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8 Tips for Iceland Airwaves

It’s that time again, time one of the longest running Icelandic music festivals, Iceland Airwaves. This year they’ve brought back the original feel and are using more independent venues throughout the city. It means more movement and walking, but also means you get to see a lot of bands in unique spots. You can learn more about those venues at the Reykjavik Grapevine.

4 days of music spread all over the city can sound intimidating, but if you go in with a game plan and you’re prepared you’ll be amazed at how smooth things will go for you.

1. I highly suggest you follow these three pages on Social Media.

Iceland Airwaves page will give you the quickest updates and information on bands. IMX is an awesome source for finding out the history of bands, and they also shoot out information on tours and new music to look for. And the Reykjavik Grapevine is an English language newspaper, in an informal sometimes snarky manner they discuss the happenings around Iceland and you can gain more knowledge on things to do while you’re visiting. They typically put out a special Iceland Airwaves edition, as well as run a blog during the festival dedicated to Airwaves.

Iceland Airwaves	Iceland Music	Reykjavik Grapevine

And with that, here are some pointers on prepping and enjoying the festival:

Follow the three social media sites above for quick access to changing info
Be relaxed, flexible, and social
Be prepared
Be a tourist, in and outside the city
Respect the land, yourself, the people, and your fellow festival folks
Support the artists, buy their music
Food, alcohol and favorite people & places
Have fun

2. Be Relaxed, Be Social

Combining the normal tourist activity with over 7500 festival folks makes Reykjavik a busy busy city. Relaxation is key to enjoying yourself. You may have to wait a little longer for drinks/coffee/food/entrance into a venue, so just relax and breath in the fresh air. Be social, if you’re stuck in a line chances are you’re stuck with people of like mind, so don’t be afraid to ask your queue cohorts why they are there, what bands they’ve seen, who they are going to see and why. There are quite a few unannounced gigs that will be going on around the city, and being social is the only way you’re going to find out about them.

dj. flugvél og geimskip surprising the audience by performing with Dr. Gunni at Airwaves 2015

There is a lot of music, a good deal you may have never heard of. Listening to the Spotify link and/or checking out the page I’ve created of Icelandic bands playing are both extremely easy ways to begin prepping for the festival, and most likely you’ll find bands you never knew you couldn’t live without hearing live.

The Airwaves crew have done an ace job of making it easy for you to plan ahead and navigate these different venues with an app which is available now. Make sure you download it so you can start putting together a game plan. You should always have a plan A and plan B, so if the venue you’re trying to see a gig at is full you can quickly move on to your second choice. The app will save you a lot of time with maps, time schedules, alerts and reminders of upcoming gigs. It really will keep you on schedule, or help you alter your schedule in seconds.

3. Be Prepared!

The weather in Iceland can be really unpredictable. It can be blue skies, rain, snow, hit you with hurricane force winds and go back to blue skies all in the time it takes you to drink a cup of coffee. So prepare yourself with wet proof shoes, and layers. Layers will be your friend as the venues get pretty hot and sticky but then you’ve got to be outside getting from venue to venue. Also, if you plan on taking road trips or excursions outside the city, make sure you bring extra supplies in the even you get stuck in a storm for a while.

4. Be a tourist, in and out of the city

Nobody needs to tell you, but Iceland is gorgeous, so make sure you take some time to enjoy it. whether it’s just walking around Reykjavik looking at all the murals and art, or taking daytrips, get out and experience Iceland, there are plenty of options. Here are a few of my favorites:

I Heart RVK

I heart Reykjavik is a fantastic walking tour company that will take you around Reykjavik discussing it’s history and unique attributes.

They book up quickly, so I would suggest trying to reserve a spot now. It’s especially nice during Airwaves as there will be more music in the streets than usual while you walk around learning about old famous hangouts, and the history of the capital city.

On tour with Ívar is a new walking tour I’m really hoping to make it to this year. Ívar Pétur is in the legendary party band FM Belfast, and this tour is his way of sharing a local’s perspective. You’ll see the not well known side of Reykjavik, eat some food, drink some drinks, and hang out with Ívar and friends. Reviews that I’ve read make it seem more like a day out with your very knowledgeable friends.

The Icelandic Punk Museum opened last year during Iceland Airwaves with Johnny Rotten in attendance. Located in an abandoned Women’s public toilet in the center of downtown, the history of punk music is written on the wall in both Iceland and English. Once entering, you can stroll through the toilet stalls reading a chronological account of the advancement of punk in Iceland. Written by Dr. Gunni of legendary bands Bless, S.H. Draumer, Unun, and author of Iceland’s most comprehensive English music history book, Blue eyed pop. Across from the historical toilets are instruments, clothing and other interactive exhibits. It’s well worth a visit

Also check with your hotels, or the tourist office located in the city center. there are plenty of day trips to take you to see waterfalls, geysers, and the gorgeous landscapes of Iceland outside of the city.

5. Respect the island and it will respect you.

Built on multiple volcanoes with lava in its veins, The island may try to kill you if you give it the chance. Just be aware of your surroundings, footing, and the weather. Common sense goes a long way, and Icelanders fully believe folks should use said common sense. Have a good time not an out of control painful time. There’s a lot to do and even the half day you spend recovering from the night before will result in you missing a lot.

Pay attention to warnings about weather and areas not to tread in. Unlike the East coast where we cancel school over the mere hint of snow, the Icelanders rarely give out warnings unless they need to.

