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For a minor Reflection

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I tried to find someone to credit for the damned pic, but alas no luck.

I tried to find someone to credit for the damned pic, but alas no luck.

In the beginning there was Pink Floyd, in 2006 there was a soon to be post rock Icelandic band covering Pink Floyd, and by 2007 that band, For a Minor Reflection, was playing and recording their own material, originally comprised of Kjartan Hólm, Guðfinnur Sveinsson, Elvar Jón Guðmundsson and Jóhannes Ólafsson who was later replaced by Andri Freyr Þorgeirsson. With over 6 years, multiple tours on their own or with the likes of Sigur Ros, FAMR have earned their place as Icelandic post rock veterans.

Their first album, Reistu þig við, sólin er komin á loft…, is self produced.  reminiscent of Explosions in the sky or Godspeed You Black Emperor, there is a rawness to the music with two guitars that easily transition from harmonies to performing dueling dances around the drums and bass.  “Ókyrrð” is the perfect example of the dance the guitars do on this album.  Sometimes almost dueling like a high noon shootout while at other times in paralleled harmony, the song builds up, tears down and slowly brings itself to a boiling endpoint.  And though the song is over 12 minutes long, once it begins you really don’t want it to end.  It still remains my favorite track of theirs to date.

in 2009 the band lost their drummer to the dreaded land of studies, and Andri Freyr Þorgeirsson Joined them.  Their second album, Höldum í átt að óreiðu. was released shortly after in 2010.

Kastljós, the first song on the album introduces us to a newer sound of FAMR.  The rawness replaced with fuller sounding guitars and a more equal mix of keys and drums.   Where Reistu þig við, sólin er komin á loft’s complexity was found in the tension between the instruments, Höldum í átt að óreiðu’s creates it’s own complexity by intertwining layers that cleverly weave a more smooth journey.  The second song, “Fjara”, gives us a clear introduction to the new players in the mix, keyboard and strings.

I think what sets this album apart from it’s kin in the post rock genre, is the hidden up-beatedness of it all.  There is a sly happiness within the songs that creeps up on you in the most surprising moments.  I suppose I amn’t a strong enough wordsmith, but there are times when I listen to this album that I realize mid song that I’ve cracked a smile and am fighting back the warm and fuzzys.  It almost becomes a soundtrack to the triumphant moments of your life, like when you’ve managed to get every last bit out of your yogurt cup.  Their second album is an album that stays in my recently played queue quite often.  “Fjara” and “Andlega veðurtepptir” happen to be my favorite two songs.

Their third album, the For a Minor Reflection E.P.  is a pleasant compromise of their two previous releases.  There are exciting and sharp instrumental moments, with plenty of smooth rolling hills.  The background ambiance-like samples they use add to the music and neatly tie up the two styles.  Oh, and there are horns, Höldum also had horns, but their shiny brass chests are puffed out and beaming so much more on the E.P.

“Recite” is one of my favorite tracks on the E.P.  Overall the song gradually builds up to a rock out ending, but in that build up are many tiny jagged moments of sharpness with micro breaks between guitars, keys and horns creating localized ups and downs within a wave like movement that ends in a terrific crash of rocking out.

In December of 2013, the band released a DVD/CD of their live material from Iceland Airwaves.  Their live shows are always packed, high energy events.  I’ve seen them in the massive halls of Harpa, as well as the tiny hostel lobby of the Loft hostel.  here’s a great clip from their website of the DVD/CD release:

You can see them live at ATP Iceland this July, or I’m sure they will be around during Iceland Airwaves.  For more info or to purchase their music check out their website or follow them on Facebook.  They are another band that does a fantastic job and keeping a thorough Soundcloud page.

Kjartan was nice enough to answer my 4 ridiculous questions:

1. What is your favorite off-venue Airwaves joint to jam at?  Last year it was definitely Hlemmur Square. A new and fun venue to play at.

2. If you combine all of your favorite colors, what do you get?  A rainbow!

3. What are 3 of your favorite little known bands of Icelandic origin?  Lyrika, 1860 and Steindór Andersen + Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson.

4. If you could be any creature playing your favorite song, what would the creature be? And what is the song?  A raccoon playing Total Eclipse of the Heart. (Of course, we knew he’d say that)

John Grant

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JGstand

John Grant and Pétur Hallgrímsson at Kvosin during Iceland Airwaves ’13

John Grant began in Colorado with the band The Czars.  After the Czars ended and life was lived, Grant released his first solo album, Queen of Denmark.  With the help of the Texan band Midlake, he laid down songs about his life, abuse, drugs and coming out in a not-so-comfortable environment.

