Tónlist

Here is the list of the various Icelandic and other Nordic/Arctic musical groups I’ve mentioned in FITK over the years:

Áki Ásgeirsson
Amiina
Andy Schauf
Apparat Organ Quartet
Árný
Árný Margrét
Atli
Ásthildur Ákadóttir
Ateria
Áuslaug Magnusdóttir
Æla

Baggalútur
Bára Gísladóttir
Bárujárn
Bedroom Community
Benni Hemm Hemm
Between Mountains
Biggi Hilmars
Björk
Björt
BKPM
Bláskjár
Borko
Bríet
Brimheim
Buff

Cosmic Call
Cyber
Daníel Bjarnarson
Ditka
DJ Margeir
Dr. Spock
Egill Sæbjörnsson
Eivør
Elin Hall
Elisapie
Evil Madness
Flesh Machine
Fókus
Frid Fufanu

Gabriel Ólafs
Geðbrigði
Ghostigital
GKR
GDRN
Greyskies
Gróa
Grúska Babúska
Guðmundur Óskar Guðmundsson
Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson †
Guðrið Hansdóttir
GusGus
Gyða

Hafdís Huld
Halla Tómasdóttir †
Halli Guðmundsson
Ham
Hekla
Hekla Magnúsdóttir
Hellvar/Heiða
Hildur Gunðadóttir
Hildur
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
Hjaltalín
Hjörvar
Högni
Hraun
Hudson Wayne
Hugar
Iðunn Einars

Jakobínarína
Jana
JFDR
Jófríður Ákadóttir
Jóhann Jóhannsson
Jóhanna Elísa
Jóhanna Rakel
Jonathan
Jonfri
Joshua Wilkinson †
Júniús Meyvant
K.Óla
Kaktus Einarsson
Kalli
Kevin Cole †
Kimono
Kira Kira
Kiriyama Family
Kitchen Motors
Kjallarakabarett Kónguló
Kristín Sessala
Kvikindi

Langi Seli Og Skuggarnir
Larus Halldór Grimsson
Liva Mo
Ljáðu Okkur Eyra
Lupina
Mag og Tómas
Magnús Jóhann
Marius DC
Markús & The Diversion Sessions
Marta Ákadóttir
Mikado
Mezzoforté
Mr. Silla
Mugison
Múgsefjun
Mukka
Múm
My Summer as a Salvation Soldier
Mysterious Marta
Neonme
Nini Julia Bang
Nóra

Oculus
Ojba Rasta
Ólafur Arnalds
Ólöf Arnalds
Orphix Oxtra
Osmé
Óttarr Proppé
Pale Moon
Páll Óskar
Pellegrina
Pascal Pinon
Pellegrina
Peter Evans †
Petúr Ben
Rakel
Red Barnett
Retro Stefson
Reykjavíkurdætur
Róshildur
Rokkurró

Salka Valsdóttir
Samaris
Screaming Masterpiece
Shadow Parade
Shahzad Ismaily
Sigrún
Sigrún Stella
Sin Fang Bous
Sindrí
Siggi Ármann
Sigur Rós
Ske
Skúli Severrisson
Sóley
Sólstafir
Sprengjuhöllin
Stórsveit Nix Noltes
Sunna Margrét
Svavar Knútur
Sycamore Tree
Systur

Tappi Tíkarrass
Team Dreams
Tilbury
Toggi
Úlfur Eldjárn
Ultra Mega Technobandið Stefán
Una Torfa
Uni
Unun
Útidúr
Valgeir Sigurðsson
Vicky
Wim Van Hooste †

† = Fellow Travelers

Iceland Airwaves Day 0

It officially starts tomorrow, but there were a few events today.

