The band "Tarakany" was formed by 16-year-old classmates in Moscow, Russia in 1991 and firstly was named "Chetyre Tarakana". Their debut album "Duty Free Songs" was released in 1992 and distributed through DIY-distribution. The album contained 11 melodic punk songs in Russian and English written under the influence of The Ramones. In that time the band performed a lot in punk-clubs of Moscow and other cities. Thus "Chetyre Tarakana" very quickly have become famous among punks. In 1993 the band broke up because of private problems of musicians but in 1995 it was reunited. In 1995 the second album "Best Before..." was released. It was a low-budget album and all the songs were in English. The band has taken part in the movement "Learn to Swim" of punk and alternative musicians against facism and hard drug. "Chetyre Tarakana" often toured through Russia and Baltic countries participating in the festivals "Learn to Swim". In 1997 "Chetyre Tarakana" signed up the contract with small independent record-label "FeeLee" and released the next album "Stole? Drunk?!Go in Jail!!!" (Ukral? Vypil?! V Tiurmu!!!) contained songs in Russian and English. The band has become famous on a country scale, some of their songs were played by local fm-radio-stations. "Chetyre Tarakana" changed their name to "Tarakany!" and began to perform a lot in Russian and international punk and rock festivals including performing as a support band for English punk legends "Toy Dolls" and "Stranglers". The next album No Entrance (Posadki net) released in 1998 was more various in style and contained songs in Russian and English. It was melodic punk with raggae, ska and surf elements. Compositions of this album are played by radio-stations too, the band made their first video. "Tarakany!" as a famous punk band began to organize punk festivals and to release punk compilation "Like the punks and all of that kind..." to support new punk, hardcore and ska bands. "Tarakany!" released five parts of the compilation and organized several festivals in different cities of Russia. In the beginning of the 2000 year "Tarakany!" went in their first Europe
tour. The tour includes 12 concerts in Switzerland jointly with bands "Tagtraum", "Snitch", "Scally" and "The Monsrers". In 2000 "Tarakany!" released their next album "Popfodder" (Popcorm) recorded in Ramones pop-punk and melodic hardcore style with raggae, ska, latinjazz and country elements in arrangement. This album was highly estimated by such punk zines as "Maximum r-n-r", "HitList", "Punk Planet". The reaction of fans and critics on new album was great. "Tarakany!" received invitations on different festivals all over Russia and headlined punk-festivals which were organized by the band itself. In 2001-2002 guys performed a lot in rock-shows against drug abuse and alcoholism among youth. One of their hits - "Foolish Head" - became the hymn of Non-governmental Organization "NO To Alcolism And Drug Abuse". In fall of 2001 "Tarakany!" released split-CD with hardcore/punk-band SOBUT from Japan. Full length studio album "Fear and Hatred" appeared at the beginning of 2002. The reaction was perfect again, two songs from it ("I look at 'em" and "Russian Rock") even became the hits on one of the national radio-stations. "Fear and Hatred" is the most successful disk, made by the "Tarakany!" to the moment. This fact let the band to organize the tour through Russia, Ukraine and Moldova without any help from the structures of big show-business (inspite of all the hardships, such as very specific Russian geographic, social
conditions and the fact that there is no punk-community in Russia in European meaning of this word). During the "Fear and Hatred Tour" band performed more than 30 times in 1,5 month and made 10,000 km from Western to the Eastern border of Russia. First shows were made together with famous Japanese band SOBUT, and in April 2002 "Tarakany!" toured Japan themselves. "Fear and Hatred" was reissued by "Old Blood Records" - the own label of musicians from SOBUT. Again this record met the positive revues in big international punk-zines. In the end of 2002 group released the compilation of the best songs and rarities (plus one new song) "The Best is the Enemy of Good". In 2003 "Tarakany!" organized second Russian tour, which was ended by three
shows in collaboration project with legendary Marky Ramone under the name Marky Ramone & "The Pinhead Army". In october 2003 Tarakany! started distribution their albums to Europe and other parts of the world by Zurich ChainSaw Massacre Records (www.zurichpunkconnection.ch , P.O. box 44, 8953, Dietikon 2, Switzerland). Last album "The Freedom Street" released in Russia in november 2003. For 12 years of band's live, "Tarakany!" released 10 albums and performed in more then 800 concerts.

Duty Free Songs'92
Best Before-'95
Stole? Drunk?! Go in a Jail!!! (Ukral? Vypil?! V Tiurmu!!!)'97
Demo's 91 - 97'97
No Entrance (Posadki net)'98
It's A Life (Eto Zhizn)'99 - live album
Popfodder (Popcorm)'2000
Fear and hatred (Strah I Nenavist)'2002
The Best- the Enemy of Good (Luchshee - vrag horoshego)'2002
Freedom Street 2003 (Ulica Svobody)'2003
Rockets from Russia 2004 (Rakety iz Rossii)'2004

Country Of Origin:

Russia

Official Website:

tarakany.ru/englishversion

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Band Of The Month March 2005