Laika & the Cosmonauts

Laika & the Cosmonauts were a Finnish rock band. They had the same lineup from the time they formed in 1987 until they stopped recording in 2008. The band was named after Laika, a Soviet space dog that died on board Sputnik 2 in 1957. Their sound was usually described as surf rock, but a Boston Globe review noted that the band's sound is "far beyond the limitations of any specific genre."[3] The band relied heavily on the Finnish rautalanka electric guitar tradition. They toured the United States and Europe several times. Al Jourgensen of Ministry called them "the best f**king band in the world".[4] In an email to the band's mailing list on 23 April 2008, Laika & the Cosmonauts announced they would be drawing their twenty-year career to a close with an American tour through the summer of 2008. The tour ended with shows at the Continental Club in Austin, Texas that fall. A compilation album, Cosmopolis, was released at the start of the tour.