How Did You Like Iceland?
I The other day I was flipping through Hugleikur Dagsson’s “Avoid Us,” the English translation of the one-line Icelandic comics put out by the publishing giant Penguin. I was
The Boys Dance Too
2004 was undeniably the year of Franz Ferdinand, when the Scottish four-piece along with their self-titled debut ploughed the dancepop- rock competition in record sales all over th
Sour Grapes
Dear Mr. E (Mr. E and Mr. F: so the Grapevine’s Editor and I use to call ourselves within professional contexts, in an unlikely crossover that echoes both American indie [&hellip
No Need to Panic
So, the first issue of Monitor should hit the streets by the end of this month, what can readers expect? That is, what kind of a magazine is Monitor going […]
Confessions of an Art-Terrorist
Let’s take it from the top. When did you start playing drums? That’s a story to tell. From a young age, I was always interested in playing drums. My dad […]
For Hrafn Gunnlaugsson There Really is No Place like Home
“I’m like a raven, I collect things,” Icelandic film director Hrafn Gunnlaugsson says of his seaside hidden abode. As an observer, the house at Laugarnestangi 65 can easily b
Kjölur by Bike – Part Two
I wake up in this sublime world worrying. I can’t help it. I keep looking to the sky for signs of more rain, estimating the chance that the winds will […]
Spreading the Love
The Icelandic Love Corporation is celebrating its 11-year anniversary with an extensive retrospective inside the Reykjavík Art Museum on Tryggvagata. ILC’s three members, Jóní
Humarhúsið
Humarhúsið is one of those restaurants where buffoons like myself find themselves at a terrible loss when it comes to figuring out how exactly one is supposed to commence eating
Hornið
Known to most, if not all Icelanders, Hornið is a cosy little restaurant located on the corner of Hafnarstræti and Pósthússtræti. The fact that it opened its doors in 1979 [&h
Fish Market
The restaurant Fish Market is the latest addition to the Icelandic restaurant flora. Co-owner and head chef, Hrefna Rósa Sætran has already amassed quite a reputation for her wor
Sink This Beer
Last April, Grapevine journalist Steinunn Jakobsdóttir visited Seyðisfjörður, a small and extremely charming fishing village on the East coast of Iceland, where she met Eyþór
Forynja
Designer and Naked Ape shop-owner Sara María Eyþórsdóttir doesn’t waste any time when a new business idea pops into her head. She and her creative co-workers have established
Lekman’s Heart On Fire
Jens places a small cold bottle of white wine, a glass and a chair on the stage. A light hush falls slowly over the crowd as he picks up his […]
Getting Into It
Attending the final night of the Reykjavík Jazz Festival, I did not expect much. Stórsveit Samma (Sammi’s Big Band) has never excited me much and Brooklyn’s Antibalas was tot
Countdown to Airwaves: 5 Weeks
Iceland Airwaves is a month or so away, taking place from October 17–21. You will, of course, be there. Over 170 bands and solo artists will perform – most of […]
Locating Iceland
Photographer Spessi (Sigurþór Hallbjörnsson) is a graduate of the Akademie Voor Beeldende Kunst, in Holland. Spessi’s photography has always focused on capturing the extraordi
Icelandic Art
For centuries, Icelanders were certainly not the culturally refined and creative lot they pride themselves on being today. This is evident from the history (and the collection) of
Future Music
What is your background? Could you explain to us what being a “Media Futurist” entails? I went to the Berklee College of Music and studied Jazz guitar there, so I’ve [&hellip
From the Editor’s Chair
Every summer, the city of Reykjavík comes alive when tourists flood the streets, getting lost along Laugavegur and suffering from insomnia from the midnight sun. In the coming wee