I spent yesterday noon at the pool where I struck up a conversation with two people, one was a thirty-something man I learned was Guðmundur Óskar Guðmundsson, the bassist for Hjaltalín! He was most surprised when I told him I had a copy of one of his limited release albums. My other pool-mate was a friend of his, a lively older woman who was 95 and proud of it (“I still drive!”) and we shared travel stories and commented on the weather (not a cloud in the sky again today!) Today was another beautiful day at the pool (45°F, sunny, no wind, long conversation with an Icelandic woman about Icelandic literature, music, and drama all the while soaking in a hotpot directly across from Ingvar Sigurðsson.) I reluctantly left her and the pool for it was time to officially start this thing. I made my way over to the Iceland Airwaves check-in and got my wrist band.

At 15:00 I saw the teen-age punk-rock band BKPM at 12 Tónar. Before their set one of their fans thought this small venue would be a good place to touch up her fingernail polish:

It gave the show a definite punk rock atmosphere, bringing back olfactory memories of teen-age huffing! BKPM started their engines with a song about “Cars and Autism”:

I returned to my flat to rest and recoup before I went out for dinner, (which is a story for another day.) I just missed Róshildur at Reykjavik Records, I liked her videos so I took a picture:

After that dinner I caught Cyber at a preview night concert at IÐNO:

They were as outrageous as ever, especially since the lead singer Salka had given birth three months prior (“When I jump up and down like this it makes me have to pee!”) The highlight of the night was their heartfelt cover of Britney Spears.

Between sets I talked a bit to KEXP’s Kevin Cole, who was there in a semi-official capacity. He said since they have stopped doing remotes he has actually had more time to listen to bands. Jae Tyler, a hard core rocker, then gave it his best shot, but I had to leave, it was after midnight by the time I got in, I needed to pace myself for the coming days.

Virtual Festival

Páll Oskar and Hjaltalín, Iceland Airwaves, 2009

Is the Internet sufficiently developed to allow an immersive virtual experience? Writing about the Iceland Airwaves festival last week, I posted some links and expanded them as the festival went on and as I discovered more sites and blogs covering the event. I've been a fan of Iceland Airwaves for years, its mix of funky and cozy (sometimes very cozy) venues all within a short walk of each other may be unique and the dozens of really new and innovative groups made it really special and... it is in Iceland!

There are some major differences this year. The scale of the event has probably doubled since I first covered it in 2006. This appears to be a mixed blessing. There is a lot of talent in Iceland, but not that much, and having the big new concert venue Harpa added to the mix may have thrown the event out of balance. Many of the reports from the festival have mentioned the lack of intimacy at the various auditoria within Harpa itself, perhaps they are only birthing pains; it may run smoother next year. I'm afraid that Harpa's need for revenue will dictate much of the festival's scheduling from now on. I'd love to see the basement of the National Theatre along with the old opera house (Gamla Bío) used as venues. There is a lot to be said for unique performance spaces, especially ones without formal seating. The elegance of Iðno and the quirkiness of the Art Museum (Listasafn) really add something to the experience.

One thing which has changed for the better for the most part is the blog and video coverage of the events. There are many more blogs covering the shows, some of which are well written, although the plague of cell-phone pictures has actually diminished the quality of the average photo. There are good photographers, of course, but it seems strange that overall image quality has gone backwards! Video quality, on the other hand, is better than ever, with some HD vids so intimate and clear that it might almost be better than being there. Almost.

I must mention Sindrí Eldon's wonderful creative and strange reviews for the Rekjavík Grapevine. Music criticism is a thankless job, but Sindrí has made me laugh out loud on several occasions over the last few years. I'm sure he rankles a few feathers but he does deliver an entertaining, informative and innovative read.

Speaking of the Reykjavík Grapevine's website, I know they are trying to update their layout, but why couldn't they simplify it a bit? Or a least kill the animations- it's like trying to shoot a moving target just to click on a link. Maybe it is supposed to be a web game. A lot of the blogs (usually Wordpress) have trouble with formatting as well, it really doesn't have to be that complicated!

Next year I hope to be back at the Airwaves, blogging in almost real time, with photos uploaded the same night- there's definitely an interest (my single post this year has been accessed dozens of times from festival goers) both during the festival and long afterwards- my posts, pictures and videos have been read or viewed tens of thousands of times in the last five years. I try not to be a jerk about it, I usually hug the wall or hide in a corner when taking pictures. I don't know what it all means in the long run, but to see two* groups of 15-year-olds go from small showcase performances to touring the world and releasing great music makes me think that in some tiny way my efforts are worthwhile.

