Guitar music? Balalike it!

If you think that guitar music is dying or, at best, playing a requiem to itself, listen to these young Russian bands and be convinced otherwise after the first few chords.

"Rock music is alive and well" is an undeniable statement made by Samara-based Vuri Roots on their explosive track “Powder”. The no less audacious “In My Ampoule”, released three years ago, is imbued with gentle, almost whispery vocals, which prepares the listener for the more pacified track “Eve's Song”.

The group Panda's Holidays (Kanikuly Malenkoy Pandy) love heavy sound and old American cars. It’s difficult to pin them to any genre. The trio morphs instantaneously from a hardcore band into an indie-rock group, even in one song. An example is "Agni".

Another band that sometimes sings in Russian (which is rare for young Russian musicians) is Manicure — not the most striking example of a guitar group, since they often mask acoustic instruments under a thick layer of synthesizers. But a key element of Manicure’s music has always been saturated guitar riffs, as in the song “Another Girl”.

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