Up To Ears In John Cage
Thursday March 1 was the opening day of the inaugural Tectonics music festival, which would focus on the music and words of John Cage, one of the leading lights of […]
Another New Political Party Announced
A new political party called Optimism! has been born, and plans to take “many seats in parliament” on a platform of being “a moderate, green and environment-frien
What Is A Work Of Art Really Worth?
According to Greek mythology, King Midas of Phrygia was given the power to transform everything he touched to gold. As the Austrian writer Ernst Fischer points out, capitalism on t
Icelandic Film Festival Coming To Lincoln Center
Next April, eighteen Icelandic movies will be shown at the Lincoln Center in New York, with films spanning from 1950 to present day. The festival, called Images from the Edge: [&he
Gone Postal Crowned Metal Champs
Bastard opens to an empty venue with a performance of generic death metal. Had the band competed in tonight’s battle of metal bands, they would not have been in the […]
Bankers Testify At Haarde Trial
The former directors of Landsbanki and Glitnir testified at the trial of former Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde yesterday, offering their version of their operations and their relati
Inside Trader Behind Bars
A former Ministry of Finance official convicted of insider trading is currently behind bars in downtown Reykjavík, to be moved to one of two other prisons later on. As reported, [
US Embassy Responds To Icelandic Teen’s Concerns About Africa
After receiving a message asking what the US is doing to fight the use of children in combat in Africa, the US ambassador to Iceland decided to respond publicly. The […]
The Long Political Journey Of Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson has decided—after insinuating in his New Year’s Address that he would not run and then dodging the question for two months—that he will
Well Here’s Another Fine Mess You’ve Gotten Us Into
Here’s what international journalists—the same ones who’ve previously slagged us off numerous times—are presently saying: • In Iceland, the voice of the people has wo
Caving and the Golden Circle: Cave In, Cave Out…
The Golden Circle tour is a quintessential activity for most visitors to Iceland. You get to see a waterfall, geysers and Þingvellir national park, boasting another waterfall, the
Icelandic Economist On Haarde Trial: The Blame Game
An Icelandic economist has pulled no punches in a column he wrote about the trial of former Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde, saying that all the witnesses are denying having [&hellip
Merlin Feasts On Small Bird
A merlin was spotted not too far from an Icelander’s bedroom window, in the midst of helping himself to a small bird. This occurrence is apparently common this time of [&hell
Wealthy Russians Examine Land For Possible Purchase
Four Russians were spotted in south Iceland, on a helicopter tour, apparently looking for land to buy in the area. Vísir reports that residents of Reykholt in Biskupstungur were s
Iceland Rejects ESA Charges
The Icelandic government has officially rejected charges from the European Free Trade Agreement’s (EFTA) that Iceland broke international law in its handling of the Icesave c
The Grapevine’s 2nd Annual Product Awards
Last year we launched our annual Grapevine Product Awards. This year, however, we can’t really call them Product Awards because in addition to Best Product and Best Product Line,
Icelandic Shorts: A Very Short Introduction
The big winner at this year’s Edda Awards (the Icelandic equivalent to the Oscars) was Rúnar Rúnarsson’s film, ‘Volcano.’ But the big story was perhaps the respec
News In Brief
Monster hunting! February started out with some paranormal activity, when a farmer in northeast Iceland recorded a video of something moving in a snake-like motion across the river
Track Of The Issue – Ojba Rasta: ‘Baldursbrá’
Ojba Rasta is an eleven-piece dub/reggae band formed in 2009. In addition to obvious Jamaican influences, the band says they are inspired by world and film music. Performing all ov