Contagious Joy, Merrymaking, Serial Killers And Trash

We have been busy listening to some new music these days. FM Belfast released their long-awaited third LP, including the excellent single “Everything.” Over a grinding, arpeggiated synth line, singers Lóa and Árni urge us to leave everything at the door and let loose. In classic FM Belfast style, they deliver the sort of unabashed sentimentality and contagious joy that can get even the most jaded hipsters to smile and break into dance.

Skakkamange’s third LP hasn’t exactly been long awaited. The band released ‘Sounds of Merrymaking’ rather out of the blue following a long hiatus, during which time some members explored other musical projects—such as Prinspóló and Tilbury—and two of them, Svavar and Berglind, went into the vegan hot dog business. The new album is an exceptionally well-made, low-key affair. It’s indie rock, but with a lot of rough edges and left turns at every corner and is somewhat reminiscent of ‘90s alt rock bands like Yo La Tengo.

Just weeks ago, Guðlaugur Halldór Einarsson of Captain Fufanu released a new single under his alter ego russian.girls called “Cult.” In russian.girls, he mixes electronic music with shoegaze and beautiful lounge melodies, which sounds like something not from Dirty Beaches territory, and his new single builds around a steady mellow beat and a repeated sample about Jack the Ripper murdering some poor girl.

Last but not least, the Reykjavík lo-fi garage rockers Pink Street Boys (most of the members were in the late, great psychedelic rock band Dandelion Seeds) kicked out a jam last week. The dirty rocking “Kick the trash out” is a heavily distorted fusion of garage rock and modern punk. Every note of the song is played with intense raw emotion that viciously attacks your ears and assaults your heart.

Kick the fucking trash out, motherfuckers!