Lucky Records

6. Support the artists, purchase their music while you’re there.

There is a lot of music you won’t find off the island, or if you do it’ll cost crazy shipping. So purchase it while you’re visiting. Iceland has some amazing record shops, Lucky Records, 12 Tónar, and Reykjavik Record shop are the ones I’m most familiar with. All ran by folks who love music, and love talking about music, you’ll also find a lot of off-venue gigs will be at these places.

7. Food and favorite places.

There are a lot of solid places for quick bites or sit down meals. And there is the Bónus grocery store in the event you want to grab your own stockpile of munchies. I tend to go for the lighter side of things such as the Noodle Station or Reykjavik Chips Noodle Station is your quick simple three option noodle place, good for warming you up and filling yer gullet quickly and cheaply. And Reykjavik Chips has hand cut fries, with a ton of sauces, and beer.

Mandi is one of my favorite late night places. Though it gets packed so I tend to just go get my Shawarma /Falafel/kebab wraps and keep them in the fridge at my place for my late night cravings.

There are great Vegetarian and vegan places to check out as well. A really cool new place is Veganæs. located in the venue/bar Gaukurinn. Lead by Chef Linnea Hellström of Oumph! Vegan food and the formerly vegetarian outfit kaffi Vinyl, the place has burgers, fish-ish, gooey cheese balls, and amazing soup. Every day the menu changes slightly, so check their FB page.

Gló is another great vegetarian spot with a large eating area and portions are quite large.

For quick bites in between venues, there is the famous Pylsurs (hot dog). the “Clinton” stand down by the Reykjavik art museum, and other places around the city. Cheap, easy to access, and good.

Bars are plentiful in the city, and the prices only slightly vary. There will be bands or DJ’s playing in most of them. During the week the bars close at 1 or 2am, but on the weekend the bars will be open until 4. Find a bar with the atmosphere you dig and have at it. Alcohol purchased at the liquor store is taxed pretty heavily. I suggest picking up a bottle of wine or spirits at the duty free shop while you wait for your baggage, It will be considerably cheaper that way.

8. And finally, the most important factor, have fun.

Don’t get too wrapped up in details, maps, or must sees. You are going to experience one of the most unique festivals in the world, and you’re going to do it with northern lights above your head. If you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to comment below, or send me a Facebook message at Ragnaarbastiaan. You can follow me on Instagram, and/or Facebook for photos of the festival, as I’ll be up there snapping away.

My favorite 10 things to do in Reykjavik

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I’ve put a top 10 list of places I frequent when in Iceland list together. 9 favorites, and 1 that I am eagerly waiting to try out. The great thing is, you can do most of these things all year round. These are places and things outside of the regularly mentioned attractions and off-venue gigs that you may have heard of. It’s just my favorite spots to hit while I’m in town for Airwaves.

1. On tour with Ívar

On tour with Ívar is one of my favorite walking tours around the city. You’ll go down partially hidden alleyways, drink local cocktails, eat local food and the tour ends with a beer. As a member of FM Belfast, Ívar has been in the Icelandic music world for quite a long time and he has a lot of great stories of the old and new Reykjavik. I would suggest booking sooner than later as he books up quickly, especially during Airwaves. You can book at the link provided above.

2. Lucky Records

Lucky records is a massive music hub. Typically there are bands playing during off-venue before, during, and after the festival. The shop is pretty massive so you can shop and listen to live music all at once without feeling crowded or drowned in sound. A lot of the Icelandic bands playing Airwaves will have music available at most the music stores and I suggest you get it while you can as a lot of it isn’t available off the island, And if it is you’ll pay more for shipping than your record.

3. Fischer

Tucked neatly behind the city center in an old Icelandic house is Fischer. Ran by a very musical family and their friends, the house/store has a cozy old Icelandic feel that’s quite warm and welcoming. Throughout the shop there are displays of olden time “remedies” for common ailments all coming from an old book they also have on display. They sell bespoke items such as sustainable tooth brushes, soaps, shampoos, and perfumes. They also sell a 7′ that is handmade with the store soundtrack which was created by Sin Fang, Jonsi, Kjartan Holm, and Alex Somers. If you want one I would suggest getting there at the beginning of your trip as they are handcrafted and with the influx of festival goers chances are they will be sold out sooner than later. One of my favorite things about Fischer, is the mighty guard dog Atlas.

4. 12 Tónar

Another of my favorite record stores in Reykjavik. Go in, get a bit of coffee and browse both levels of the shop looking for new and used music. As with Lucky’s, the owners and employees are very nice and really knowledgeable about the Icelandic music scene. I have found absolute gems for great prices downstairs in their vinyl bins. They also may have bands playing during the festival so watch out for schedules.

5. Why not? Plötur

This is fairly new to Iceland. A new underground record label that will most likely have basement concerts at RS6013 later in the festival. True underground and off the mainstream Reykjavik experience. It’s a DIY label and I highly suggest you check and follow their Facebook page for updates and notices of when bands will be playing. They have a great catalog of music already and if you dig what you hear you need to pick it up then, as it’s rather difficult to get otherwise.

6. Smekkleysa Plötubúð

Smekkleysa is an old staple around Reykjavik. Smekkleysa records, (Bad Taste records) was the baby of Björk and Co, and the record store carries a lot of classics and current releases. Kiddi, the man behind the counter has been part of the music world as long as anyone and is quick to answer any questions you may have about music current and old.