The album pairs it’s music and lyrics well, truly helping the listener feel, not just hear the songs. Songs such as”Marz”, with it’s gleeful roller coaster ride through the piano scale, makes you double take when you realize the lyrics are describing someone’s ideal post-suicide location.

His second album, Pale Green Ghosts, is about heartbreak, his heartbreak.  In line with Queen of Denmark, the lyrics are raw and powerful.  We get a glimpse of the wild mouse roller coaster ride he went through -self-depreciation, hate, sadness and anger ooze out of the words as his baritone voice works inflection and emphasis as if they were keys on an emotional piano.  There is little whining, just a lot of F-you’s and F-me’s which leave the listener not wanting to cry it out with Grant in a hugfest, but get drunk at a bar toasting all that’s rotten about love.

PGGIn the age of singles, it’s rare to hear an album this well crafted.  Each song dutifully plays its part in the story while simultaneously living as its own individual piece.  The piano scales are still there, and the dynamic production duo of John Grant and Birgir Þórarinsson of GusGus are able to encompass a wide range of synth.  Some songs sounding like the current era, and some having more of a vintage 80’s electronic feel such as “Sensitive new age guy”, which sound like it was written on a beefed up Casio keyboard, certainly enforcing the rumor that Grant loves vintage synth.

The last track on the album, “Gravity”, is a song every person coming to terms with themselves should hear.  Sincere, well crafted and to the point- the song speaks to people who are told they are bad for being themselves.   It addresses just how painful the hypocritical rationalization of people still clinging to the “hate the sin, love the sinner” dogma is to someone growing up, especially when that dogma comes from people who they love and respect.   Growing up in a region close to Denver, and having watched the dominant religion tear young people apart this very way, it’s a song I wish a lot of kids my age could have heard.  The first time I heard the track I have to admit it brought back sombre memories of individuals I wish would have heard it.

Instead of just telling the listener it gets better, he says, “Don’t you pay them fuckers as they say no never mind.” and continues with “Don’t listen to anyone, get answers on your own
Even if it means that sometimes you feel quite alone.”  It’s not just an “It gets better” speech, it’s “here’s what I did, and what you need to do” advice from someone worth looking up to.

The album more than deserves the attention it has been receiving.  It made almost all of the top lists of the year from the journalistic music world, and made number 1 on Rough Trades top list.  Most important of course, it remains on my most listened list in my iTunes.

I truly enjoy both of the albums, but to me, Grant really shines in his live shows.  I’ve seen him perform gigs with a full band at Harpa to the basement of a Hostel with only Pétur by his side.  No matter the size of venue or number of people Grant’s Baritone voice, warm personality and cracking smile draw you in and make you feel at home.   He’s not afraid to banter on about this and that before a song, and in the event of instrumental mishaps or delays his quick wit and charm more than entertain the audience until go time.

The few times i have seen Grant live, Chris Pemberton, from the UK band Budapest played piano, and Pétur Hallgrímsson played guitar.  Pétur is an Icelandic veteran who has not only done session work for a slew of global artists including Kylie Minogue, but was in two very popular Icelandic bands, Lhooq and E-X.

You can learn more about John Grant on his website or Facebook page.  And can purchase his albums pretty much anywhere music is sold.

With the seriousness of his material and his extremely busy touring season, I was more than surprised and very grateful that he took the time to answer my 4 nonsensical questions, so thanks again and here they are:

1. What is your favorite off-venue Airwaves, or Icelandic joint to jam at? I suppose my favorite is KEX because it is so beautiful and the owners and the food are amazing.

2. If you combine all of your favorite colors (for you, add your band mates if you would), what do you get? Grey

3. What are 3 of your favorite little known bands of Icelandic origin? Tilbury, Prins Póló, Pikknikk

4. If you could be any creature playing your favorite song, what would the creature be? And what is the song. I’d be an ocelot singing S.O.S. 

Blue Eyed Pop, a book review

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bep

Broadening the scope of the blog I suppose, I’m writing a book review.  It’s a book on Icelandic music written by a musician who is active and has been in the Icelandic scene for over 30 years.  So it’s not too far out of scope.

