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:
The calm before the storm. I arrived a day early for Airwaves to try and enjoy this wonderful city before the masses arrived. The town has been busy in preparation, and after a brief morning walk I made it to Harpa to pick up my wrist band.
As usual, the weather changes in an instant, for most of the day though it was clear skies with a little wind. It seems to be the coldest Airwaves I’ve been to yet, but it’s not terribly cold…yet.
The crowd actually wasn’t bad, and the Airwaves crew really have their business sorted, so getting banded and getting out was quick and painless. I knew the schedule would be slim for the day so I took another long walk, got a beer at KEX, then headed over to Lucky Records to hear some pre-Airwaves off-venue gigs.
Lucky records new location is pretty slick, they still have a great catalog of vinyl, and now with more space it’s easy to move around, even with bands taking up the front of the store.
They were one of the few pre-gaming, so after browsing I stuck around to hear some live music
Cell 7 was setting up. It’s hip-hop from the 90’s, great lyrics and samples with a few guests to help in backing. Even though the crowd was smallish, she kept us all engaged and interacting with her, it was a good way to start things off.
Later in the evening, Camp Keighley played. A six piece band with a unique groove, and tons of energy. They really get into their music, and the crowd followed right behind them. Besides, who doesn’t love bright red ties?
It was obvious crowds were moving into Reykjavik as the audience had grown from the afternoon performances.
Next up, and my final gig of the night was Boogie Trouble. These guys, and gals, come highly recommended from the Icelandic music community, and a lot of locals showed up to hear them play. Great funk twist with a lot of disco. Their lead singer is an awesome show-woman, and of course, there were crazy dancers at the front of audience absolutely in love with the band. They did a Britney Spears cover that put the original to shame.
I highly recommend you check out Boogie Trouble’s full show later this week as the off-venue pre-game event was tight, and left us primed for the rest of the night. These guys definitely deserve the praise the locals give them.
That was all for the pre-game, today the festival truly begins and the music roster is chocked full. Enjoy everyone, be smart, be courteous, and listen away.
If you hear an Icelandic band you’re unfamiliar with, you can always look them up on my page here for links to their music and websites.
I’ve always talked of the hard work Icelandic musicians put into their craft. Snorri Helgason is the personification of this. He tours more than humanly possible, constantly collaborates with other Icelandic musicians, and has been been part of programs such as Taste of Iceland and Iceland Airwaves every year. He works hard, very hard, and we the listener are the benefactors.
Snorri’s career started with his band, Sprengjuhöllin. They released three great albums, all of which won awards and were well received by the Icelandic public, including one single that lasted 27 weeks in Iceland’s music charts.
Continuing to evolve, he released his first solo album I’m gonna put my name on your doorwhich was also well received. Ironically, the title track from the album speaks of settling down, quite the opposite direction Snorri has taken, and combined with the final track When a good thing dies, the audience is left somewhat misled about the future of Snorri Helgason.
The album itself is smooth; perfect for a rainy day or relaxing road trips. Reminiscent of Nick Cave and Harry Nillson his ability to modernize that 70’s soulful folk makes for an enjoyable album trip, one of my favorite songs on the album is Don’t let her.
Next came Winter’s sun. This is my favorite of his albums to date. There are hints of 50’s rock and soul on tracks such as 99 songs, and splotches of blues on The Butcher’s Boy. Spending time in Iceland during a Christmas break, Snorri was playing music with Sindri Már Sigfússon from Sin Fang and they decided to put an album together. With Sindri producing and Snorri playing the album is a perfect of example of adding more without adding too much. Vocals are more sharp and energized, there are more instruments, and more people backing him up, such as Mr. Silla from Múm, and Sóley.
One of my favorite tracks from Winter’s sun, Mockingbird, reminds me of a Motown era jam. Very smooth, with a rock influenced beat underneath lullaby vocals backed up in a do-wappish manner.
