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Grapevine Playlist: JFDR, una schram, Matthildur & More
What’s going on in Icelandic music today? Lots. Folk, rap, trap, oddly appealing cheese musicals… you name it, and you’ll find it in Iceland. Hera – How Does A Lie Taste? In her new song, Hera asks the important questions. Just how…
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Just Sayings: “Of Seint Í Rassinn Gripið”
Here’s one idiom that suddenly became inflammatory because of #MeToo. It literally means “too late to grab that ass.” I kid you not. This is the exact translation. Of course, it’s not about a missed opportunity to sexually harassing someone, it simply…
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How Iceland Celebrated Halloween Before There Even Was Halloween
Halloween nears, and from the hearts of all the old Norse, you’re welcome. The holiday has its roots in old pagan customs originating in the Nordic countries. In Sweden, it was Dísablót (‘Festival Of The Valkyries’), and in Iceland, Veturnætur (‘Winternights’), which…
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37 Murders In Iceland Over Past 20 Years
There have been 37 murders committed in Iceland in the past twenty years, according to Minister of Justice Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir in Iceland, RÚV reports. It was Andrés Ingi Jónsson, member of parliament for the Left-Greens, who asked the Minister about the…
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Grapevine Playlist 18: The Soul Of The Beat
Moses Hightower – Lyftutónlist The Icelandic kings of soul, Moses Hightower, are back—with a vengeance, but with a piece of elevator-music (that’s the literal translation of the title of the song). The title doesn’t promise much, but it’s actually some quality music…
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Icelandic Executions: Punishing The Weak
When looking at the gruesome history of Icelandic executions, one detail stands out, and it’s unfortunately one that is echoed in our modern times: those who were executed were poor people that didn’t stand a chance. This is one of the interesting…
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Just Sayings: Rassgat í bala
Ever been so broke that you didn’t even own your own butt in a tub? Introducing the most colourful term of them all to announce that you’re penniless: “Rassgat í bala.” The idiom literally means, “asshole in a tub” (and yes, it’s…
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Hlynur Pálmason’s ‘A White, White Day’ Heads to the Oscars
It’s official: Hlynur Pálmason’s ‘A White, White Day’ will be Iceland’s contribution to the 2020 Academy Awards. The film, Hlynur’s second, has been travelling the world, picking up heat after its premiere at the International Critics Week at Cannes earlier this year.…
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The Pepsi League
The sore losers in FC Valur want to extend the football season in Iceland, but it’s around five months today. In a statement sent to Visir.is, amongst others, the club said that they want the same system as in Denmark, where the…
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Frosti Gringó: Binging Bukowski While Battling Evil Forces
Frosti “Gringó” Runólfsson is a well-known musician and filmmaker in Iceland as well as a larger-than-life figure. He is also a vocal advocate for homeless people, after one of his best friends, Loftur Gunnarsson, died far too young on the streets of…
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Get Your RIFF On!: The Grapevine Picks
Cinephiles assemble! RIFF, The Reykjavík International Film Festival is back and will be bringing some much needed visual content to our proud city from September 26th through October 6th. We at the Grapevine consider ourselves to be quite the intellectuals, so here…
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Just Sayings: Að Tefla Við Páfann
“Að Tefla Við Páfann” is probably the first idiom that many Icelandic kids learn. It literally means “playing chess with the pope.” But the meaning is far from literal. So when you’re playing chess with the pope, well, good luck, because that…
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The Sailor’s Guide To Icelandic Superstitions: Sea-Faring Edition
So you want to be a sailor, eh, matey? Well, not so fast. There are a few ground rules we need to cover before you push off into the crushing Atlantic. No pointing First, check if your shiny new sailor clothes were…
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The World Is Like Inflight Smoking
Think about it like this: the world is like inflight smoking. You remember that time? Probably not, unless you were born in the early eighties. But once, when we were ignorant, adults thought it was okay to smoke inside planes. The same…
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Ásbyrgi: In The Footsteps Of Sleipnir
There are few places in Iceland that Icelanders love as much as Ásbyrgi. The myth says that the unique area was made by the horse of Óðinn, Sleipnir, when he stepped down to earth and left a huge hoofprint on his travels.…
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Music News: Tangerine Dream, Airwaves, & Björk
One of the biggest icons of electronic music, Tangerine Dream, has painted stadium-sized soundscapes for no less than half a century and now they’re bringing their art fo the ExtremeChill festival. The festival’s 10th edition will be taking place in Reykjavík from…
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From Hair To Eternity – The City’s Best Hair Salons
Unless you plan on looking like Tom Hanks in Castaway your whole life, at some point, you’ll need a haircut. In Reykjavík, there are so many places to choose from, it can feel like a paradox of choice. Luckily, the folks here…
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Artist Playlist: Obscene Bass And Crazy Drummers
Elvar Smári Júlíusson made a splash two years ago with his debut album ‘Ljóstillífun’, released under his artist name Án. Here, the electro enthusiast tells us his favourite tracks of all time. It’s a playlist full of lyrical strikes and warm humanity.…
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Grapevine Playlist: Sin Fang, gugusar And Björk vs Fever Ray
Alexander Jarl – Marbella Alexander Jarl announces himself in classic Jason Derulo-Style and then takes us on a trip to sunnier shores. This song is for anyone who is looking to prolong the Icelandic summer and ignore the fact that temperatures are…
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Editorial: The Race For A New Airline
Iceland is still trying to recover from the very expected bankruptcy of WOW air earlier this year. The summer high season for tourism is drawing to a close and the data is starting to trickle in.. And it’s mixed. A report released…
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Just Sayings: “Heimskt er heimaalið barn”
This saying is pretty basic. In English, it means ‘a homeschooled child is a stupid child.’ Sounds rough, but this is a saying in Iceland. What it means is that an individual that does not travel or see the world, will be…
