Bubbi – Kona
Many a creative masterwork has been salvaged from the shards of a broken heart, and although Kona is by no means a work of genius, it certainly stands out as […]
Bubbi – Ísbjarnarblús
It’s undeniable: Blues-rock revivalism has a very captivating energy when done by the right people at the right time, and Bubbi Morthens was undeniably that. A bitter, opinionate
Helgi Björns – Yfir Esjuna
An album seemingly intended for the music collections of those who can’t be bothered to have a musical taste, Yfir Esjuna looks as perfect on the shelf of your local […]
Sex Division – Lengi Lifi Lýðveldið
Lengi Lifi Lýðveldið is a collection of pointed and remarkably accurate political and social satire hollered off-key over the lamest, blandest and most rushed post-punk ever dis
Ingibjörg Þorbergs – Í Sólgulu Húsi
The house songwriter Ingibjörg Þorbergs was born in eventually housed poet Kristján Hreinsson, and here they have collaborated on an album whose mere creative process seems to g
Honeyboy Edwards
When I arrived at NASA, two men were already onstage. At first I didn’t think any music was being played, but as I apologised my way through a crowd full […]
ÚlpaAttempted Flight By Winged Men
Úlpa’s sophomore effort is a bittersweet listen, flowing surprisingly smoothly from the tortured screams of opener Sexy Dick to the shy mumblings of the title track. It’s also
White Stripes
Arriving early for the Sunday evening White Stripes show this November, one month after Iceland Airwaves, and 12 hours after a long party night, the whole world looked a 1950s [&he
Two Meanings for Viking
The idea didn’t sound promising: someone at Vífilfell Brewery—the people who make Coca-Cola, Viking Beer, Thule, even the Icelandic version of Tuborg, invited the Grapevine to
Franz Ferdinand Warms Up
Glasgow’s rock quartet Franz Ferdinand, responsible for imprinting the auditory canals of millions of people worldwide with their trademark disco rock sound, have come to Iceland
Benni Hemm Hemm – Self-titled
Benni Hemm Hemm plays chords on an acoustic guitar, and has an enormous brass band, a Led Zeppelin-inspired drummer, and a solid bassist essentially echoing him. The result, as Ben
Hjálmar is the Stuff
Thick fog is closing in on the road down to Hveragerði. The car in front of us is moving at 20 kilometres per hour, and there’s no way of passing. […]
Minusbardi – Strákarnir okkar
One warning: Strákarnir Okkar, the film, is set in the 1980s. If you have any nostalgia at all for the 80s hard rock scene, you will love the opening tracks […]
Beatmakin Troopa – Peaceful Thinking
Blending accessible, what feels like French jazz, (also indicated by an opening track labeled Paris 81), Troopa comes up with some outstanding, surprisingly grown-up mixes. Of cour
Ég – Plata Ársins
The album says it will be album of the year, and the production, a blend of bedroom studio technique with Pet Sounds ambition, feels audacious enough to deserve the title. [&hellip
Worm is Green – Press Play
What do you like in your ambient electronica? Perhaps evocative basslines and drums with presence (similar standards, of course, as you might have for rock or pop or reggae.) Worm
Jeff Who? – Death Before Disco
Is it irony to name an album that follows a music craze that dominates the music charts and uses a disco beat Death Before Disco? Like Franz Ferdinand, Jeff Who? […]
Hermigervill – Sleepwork
There really aren’t that many clubs with good dance music in Reykjavík. One wonders where Hermigervill honed his craft. In any case, he’s got good beats and nice melodies—mo
Cynic Guru – Iceland
Roland Hartwell is a violinist for the Icelandic symphony orchestra and the frontman of Cynic Guru. As their debut single demonstrates, Hartwell has an impressive vocal range, and
Hoffman – Bad Seeds
A tight rock band that respects its grunge… that’s Hoffman. The drumming is as impressive as the genre demands, the vocals are hard to decipher, but often employ the pronoun [&
Stranger – Paint Peace
The picture on the Stranger cover shows an amiable man looking down modestly. The tracks on this album are also amiable and modest. Singer Hjörvar Hjörleifsson has a relaxed deli