Sour Grape
I gave you a quick glance on line before my visit to Iceland. I was planning on sending you a correction to one of your articles, I was going to haughtily […]
Black Keys Chulahoma – The Songs of Junior Kimbrough
On the surface, it seems like an evil idea: two cutish white kids from Akron, Ohio doing a six-song EP of covers of the greatest, hardest living, relatively unknown Mississippi [&h
Bela – Hole and Corner
Like the Telepathetics above, Bela is an Icelander “discovered” by British industry people. Like the Telepathetics, Bela has excellent production. In fact, Bela sounds quite to
Nýhil Poetry in the Grapevine
Óttar Martin Norðfjörð (b. 1980) holds an M.A. in philosophy and has published three books of poetry with Nýhil, the most recent one being Gleði og glötun (2005), and one [&
Magni…ficent
One of the most surreal moments in the history of pop culture: fantastically brain-dead rocker Tommy Lee stands on a chair, raises his hand, and attempts… WORD PLAY. And he [&hel
A Northern Take on Carnival, Without the Religion
Feel like going on a road trip and listening to pop bands play in front of gregariously drunk locals celebrating their annual holiday by goofing off with grilled hot dogs […
Happiest Nation on Earth
This June, Iceland found out that it was, indubitably, the happiest place on Earth – fuck Disney World, Iceland blows it away, with Australia following somewhere as a distant sec
The Green, Green Golf Course of Home
Stefán Þorleifsson, 90-year-old sports instructor and gym coach, is sitting on the couch in his two-storey house in Neskaupstaður. He has just been asked what makes Icelanders t
Hornið
Hornið, which literally means ‘the corner’, is an old haunt of the Grapevine staff. Our offices used to be located directly above them, but it wasn’t just the convenience th
Argentína steakhouse
Steakhouses generally aren’t considered exclusive or fancy, but Argentína isn’t afraid to buck that trend. When it first opened in 1989, the restaurant immediately earned a re
The Músíktilraunir Kids Continue to Shine
Whenever some crappy band in Iceland decides to pretend they’re múm or Sigur Rós and make a bunch of slow, boring and uneventful music that’s supposed to make you feel [&hell
Men Have to Take Responsibility
By emphasising the role men play in rape crimes in society, the NEI campaign points its finger at men as assailants. Now, for the third year in a row, the […]
At Least We’re Happy
If bad things happened to you while you were visiting, you might have a hard time explaining how you weren’t prepared. This isn’t Happyland, or Safeland, or even Moderatetemper
Horrible Writing, Good Read, Great Eats
There is a lot to laugh at in Delicious Iceland. Start with the dedication by former President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, who apparently believes second grade English is official sou
The Building that Shaped the CityAusturstræti 16
The large grey concrete building located on the corner of Austurstræti and Pósthússtræti hardly catches your eye among the many distinct, if clashing, buildings of downtown. Bu
Are You Gay Enough For This? – Different Days in Reykjavík
Iceland’s Gay Pride Festival, or ‘Hinsegin Dagar’ (Different Days) kicks off for its eighth gay year on Wednesday, August the 9th with a gay drag show at Gaukur Á Stöng. [&
Ready to Fuck
There was a strange nostalgic scent in the air as girls dressed appropriately and guys had done their best to imitate the style of hip-hop. It was apparent from everything [&hellip
Telepathetics – Ambulance
Give the Telepathetics credit for two things off the bat: an amusing name, and a huge amount of creative energy – meaning they are trying very hard to be creative, […]
Political Change through Celebration
Most of the year, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender people are invisible to the population at large in Iceland. The Grapevine is as guilty as anyone of not covering the politics [&helli
How to Lose Your Mind in One Week
Insanity comes in many forms. A sudden catastrophic event can turn an otherwise normal person into a drooling vegetable. Sometimes, it’s a slow and steady decline into complete,
Rossopomodoro
Rossopomodoro is a chain restaurant with a difference. There may be more than one of them around the world, actually most are in Italy itself, but the cuisine on offer […]