Penniless (band)


Penniless is a rock band, formed in Nakkila, Finland in 1988. As of June 2019, Penniless has released [|ten studio albums], as well as [|nineteen singles/EPs]. Penniless is currently signed to Tampere-based label Soit se silti.

Career

Despite having received mainly favourable reviews, Penniless has enjoyed moderate commercial success. The Adam's Apple Pie single spent 13 weeks on Finnish public radio station Radiomafia's playlist in 2001. The band reached The Official Finnish Charts for the first time ever in 2010 with the A Cab To The City album, which spent one week at No. 30 on the Official Finnish Albums Chart.
In 1998, Penniless covered Eva Dahlgren's song Sommarbarn for the Yle X3M radio station's compilation album entitled Extrema Sommarhits Volume 1. The song was also released on the Cyberhand CD EP.
Penniless has toured mainly in its native Finland, but the band has also supported American band Mucky Pup on their European tour in 1996 and performed at the 1998 Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Penniless has performed several times at the Swedish Trästockfestivalen, an annual free festival in Skellefteå, founded and arranged by Joakim Wallström. Wallström is also the founder of Penniless' long-time record label A Westside Fabrication.

Musical style and influences

Finnish monthly music magazine Soundi has described Penniless’ music as "beautiful and catchy melodies, stellar guitars and a matching 'tongue in cheek' attitude". PopMatters highlighted Penniless' "artful employment of every indie trick and guitar hook in the book"., while Nöjesguiden praised the band's "unusually distinctive talent for coming up with great refrains", but rued its "lack of individuality in an atonal jungle of similar bands".
Music critics have compared Penniless to a number of mostly American rock bands, including Pixies, Hüsker Dü, Weezer and Nirvana. Penniless guitarist, vocalist and main songwriter Ossi Alisaari has cited The Who and Sonic Youth among his influences.

Side projects

Outside Penniless, Ossi Alisaari sings and plays guitar in the band Salaliitto. Kimmo Kurittu is the bass player of Maj Karma. Pekka Alisaari has produced albums for Finnish acts Euforia and Markus Perttula.

Band members

Current members

Albums