Author: John Rogers
DJ Playlist: Z Is An Icelandic DJ Who Listens To The Gods
by John Rogers
Óskar Þór Argrímsson—who performs as Z—is one of Reykjavík’s most eclectic DJs. His sets can contain anything from unfamiliar Eastern…
The Pepsi League: Hey, Why Have Just Two Sets Of Goalposts?
by John Rogers
As the Pepsi League reaches the halfway point of the 2019 season, KR Reykjavík—the black ‘n’ white magpies of Vesturbær—show…
Editorial: Of Monsters And Men—A Gateway Drug To Icelandic Music?
by John Rogers
During the making of this issue, it came as a bit of a surprise to us in the Grapevine office…
Icelandic Football News: Sexy Rúrik Smashes In A Hattrick!
by John Rogers and Greig Robertson
With just a few weeks remaining until the start of the 2019-20 season, the smiters have returned to their clubs…
The Future Sound Of Iceland: Hermigervill Releases Two Albums In Six Months
by John Rogers
Whether you know it or not, you’ve probably heard the music of Sveinbjörn Thorarensen. A producer, solo artist, master collaborator,…
Making Of An Artist: Smoke, Carbon, And A Love Supreme With Úlfur Hansson
by Úlfur Hansson and John Rogers
Úlfur Hansson is a Brooklyn-based solo musician, film composer and sound artist. He has released three albums—2008’s ‘Sweaty Psalms,’ followed…
Animals And Funk: Vínstúkan Tíu Sopar Breathes New Life Into An Old Haunt
by John Rogers
It doesn’t take long to feel at home in Vínstúkan Tíu Sopar. Five minutes after arriving, I find myself perched…
Grapevine Playlist: K.ola, Múm Vs. Kronos Quartet, ADHD, Hjaltalín, Hermigervill
by John Rogers and Felix Robertson
Live seven lightning bolts striking your prefrontal cortex, here are the latest electrifying phenomena to appear from within the Icelandic…
Hornstrandir: A Westfjords Adventure On The Trail Of The Arctic Fox
by John Rogers
We’re about an hour out of Ísafjörður harbour when the horizon suddenly tilts. As our tiny, crowded passenger boat passes…
The Secret Greenhouse: A Hidden Bathing Paradise At Heydalur
by John Rogers
It’s approaching midnight when we turn down Route 633 towards Heydalur. The rough dirt road traces the coastline of Mjóifjörður…
Music News: Cate Le Bon Comes To Iceland, We Boo As Húrra Closes
by John Rogers
The Hljómahöll museum venue at Keflavík’s Museum of Rock ‘n’ Roll, has announced a concert by Welsh indie star Cate…
Premiere: Mr. Silla Wants To Run Away With You On New Single “Naruto”
by John Rogers
Mr. Silla has unveiled the first single from their forthcoming second solo album ‘Hands On Hands.’ “Naruto (say you’ll run…
Happening Tonight: JFDR, Jaakko Eino Kalevi & Farao
by John Rogers
Three Grapevine favourites join forces tonight for a blockbuster live show at IÐNÓ. Iceland’s own JFDR will perform alongside breakthrough…
What The Hell Is Post-dreifing? An A-Z Guide To The DIY Music Scene
by John Rogers and Rex Beckett
The Post-dreifing scene has so much going on, it can be hard to find your bearings. To get you started,…
Oh, Those Summer Smites: No Games, Gylfi’s Wedding, Sexy Rúrik Update
by John Rogers
It’s the summer fallow season, when cottongrass blows through the air, the only sound anyone wants to hear is ice…
The Real Thing: Pepsi League Update—Champions Valur Not Champing
by John Rogers
One of the top stories of this year’s domestic Icelandic football division—named The Pepsi League, because everyone knows that sugary…
Making Of An Artist: MSEA’s Dance Parties And Canadian Spit
by John Rogers
MSEA is a Reykjavík-based Canadian musician making intriguing, textural electronica-and-voice music. Her work often includes collaborative visuals—her first single, ‘Sex…
The Old Bookstore of Flateyri: Eyþór Jóvinsson Rolls Back The Years
by John Rogers
The tiny Westfjords town of Flateyri juts out into the blue sea of Önundarfjörður on a thin spit of land….
Last Words: Why It’s Okay To Talk About Iceland’s Wild Places
by John Rogers
Whether you love it or loathe it, heart it or unfollow it, today’s Iceland is an Instagrammer’s dream. Sure, visitors…
The Real Thing: Icelandic Football News From The Pepsi League
by John Rogers
Ah, Pepsi. It’s not quite The Real Thing, but it’s everywhere anyway. Some people inexplicably prefer it to Coke, but…
Premiere: Jae Tyler Unveils A “Famous” New Single
by John Rogers
Regulars on the Reykjavík music scene will be more than familiar with “Kansas-bred art boy” and self-proclaimed psychedelic-party-pop artist Jae…
An Ocean Of Sound: Anna Þorvaldsdóttir Evokes The Vastness Of Nature
by John Rogers
At first, there’s a loud hissing, like a hard wind whipping up sand from a barren plain. It’s joined by…
Grapevine Playlist: ROKKY, Hildur & Teitur, Sigur Rós, Gyðjan Uxi & More
by John Rogers, Hannah Jane Cohen and Felix Robertson
Like six hidden people pirouetting out of a weird misty summer moss-scape, here are the latest mythical emergences from the…
Track By Track: Daniel Pioro – Dust (Ft. Valgeir Sigurðsson)
by John Rogers
Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurðsson picked up an award at the International Composer’s Conference in Argentina earlier this year. The piece…
Flowers In Town: Blóm Í Bæ Festival Brings Hveragerði To Life
by John Rogers
The annual Blóm í Bæ festival (“Flowers in Town,” in English) is happening for the eighth time this weekend in…