7. Messinn

I typically grocery shop and live off cucumber and tomato sandwiches all throughout the festival, money is better spent on vodka I say. That being said, I always try to hit up Messinn at least once during the festival. A few years ago I surveyed a good deal of my Icelandic friends and asked which restaurant in Reykjavik has the most true to form and best tasting Plokkfiskur (fish stew) in town. It was unanimous that Messinn was the place, and they were right. Served right in the skillet the food here is really good, and the atmosphere cozy, it’s perfect for the November weather. I would suggest getting a reservation a day or two before attempting to go there as they always tend to be busy.

8. Brauð & co

I’m not a big cinnamon bun fan, but this place made me one. They also carry quite the assortment of bread that you can get by the slice or full loaf. I typically grab my bread here for my breakfast and lunch during the festival. It can get busy, but it’s worth the wait. One of the better Icelandic secret spots you’ll find in the city.

9. Mandi

It may seem weird, middle eastern food in Iceland, but Mandi is the saving grace of almost every late night in Iceland. They’ll be open after the bands stop playing, and out of all the late night food spots this is the best in the city. It will busy with locals most nights but it is well worth the wait. Typically, I grab food to eat then and food for breakfast in the morning. It’s a very social place so it’s easy to meet new folks and learn about unannounced gigs and after-parties around the city.

10. Veganæs

And finally, but not least, Veganæs. This is a new place located in Gaukurinn, A bar and possible Airwaves venue located in downtown Reykjavik. Veganæs is a new outfit ran by Linnae and Krummi. Linnae has been a staple for vegan food in Iceland for a long time, and her partner Krummi is in the Icelandic bands Mínus and Legend. I haven’t had a chance to eat here as they just opened, but it is one of the first places I plan on hitting once getting to the island. Other great vegetarian/vegan places in Iceland are Kaffi Vinyl, and Gló

Icelandic newbies at Iceland Airwaves 2018

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The final acts for Iceland Airwaves 2018 have been announced and there are a lot of Icelandic newbies on the roster. I’ve decided to blog about some of them and have included a brief history of each. Also, the bands have been kind enough to answer a few “getting to know you” questions. Hopefully I’ll be able to do a few of these posts between now and Airwaves.

Ateria

Ateria is a family trio, sisters Ása and Eir and their cousin Fönn. Ateria formed in 2017, and won Iceland’s famous new music contest, Músíktilraunir in March of 2018. The trio have studied classical music for years, and their music incorporates what they’ve learned creating a darker folkrock-ish feeling. Funfact, the name “Ateria” is derived from the latin name for the eider duck, Somateria mollissima.

What acts would you say hold kinship with your music? Ateria: “One always perceives one’s own music differently than other people’s, so we find it very difficult to determine what acts are similar to ours.”

What other Icelandic bands are you looking forward to seeing? Ateria: “We are looking forward to seeing Between Mountains, Vök, Mammút, Ólafur Arnalds, Hórmónar, Mókrókar, Sóley and Agent Fresco.”

Do you have any albums, or merch for sale. Where do folks go to get it? Ateria: “We don’t have any albums or merch for sale.”

If you could be any animal covering any song, what would you be, and what would you cover? Ateria: “We would be eider ducks covering ‘Weird Fishes / Arpeggi’ by Radiohead.”

Kjartan Holm

While this isn’t Kjartan Holm’s first time at Airwaves, previously performing with his other bands such as For a minor reflection and Tófa, this will be his first solo performance. His broad knowledge of musical genres have allowed him to collaborate, produce, and work with a great number of Icelandic musicians and has taken him all over the globe. Focused more on composition, his solo material carries an almost dark atmospheric sound combining a diverse pallet of instruments, sounds, and beats. Kjartan, along with Jónsi, Sin Fang, and Alex Somers, also created the background soundtrack to the store Fischer located in downtown Reykjavik.

What acts would you say hold kinship with your music? “I guess stuff like Tim Hecker, Stephen O’Malley, Ben Frost, Fennesz and things like that come to mind. When I write this kind of music I’m just following the mood I’m in at that particular moment. Mixing together processed sounds with recordings on top of that for endless amount of time until I’ve created something I think sounds interesting. The structure kind of comes automatically in that process.”

What other Icelandic bands are you looking forward to seeing? “Bára Gísladóttir is definitely one of the most interesting acts around in my opinion, Gunnar Jónsson is really good, Ingibjörg Turchi, SiGRÚN and Tófa.”

Do you have any albums, or merch for sale. Where do folks go to get it? “My debut album as a solo artist is being mastered as we speak. It won’t be out until early 2019 though. I have older stuff, everything from barely-touched demos to finished orchestral pieces on my Soundcloud (www.soundcloud.com/kjartanholm) but that’s about it for now. When the record is out I’ll start promoting in properly. For those interested they can check out my website for more sounds: www.kjartanholm.com”

If you could be any animal covering any song, what would you be, and what would you cover? “That’s easy. I’d be a Raccoon covering Belinda Carlisle’s ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’.”

Shakes

Shakes consist of Logi Marr and Frank Raven. You may have heard of Logi’s former band, Lily of the Vine but Shakes is as about as far from that sound as you can get. Formed in 2016 Shakes are on a mission to bring back real drums and good melodies. Their first E.P. is all about sex, drugs, and casualties.