*Retro Stefson in 2006, Pascal Pinon in 2009

Iceland Airwaves Update - Day Four

I managed to dash between the raindrops on my way back to the Nordic house. Pascal Pinon, a group consisting of four 15 year old girls, played a memorable set of their quiet and very personal songs:

While simple in structure, these songs (in both Icelandic and English) were carefully constructed, but they often came to an abrupt end- which was actually refreshing after hearing acts in the last few days who didn't know when to stop. These songs all had complete lyrics, often with many stanzas. This is the kind of musical experience which is rare- an honest look into the mind-set of adolescent girls, untainted by show-biz and uncorrupted by age and cynicism. They spoke afterward in an informal Q & A, discussing how they came to write the songs and who their musical influences were: “mostly each other” was their answer.

They even had a self-produced EP in a numbered edition!



When asked about writing in Icelandic versus English they mentioned that Icelandic was better suited to poetry, which was evident in their lyrics, even to this non-speaker. The whole experience added up to another wonderful Airwaves moment.

After a delightful, , if somewhat poignant, afternoon spent over coffee with an old blog-pal, I took a little break back at my apartment to recoup my strength. After wards, while strolling down Hverfisgata, I stumbled into an art opening, the highlight of which was this black swan sculpture:



I was really looking for a place to eat, but before I found one, I saw the Ojba Rasta band playing groove tunes with a Caribbean flavor in the Karamba coffee house:



Later,  I went over to Þjóðleikhúsið, the National Theatre of Iceland, to see their production of Frida ...viva la vida:


photo credit: Þjóðleikhúsið

Post-play found me heading back to the Reykjavík Art Museum, where I came across the notorious Dr. Spock, who had pulled a trailer into a street, blocking traffic, and did a riotous set of their surf-punk-grunge-whatever. The first act I've seen which had its own fire-eater:

The final act of the night at the museum was Páll Óskar singing with Hjaltalín. Páll is a national treasure of Iceland; he was resplendent in his sequined suit. This was a show sung entirely in Icelandic, for Icelanders, and a complete joy to behold:

"Maður í bleikum pallíettujakkafötum getur ekki klikkað." ~ Kristín Gróa

As I write this at 3 AM the music is still going on in various clubs, but I doubt that anything could top Páll and the entire crowd singing along on every song. This day started with a most special experience and ended with a musical performance I'll never forget:



Alternate view:



Yet another view:

Iceland Airwaves Begins!

Opening ceremony: Hjaltalín at Grund:



JFDR performing White Sun at Slippbarinn:



Instagram updates…

Some acts from last year’s Airwaves playing this year as well:


Ateria ~ Hard Rock Café, Saturday, 20:10. Spooky Icelandic teens, not to be missed.


Bláskjár ~ Nordic House, Thursday, 18:15. Sensitive performer and songwriter.


Between Mountains ~ Fríkirkjan, Thursday 19:50, Hard Rock Café, Saturday 21:10.


Hugar ~ Fríkirkjan, Friday, 21:30. Moody tone-poems, very disciplined.



Jóhanna Elísa ~ Bryggjan Brugghús, Thursday 16:00. Accomplished pop singer/keyboardist.

Iceland Airwaves - Recap

Having had a few days to recover from the 2009 Iceland Airwaves music festival a few thoughts about the experience as a whole, and some of the acts in particular, are in order:

First, the festival's organization was excellent. Almost all of the acts were on time, and despite the occasional full venue, I could usually have a choice of interesting acts to see. Those shows whose demand for tickets exceeded the venue capacity, particularly the Kings of Convenience at Fríkirkjan, were usually balanced with another high-demand show at another venue. The special wristband queue for Kings was probably as bad as it got, but the queue was a place to socialize, so that was at least partially redeemed.

