Née: Manuel Rodríguez, Iván Jávega, Laura Prieto, Elisa Pérez, Javier Carrasco, Javier Monserrat, Pablo Magariños
Raíces: Madrid, Aspe, and Torrelavega
Sounds Like: The Magnetic Fields hanging out with Belle & Sebastian in Spain with La Habitación Roja as their tour guide
You should listen to Los Rusos Blancos because…love is the worst.
Rusos Blancos (no, not those Russians) are more than just a wonderful, Lebowski-approved drink for your next party. They’re also a sweet band from Spain with as many members as The Decemberists and a singer with a similar penchant for the fine art of his mother tongue. However, Manuel Rodríguez & co. don’t write long, academically worded songs about Ishmaels and killer whales. Rodríguez, instead, paints very somber portraits of love that would make Pinkerton-era Rivers Cuomo and Robert Smith tell him to cheer up.
During the course of three albums, the group has covered these tales of love and sadness in songs such as “Hombre Enamorado, Deprimido Ante La Crisis Hipotecaria,” “Novia Depresiva,” “Dudo Que El Amor Nos Salve,” and “Algunas Cosas De Mí Que Aprendí Estando Contigo.” It’s a bit depressing, yet so strangely beautiful.