Blue eyed pop is a historical look at the pop music scene of Iceland.  Named after The Sugarcubes song it begins in the early 1900’s and treks across the beginning of Iceland’s love affair with music up to it’s present day music madness.  From the 25 wax cylinders Icelanders listened to for years to the hundreds of original bands that call the little island home, the book meanders through the short, but action packed Icelandic musical history, giving the reader plenty of photos along the way.

While there are plenty of books, interviews and summations of the globally famous Icelandic bands, this is the first I’ve encountered where that history is told with character, and from the perspective of another Icelandic musician, one who has been at his craft for over 3 decades.  There are so many insider stories and funny tidbits about not only Icelandic bands, but bands such as Yes, Led Zeppelin and Donna Summers.  Bands you would never associate with Iceland, but all at one point were somewhat influenced by the little island that straddles two continents.

drgunni

Dr. Gunni is no stranger to writing about music.  He’s been in the scene for over 30 years, playing his first gig in 1980 to now currently working on an adult-ish children’s album, Al-Heimur-inn.   A pop-quiz TV host, DJ and author of multiple historical accounts of Iceland’s music scene, he’s perfectly fit to write the first English account of Iceland’s Pop musical history.

In 2012, Dr. Gunni wrote Stuð vors lands.  Blue eyed pop is derived from this book, focusing more on the pop aspect.  As much as I’d love to go through chapter by chapter and give the good bits.  I think I’ll just stick to an overview, as I could never do Dr. Gunni’s writing justice.

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Fans at a Kinks concert in Iceland

The global music scene realized well before the rest of us the potential and creative eagerness Icelanders have.

Bands such as The Kinks, Zeppelin, and The Who all beat us to Iceland to tour, listen and appreciate what Icelandic musicians had to offer.  Even Disco was influenced by Icelanders who wrote for Donna Summers as well as other famous US acts of the time.

Björk gardening while writing and recording music

Björk gardening while writing and recording music

Trekking through the histories of bands popular not only to Iceland, but the rest of the world such as The Sugarcubes, Sigur Rós and even newer bands like Of Monsters and Men, the book gives the reader a better appreciation of these artists and their music.

From a pre-adolescent  Björk, telling an interviewer she may never repeat the recording process again upon completing her first recording session, to a rather kinky magazine cover shoot of Sigur Rós in dresses and bondage gear, the reader becomes aware of the Icelandic ability to work hard and yet have fun at the same time.

This book is a must for anyone who appreciates the history of music.  Even moreso, if you are a fan of Iceland and it’s people, as through the book you truly get a sense of the Icelandic culture and personality that has seen their work ethic and dedication to life help them survive over the years.

You can order the book here, Learn more about Dr. Gunni and follow his blog here.  Dr. Gunni put together a set of playlists to accompany the book, sorted by decades here.  And there’s a great interview between him and Hauker S. Magnusson on the Grapevine website.

Dr. Gunni was nice enough to answer my slightly modified 4 questions here:

1. In all your years of playing, what is your favorite Icelandic venue or festival? Iceland Airwaves is by far the bestest thing ever to happend on the local scene. I do not have a favorite venue, but I guess playing Harpa is quit nice, even though I haven’t played there yet!

2. Combine all your favorite colors, what do you get?  Some kind of disgusting grey.

3. Name 3 little known Icelandic bands we should get to know. Taugadeildin were a more poppy Joy Division with an EP out in 1981. Ævintýri were a hard rocking unit that used to be a bubblegum band. The rock version Ævintýri only managed to get one 7″ out in 1971 but later they evolved into Svanfríður. Dj Flugvél og Geimskip is this girl Steinunn Harðardóttir doing out of this world spacy fun art music on a brand new album called Glamúr í geimnum (Glamour in Space).

4. If you could be any animal playing any song, what are you, and what song?  A walrus playing Beatles’ I am the walrus, obviously.

All photos were taken from Dr. Gunni’s book.

Iceland Airwaves recap part 3- the rest

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So now that I’ve covered the new bands I was excited to see, and the bands I always look forward to seeing,  I can discuss the rest of the festival. This year there was a lot of Pylsa eating, beer and vodka consumption, and Northern lights!  until this last trip, I have never seen the Northern lights, so this definitely was a treat, and one I actually just enjoyed, without snapping a pic.

