Spessi’s Locations
In the main hall at Hafnarborg, the art and cultural institute of Hafnarfjörður, Spessi is displaying his latest series of photographs, entitled Locations. As the name suggests,
Biggi – id
Maus were a popular, great and influential indie band back in the late 1990s. Frontman and singer Biggi was charismatic in a weird way, sometimes out of tune and not […]
Benni Hemm Hemm – Kajak
Benni Hemm Hemm has been named Golden Boy of Icelandic pop in this publication. Judging by his self-titled debut, released last year, the title isn’t far off, winning two awards
Magga Stína – syngur Megas
Megas, a cultural icon around these parts, sure seems popular this year. Two albums have surfaced where artists try to put their mark on his songs and lyrics. Magga Stína, [&helli
Jóhann Jóhannsson – IBM 1401, A User’s Manual
An album inspired by recordings of electromagnetic waves emitting from an obsolete computer the size of a large refrigerator. Sounds fun? Not really but this actually is a highly e
The Foghorns – New Low
The Foghorns have been pretty active in the music scene the past couple of years, playing numerous shows but never drawing a big crowd. The brainchild of former Grapevine editor, [
The Ambassador An excerpt
Brief synopsis Icelandic poet Sturla Jon Jonsson attends an international poetry festival in Lithuania – but this is no ordinary poetry trip. As the poetic ambassador of his
Nordic Gods Alive in Reykjavik
Jörmundur Ingi, a real-life modern druid, is head of the Reykjavikur Goðar, one of two officially recognized Pagan associations in Iceland. In his position as Goði, he performs
A Christmas Flood of Books and Noah’s Freezer Trawler
So, what’s the deal with Iceland’s heavily condensed book market, where almost all of the year’s titles are published in the space of three months? Kristján B. J
Icelandic Hockey Suffers for Lack of Ice
Forget everything you think you know about Icelandic hockey. For Icelanders this will mean accepting that hockey is at least fairly popular here (500 players and counting). For out
Bríet Sunna – Bara ef þú kemur með
Sena, the biggest record label on the market, seems to have an endless supply of former Icelandic Idol contestants to put in front of a microphone, covering old songs like [&hellip
Sugarcubes Reconnect and Eventually Triumph
Some artists are only discovered posthumously. So it seems to have been with the Sugarcubes who returned to perform a concert last Friday in celebration of the 20th anniversary of
SOUR GRAPES
Dear Grapevine Readers, The past weeks media reports have been overwhelmed by the immigration issue in Iceland. So far the only beneficiary of this talk is the “Liberal Party”
There is no Such Thing as a Safe Bet in Filmmaking
Arnaldur Indriðason, Iceland’s best-selling contemporary author; Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Iceland’s most successful and popular actor; and Baltasar Kormákur, Iceland’s most s
Youth Is Wasted On The Young
Basshunter brings Boten Anna to Iceland. Show opened by XXX Rottweiler and Dr. Mister & Mr. HandsomeThe first thing that greeted my companions and I when we entered the someti
Immigrants – Pandora’s Box in Iceland
I am really tired of a whole range of arguments that surround the debate on immigrants these days. Everybody knows the story of Pandora ’s Box in Greek mythology. Zeus […]
Simply Speaking
Silence is golden; however, living in a world with nothing but that can be the antithesis of anything bright and shiny. Inhabiting a nation where the native language is miles [&hel
You Can Take My Life, But You’ll Never Take My Freedom!
“There are a bunch of crazy fanatics inside, but don’t worry, they’re all very friendly,” a young man tells me as I stand in front of the Nordica hotel one […]
Faulty Logic, Half-truths and Innuendos
“The issue of immigration as such needs to be discussed. We need to decide how we prepare Icelandic society to welcome immigrants. In a way, the government has opened the [&helli
How to Conduct Your Icelandic Christmas
Even though most western nations are by all accounts becoming more mind-numbingly culturally uniform by the minute, there are still some vast regional differences as to how we go a
An Appreciated Invasion of Flying Stars and Inflated Santas
Detroit native Sufjan Stevens has built quite a fan base in Iceland, so it was not surprising that his two shows last month sold out in a matter of minutes […]