The venues were generally good, and although the Reykjavík Art Museum's set-up and lighting wasn't as nice as it was in 2006. It did have a high enough stage to make sight-lines good for all but the shortest patrons- and risers along the sides and back would have helped with that, too. NASA, a large club, was a little better, except when it was crowded. Sódóma and Grand Rokk were both second-floor clubs, which meant low ceilings and low stages, but both were fine when not too full. Grand Rokk, kind of cruddy to begin with, was downright scary when over-stuffed. Still, none was as claustrophobic as the old Gaukurínn used to get. Iðno seemed a little less inviting this time- the stage set-up was a bit darker and the PA risers which flanked the stage took away from the room's considerable charm (along with the performances of several sub-par acts which I did not review.) Hressó's courtyard tent was a most informal and comfortable venue possessing very organic vibe. I missed Batteríð- the few acts I wanted to see there always had a long line.

The off-venues have greatly expanded since 2006; there was music everywhere. Most of these mini-concerts were in record stores and funky coffee-houses. The big stage in Skífan probably had the most effective presentation, with the most incongruous being at Eymundsson's bookstore (nice view of the jail, though!)

But the best venue by far, large or small, was the Nordic House, with its cozy 50 seat auditorium. Although it had no stage per se, the intimate nature of the mostly acoustic performances there didn't need one. Some acts, like Pascal Pinon, Oh Land! and Casio Kids suited the room perfectly. Kudos to Sari Peltonen and all the people at Nordic House for an unforgettable series of ten concerts (and Q & A sessions) over three days. It is well worth the trek across a windy heath.



Finally, the main reason I love the Airwaves is that the chance of seeing something new and exciting is always high. Even groups whose musical styles I don't care for had good things going on- Captain Fufanu, two teen-aged technos, have the potential to become monsters. Cosmic Call showed themselves capable of creating solid rock tunes, while Útidúr and Rökkurró both expanded the usual musical boundaries of pop-rock. All of the orchestral/fusion groups (Hjaltalín, DJ Margeir, Daníel Bjarnason) were exceptional. Musical considerations aside, some acts were just plain fun to see (Vicky, Dr. Spock, 22, Casio Kids, Ultratechnomegabandið Stefán) and there were many singer-songwriters (maybe a few too many) who showed promise (Toggí, Oh Land!, Uni, Hraun, Björt) and just some good old hard-rock bands (Æla, Bárujárn, Darling Don't Dance.)

I saw over 40 acts, less than a quarter of the total, and all were within walking distance of each other- some of the venues were only meters apart. Reykjavík is a fun city, day or night, with many shops, galleries and places to eat. Almost all of them are original concepts, not franchises:



In general, the Icelandic bands were, by far, the most exciting and innovative. I might have to wait a few years before I return, if only to give a new crop of Icelandic acts time to develop and mature.

Saturday Night's All Right for Iceland Airwaves 2010

Nikita has the best afternoon lineup- it's a festival in its own right (Útidúr, Nóra, Reykjavík!,Ham and many others).

Havarí has Amiina at 14:00, if you missed them Friday, this actually might be a better experience.

Hjaltalín (presumably without orchestra) will be at Kaffibarinn at 19:30:



Nasa has a strong line up tonight starting with the fiesty Hellvar at 19:30:



Toggi (20:50 at Risið) is the funniest act at the festival, and also an accomplished singer/songwriter:



Ólafur Arnalds has his showcase performance at Iðno (21:40), it just may be transcendent.

Apparat Organ Quartet (Nasa, 23:00) WILL BE transcendent- don't miss them:



Pop diva Robyn has the top slot at the art museum, so you probably won't be able to get in, you may rather want to catch the eternal/infernal Einar and his electronica group Ghostigital at Tjarnarbió (both at 00:00)



For you night-owls Retro Stefson (Nasa, 0:10) has a youthful vitality that's hard to beat, but UMTBS (Faktory, 02:30!) will give it a hell of a try.

The Reykjavík Grapevine is putting up reviews of selected Airwaves concerts- their usual snarky mix- but there is a lot of info there. They have a slide show as well, but only of a few bands, and no captions.