Really, there were only two non-Icelandic must sees for me, Anna Von Hausswolff and Zola Jesus.  I went out of my way to make sure I was going to see both, and with the packed crowd I lucked out that Samaris was right before the Anna Von Hausswolff show at Gamla Bíó.  micsingAnna Von Hausswollf, put on an incredibly haunting performance.   she and the band with their intense harmonization and emotional drumming was just as amazing as I expected.  The venue was so packed I was surprised NOT to see people hanging from the rafters, but I may have missed them from not being able to look up for fear of stepping on someone below.  It certainly was packed, and the onslaught of photographers in the beginning did not help with the crowded situation.

And this brings up one of the few issues I had with Airwaves this year, the aggressive photographers.  Not all were this aggressive, but there were a few who went completely overboard to get a pretty picture.  Boom goes the camera flashI applaud the quick and stern email Airwaves sent out after this reminding photographers that the festival is for all people attending, not just the press, and that it was absolutely not OK to use a flash directly into the face of performers, but until this email, it was common to see this happening to artists and the crowd:

This picture was the beginning of the Show, as you can see, even the artist is flinching away from the insanely close use of a flash, and the amount of people using it.  And unfortunately, if you were in the first couple of rows, a line of photog-ass was your view.   The lighting made for a tough show to shoot, But as this picture shows, these guys were insane with trying and they continued through almost two complete songs. Stopping only after a certain fan of Anna’s, out of awe of her music I’m sure, climbed on stage and proclaimed her love for the music by laying down right next to Anna’s keys and flashing metal signs.

Kimono at Bar 11

Kimono at Bar 11

AlisonK

Alison from Kimono at Gamli Gaukurinn

Kimono, oh dear sweet Kimono.  I admit, I saw them three times in total.  First show was Bar 11 before Metz, second at Gamli Gaukurinn, and I saw half of their final set at Lucky Records the next day.  Kimono are an old staple in Iceland, one could argue they’ve influenced a lot of music in their time, so it was great to see them live again.

Their gigs certified  they still have it.  Heavy instrumentation, with just ever-so-slightly aggressive vocals trudging through the the set.   The band was kind enough to play my favorite song, The Wire (I’m sure it was all for me) at all three gigs,  and someone paid tribute to Alison’s paying tribute at Anna Von Haussenwolffs performance at Gamli Gaukurinn by laying down center stage and flashing metal signs while soaking in Kimono’s heavy beats.

They also introduced a few new tracks that they have been working on, including a dance number, well as dance number as Kimono can get,  Think a modern Les Savy Fav.  It excites me that they are working on new stuff.  These guys are another band that personifies the Icelandic music culture.  They’ve been playing for well over a decade, and as dedicated and serious as they are about their task, they still take the time to have fun on stage, and they also display that natural ability to include the audience in that fun, cracking jokes, heckling back and just overall having a good time playing music they love.  And they have no fear about working on new stuff that may differ from the old.  It’s an epic work ethic they have, and I’m all the more excited about it.

zolaAnd of course, Zola Jesus.  She came to Iceland with a brand new band.  If she hadn’t told the audience they were new, I don’t think we would have noticed as they played a wonderful set at Gamla Bíó.  Zola was full of her typical energy and after jumping off stage barefoot, she spent a good time serenading audience members, jumping on chairs, and whipping her mic chord around barriers like a seasoned cowboy lassoing a bull.  As I’m a bit biased when it comes to Zola concerts, it was good to read that not just I was impressed with her set.  I’m glad Iceland got to see her.

Really, there is so much more one could write about, and there are so many more pics that I could share.  Iceland Airwaves yet again delivered a fantastic festival and Iceland proved to be the ever amazingly Martha Stewart of sovereign hosts.

If you want to know about how a band you dug did, the Grapevine blogged about EVERY on-venue show this year on their Airwaves dedicated blog space.  Their presence and that blog were an amazing thing this year and a great addition to the festival experience, maybe I’m just partial because they flattered me by publishing my blog/article on supporting the local Icelandic musicians, but no, it’s an extremely well put together blog about the festival over all, and you have to give Grapevine major props for the hard work they put into it.  You can see all my photos from Iceland Airwaves here, or by clicking on one of the pictures above.

It’s weird to end a blog post without my four weird questions, so I leave you with one of them, answered while some mocking was being done about the questions I ask, by Kjartan from For a Minor Reflection:

What animal would you be, and what song would you sing? A raccoon, because raccoons are the coolest animal.. And Total eclipse of the heart, because that would be the coolest song for a raccoon to sing…..