What acts would you say hold kinship with your music? Shakes: “We don’t really feel like anything influences us really, our album Red Motel was basically about murdering your girlfriend in a motel room..never heard that before..but I guess Bobby Vinton is cool.”

What other Icelandic bands are you looking forward to seeing? Shakes: “No idea who’s playing besides us.”

Do you have any albums, or merch for sale. Where do folks go to get it? Shakes: “We have a 7″ double single vinyl for sale in the UK only. We will be bringing it for airwaves and people can buy it at the show. We will also maybe collaborate with a icelandic designer and bring some cool stuff for sale, you don’t wanna miss that.”

If you could be any animal covering any song, what would you be, and what would you cover? Shakes: “Shakes ARE fucking Cheetahs and I guess if we were covering we would do something badass, I wanna be adored with Stone Roses. Maybe we should on Airwaves..see you then.”

Sycamore Tree

less than a year old, Sycamore tree has already gained quite the following. The duo consists of Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, of Silvía Night fame, and the fashion designer Gunnar Hilmarsson. soothing instrumentals topped with an eloquent chanteuse. Another fun fact, Gunnar Hilmarsson once designed the uniforms for Wow Air.

What acts would you say hold kinship with your music? Sycamore Tree: “Sometimes it´s hard to tell for an artist to be the best judge on that. We create really without thinking about what other people do and we follow our heart. The names we hear popping up when people talk about the Sycamore Tree “Sound “ are everything from Leonard Cohen, Lee Hazlewood, Beth Gibbons to Mazzy Star. Basically we don´t know or really care to be honest.”

What other Icelandic bands are you looking forward to seeing? Sycamore Tree: “There are so many great ones. Warmland, Agent Fresco and Between Mountains I don´t want to miss. But I could mention so many more.”

Do you have any albums, or merch for sale. Where do folks go to get it? Sycamore Tree: “People will be able to buy our album in all music stores and most cafés in Reykjavik.”

If you could be any animal covering any song, what would you be, and what would you cover? Sycamore Tree: A Lion Covering Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) by David Bowie ( This is Gunni answering this question )

For the full line-up head over to here. And of course, to listen to the full line-up check out their Spotify playlist:

Day 2 of Iceland Airwaves

Icelandic Bands of Iceland Airwaves 2017

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Unlike past years, Iceland Airwaves will be in two cities this year, Reykjavik and Akureyri giving festival goers a chance to see more of the island, and from the looks of it, bringing more Icelandic bands from all over together to play. You can now look at the schedule here. And here are my tips to make the festival more enjoyable.

I will be photographing the festival this year and if you follow my Facebook page you view at your leisure. You can see photos from Airwaves past here.

218 bands have been announced so far of which 162 are Icelandic. I make this page as a quick reference and it’s a good thing to bookmark while you’re at the festival. There will be times where your plans may not come to fruition and you can look at the app, find a band you’ve never heard of for plan B, and use the quick reference here to see if you dig it.

Iceland Airwords is back as well. A night of Poets, authors, and literature, including Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir, Kristín Ómarsdóttir, Andri Snær Magnason, Bergur Ebbi Sigurðsson, Kött Grá Pjé. Check the online schedule for times.

With Icelandic bands it can always be hard to categorize their music styles as one of the greatest things about them is their ability to snag and grab their favorite things from all over the musical spectrum and make it work for them. So these lists are just general nods in the direction you may be looking for, for example, the Dance table, they sit right on the edge of electronic and dance pop/rock and beats. But I tried to focus on the prominence of a lead singer and the beats of the bulk of their songs in deciding which side to place them.

I’ve also made a table of just Möller Records and Thule Records artists as they have quite the strong presence this year. Both of these record labels have continually brought amazing electronic acts out of the Icelandic woodwork for years and I’m really stoked to visit their stage and get my fill of their collective music.

Categorizing some bands can be extremely difficult as they run borders are freely through genres, so if you feel a band needs to be moved into a different category let me know and I’ll change it.

Electronic / DJ / Atmospheric / experimental
Chevron	DJ. flugvél og geimskip	DJ Snorri Ástráðs	DJ Spegill
DJ Sura	Frank Murder	Good Moon Deer	Kosmodod
Ljósvaki	Púlsvídd	Röskva	Ruxpin
Tonik ensemble	TRPTYCH	Yagya

Veteran Electronic Record Labels: Möller & Thule Records
Án (M)	Andartak (M)	Árni² (M)	Bistro Boy (M)
Cold (T)	Futuregrapher (M)	Gunnar Jónsson Collider (M)	NonniMal (T)
Octal Industries (T)	Ozy (T)	Ohm (T)	Subliminal (M)
Thor (T)	Vector (T)

Dance / electronic / pop / rock
Blissfull	FM Belfast	GusGus	Mikael Lind
Milkywhale	PASHN	Sólveig Matthildur	Sykur
Sylvia