12 Tónar Treasure

Quite possibly the hippest record store in the universe. Located in an old house at Skólavörðustígur 15 in "downtown" Reykjavík, this humble establishment has been at the forefront of Icelandic music for years. I had previously stopped in in 2009 with Wim of I Heart Icelandic Music and Heiða of the Icelandic band Hellvar. Last week I returned and Johannes was still there, greeting me with hot coffee and all the latest in Icelandic music. One display had a group of hand-painted CD boxes with a home-made CD nestled on a bed of grass inside:

Needless to say, when I discovered that it was an EXTREMELY LIMITED* edition of the music for the National Theatre's adaptation of Sjálfstætt fólk (Halldór Laxness' Independent People) I snatched up the one with the most 'artistic' cover. The music is melancholy and spare; I found it to be most enjoyable (althogh the Weaver thought it to be almost unbearably sad), and was more than a little surprised (although I shouldn't have been) when I discovered that the composers were Högni Egilsson and Guðmundur Óskar Guðmundsson, of the group Hjaltalín. I last saw them playing with Páll Óskar at the 2009 Iceland Airwaves festival:


         Högni Egilsson                                                               Guðmundur Guðmundsson

*18 copies!

Reykjavíkurtjörn

Chapter 6 of Search For a Dancer, a serial memoir about a week I spent in Iceland. Mondays on Flippism is the Key

I headed toward downtown from the bus station, walking on the sidewalk along Sóleyjargata.

Going past the grand houses on my right, (some of which had Jack-o-lanterns beckoning) perched behind crumbling gates that once were used to receive visitors, (back before the road became an automotive artery and parking was banned.) The Hljólmskálagarður (concert hall park) was across the street. Ten years ago I watched a magnificent auroral display there—people were gasping with delight, no tour needed. Marching bands perform there, a dog-owners club has had meet-ups, and strolling tourists partake the pond and its views of the central district, one of the best wide open vistas of the city. After crossing Skothúsvegur (shooting house road), the street is named Fríkirkjuvegur (free church road), named for the church, and one of the best venues for this week-ends’ Iceland Airwaves. Going further, I passed Kvennaskólinn í Reykjavík, the Women’s school, a 19th-century school with a garden that becomes an enchanted forest at night. Next to it is The National Gallery of Iceland. In 2009, after the crash of 2008, the gallery had an art sale: items from the collections of bankrupt investment bankers. I saw some fabulous stuff priced cheap, but the prices were still an order of magnitude greater that what I could afford. Just beyond the Gallery was Fríkirkjan—in all its sheet-metal glory.

Fríkirkjan is another place of fond memories: the late Johann Johannsson premiering his IBM 1401, a users manual there with a string quartet in 2006, the art-pop group Hjaltalín with an orchestra in 2009, a children’s choir in 2018, and even a recital performed before an audience of 12 in 2006. I went to a CD release party for Biggi Hilmars in 2015 that was an extreme example of cognitive dissonance—everything was in Icelandic except for the lyrics of his Neil Young-inspired songs.

A very short walk along the south side of the church brought me to Castle House, a small apartment buiding with about a dozen units, six of which are available to rent. I’ve been coming here (and to its associated Embassy House)for years. Its location, just a few hundred meters away from the city center, is ideal—if you don’t have a car. Parking regulations in the City Center are Byzantine at best, and worse if you don’t have a working knowledge of Icelandic. The Castle House is a bit of a throwback to the 20th century in its approach to lodging. You deal directly with the ownwer, no refunds, but it does have housekeeping and each unit has a kitchenette. The room rates are, in the shoulder season at least, very reasonable: cheaper by far than an Airbnb and about a third of what a room in a hotel would cost. When I arrived the housekeeper was there and had already done my room so I could get in early. I dropped my stuff off and headed out to get my provisions.