“Heiðríkjupopp” komin út

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The first English language comprehensive guide to the history of pop music in Iceland. Written in an entertaining style, and chocked full of things you never knew about the tiny island and it’s musicians. I highly suggest you pick it up while it’s available

drgunni's avatarDR. GUNNI

bep-kapa-minni
Sögur bókaforlag hefur gefið út bókina Blue Eyed Pop – The History of Popular Music in Iceland, sem er fyrsta bókin á ensku um íslensku popp/rokk söguna. Bókin er byggð á Stuði vors lands, en er náttúrlega með “erlendan”-fókus: Tekur frekar djúpt á því sem útlendingurinn þekkir auk þess að gefa ágæta innsýn í allan pakkann og tína til allt það helsta. Þessi bók er álíka flott og Stuð vors lands en er bara 854 g á meðan Stuðið var 250o g. 

Vönduð tækifærisgjöf fyrir góða vini erlendis!

Svo má jafnvel benda á þessa síðu þar sem hægt er að kaupa bókina og fá hana senda til sín í útlöndum. 

Ég gerði svaka tónlistarmix, einskonar tónlistarlegan förunaut þegar bókin er lesin. Það má auðvitað hlusta á þetta á meðan Stuð vors lands er lesin líka eða bara án þess að vera að lesa nokkurn skapaðan hlut!

Fyrir 1950
1950-1959

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Golly gee, I’m in the Grapevine Ma

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I had suggested to Grapevine that they write an article encouraging us as the festival attendees to support Icelandic bands playing Airwaves.  They then suggested that I, a non writer, write the article.  I replied, what the hell I’ll give it a go.

Historically, Icelandic bands were not paid to play Airwaves, doing it for the exposure and because they love their craft, and I felt someone should talk about it.  This year’s festival has been running smoothly, and for the first time, all Icelandic bands were paid for their performances.  This is an awesome development by Airwaves that I’m very pleased with.

I think it’s still key to support our local musician hosts so they can continue doing what they do.

You can read my article here on the Airwaves Grapevine blog:

http://airwaves.grapevine.is/grapevine-airwaves-2013/support-the-ones-who-host-you/

 

My top 10 must see bands for Iceland Airwaves 2013

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blarghKraftwerk is headlining, Ólafur Arnalds is doing magical things with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, and Emiliana Torrini is going to charm our socks off.  But what about the other bands?  I’ve written tips for getting the most out of your Airwaves experience, I’ve posted all the Icelandic bands playing Airwaves with links to a plentiful supply of all their songs, and now, the top 10 bands you do not want to miss, in my humble opinion of course.  So give it a listen, keep updated by visiting Grapevine’s Airwaves blog, and plan plan plan.

Kimono:

I love this band, they skipped out last year, but I’m glad they are back and I can’t wait to hear the new stuff.  It is rumored there may be an electronic element sneaking into the set.  How to describe them, think modern Wire with a twist.  Prog-metal if you want to get all fancy and the like, or perhaps just don’t describe them and tell people to go and listen for their own damned selves.

Clicking the band name above will take you to my blog on them, they have one of the most extensive soundcloud pages you will find:

Apparat Organ Quartet:

Even with the missing member from last year’s festival, Apparat Organ Quartet consistently put on one of the best shows of the festival.  If you have never seen them play I highly suggest you do so as I’ve yet to hear anyone new to them dislike their sound.  Clicking on their name will take you to my blog post on them, and here is Konami:

FM Belfast:

Yes I saw them earlier this year, but in their native land this band really cranks out a party, it’s typical for other musicians to magically appear and dance on stage with them, and they are one of those bands that really gets the crowd going.  I’d suggest you go with clean underwear, as chances are you’ll be dancing in them by the end of their set.  Best gig I’ve seen was at the infamous NASA, hoping they try and top it this year.

Clicking on the name takes you to my blog post on them, and this olld video is still a favorite of mine:

In the Company of Men:

Diversity is key at this festival, and these bat-shit crazy monkeys really know how to throw down on stage.  It’s organized chaos and very Dillinger Escape Plan-ish.  Can’t wait to see them live.  The title above takes you to my blog-post for more info, and here’s a video

Samaris:

Recently signed to One Little Indian records, and with a new album comprised of their E.P’s, I’m very curious to hear how they sound live.

