The Russians is a Boston-based collective led by Scott Janovitz, joined live and on record by his friends, who are also among the most creative musicians Boston has to offer.
After disbanding his former outfit, Dragstrip Courage, Janovitz spent a couple of years playing sideman to some great artists, including Garvy J (Elevator Drops, The Rentals), The Figgs, Yep Roc artists Jake Brennan and the Confidence Men, and the legendary Graham Parker, with whom he continues to tour sporadically.
Meanwhile, Janovitz was holed up in his own Moontower Studio in Cambridge, slowly developing the songs and sound that would soon become The Russians. With the release of their debut EP came a tour with ex-Replacement Tommy Stinson and The Figgs. The band subsequently performed with such great acts as Radar Bros., Sam Roberts, Evan Dando, Dave Derby, Mary Timony, and Dear Leader.
With the aid of co-producer Darren Ottaviani, himself a longtime member of the band, The Russians continued to flourish in the studio, with influences ranging from Phil Spector, McCartney and Pink Floyd, to Beachwood Sparks, Teenage Fanclub and The Flaming Lips. In October of 2007, Janovitz released a second EP (appropriately titled EP.02), co-produced by Will Kennedy (The 88, Spearhead) and featuring songs mixed by Kennedy and Paul Kolderie (Morphine, The Pixies).
July 2010 saw the release of Crashing The Party, the band's first full-length LP, an album of unforgettable, hook-packed songs that feature shimmering melodies and driving guitars seamlessly combined with 21st Century loops and sonic embroidery. A few months later, Janovitz won the Boston Music Award for "Singer/Songwriter of the Year" for 2010. The album garnered significant radio airplay and critical praise. Jim Fusilli of the Wall Street Journal named Crashing the Party one of the best albums of the year, calling it "...a thoroughly realized work bursting with hook-filled songs and deft musicianship."