Recently released, Snorri’s new album, Autumn skies keeps the strong instruments, but from the two tracks available to stream, the vocals have slightly shifted back towards the mellow smooth folk of the first album. I particularly like the sound of Kveðja. You can listen to both new tracks, as well as a slew of his back catalog on his Soundcloud page. You can purchase the new Autumn Skies CD from the Record Records music shop, and his previous two albums are on Gogoyoko for listening or purchase pleasure.
To learn more and keep up with him, visit his website or Facebook page. He’ll be performing at Iceland Airwaves this year and he always puts on a fantastic show, I suggest you check it out.
Typically I stay away from categorizing bands, as I find the lengths some people go to box a band in silly. But now that the final list of bands for Iceland Airwaves 2013 is out, I wanted to make an easier way for you to learn more about, and listen to the Icelandic bands that will be performing.
Of the 216 or so bands at this year’s Airwaves, 150 of them are Icelandic. With everything from a national symphony to death metal, electro-pop to hip-hop, you’re pretty much covered with things to listen to.
So, I have very loosely divided the bands into 5 different groups. Hip Hop, Composers and classical, Hardcore and all the metals, Electronic/Dance/close-to-dance, and the last, but definitely, largest group I will just call rock+, it consists of reggae, funk, blues, rock, harder rock, indie-er rock etc..etc…
As anyone can look up a band’s website, I had a process for picking which links to use. If I’ve written a piece on them the link will take you to that blog post. If not and they have a Gogoyoko or Soundcloud page, the link will take you there. After that it’s either their website or facebook page. I believe most the bands will take you to a page where you can stream at least some of their music.
If you don’t have a Gogoyoko account yet, I strongly urge you to get one. It’s free, and you can create your own playlists to share what you find, but more importantly, a great deal of the bands linked via gogoyoko have their own playlists making it easier for you to hear the songs they really like from all their albums. Like I said, it’s free and takes little to no time to sign up, so just do it. Think of it as an Icelandic Spotify account that actually gives back to the artist.
If I’ve missed a band, or you feel strongly that a band should be classified differently let me know. And now, for your researching and listening pleasure, here are the bands, in order from smallest to largest table:
I’ve been waiting for a good time to write a post about Kimono,and as their new EP, Aquarium,was just released on Bandcamp; T’is a good time to write.
On my first trip to Iceland a crazy Icelander sold me a massive stack of CD’s and from that stack, Kimono’s Arctic Death Ship quickly became a favorite. It’s also the only album that has had the privilege of being played at full volume on my old Klipsch stereo system in order to kindly let my neighbors know I don’t appreciate mid-week 1-5am drunken guitar circles. That was a glorious early morning listen, and while ear plugs were required for my roommates, the drum circles moved to a more tolerable time period.
The members of Kimono have been making music for quite a while, currently a three piece consisting of Gylfi Blöndal and Alison MacNeil on Guitar; and Kjartan Bragi Bjarnason on Drums, they pride themselves on doing what they want when they want. Despite the multiple album of year awards and other accolades they have received, it seems their biggest accomplishment is their ability to ride under the radar while still collecting fans that appreciate their sound and pick up on the musical references and theifdoms in their songs.
Their albums only have one consistent element, they are all different and well crafted. I would describe Mineur-aggressif as a heavy sludge rock album, while Arctic Death Ship is the intense electricity you experience right before a storm, the opening track Standing Wave is actually in my “Top 5 songs I’ve ever liked and will ever like” list. Their last full length album, Easy Music for Difficult people is a well done post-punk prog-rock album akin to bands such as Wire, and is great to listen to while maneuvering your car through windy roads. Wire and Tomorrow are two of my favorite tracks from the album.
In keeping with tradition, the new single Aquarium has it’s own unique sound. It’s smooth, really smooth, and there is a more noticeable jazz influence throughout, especially in the drums. As Alison posted online, it’s definitely an album “for when you are cooking, relaxing or making sweet love.”
