Author: - The Reykjavik Grapevine

Author: Sindri Eldon

Insol: Hátindar

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A collection of the atonal yammerings of a weird, deluded shut-in, Hátindar has mostly only novelty value. The songwriting is…

Ljótu Hálfvitarnir: Ljótu Hálfvitarnir

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Am I the only one not entertained by this stupid gypsy-folk shtick? This ridiculous bullshit pretty much writes itself and…

For A Minor Reflection

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With all the rock being recorded in Iceland, you’d think we’d have found one producer who can make it sound…

Ólafur Arnalds

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If you’ve ever witnessed Ólafur Arnalds perform, you know that his music has an almost magical aura. I recently saw…

Serðir Monster: Tekið stærst upp í sig

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Not really an ‘album’ of ‘music’, unless you think of Weird Al Yankovic as a ‘musician’ who makes ‘albums.’ TSUÍS…

Hafdís Huld: Synchronised Swimmers

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Contrary to what the album cover and sleeve would have you believe, Synchronised Swimmers is as straightforward and un-quirky as…

Hudson Wayne: How Quick Is Your Fish? (2010)

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Seven tracks of laconic resignation form Hudson Wayne’s third “full-length” and it stands firmly as the band’s most relaxed and…

Úlpa: Jahilíya (2009)

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Úlpa have been lingering at the periphery of the Icelandic music scene for long enough to make something of a…

Sykur: Frábært Eða Frábært (2009)

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This essentially represents everything that’s wrong with Icelandic techno: all flashy cool and glossy sophistication without having any depth or…

Hjaltalín

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A bit like visiting a museum with a class full of art students, Terminal is irritating, pretentious and occasionally grating,…

Hressó – Saturday

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To save myself and the reader precious time in our short, fleeting lives, I have decided to forego the standard…

NASA – Friday

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Toggi, Ingi and Monotown were the same classic-rock singer-songwriter fronted band at three different stages of competence, skill, progress and…

Sódóma – Thursday

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What‘s the deal with Soundspell’s singer‘s weird pantomime guitar move? Soundspell were very ‘cutting edge’ and ‘experimental’, but I won’t…

Egill S

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  The lighter side of Egill    While bereft of the homemade, tinker-happy style that so distinguished his earlier work,…

Into The Great Foggy Hangover

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On my first day at Eistnaflug, I experienced the reliable Skítur, the talented youths in Plastic Gods and the ho-hum…

Tonik

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Pointed and satisfying without being the most original thing ever released, Form Follows accomplishes something by not trying too hard…

Foreign Monkeys

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Foreign Monkeys draw on simplicity and charisma for their fuel, and never grasp beyond their immediate reach, resulting in a…

Sunlit Halls

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Eistnaflug (translated ‘Flight of the Testicles’, ‘TestFest’, or, worst of all, ‘Flight of the Testes’) is a metal festival held…

Audio Improvement

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Heavily accented and poorly flowing rap accompanies predictable lo-fi  instrumentation on this largely forgettable half-hour of music. There are no…

Dr. Zühlke and Mr. Eldon

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Although it occasionally shows glimpses of intimacy and honesty, All Over The Face is for the most part too bland,…

Sonically Speaking

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It‘s been eleven years since Ensími‘s remarkable debut was released, and as a commentary on their commemorative concert on June…

Dr. Zühlke and Mr. Eldon

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Although they have retreated slightly into the inferior pop shallowness of debut Breathe, We Are Shadows at times beautifully retains…

Plastic Gods

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After leading us on with thirteen minutes of magnificent drone, Quadriplegiac’s opening track devolves into a stoned, floppy masturbation session,…

Helgi Hrafn Jónsson

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Although perhaps not the most inspired 43 minutes ever committed to CD, For The Rest Of My Childhood nevertheless accomplishes…

Dr. Zühlke and Mr. Eldon

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Carving a smooth line from the cutesy, sweet-toothed openers into darker territory towards the end, Alltihop’s eventual slide into depression…