Penniless

The band that would later answer to Penniless first came together in the Finnish hamlet of Nakkila in 1991, initially operating under the name “The Penniless People of Bulgaria.” Its roster comprised Pekka Alisaari on vocals and guitar, Kimmo Kurittu on bass, Lasse Alisaari on drums, and Mikko Pere on guitar. Not long after forming, the quartet issued its debut album, Mould, through the self-run Penni Records. Infused with a pronounced Pixies influence yet defined by its own brand of melodic noise pop, the follow-up Velocity surfaced in 1993; around the same time Pekka’s brother Ossi Alisaari joined as a third guitarist. A West Side Fabrication released the group’s third album, Joe, in 1998, which featured the single Avalanche and coincided with a European tour shared with labelmates Tommy 16.