Just a few blocks up the hill behind my digs was the Kronan supermarket. It isn’t as big as most, but it is thoughtfully stocked with almost anything you’d need to make simple meals and my whole basket of goods was cheaper than a single restaurant dinner and it would provide me with most of my needs (with some replenishing) for the upcoming week. Milk, cereal (Weetabix!), sandwich supplies and, of course, harðfiskur. An acquired taste, and probably best eaten alone if your companions don’t share your affinity for dried fish (it has a definite odor!) I brought the bag that I had used for my wine (plastic is discouraged) and the self-checkout was efficient and quick: no lines and no problem with the credit card. Returning to the apartment, I stowed the food and arranged my things in a comfortable fashion.

I went out again, this time to the city centre for a stroll around the harbour. I went by Iðno, another charming 19th century building—the worker’s hall then—now it was a general purpose facility and a mainstay venue in the Airwaves festival. I went further toward the center, past the upscale Hotel Borg, that was once the premiere stop in the city (I stayed there in 2000), now there were a dozen other hotels that were more exclusive. Going towards the harbour I saw new mixed-use buildings, some of which were under construction the last time I was here (in 2018). They were uniformly dismal, replacing views of the harbour with sinister monochromatic rectangles. I walked back Hverfisgata and went into the ticket office of the National Theatre—Þjóðleikhúsið—to get tickets for two plays, a musical and a burlesque show, one play was tomorrow night, the others I would use to fill holes in the Airwaves schedule; not every act was worth seeing. I picked up a copy of The Reykjavík Grapevine, although I had read most of it on line already.

I made my way back to my apartment and prepared dinner, I ate it while catching up on my emails, including a confirmation from tomorrow‘s luncheon partner, Silja. I wrote on my blog for a while and managed to stay awake until 20:00 hours. I hung a ‘do not disturb’ sign on my door and then went to bed and slept for twelve hours.

Search for a Dancer Index…

Iceland Airwaves 2019 …

… or, “I’m Not There.”

I wish I was.

The good news is that there are now over twenty off-venues. More good news is that Harpa is not a venue. The not-so-good news is that Þjóðleikhúsið (The National Theater) is not a venue this year—they are staging a musical version of Shakespeare in Love Wednesday the 6th and Sunday the 10th and Halldór Laxness’ Atómstöðin the 7th and 8th (both highly recommended!)

That won’t help you get your Airwaves fix, however. This post might.

 Wednesday is usually a good day to find undiscovered acts. With the exceptions of Gróa at the KEX hostel (16:30), Between Mountains (below) and JFDR at Slippbarinn (17:30, 18:30) and Svavar Knútur (everywhere!) I’m not familiar with them but here is a good guide for the new Icelandic acts (with videos.)


Between Mountains, The Current

Thursday’s off-venue schedule is good again at Slippbarinn  with Sóley (above) at 16:30. A revamped Between Mountains is at Fríkirkjan (19:50) and Hjaltalín commands the stage at the  Reykjavík Art Museum (21:50). If Páll Óskar shows up for a cameo in their set there will be complete pandemonium.



The ever-evolving JFDR will perform in Gamla Bio (22:20):



Friday’s best bets are the line-up at Fríkirkjan in the early evening and Iðno later.



On Saturday afternoon you can catch Ateria (above) at Lóa Bar-Bistro (16:00), not the best venue for three moody teenagers, but they are well worth it (you can also see them at Hard Rock Café at 20:10 followed by Between Mountains at 22:00).  Fríkirkjan’s Saturday night has another solid line-up. The big show is at Vashöllin, a stadium about a kilometer from the city center, where you can catch Of Monsters and Men (23:45), both of whom do great shows. Sólstafir at Iðno (00:00) may be the best metal show of the festival (bring earplugs!):



Notes:

One off-venue that is listed but not yet scheduled is the senior home Grund. They have had a 10 a.m. show on Wednesday the last couple of years; last year Sóley gave a heroic performance with her dad (and had an introduction by the President of Iceland!) It was the emotional highlight of the festival:



The Minnesota radio station The Current will have live video from Hresso on Friday and Saturday starting at 12:30 GMT (06:30 CST).

Dillon has music for seven days, starting tonight (Monday) and going through Sunday.
Most shows are open but some (Wednesday—Saturday evenings) need a wristband/or admission.

