PRICE:
$17.00
LOW STOCK LEVEL
1-2 Weeks
ARTIST
TITLE
Live!
FORMAT
CD

LABEL
CATALOG #
FR 058CD FR 058CD
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
6/9/2009

This is the third full-length release by Finland's Risto for the Fonal label, capturing the energy, humor, and massiveness of their live performance. Originally formed in 2003, Risto is led by Risto Ylihärsilä with Tuomas Eriksson (guitar), Minna Kortepuro (bass) and an ever-changing drummer. Their second album, Aurinko Aurinko Plaa Plaa Plaa received rapt attention from fans and press and reached number 12 on the Finnish album chart. Risto live is perhaps the wickedest show in all of Finland and Live! captures the band performing songs from their Fonal full-lengths and singles thus far. Each performance is ridiculously polished, with searing guitar solos, keyboard playing that seems to defy majesty and comedy, and an eclectic arsenal of vocal effects, spaceship sounds, screams, etc. As a Fonal label fan puts it, "'Rakkauden Rock' has got to be the worst song ever to play live. It starts too quickly for any sound guy to figure out what to do with the knobs, and once they do, the song's finished. There's Leinonen and Juntunen on drums and Minna on bass, Eriksson plays guitar. Risto nearly knocks himself out every night, and his knees are so bad that, the way he keeps jumping, you always fear he won't be standing up again. Really, these guys work so hard, it makes you ashamed to do anything at all if you're not going to work as hard as they are." Theatrical, emphatic, passionate performances from Finland's zaniest band that defies categorization. Garage rock, lounge rock, absurdist, brash skronk, doesn't matter... Live! makes you wish you were there, shouting along.