Zola Jesus:

On Sacred Bones Records, Zola Jesus never fails to amaze.  She’s a force to be reckoned with and her hauntingly good music is going to be a treat for the Icelandic scene.

Ghostigital:

Seriously, if you haven’t seen these guys play, make this a priority.  Curver and Einar örn are staples and their show is awesome crazy.  I try to see them whenever I can, they have crazy instruments, a crazy leader, and a baby blue trumpet.  How could you not want to see it

Oyama:

A band of many bands, Oyama’s roster includes members from a lot of other bands you will hear this week.  They put on a great show, and you do not want to miss it.  Click the band name for my blog post on them, and listen here:

Amiina:

Amiina never fails, with their creative implementation of items as instruments, haunting voices, and endless supplies of charm you really need to take a breathe and take in an Amiina gig.

Lay Low:

Nancy Sinatra and June Carter apparently had a love child when we weren’t looking.  If her song writing and soothing voice doesn’t get you, her snake charming personality will.  Doesn’t matter if she’s in front of a massive crowd, or singing for 5 people in a shack smack dab in the middle of Reykjavik, she is definitely someone you want to experience while at the festival.  She has a slew of new songs, and I’m excited to hear them.  You’re absolutely NOT going to hate her.

Ok, I’ve got to stop, I promised myself only 10.  But it was a tough choice as there are plenty of other acts worthy of mention.  Dikta, Tilbury, Pétur Ben, Moses Hightower, Mammut, Momentum, Hudson Wayne etc..etc… Nini Wilson is also a band you should look out for.  I’m not going to spoil it, but they consist of members from other well known Icelandic bands.

I’m going to be blogging every morning after the festival, and I hope to see you up there.

Sigur Rós in New Orleans

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SR

Here we go Sigur Rós in New Orleans.  For me, gig number 3 of this tour, gig number 123 for the band,  This tour has really been exciting for me, having been to every tour they’ve done stateside since 2002, and catching them at Airwaves last year, the new catalog of songs mixed with the occasional old track really have brought back that old time excitement.

georg

Many factors made me question how the concert was going to turn out.  It had been raining buckets earlier in the day, and with temps in the upper 80’s the afternoon felt like a sauna.  Also, we were two days away from Tropical Storm Karen’s appearance so the wind and weather were unpredictable.  But as the evening rolled around the weather mellowed out and it turned out to be a fantastic night for an outdoor gig, with only a sprinkle of moisture towards the end.

The band came out, and with a lot of action from the fog machines, began the show.  Even with a smaller than usual backdrop, and playing to a concrete jungle surrounded by sports paraphernalia, the band squashed any concern one may have had, and did I mention they did it with fog?

jonsi

Julianna Barwick opened the concert, which sadly due to pre-concert logistics I missed.  But after a brief wait Jónsi, Georg, Orri, Kjartan(Holm), óbó and the Okkr Ensemble took the stage.  Even with the standard set list, every Sigur Rós show is slightly different.  They feed off the crowd, and it’s rare to find someone who isn’t captivated by some part of the concert.

I was glad to hear Rafstramur added into the mix and as is typical with Sigur Rós tracks, the live version breathed it’s own fire and was it’s own beast.  Festival is a track everyone should experience more than once.  The first time you hear it you will feel entranced and will focus all your attention forward as it comes to it’s climatic point.  The second or third time, you get to watch others experience it for their first.  It truly is an incredible song to experience live.

The set list was:

Yfirborð  Ξ Brennisteinn Ξ Vaka Ξ Glósóli Ξ Hrafntinna Ξ Stormur Ξ Saeglopur

orri

varuð Ξ Hoppí + Með Blóð Ξ Rafstraumur Ξ Kveikur Ξ Festival Ξ Popplagið

As if there isn’t enough intensity from the music alone, the band’s visual team never fail.  Even with a smaller screen in New Orleans, the vivid cinematography combined with intricate interactions to the stage lights and  band themselves really help deliver an all encompassing experience.  It’s only fitting that the team recently won the Knights of Illumination award for best lighting and video.  Sarah Hopper and Damian Hale have created backdrops of strangers on a mountain signalling to the lights surrounding the band, nuclear missile explosions, strobing lighthouses, serene oceanic scenes, and close-ups of the band members themselves jamming away, all mixing with Bruno Poet’s lighting show.  The imagery is never overpowering, but synced perfectly with the music enhancing the experience, and these guys truly deserve that award.

