12 Tónar: Rock star and classical musician run record store
The name means 12 tones and when it comes to variety of music, it’s a music store that indeed fills the whole octave. With a friendly staff of four, including […]
When superstars go from drugs to comfort-food, the next step is Iceland
I idolised these bands as a teenager and in my early twenties. Back then I was the only one in my circle of friends who liked the Pixies and I’ve […]
Top 8 Albums
There´s some very Icelandic magic at work here and this album manages to be varied, surprising and clever. Megas had just gotten the first taste of punk and wrote the […]
JAMMING WITH THE REYKJAVÍK NIGHTLIFE FRIEND
As I purchased my litre of Becks (a mere apéritif) and an extra box of smokes (ammunition for a long night) and walked down to meet this evenings´ team, I […]
Violent Femmes: New York band searches for its roots.
The Violent Femmes were my local band. I saw them at least five times in high school. My friends and I thought of them as friends who just weren’t with […]
Top 8 Albums
Countdown: 8. Múm – Summer make good (2004). Minimal pop, makes you feel good. 7. Gunnar Þórðarson – Gunnar Þórðarson (1975). Sounds like a mixture of Stevie Won
KIMONONO R´S, NO S´S, BUT REVERSE MULLETS ARE OK
Grapevine met up with half the band Kimono, Gylfi and Alex at Tjarnarbíó theatre, where they were busy gathering their stuff and cleaning the place after a concert held there [&h
STAYING ALIVETHE YEAR OF THE NEW FEVER
I’m getting close to my thirtieth year and as such I should not be interested in music that screams and pounds on the eardrums. I should by now be interested […]
Books vs. Beer
Our story begins in a dusty library in a small town in the Icelandic lowlands. A young lass with brown pigtails sits amidst a pile of books so high the […]
MAUS
From one of Reykjavik’s suburbs comes the band Maus, one of the more mature and developed bands in Iceland. They’ve been around for a while, released five albums and received [
THEY CAME, THEY SAW, THEY FROZE THEIR ASSES OFF
A brief look at the bands that have been here THE FIRST The Kinks were here in ´65 and played at Hótel Borg, today’s oldest surviving hotel in downtown Reykjavík. […]
LOBSTER OF LOVE
“World domination or death” was the Bad Taste motto. Björk opted for the former; for the others, the result was somewhere in between. Still, it must be said that Bad […
ÞEYRMJÖTVIÐUR TIL FÓTA
Founded in 1980 Þeyr, or Theyr for those who don’t like Icelandic letters, released a number of records, EP’s and LP’s over their short lifespan of 3 years. Members were [&h
ICELAND: THE SOAP OPERA
The darkness is smothering the last rays of the sun, and the air is still grey and damp after the day’s rain. The scent of food from the neighbour’s house […]
MORE MUSIC, LESS FISH
An old fish factory in Reykjavík gets a second chance as a music developing center. Icelandic music and Icelandic musicians have made quite an impression in the rest of the [&hell
GOLLUM´S SINGER
Emiliana Torrini is sneaking up on you. Did you know that? It is sheer coincidence that an Icelander sang on the soundtrack to “The Two Towers” when that nation came […]
NIGHTLIFE
…Get smashed! The inhabitants, of what used to be a very isolated island until 50 years ago, always drank in order to get drunk. This is what the Norse gods […]
THERE COMES A POINT WHEN YOU GET SO SICK OF IT ALL YOU JUST HAVE TO START A BAND CALLED:
For those not familiar with the term “hardcore” as one of many rock and roll styles, it is starting point to know that it started in the eighties as an […]
THE MOMENT OFTRUTH: EUROVISION
It is still early evening, and the nation, wearing its finest, radiates with anticipation and joy. The clock in the room strikes loudly seven times, and people noisily attempt to [
AN EVENING AT GRANDROKK
Grandrokk is one of those places that has what so many pubs promise but few deliver, atmosphere. What is it that gives a place atmosphere? It’s certainly not the stale […]