The track meanders along with bursts of ghostly guitar fading in and out floating on a background of subtly changing sound. And while it’s not as heavy it definitely fits right up there with Godspeed you Black Emperor and Cancer Conspiracy.
I find it interesting that the video for the new EP is aquatic themed, because listening to the track made me want to get a tube and float down a river sipping beer and soaking up the sun.
You can listen to the band on Soundcloud, Kimono has one of the best organized Soundcloud accounts I have seen to date and there are extra tidbits from the band members there as well. They are also on Facebook and you can always visit their website.
Alison was kind enough to answer my 4 questions:
1. What is your favorite off-venue Airwaves, or Icelandic joint to jam at? My favorite off-venues are usually the ones where someone figures out how to put on a show where there’s never been a show before. Early in kimono’s life, we played the backyard of a jeweller’s on Skólavörðustígur and that was crazy awesome. So, in other words, the middle of the street suits me just fine.
2. If you combine all of your favorite colors (for you, add your bandmates if you would), what do you get? If memory serves me right: brown.
3. What are 3 of your favorite little known bands of Icelandic origin? Kukl, Þeyr, and Sófandi
4. If you could be any creature playing your favorite song, what would the creature be, and what is the song? Shiva. Many arms = many guitars. I could do a one-woman performance of a Glenn Branca orchestra, which appeals to me greatly since actually organising a group of people to play that music is a veritable pain in the ass.
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.
On 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)”.
Most of us were introduced to Amiina when the quartet went gigging across the globe with Sigur Rós. Now a 6 piece, Amiina consists of the original 4; Edda Rún Ólafsdóttir, Hildur Ársælsdóttir, Sólrún Sumarliðadóttir, María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir and two male members, Magnús Trygvason Eliassen and Guðmundur Vignir Karlsson.
Famous for their creative use of everything from saws to harpsichords, and the ability the members have in casually drifting from one instrument to the next in a single track, their music can be described as more of an atmosphere than sound. A serene, happy and peaceful atmosphere leaving the listener with a smile.
in 2007, Kurr was released. It was their first full length after their time with Sigur Rós and with ambiance and classical overtones it became a strong indicator that the band would have no issue standing on their own.
To me, one of the most fantastic things to come of that album was the collaboration with Lee Hazelwood on Hilli. This track was made more special as to the best of my knowledge, it’s the last thing Lee Hazelwood did before passing away. There is something cool in thinking about an old Okie-Louis boy who had worked with likes of Nancy Sinatra hanging his hat with a grin at the completion of this moving collaboration.
Puzzle, the second full length, strongly reminds me of driving across the mountainous deserts of Utah and Arizona at twilight with my hand sticking out the open window making waves. What are we waiting for? is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and tracks such as Sicsak really stick out with their heavier electronic presence. The album is heavier and more full, but that ambiance of peacefulness still shines through.
Amiina’s latest and greatest is the Lighthouse Project. Back in the day of their quartet, the band created a concert specifically designed to be played in Lighthouses. Fast forward a bit and the band resumed their quartet role and toured Iceland playing Lighthouse to Lighthouse. When they decided to record these Lighthouse versions of the songs, they recorded it concert style live in the studio to try and emulate that cozy concert feel.
You can learn more about the Lighthouse Project, as well as purchase it in different sets from their website. They have Puzzle and The Lighthouse Project on Gogoyoko if you would like to listen to the albums in their entirety, and of course you can always follow them on Facebook.
The band was very nice and answered my 4 questions, here are their answers:
1. What is your favorite off-venue Airwaves, or Icelandic joint to jam at? Well, there isnt really a place where you can jam at, but our favorite off-venue show was probably the one we did at a record shop called Havarí. That was a nice place. Sadly they had to close (like a lot of clubs and shops in Reykjavík these days…) but that show was great!
2. If you combine all of your favorite colors (for you, add your bandmates if you would), what do you get? Probably something out of this world, never before seen color. Or some kind of black reddish type of color. Or whatever. Colors are nice!
