.com You wouldn't think of the frigid waters in the Gulf of Bothnia as prime surfing territory, but Finland, on the gulf's east, is home to one of the world's best surf bands, Laika & the Cosmonauts. Mikko Lankinen and Janne Haavisto are not your typical southern California beach names either, but this guitarist and drummer have affectionately and accurately recreated the pre-Beach Boys, surf-instrumental sound of Dick Dale, the Belairs, and the Challengers. On their second U.S. release, The Amazing Colossal Band, Laika & the Cosmonauts put a new emphasis on the frat-rock organ of Matti Pitsinki and on original compositions. In contrast to Dale's often relentless surf-guitar assault, the Finns offer a more varied palette, contrasting Lankinen's slow, distorted guitar lines against the rhythm section's brisk, staccato backing, and alternating lazy, atmospheric numbers. --Geoffrey Himes
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