Rock / Pop / Singer/Songwriter / Indie / Dance
200.000 Naglbítar	AFK	Árstíðir	Ásgeir
Axel Flóvent	AUÐUR	aYia	Benny Crespo’s Gang
Between Mountains	Biggi Hilmars	Ceasetone	Daði Freyr
Dísa	Einarlndra	Emiliana Torrini & the Colorist	Indriði
Fai Baba	Fox Train Safari	Fufanu	Gangly
Godchilla	Grúska Babúska	Gorn	Hildur
Högni	Hugar	JANA	JFDR
Jón Jónsson	KALLI	Kiriyama Family	Lára Rúnars
Lára Rúnars	Máni Orrason	Megas	Mighty Bear
Moses Hightower	Mr. Silla	Nilüfer Yanya	Omotrack
One week wonder	Ösp	Oyama	Par-Ðar
Pascal Pinon	Paunkholm	Pranke	Ragga Grönda
Rósa Guðrún Sveinsdóttir	RuGl	Rythmatik	SiGRÚN
Skaði Þórðardóttir	Skrattar	Snorri Helgason	Soffía Björg
Sóley	Special K	Sycamore Tree	Tilbury
TSS	Tusks	Una Stef	Valdimar
Vök	Védís	Warmland	Young Karin

Punk / Metal / Hardcore / Garage Rock / Prog Rock
Dr. Gunni	For a Minor Reflection	Fræbbblarnir	Grísalappalísa
Gróa	HAM	Hatari	Hórmónar
Kælan Mikla	Kontinuum	Korter í flog	Mammút
Phlegm	Pink Street Boys	ROHT	Skelkur í bringu
Tappi Tíkarrass	Tófa	Une Misère	We Made God

Hip-Hop / Trap / R&B / Rap
Alexander Jarl	Alvia Islandia	Aron Can	Birnir
Cell 7	Chase	Cryptochrome	Cyber
Dillalude	Elli Grill	Emmsjé Gauti	Fever Dream
Flóni	Geisha Cartel	GKR	Glowie
Holy Hrafn	Ider	Joey Christ	JóiPé og Króli
KÁ-AKÁ	Lord Pusswhip	Rari boys	Reykjavíkurdætur
Shades of Reykjavik	Sturla Atlas	Tiny	Úlfur Úlfur
Valby Bræður	Young Nazareth

Composers / Atmospheric / Audio Visual
Amiina	Bára Gísladóttir	GlerAkur	Gyða Valtýsdóttir
Halldór Eldjárn	Jónas Sen

Icelandic Bands at Iceland Airwaves

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Here it is, the 2016 Iceland Airwaves Icelandic musicians page. I’ve loosely sorted them into categories in the hope that you can quickly reference bands to dig as you explore the many possibilities this year. On top of the 210 bands performing this year, Bedroom Community will be celebrating their 10th anniversary as a musician collective in Iceland and I would highly recommend you check that out. And Airwords is back, the poetry/literature/music event that began in 2013. All part of Airwaves and all worth checking out. Also, you can check out my Tips to get the most out of Iceland Airwaves.

143 of the 210 bands are Icelandic this year and they span the deck in style and genre. This year, I split them into five categories:

Rock / Singer Songwriter / Jazz / Blues / Reggae
Pop / Rock / Dance / Electro / Disco / Indie
DJ’s / Electronic / Atmospheric / Classical / Composers
Heavy Rock / Metal / Hardcore
Hip Hop / Rap / R&B Soul

Diversity and genre bending are two things Icelanders are rather good at which makes defining bands a bit difficult, so if you feel a band belongs in a different spot please comment below and I will check it out.

Rock / Singer Songwriter / Jazz / Blues / Reggae
Amabadama	Amber	Amber	Axel Flóvent
Benny Crespo’s Gang	CeaseTone	DALÍ	Dikta
Fufanu	Helgi Jons	Hinemoa	Jónas Sig & Ritvélar framtíðarinnar
Júníus Meyvant	Kórus	Ljóðfæri	Major Pink
Magnús Jóhann	Máni Orrason	Markús & The Diversion Sessions	Moji & the Midnight Sons
Moses Hightower	Mr. Silla	Myrra Rós	Par-Ðar
Pétur Ben	Prins Póló	Rósa Guðrún Sveinsdóttir	Skelkur í bringu
Skrattar	Soffía Björg	Snorri Helgason	Stafrænn Hákon
Stroff	Teitur Magnússon	Una Stef	Valdimar
Ylja

Pop / Rock / Dance / Electro / Disco / Indie
Árstíðir	asdfgh	AUÐUR	AVóKA
Berndsen	Boogie Trouble	Crystal Breaks	Dream Wife
East of my Youth	FM Belfast	Gangly	Glowie
Grúska Babúska	Hausar	Hildur	Himbrimi
JFDR	Karó	Kiriyama Family	Konsolat
Lára Rúnars	Milkywhale	kreld	Lily the kid
múm	Of Monsters and Men	One week wonder	Oyama
Puffin Island	Rythmatik	RuGL	Samaris
Steinar	Sóley	Sykur	Tilbury
Tonik Ensemble	Útidúr	Vagina Boys	Vio
Vök	Wesen

DJ’s / Electronic / Atmospheric / Classical / Composers
Ambátt	Ayia	Bára Gísladóttir	Ben Frost
BLKPRTY	DJ Yamaho	dj. flugvél og geimskip	EinarIndra
Futuregrapher	Glerakur	Halldór Eldjárn	Hermigervill
Hugar	Iamhelgi	Jafet Melge	Kosmodod
Kristin Thora	Mike Hunt	Reptilicus	RVK DnB
Sigga Soffía & Jónas Sen	Sigrún	sxsxsx	Tómas Jónsson
Trptych

