Reykjavík’s Uncertain Future
I didn’t used to consider city planning a particularly interesting issue. Just uttering the phrase “high-density urban areas” was enough to induce a deep yawn from me, invoki
THEY KILLED KENNY! – Or was it the Vikings?
Offensive humour is on the rise. Things that once were considered taboo are now a laughing stock in television shows such as the hugely successful animated series South Park and [&
Cheap Way to Work or a Big Damn Hassle?
The sun is already high in the sky as I board the number S2 bus at Hlemmur, just after 8am. The S2 is one of the new “Express” bus routes […]
The Professionals: A Very Expensive Hour with Barði and Krummi
Grapevine: This is the cleanest studio I’ve ever seen. And that’s an accountant’s lamp you’re writing under. I was expecting more rock and roll—but why are you dressed up
OLIVER
There seem to be three things that are crucial to the successful running of the bistro-bars that are ubiquitous in Reykjavík: 1. Good food, preferably served with artistically dri
TECHNOLOGY REVIEW: Things to Fear
Laptop entertainment centres. Apple always understood it, but now HP and Toshiba have caught up, and you can watch TV and rip DVDs—actually, you can produce Titanic—on your lap
Come On, People. How Deep Do Your Cartoons Have to Be?
Okay, Madagascar came to Iceland late, so we had already heard earfuls of “it’s too superficial” and “just a bunch of CGI” before the movie got here. This is how [&hellip
Cabaret at the Icelandic Opera
The famous musical comes to life with all necessary glamour and decay. Based on the Berlin tales of Christopher Isherwood it tells a story of an American writer who arrives [&helli
Sónar Festival for Advanced Music and Multimedia Art in Barcelona and G! Festival in the Faroe Islands.
Grapevine designer Hörður Kristbjörnsson, one half of the dynamic DJ-duo Skratch n Sniph, loves music festivals. He can’t get enough of them. Or at least of the Sónar and the
The Nohito and Other Brennivín Cocktails
Brennivín is a fine hard caraway-flavoured schnapps, traditionally served as cold as possible. So cold that the liquor gels, if possible. To achieve this effect, place the bottle
SNOOP DOGG
PIMP MY COUNTRY Despite being probably the world’s second best-known rapper (after Eminem), Snoop Dogg still saw reason to end his European tour with a quick stop in Iceland. The
t.A.T.u: Good Music, Sleazy Origins
Invented pop groups – bands formed by managers more concerned with marketing than talent – have been with us since the Monkees first oozed forth onto America’s airwaves. Malc
Lights on the HighwaySelf-titled.
There’s a lot of layered acoustic guitar here, and a lot of layered vocals. Vocal effects and outstanding fill-heavy drumming also figure in prominently. The total of the parts s
Dr. Spock Dr. Phil
Explaining why he enjoys Icelandic staple Dr. Spock, who are releasing their first CD after having played live around Reykjavík for anywhere between a decade and four years, depen
Original Music from the film Screaming Masterpiece
Many visitors and fans of Iceland enjoy the film Screaming Masterpiece, by Ari Alexander Magnússon. The film features the best and brightest of Iceland’s “Cute Generation”,
Nix Noltes Orkidpur Hawaii
We got an early review copy of the debut release from a favourite live band the Nix Noltes. As best we can gather, Nix Noltes deliver frenetic Balkan music that […]
BjörkMusic from Matthew Barney’s Drawing Restraint 9
With this new release, we get the dubious proposition of attempting to understand both Björk and Matthew Barney, wonder artist behind the Cremaster Cycle. What we can report is th
FLÍS: Vottur
There’s usually integrity to any release from 12 Tónar, Iceland’s independent record label that closely resembles America’s Nonesuch Records. The store and the local music s
Bezt í Heimi:Hornið: The Chianti in wicker kind of classy
How do you take a quaint restaurant with the kind of consistently good Italian that always goes with the Chianti that comes in a wicker basket? Well, you make it […]
SIGGI HALL
Next to the menu on display outside Siggi Hall is a selection of quotes from various illustrious sources: “The food is amazing” (CNN); “Might be worth a trip to Iceland [&hel