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 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: