was so popular they are coming back.  Apparently they are huge in Japan, China, and Europe.  Little know fact: Their video for “Vladivostok 2000” was the first music video broadcast on Russian MTV.

Okay, so this is the only Russian rock band I’ve heard, but that’s okay.  The grooves are great, they have nice hooks, and they aren’t too mainstream.   Lagutenko describes Mumiy Troll as something called “rockapops.”  It’s kinda like if the Doves and Franz Ferdinad had a baby in the USSR and drank alot of vodka.  Thing is, this band was around in 1983, way before those two.  We got a Benjamin Button thing going down.  Check out one of their rare English language songs in “Oh Paradiso” from their “Luxury Wafers Sessions.”

[audio:http://146.190.132.255/audio/MumiyTroll_OhParadiso.mp3]