Another great tour, and they continue to prove they are a band everyone should, needs to see once in their lives.  I highly suggest seeing them this tour as you never know when they’ll be back.  All photos on this page were taken by me, if you’d like to see others, they are located on my Flickr Account, here for the New Orleans gig, and Here for the Boston/New York concert.

1860

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1860logo

For me, 1860 is a breathe of indie-folk fresh air.  Constant melodies that capture the energy of the music without having to over use dominant banjos or volcanic-like explosive choruses that out live the song itself.  1860 does a great job of focusing on the composition of the song and each track tends to have it’s own consistently strong presence.

What started out as a side project in 2010 by Ottar G. Birgisson and Hlynur Juni Hallgrimsson, has become a 5 piece full time gig with Hlynur Hallgrímsson on vocals and mandolin, Ottar G. Birgisson on vocals and acoustic guitar, Johann Runar Thorgeirsson with the electric guitar, Gunnar Jonsson on electric bass and vocals, and Andri Bjartur Jakobsson on drums and percussions.  All members of the band are known for adding instruments and innovating new ways to create sounds.

On 1860’s first album, Sagen, the band displays variety while notching out their own vibe in the indie-folk genre.  Tracks like Orðsending að austan have lively guitar on the upswing, piping on the high end, and smooth vocals throughout, and other tracks like Love & Lime have a homey feeling of such bands like the french chanteurs Revolver, reminiscent of sitting around the house playing music with friends.  I wasn’t able to embed the video, but I suggest you check out this: Love and Lime

I also have to give nod to the song, Snæfellsnes, it’s a great track, and any song about the area I dream to retire to deserves recognition.

artificialdayOn July 30th, their new album, Artificial Daylight will officially be released to the masses. Two singles from the album are available on Gogoyoko and Soundcloud, and the album will be available at Gogoyoko and Icelandmusic.com on July 30th.  While the tracks available are less folk and more indie, the solid melody and strong vocals I dug in the first are very much present.  as well as on Gogoyoko, the tracks are available on Soundcloud.  I truly believe this is going to be an incredible successful album, you heard it here first.

The band has a website, and you can find them on Facebook as well as Gogoyoko.  They also were kind enough to answer my four questions:

1. What is your favorite off-venue Airwaves, or Icelandic joint to jam at?  We’re pretty laid back guys, so we play a lot of shows at Café Rosenberg on Klapparstígur. It has a really nice mellow vibe to it. Faktorý is also wonderful, but now it’s gonna be leveled to the ground to build a hotel. Which sucks.

2.  2. If you combine all of your favorite colors (for you, add your bandmates if you would), what do you get?  Cosmic latte, for sure. The average colour of the universe.

3. What are 3 of your favorite little known bands of Icelandic origin? We are going to name three amazing bands that were huge but are little known outside of Iceland today:  Mánar, Trúbrot og Jet Black Joe

4. If you could be any creature playing your favorite song, what would the creature be? And what is the song?  Awesome question! We have to go with Treebeard from the Lord of the Rings singing “Leikur að Vonum” by Mánar (an incredible Icelandic 70s song about brotherly love conquering hate)… either that or Van Morrison’s “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)”.

Reykjavik Music Mess

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RMM

Alas, I am still a day away from having an actual computer to work with, moving is such bliss and the like. But I wanted to take a moment and share with you an independent music festival that is happening this weekend in Reykjavik, May 24-26. The Reykjavik music mess is going on, and if you’re around the Island I would suggest checking it out. The gigs will be happening at the Kex Hostel, and Volta.

There are a lot of great bands that will be playing, a few that I’ve posted blogs on such as MAMMÚT and Oyama. And other great bands like Sykur, Bloodgroup, Muck and Just Another Snake Cult. Here is the full line up:

BLOODGROUP
BOOGIE TROUBLE
DZ DEATHRAYS (AUS)
GOOD MOON DEER
JUST ANOTHER SNAKE CULT
LOJI
MAMMÚT
MONOTOWN
MUCK
OYAMA
PVT (AUS)
STAFRÆNN HÁKON
SYKUR
TONIK
WITHERED HAND (UK)

Their website has a playlist where you can hear the bands, which you should go listen to even if you can’t make the festival. And if you do go, let us know how it went.