International Spotlight: The Pauki (Russia)

Tim Krysko of Wreck The Place Fantastic reporting in with our International Spotlight. Every week we're featuring updates and music downloads from bands outside the North American market. This week we're headed to Russia:

In my opinion, the most fascinating episode of punk history occurred in Russia in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Gorbachev came to power and implemented perestroika, dismantling the regime of repression that characterized the Soviet Union. Some incredible, authentic punk bands formed during this period. They were alienated from the bulk of Western punk music and raised on early Soviet punk and proto-punk, some of which incorporated the region's traditional folk sounds. Bands like Tarakany, Naive - two of the country's most important acts to this date - set the standard, and one other is known as the Pauki (in English, the Spiders).

The Pauki formed in 1991, and over the years have incorporated a wide range of influences into their sound. Rooted in beer-soaked, classic punk, the Pauki boast traces of rockabilly, grunge, and folk. Their discography includes over a dozen tapes and CDs, and countless compilations all over the world. And, they've hosted such foreign acts as the Exploited (2001) and Goldblade (2003). After a lineup change in 2002, the band is as active as ever in the Russian punk scene.

The Pauki - Thank You Nobel (MP3)