Uniklubi

by Margaret RegesCombining the raw energy of AFI with the hormonal plaintiveness of My Chemical Romance, Finland's Uniklubi topped the charts in their homeland in the early 2000s. The band, initially called Pincenez, formed in 1999 with vocalist Jussi Selo and guitarist Pasi Vitala. Bassist Teemu Rajamaki and Selo's sister Janne joined the band one year later, and the group changed its name to Uniklubi (Dreamclub). The band got down to the business of recording demos (many of them in English) and playing shows around Finland. It was during one of their many gigs that they managed to get the attention of the right people, and Uniklubi were signed to Lumbago/Universal soon after. Their debut album, Rakkautta Ja Piikkilankaa (Love and Barbed Wire), hit stores in 2004 and shot into the Finnish Top Five. The title track soon became 2004's most requested track on YleX (Finland's biggest radio station), and Uniklubi went on to win an Emma for Best New Band. The group's second album, Keha (Circle), emerged the following year; it debuted at number one on the Finnish charts and remained in the Top 20 for over five months. The band won a couple more awards that year; the music video for "Huomenna" snagged an Emma for Best Video, and Uniklubi were given a Panda-Femma award for best makeup. The band's third album, Luotisade, was slated for release in 2007.