Trassar – Amen
I do not have the faintest idea what this is and lacking any kind of musical reference point I don´t know how to pass judgement. There is some blatant Bush-bashing […]
Silvia Night – Goldmine
Sylvia Night is a fictional character that is based on a satire of Paris Hilton and other celebrities that have a questionable claim to fame. She was responsible for a […]
Weight Issues and Gimmicks
I’m quietly kicking myself for not having paid attention to Celestine earlier. What tightness they might lack in the live setting, they more than make up for with their ear [&hel
Nubean Nintendo
When I hear the term “World music” I automatically think of Nick Hornby’s negative connotation. He used the word describing how lame his next door neighbour was: “Ray was i
Trassar Regroup for Another Attack
“But it’s been 14 years of silence, it’s been 14 years of pain, it’s been 14 years that are gone forever, and I’ll never have again,” sang Axl Rose on […]
t.A.T.u. – The Greatest and most Awsome Band in the World, Part 3
It’s been entirely too long since I last reported to you about t.A.T.u. – the greatest and most awesome band in the world – and as you can imagine, they’ve [&hellip
Wulfgang – Wulfgang
Wulfgang were runners up in 2005 Battle of the Bands. Since then they have been busy recording their self-titled first album, released on Cod Music. This is rock ´n´ roll, [&hell
Mínus – Jesus Christ Bobby
Quite possibly the most abrasive release in Icelandic musical history, JCB is bass heavy, un-compromising and brimming with delectable drum work. This is Mínus at their most unpre
Megas – Loftmynd
When Megas first appeared in the 70s, he was the first artist to attempt writing intelligent lyrics in Icelandic within the context of rock music, at which he remains unsurpassed.
The Vulcan Dub Squad – The New Designers
The other day, a guy came by and dropped a CD on us that he professed to have recorded in his basement. The Vulcan Dub Squad hail from Ontario, Canada […]
Das Kapital – Lili Marlene
As is often the case with artists, the worse they fare in their personal lives, the better they sound professionally. In 1984 singer Bubbi was at his nadir, having released [&helli
The Best Band No One Knows
The tiny non-profit co-op organic-café shop Hljómalind on Laugavegur has proven to be an incredibly popular concert venue, especially within the Reykjavík punk scene, where the
An Ample Dose of Happiness
After squeezing through an almost impenitrable crowd (receiving pokes and evil eyes as a reward for my aggression) I finally managed to get a good view of the stage at […]
The Best Depressing Music of the 90s
The early 90s were not a happy time to be young. In between communism and Al-Qaeda, with a Clinton in the White House and the apparent End of History, there […]
Mínus – The Great Northern Whalekill
This was selected as the most awaited album of 2007 by music critics in the Reykjavík Grapevine’s 2006 year end list. Rock band Mínus has evolved a fair bit over […]
Seabear -The Ghost That Carried Us Away
Seabear is a four piece and this is their first full-length album, but previously they´ve released the EP Singing Arc. Reykjavík´s hipsters seem to like them and talk avidly abo
Ólöf Arnalds – Við og við
Ólöf Arnalds has been playing music for a long time (for example with Múm and Stórsveit Nix Noltes) but this is her first solo release. Mostly it´s just Ólöf playing [&helli
Motion Boys – Hold Me Closer To Your Heart
It’s about one thirty in the morning, the dance floor is packed with all manner of unseemly folk, a sweaty crowd of drunken animals swelling and surging like a single […]
Skátar – Ghost of the Bollocks to Come
Riding high on an indie rock wave, comes the Reykjavík fivesome Skátar with their first studio album, and it has its irregular glorious moments. With a barrage of guitars, bass [
An Exceptional Anomaly
There was a fair amount of anticipation on my behalf before Ólöf Arnald’s debut release concert. Ólöf has gotten great reviews for her new album and I had previously seen [&h
Evil Madness – Demon Jukebox
Although flawed in places, this collection of ambient noise is nevertheless a fine product, and in many places a testament to the brilliance and/or complete and utter insanity of i