If you have a hankering for Icelandic rockabilly, you can’t do any better than Langi og Skuggarnír, Lucky Records, Thursday, 17:00

KEX Hostel has radio broadcasts by Seattle station KEXP—they are consistently great (and crowded) and start in the afternoon on Tuesday. This year you will need a wristband to attend (come early!)

The Nordic House (south of the pond, across Ringbraut) also has consistently exceptional performances in what is arguably the most intimate venue (Notables: Bláskjár, Thursday, 18:15, Nising, Friday, 15:00.)

Ólöf Arnalds is at Iðno Saturday, 21:00, I saw her there in 2004(!) and in Seattle in 2011. She is a knockout—a triple threat of singing, playing and songwriting. Perhaps she’ll be one of the “special guests” at KEXP, Friday, 21:30?
 
Full Airwaves schedule is HERE.


(all images from 2018 Iceland Airwaves)

You Came Into My Heart...

Páll Óskar and Hjaltalín, Iceland Airwaves, 2009

Iceland Airwaves Update - Day Two

Things were off to a roaring start today (or rather last night, when the winds were well in the 50 mph range after midnight) but (almost) everything was sunshine and flowers at a small off-venue concert held in the early afternoon at the Nordic House, a Scandinavian library and cultural study institution located near the University:



Hafdís Huld, an experienced singer-songwriter performed catchy pop-rock with her band in the intimate auditorium. Very professional, very positive and upbeat in personality, Hafdís charmed the small crowd:



Hraun, whose leader/singer/songwriter Svavar Knútur is from the Westfjords (his promo shot shows him bottle-feeding a lamb!) is about as close to an elf as you can get. His reworking of Darling Clementine into something quite new was exceptional. He got the audience to sing along on a couple of tunes, and we were great as well:



Just for Rose: here's a little library porn:



Rokkurró, what some might call a "shoegazer band", did some art-rock on the main stage at the Reykjavík Art Museum. With a strong vocalist who doubled on cello they were pretty good, in their way, in a short set:



I didn't know what to expect from Björt, so I headed over to Hressó, where they had a stage set up under a big tent- beer garden style. She came on with a full rock band, but sang songs with titles such as "Happy Memories" and "With Love to my Parents", I know that it sounds corny but she was sincere and it was very nicely done:



Next up was a trip back to the Grand Rokk to see something completely different, Vicky:



And they were great. Sample song titles: Robutussin and My Black Lesbian Lover. They definitely had the most fun performing of any group I've seen so far. I LOVE RIOT GRRRLS!

To complete this most eclectic night, I went back over to Fríkirkjan to see Hjaltalín perform with a TWENTY PIECE ORCHESTRA! Every Iceland Airwaves usually has a few moments that are simply mind-blowers and this was definitely one of them: Fully orchestrated songs with overtones of Ligeti, Stravinksy, and Spector... Phil Spector, that is. Conducted with inspiration by Daniel Bjarnason, this was a full hour of magnificent music. Stunning.



And The Airwaves isn't even half over!

Almost Viral

My YouTube video of Icelandic pop star Páll Óskar singing with Hjaltalín has recently reached its 1000th viewing milestone in a little over a year. At that rate it is not exactly burning up the web but I do think that it is pretty neat that about three people a day, every day, are watching that clip.

In the long term, I wonder what will survive of that performance. There were video crews there, and I have seen some snippets of it in HD, but mine is the whole song, the final song of Saturday night at the Art Museum, and arguably the climax of the entire Iceland Airwaves 2009 festival. Concerts were traditionally ephemeral, but recent advances in video distribution have made almost every musical performance of note available. Who knows how long You Tube will last? My video is not of the highest quality, but it does capture the spirit of the night, and that spirit is the reason why people go to concerts.

UPDATE: Due to YouTube's bizarre harassment, all of my old videos there have been deleted.

UPDATE UPDATE: I have given up on YouTube. All of my videos have been deleted.

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE:

I finally got it reposted, I hope you enjoy it: