Organizing For the Future
The Framtíðarlandið (The Future Country) organisation was formally established at a big meeting held in Austurbær on Iceland’s Independence Day, the 17th of June. The buildin
GUMMI JÓNS – JAML
45 minutes or so of ho-hum acoustic guitar pop fiddled out to the steady beat of a drum machine, Jaml is a pleasant enough entry into the solo archives of […]
Sour Grape
To the People of Iceland, I would like to take the time to say good-bye and thank you to the country of Iceland and its people. I have been a […]
Independent People / Sugar-Crazed Kids
June 17th was the date of the 1953 uprising in East Berlin, the Watergate burglary of 1972 and the repealing of Apartheid laws in South Africa in 1991. It also […]
Put Down The Drink and Step Away From The Clown
I’ve always wanted to open one of these pieces with the words: “I had a strange encounter with a clown the other day…” – and now I’ve blown my only […]
Dancing Pigs and Drunken Detectives
“I can’t believe we’re overlooking the most famous restaurant in Reykjavík,” says Ian Rankin, as we sit down. It takes me a moment to realise that he is not referring [&he
JÓNI JÓNS AT TURPENTINE
“In the continent of personal dreams that lie beyond the reality of the mirror stands a vast area of conflict, where the power of imagination rules and symbols really matter [&he
MORÐINGJARNIR – Í GÖTUNNI MINNI
High-velocity trashcan punk from the not-so-gritty streets of suburban Iceland, this scant half-hour of awkwardly political sound-destruction plays and feels tight and well-constru
A Splinter of History Straight into Your Eye
Most nations in the world enjoy celebrating their heritage in some form or another. On some date on every national calendar, there will be a day where people recognise their [&hell
Ítalía
It’s a bit odd to write a restaurant review about a place you have been frequenting for over a decade, so this isn’t going to be a walk through an […]
Ask Not What Immigration Can Do For You, Ask What You Can Do For Immigration
The Grapevine has long been a strong advocate of the immigrant population in Iceland. We have brought you news from the immigrant community, we have covered important subjects that
The Why and What of Everything
If everyone in China jumped off a chair at the same time, would it cause an earthquake? There’s a question you’d like to answer. Or perhaps you’d like to know […]
A Tuba
Tónastöðin Seeking new and amazing ways to irritate your friends and neighbours? Want to study an instrument, but afraid that a guitar would make you look too conformist? And ar
The War Against Frugality
On June 8, 1986, Bad Taste, Inc. was formally established. Intended to be a creative outlet for those artists and activists who had grown disillusioned with the staleness and prudi
Sinking in the Piss
There has been an ongoing debate between theatre artists themselves for decades as to whether or not theatre is a dying art form, but also in the public. There are […]
ANDREA GYLFADÓTTIR / ELLEN KRISTJÁNSDÓTTIR / HILDUR VALA / RAGNHEIÐUR GRÖNDAL / SIGRÍÐUR EYÞÓRSDÓTTIR – ÍSLENSK ÁSTARLÖG
Upon a glance at dictionary.com’s definition of the word boring, this came up: “refer(s) to what is so uninteresting as to cause mental weariness. Boring implies feelings of li
Café Róma
If ever there was a place designed for taking a lunchbreak, it’s Café Róma. Located at the top of Laugarvegur, this bakery-cum-cafe seems eerily sleepy and well stocked in the
The Immigrant’s Party: Starts Today
The results of last May’s city elections have left more than a few people disappointed, particularly in Reykjavík. We now have a majority coalition that is making plans to build
Let’s Take a Road Trip
For many years now I have spent hours at a time nagging about how boring it is to live in Iceland, complained to my friends why there are never any […]
KOJA – KOJA
Forced yet sloppy, random yet predictable, difficult yet forgettable – it’s amazing how many times Koja can contradict their own music without really going anywhere. It’s jus