Hip Hop / Rap / R&B / Soul
Alexander Jarl	Aron Can	Alvia Islandia	B-Ruff
Bróðir BIG	Cryptochrome	Cyber	Emmsjé Gauti
Epic Rain	GKR	Glacier Mafia	Herra Hnetusmjör
Kött Grá Pje	Krakk & Spaghettí	Landabois	Lord Pusswhip
Mælginn	Reykjavíkurdætur	Rímnaríki	Shades of Reykjavik
$igmund	Sturla Atlas	Þriðja Hæðin	Tiny
Úlfur Úlfur	Valby Bræður

Heavy Rock / Metal / Hardcore
Auðn	Beneath	Dimma	Dr. Spock
Endless Dark	Hatari	Kælan Mikla	Legend
Mammút	Pink Street Boys	Singapore Sling	SÓLSTAFIR
Tófa

And here is the Spotify playlist, it includes ALL bands playing Iceland Airwaves, not just the Icelandic musicians:

Tips for Iceland Airwaves 2015

Research Research Research: Show up prepared

This is probably the most important tip I can give you, and that’s why it’s the longest. There is nothing wrong with winging it, and if you are there for the adventure and have no agenda then I suppose doing research isn’t all that necessary, but if you have a plan at all, then a little research will go a long way in making things more enjoyable.

There are over 230 bands performing at Airwaves with slightly over 9000 attendees this year. Chances are a lot of folks are going to want to see the same bands that you want to see, and it’s possible that you may not get into your favorite acts. This is why I always say you need to do research, listen to the Spotify playlist Iceland Airwaves created, check out my loosely categorized list of the 155 Icelandic bands playing, and check out the line-up page to discover the bands you don’t know much about. Late night plan changes will go so much smoother if you have a few bands in your back pocket in the event you’re not feeling a gig, or can’t get into one.

There are a lot of social media outlets to get information from as well. Reykjavik Grapevine is an English speaking newspaper online and in print located in Reykjavik. They run a pretty solid Airwaves blog that I suggest you follow. Iceland Music Export (IMX) is another great resource, they will be doing live interviews throughout the festival on their website. and have many biographies of Icelandic bands that will be performing. KEXP always has something going on at Kex Hostel, and you can typically find live performances and interviews with the bands on their website as well. And of course, the Iceland Airwaves website and Facebook page will have loads of information to help you prepare for the musical week.

I highly suggest you start following some of these informational hubs now on Facebook and twitter as they will be highlighting bands, giving suggestions, and informing the masses of the different things going on during the festival.

Get the App!

The Iceland Airwaves App is now available for Download. It has maps with all the venues, customizable schedules, friend locators, off-venue and official schedule times, reminders of upcoming shows, and a whole slew of other things to make your life easy. This app is necessary for having a beneficial experience at the festival, I can’t recommend it enough.

Be social, no really, be really social

Iceland is a friendly place, and there are going to be a lot of folks from a lot of different countries so make some new friends and be social. Before or after a band plays, while in line waiting to get into a show, or out and about touring around, take a moment to meet the folks around you.

You’ve got at least two things in common, you’re all there to listen to music, and you’re all on an incredibly unique island with things to see. There’s no better way to find out new stuff to listen to or see than by asking the person next to you who they are digging. I’ve met some rather cool folks over the years at Airwaves, so be as social as you can.

Be patient, be kind

Keep in mind that there are 9000 of us that will devour Reykjavik for the week. Businesses, restaurants and services in general will be well over normal capacity. So be patient and be a decent human being. Huffing and puffing because something isn’t going as quickly or as smoothly as you like is just not needed and will never get you the results you’re looking for. Icelanders take pride in what they do, and while they will go to great lengths to help you, they’ll have no qualms in calling you out for rude or asshole-ish behavior. Your attitude will have a direct result in how you are treated around town, so civility and decency will make your trip a much better one.

Do your music shopping there, or you may miss out

This took me a few times to learn. A lot of the Icelandic bands you’ll see and hear will only have their product available in Iceland, which means if you don’t pick it up at one of the music stores or booths at the shows you’ll miss out.

There are some pretty fantastic music shops in Iceland, they’ll serve you coffee, and answer any questions you have about the music up there. Smekkleysa, Lucky Records, and 12 Tónar are traditional visits for me, and this year I’m excited to check out Reykjavik Record Shop.

Lucky Records and 12 Tónar both will have off-venue gigs going on as well, so find them on Facebook to follow along with who is playing when or look them up in the app.

Get out and tour a bit

With the off-venue schedule and the official schedule you can get overwhelmed, but you are in one hell of a naturally majestic land so I highly recommend you get out and tour a bit. Hotels or the Information center located downtown will have all the tour outfits to take you outside of Reykjavik for a half day or so, and the scenery makes it well worth it. A few simple things to remember as you’re touring around will keep you out of trouble and in good favor with the tourist gods:

Do not litter, a lot of areas you go to will be free, and that is because they don’t have regular cleaning crews. Help keep it free for everyone and put your trash in garbage cans.
While the city is full of art and graffiti, the countryside is not. Icelanders have been known to feed tourists to the sharks that live in the volcano for marking up their nature. At the very least you’ll pay a lot of money and get kicked off the island.
Iceland’s moss takes a very very long time to grow. So if you’re around it and you want to pick it off the ground please don’t, it’s very damaging.