4. If you could be any creature playing your favorite song, what would the creature be? And what is the song. An eagle whistling Blue in Green by Miles Davis…
Yes yes, I know I should use a more recent photo of the band, but with that shit-eating grin behind the guitar, and the oh so seriousness of holding keys vertically while a Dillinger Escape plan T-shirt gets cuddled, how could I resist. So sue me, I picked this pic.
Mostly described as Mathcore, they’ve also been described as hardcore and metal. Grapevine once described them stating, “they looked and acted more fucked up and obnoxious (in the best possible way) than before, running and jumping around like monkeys dosed on purple drank.” In the Company of Men, (ITCOM) is a five piece band that came together late 2011, consisting of Finnbogi Örn (Guitar & Vocals), Samúel Örn Böðvarsson (Bass), A.K. Andersen (Vocals), Steini Milljón (Guitar, Vocals), and Björn Rúnarsson (Drummer).
From live videos I’ve seen, they appear batshit crazy showing a complete disregard for stages, lighting or boundaries while precisely and artfully pulling off complex signatures. They hold their own with other bands of their genre such as the beautifully psychotic Dillinger Escape Plan, In fact, from the videos I’ve seen, they are reminsicint of a young DEP, and are on my top list to check out at Airwaves this year.
At only a year or so old they took second place in the Músiktilraunir, Iceland’s battle of the bands, and Luigi from the Mario Brothers handled lead vocals during the Wacken Metal Battle (perhaps it was the singer dressed up as Luigi, we may never know.)
The track in the above video is Captain Planet. This was one of the first tracks made available online and in many ways the start of my admiration of the band. Of the tracks available on their Soundcloud page, I have to say the Steini Milljón is my favorite.
As with most Icelandic musicians, the band members are up to their necks in other creative projects in and around Iceland. Finnbogi Örn also belongs to the hardcore band Icarus, who are currently touring New York throughout the month of July, Samúel Örn Böðvarsson also plays bass for the Death Metal band Aeterna, and A.K. Andersen, when not waxing philosophy around the table is working on a comic book titled “Alfjeder”.
You can visit their Facebook page or listen to them on Soundcloud. They are in the final stages of their first album and steadily working on their second, look for them this year.
And here are the 4 questions they were nice enough to answer for me:
What is your favorite off-venue Airwaves joint to jam at?
Björn Rúnarsson – Lucky Records. A.k. Andersen – Lucky Records. Steini Milljón – Lucky Records. Samúel Örn Böðvarsson – Lucky Records or Dillon Finnbogi Örn Einarsson – Lucky Records & Gaukur á Stöng.
If you combine all of your favorite colors, what do you get?
Björn Rúnarsson – Green (420 – 420 – 420 – 420) A.k. Andersen – Pink, all da way! (420-4… wait… oh) Steini Milljón – Lilla Blár (Purple) Samúel Örn Böðvarsson – Black, stay KVLT Finnbogi Örn Einarsson – Metallica
What are 3 of your favorite little known bands of Icelandic origin?
Björn Rúnarsson – Ehh, ég veit ekki. Bjornen A.k. Andersen – Bob, Japanese shuper shift and da future band og Kuraka Steini Milljón – Me The Slumbering Napoleon, Ampersand og Bob Gillan & Ztrandverðirnir Samúel Örn Böðvarsson – Aeterna & Metallica! Finnbogi Örn Einarsson – Gruesome Glory, Trust The Lies, & World Narcosis. (Also Mýnkarnir, a hip-hop collective from Hornafjörður)
If you could be any creature playing your favorite song, what would the creature be? What is the song?
Björn Rúnarsson – Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go með Wham eða When I’m Back On My Feet Again með Michael Bolton A.k. Andersen – Sloths playing silence by no one. Steini Milljón – A Trumpet, Hot House Samúel Örn Böðvarsson – I’d be a Liger playing the classic Eye of the “Liger” Finnbogi Örn Einarsson – A Silverback Gorilla doing an acapella version of ‘Over The Years’ by 25 Ta Life.
