Sigurpáll Viggó Snorrason is the guitarist in fast-rising New Icelandic Indie band bagdad brothers. Winners of the Grapevine’s Best Live Act award for 2018, they’re an effervescent spectacle full of good vibes, jangly tunes and fresh energy. Here are a few of the key tracks that shaped Sigurpáll’s musical outlook. Hear the full playlist on Spotify here.
Stuðmenn – Út á stoppistöð
This one is absolutely ridiculous. I’m still trying to figure out what “Valinkunnur skríll” means, and who “Kalli” and “Bimbó” are. Amazing track, though; always gets me in a slightly better mood. Let’s party in the 70’s with Stuðmenn and get the summer vibes going.
Bedroom – Nothing Lasts
This is the perfect heartbreak song… maybe the title gave that away, I don’t know. It’s packed with emotions and catchy melodies. I love it. Maybe it’s the imperfect recordings, the catchy yet very simple guitar riff or just the very raw and honest emotion of this song I find so inspirational, but every single time I hear this song I have the urge to grab a guitar and play something—just anything.
Valdimar – Beðið eftir skömminni
This is one of Valdimar’s finer works. Beautiful, echoing guitar blended in with some amazing synth-sounds, and then Valdimar’s voice on top of it all. I listen to their album “Um stund” on a regular basis—it’s a great record—and this track always stands out to me.
GRÓA – EoEo
From the first time I saw GRÓA play, I have watched them grow and completely outrun the rest of us in this scene. This is my favorite track from their self-titled debut album. It’s GRÓA doing what they do best: a groovy beat with that amazing bass-line and fantastic vocals. I’m just waiting for GRÓA to release some of their new material. They play it a lot on their shows lately, it’s awesome—check it out.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)
Aaaaah! This lead guitar! It’s fantastic! WAIT here come the vocals! Oh shit! This quickly became one of my all time favorite tracks, beautiful lyrics wrapped up in a cozy melody and wonderful guitars—I couldn’t really ask for more. Oh yeah: the music video is also fantastic.
Steely Dan – Hey Nineteen
This is where the dad rock in me peaks. This one goes way back to my childhood where my dad used to put this song on every time I climbed into his 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser. “This is real rock ‘n’ roll,” he claimed.
K.óla – Undir trjánum
I remember when I heard this song for the first time at Húrra. It blew my mind. This playful bass line blended in with Katrín’s beautiful vocals is just amazing. I miss seeing her play live though. Hope she will in the near future.
Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule The World
Ummm… I’m going through a phase.
Hear the full playlist here. Read more about the Bagdad Brothers here.
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