If getting out of town seems like too much effort, I would suggest going over to I heart Reykjavik’s website and checking out their tours. They do tours around the city focusing on multiple things from the Northern Lights to the history of Reykjavik. I would suggest booking the tours sooner than later because they are smaller tours and they fill up quickly. As of this posting, there were limited slots left and they do fill up quickly.

Most important tip, have fun!

Relax and enjoy yourself, treat folks the way you like to be treated and just open yourself up for good music, a great Island, and a good time.

Iceland Airwaves 2015

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And, the final announcement is out. Almost 230 bands will be at Iceland Airwaves 2015, and while we’ll definitely miss Björk and Mammút, The Airwaves staff have outdone themselves with the roster this year. This is the most bands I have seen yet, 155 of the 230 bands are Icelandic, and they span the spectrum of every genre. Here is the new announcement, Directed, edited and created by the wonderful Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir, Sin Fang once again is credited with the music, and… Now we all know who Gangly is.

Also announced for this year is a festival within a festival. On Sunday, the final night of the festival,the mini-festival called Extreme Chill will happen at the Vodafone Hall. One last hurrah and “laid back” night of music, featuring Hot Chip, Introbeats, dj. flugvél og geimskip, Agent Fresco, Emmsjé Gauti, Sleaford Mods, Úlfur Úlfur and FM Belfast. You can learn more about it here. It’s a fantastic idea, because if you have done Airwaves right, nothing will sound better than only having to go to one place to finish off in musical bliss.

As I did for 2014 and 2013, I’ve listed all of the Icelandic bands playing into loosely divided into genres on this page. Clicking on their name will open a new tab with the Iceland Airwaves info page for that artist, which includes Soundcloud, Social media links, and a short bio.

This list is just the Icelandic bands playing, if you want to see the full line-up go to the Iceland Airwaves Line-up page.

RocknRoll – Indie Rock – Pop Rock – Rock Rock
Agent Fresco	Bárujárn	Borko	CeaseTone
Dikta	Dr. Gunni	Elin helena	FM Belfast
Fufanu	Geislar	Hallelewah	HAM
Hide your kids	Himbrimi	Hjaltalín	John Grant & the ISO
Just Another Snake Cult	kimono	Kiriyama Family	Klassart
Lára Rúnars	Low Roar	MAMMÚT	Mosi Musik
Mosi Musik	Mr. Silla	Oyama	Red Barnett
Rhytmatik	Runar Thorisson	Russian.girls	Sindri Eldon & the Ways
Teitur Magnússon	Toneron	Trúboðarnir	Valdimar
Var	The Vintage Caravan	Vio	Þórir Georg

Singer/Songwriter – Folk – Blues/Jazz – Composers – Classical
Árstíðir	Aurora	Axel Flóvent	Beebee and the Bluebirds
Brim	DALÍ	Fura	Grúska Babúska
Helgi Valur	Hymnalaya	Jónas Sen	Júníus Meyvant
Justman	Lucy in Blue	Magnús Leifur	Máni Orrason
Markús & The Diversion Sessions	Mógil	My Bubba	Nordic Affect
Par-Ðar	Soffía Björg	Sóley	TUSK
Þórunn Antonía og Bjarni	Ylja

All things Electronica – Dance / DJs / Composers / ambient / ElectroPop / noise
Agzilla	Arni Vector	Arnljótur	Art is Dead
Asonat	Auður	Berndsen	Bistro Boy
Brilliantinus	Daveeth	dj. Flugvél og geimskip	DÖPUR
Dream wife	Exos	Futuregrapher	Gangly
Ghostigital	Good Moon Deer	Gunnar Jónsson Collider	Gus Gus
H.dór	Hekla	HimBrim	Jack Magnet Quintet
Jóhann Eiriksson	Jón Ólafsson & Futuregrapher	Kiasmos	Kippi Kaninus
LaFontaine	Lord Pusswhip	M-Band	Mafama
Mankan	Milkywhale	Miri	Mikael Lind
Mike Hunt	Mr. Signout	Odinn	OHM
Royal	Ruxpin	Serengeti by President Bongo	Skurken
SMURJÓN	Snooze infinity	Súrefni	Sykur
Thor	Tonik Ensemble	Trptych	Vaginaboys
Vök	Waage	Yagya	Yamaho
Young Karin

Punk – Hardcore
Æla	Börn	Caterpillarmen	Grísalappalísa
In the Company of Men	Kælan Mikla	Muck	Pink Street Boys
Skelkur í bringu

All Shades of Metal
Beneath	Bubbi Og Dimma	Endless Dark	Kontinuum
Misþyrming	Momentum-Malneirophrenia	Severed	Sinmara
Svartidauði

Hip-Hop – Rap – Reggae
AmbAdama	B-Ruff	Cell 7	Cheddy Carter
Emmsjé Gauti	Epic Rain	Gísli Pálmi	Herra Hnetusmjör
Kut Grapje	Ojba Rasta	Reykjavíkurdætur	Shades of Reykjavik
Sturla Atlas	Úlfur Úlfur

You can listen to all the bands playing this year via Iceland Airwaves Spotify playlist here:

And here are the previous video announcements:

Video four was Directed, produced, and shot by Máni M Sigfússon, starring Kælan Mikla, with music by Sin Fang:

Video three was produced by Les Frères Stefson, directed and written by, Unnsteinn Manuel Stefánsson And the banker was Haraldur Ari Stefánsson:

Video two with Hrafnkell Örn Guðjónsson drumming away as band names float across the screen:

First announcement with Dj. Flugvél og Geimski:

I would suggest getting your tickets sooner than later, especially if you are planning on doing a package you’ll have more hotel options in the beginning now than you will in a month. Typically the festival sells out, but with the line up looking as good as it does this year, I would imagine it will sell out sooner than later. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of “you snooze, you lose”

If you want to see what the past has been like, here is a link to all my Iceland Airwaves related posts. And here is the link to the Iceland Airwaves Flickr page if you want to see just how fun this festival really is.