Iceland is a little island straddling two continents somewhat isolated from the rest of the world. So it’s diversity in musical style always amazes me. Ojba Rasta is rooted in reggae definitely, but there are a lot of influences and alternating vibes in their music. And since the band has enough members to populate a small Icelandic village, it’s no surprise to find elements of funk, rock, dub and electro intertwined in the upbeat core of their music.
Formed around 2009 the band began as a 10 piece, but as things happen, they now have 11 members that make up their reggae stew including an organ, multiple guitars, bass, trumpets, a saxaphone, and of course, a dub-master.
Jolly good is probably their most famous track outside of Iceland. It’s one of the few tracks sung in English and shows off their ability to mix different styles into a very smooth feel good piece, though I do find it highly suspect that the lead singer is a little white girl. On their Soundcloud page you can find two more songs by the band.
Being a large band full of interesting characters, Ojba Rasta always put a good show on and have a knack for entertaining the crowd not only with music, but their attitudes and interactions as well. Once again, I’ve uncovered proof of such a statement thanks to KEXP. This is a video of their gig at last year’s Airwaves festival at the Kex Hostel.:
Ojba Rasta have released a self titled full length album, of which the three tracks on Soundcloud do indeed reside. If you are located outside of the states, you can pick up the album on Gogoyoko here. Otherwise it’s available on Amazon or iTunes. They are working on a second album slated for a 2013 release, and plan to tour in Germany after Airwaves 2013. You can check out their Facebook page here.
Very chill, and one of the best ways to relax during a hectic gig schedule at Airwaves. I highly suggest you check them out. And yup yup, the band answered my 4 questions, here they be:
1. What is your favorite off-venue Airwaves, or Icelandic joint to jam at? At Airwaves 2012 we only played one off-venue gig and it was at the Kex hostel. The concert was broadcasted live from KEXP Radio and the footage was sweet. The weather was crazy that day in Iceland and in the U.S. We loved the whole expierence… We also love playing at Nasa and Faktorý. (I’ve included the video above)
2. If you combine all of your favorite colors (for you, add your bandmates if you would), what do you get? Neon sea flaming blue/green.
3. What are 3 of your favorite little known bands of Icelandic origin? Mmm….Tough question.. maybe: Amaba Dama, Nolo and Boogie Trouble.
4. If you could be any creature playing your favorite song, what would the creature be? And what is the song? It would have to be a lion playing Iron Lion Zion by Bob Marley or maybe a black panther playing Rock & Roll Suicide by David Bowie.
Jónas Sen is a musician with many hats. Along with composing, he has hosted multiple music oriented television programs, composed for, and toured with Björk, and works as a music critic for Iceland’s Frettabla∂i∂.
In the classical musician pool, it’s always cool to find the creative ones willing to use their roots in classical music to do things like make Robots play out a tune. He and Björk created the keyboard pieces on Björk’s Biophillia app specifically for the Ipad and Iphone and most recently, Jónas worked with Valdimar Jóhannsson creating music for a project called “H, an incident.” a robotic musical-theatre production by Kris Verdonck consisting of a small female choir and 10 robotic musicians.
Jónas’s Soundcloud page is filled with a great sample of what he’s composed as well as pieces he has collaborated with. My favorite track on the Soundcloud page would be Mephisto, I dig the space-walk vibe, contrasted with jungle beats and tribal nuances.
I’m curious to see what he’s going to do at Iceland Airwaves this year and am looking forward to it.
Jónas was nice enough to answer my 4 questions:
1. What is your favorite off-venue Airwaves, or Icelandic joint to jam at? Norræna húsið
2. If you combine all of your favorite colors what do you get? Whitish green
3. What are 3 of your favorite little known bands of Icelandic origin? Yellow Void, Lazy Blood, Reptilicus
4. If you could be any creature playing your favorite song, what would the creature be? And what is the song? A zombie playing On the Hills of Manchuria
Ragnaar's Icelandic Music Blog 