Hope to see you there.

Tips for Iceland Airwaves 2014

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Entire Harpa audience on their knees at FM Belfast

Another year, another Iceland Airwaves. It’s time again for one of my favorite music festivals of the year. Me, you, and approximately 9,000 other festival ticket holders will be invading the city of Reykjavik for 5 days of non-stop music, art and beauty surrounded by amazing scenery and unique culture. I’ve revised my list of pointers I’ve gathered over the years, and here they be:

The first and probably best tip I can give you is that Positivity and awareness of the people around you goes a long way. Iceland can be quite laid back, and while there typically is no rush, its people will do their best to help you in most any situation. It’s a small island, and there really isn’t room for ego’s or entitlements so do your best not to be rude or condescending. if something is taking longer than usual or needs a little tinkering to be just right, just breathe and remember that 9,000+ of us just landed on the island and the folks helping us out are most likely doing their best. Getting cross or yelling at people will get you absolutely nowhere.

Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!, there are over 200 bands playing in a matter of 5 days. Learn you stuff before you even land, make primary plans as well as back up plans in the event you can’t get into the primary gigs you want to see. Spotify has an Airwaves playlist, the Iceland Airwaves website has details on all the bands with links to their music, as well as an app where you can browse bands, create schedules, and let your friends know where you are.

I have a page dedicated to the Iceland Artists loosely sorted by genres. There is going to be a lot of new music you haven’t heard, and getting a head start on previewing it will make for a broader, more musically expanding experience. There is a free English newspaper in Iceland called the Grapevine. They always put out a detailed Airwaves issue, and I suggest you get that as well.

Pétur Ben at an off-venue gig at Kex Hostel

There are a lot of Off-venue gigs as well, over 600 of them this year at 44 different spots around the city. Off-venues are shorter daytime gigs the bands put on in coffee houses, hostels, and other gathering places around the city. You don’t need a festival wristband to get into them, so if you are planning on seeing someone, it’s always a good idea to get there early as it’s first come first serve for the whole city.

Be Social, chances are you will find yourself waiting in a queue for a gig, or standing around waiting for a band to begin. Use that time to talk to the people around you. We all have our love for music in common and talking with someone near you may lead to discoveries of bands you would have never thought to go and hear. It took me a few years to get used to this, and a few of my Icelandic friends are always commenting that I need to be more social. The key advantage to being social is that there are quite a few after-parties and unplanned sets that happen around Reykjavik, being social will make attending these much easier for you.

If you really like a band, buy their merch at the festival. A lot of times you won’t be able to purchase it, or have to pay huge shipping costs otherwise. Reykjavik is home to two of my favorite record shops, 12 Tónar and Lucky Records. So make sure to include browsing these shops in your itinerary for the festival. And be on the lookout for small-ish merch booths at the different gigs you attend.

It looks like a wabbit

Be a tourist, at least for a day. Iceland is gorgeous, there is a reason everyone freaks out about the volcanic valleys and waterfalls. Make sure to take some time to tour around. The Golden circle tour may seem to be too “touristy” but it’s not. It spans a great deal of distance, and the guides are chock-full of information. It can all be done during the day so you can return in time for the night festivities no problem. One of my favorite new Icelandic travel blogs is I heart Reykjavik. She has a very sweet and informative online presence, her Facebook page is entertaining and informative, and she offers daily walking tours around Reykjavik. Be quick to reserve as she sells out rather quickly, I’ve yet to work one of her tours into my schedule when I’m there, but I’ve had plenty of people tell me how much they loved her.

And finally, It’s possible you may run into some of your favorite mythical Icelandic band members. While telling the band thank you is typically appreciated, or casually chatting about this or that while in a queue, nobody likes a stalker. Chasing them down the street screaming, or camping out waiting to catch a glimpse of avocados being peeled or coffee being consumed is just creepy and not the norm in Iceland. It will make for really awkward situations, chances are if these guys are around, they want to listen and see the bands playing as well. It’s an island, not a zoo; and they are your concert going peers, not monkeys.

So, show up relaxed and ready to mingle, do your homework on what you want to see, and explore, this is the gist of it. It’s a fantastic festival put on by awesome folks. I’ve yet to hear anyone ever say they won’t be trying their hardest to return the next year.

You can read about my previous re-caps of Iceland Airwaves here. And you can see my photos from Last year’s festival here. See you there!

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Tag Archives: music festival

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Tips for Iceland Airwaves 2015

Research Research Research: Show up prepared

Be social, no really, be really social

Be patient, be kind

Do your music shopping there, or you may miss out

Get out and tour a bit

Most important tip, have fun!

Tips for Iceland Airwaves 2014

ATP Iceland

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Research Research Research: Show up prepared

Be social, no really, be really social

Be patient, be kind

Do your music shopping there, or you may miss out

Get out and tour a bit

Most important tip, have fun!

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