It’s officially summer and we’re ready to sit in the sun, and by sit in the sun, we mean listen to these recently released tracks. Enjoy!
Kælan Mikla – Ósýnileg
With the solstice only ten days away, the Grapevine vibe is all about our Icelandic summer. But if 20 hours of daylight with each turn of the earth isn’t your thing, Kælan Mikla are here to beckon you into the comfort of an alternative colder, darker world. This band have never been shy of wearing their influences on their crushed purple velvet sleeves. The bass line to “Ósýnileg” arrives straight from The Cure’s third album, riding on a wash of distinctly early-eighties synth pads, while the reverb-laden vocals draw inspiration from Propaganda, Dead Can Dance, and even Clannad. “Ósýnileg” is a gorgeous creation, and evokes all the feels that you might expect from a band named after the Moomin personification of dangerous winter cold. We wouldn’t have it any other way. JP
kef LAVÍK – VICE CITY BABY
kef LAVÍK rival Icelandic black metallers Núll for absolute ungoogleableness. But other than the fact that they’re neither a town on the Reykjanes peninsula, nor an airport, you don’t need to know anything about this musical duo to enjoy this breezy, bouncy stickful of autotuned aural candyfloss. Vice City Baby could be the perfect soundtrack to your liberated summer of fun in our newly-vaccinated city; the tune to warm your heart as you shiver outside Valdís with a scoop of your favourite ice cream, wishing that the clouds would piss off. As a great philosopher once said, “vice vice, baby!” (If you’re under 40, ask your parents.) JP
amiina – Beacon
“Beacon” is the first song off amiina’s upcoming EP ‘Pharology’—their first release in five years. The word Pharology is the term for the scientific study of lighthouses, and it’s a fitting title, considering the album was written during a residency the group did at an isolated lighthouse in Denmark. “Beacon” though is truly a humbling experience. An escapist effort, it features expansive, fantastical chords, which coalesce over a morse code-esque tapping, ultimately evoking a fantasy world that’ll make you feel like a romantic, old lighthouse keeper watching the horizon for lost ships. But trust me, this is not the track to listen to in a crowd. No, look out at the sea and play it by your lonesome, for the lighthouse keeper does his monotonous daily work with but only one in the audience—the unforgiving ocean. HJC
Bubbi Morthens – Ennþá er tími
An upbeat bop, pushing forward with happy reggae undertones with heavy instrumentals. One can’t help but just start spinning around when Bubbi´s new hit starts playing, relishing in the lighthearted beat. Roll your window down and drive along the coast to this one, it’s sure to bring all the good vibes. BK
Elín Hall – Bjartar Nætur
“Bjartar Nætur” has come just in time for the Icelandic summer to start. The track captures dreamy and endlessly bright summer nights under the midnight sky effortlessly. One can start dreaming about sitting in the green grass, indulging in the Midnight Sun, some Kleinur and Kaffi. Elín Hall carries us right into the nonchalance of Icelandic summer nights with her bright elvish-voice – when all the problems of the world are forgotten and only the here and now matters. AM
superserious – let’s be grown ups
In the early 2000s, there was a brief flash of light in the indie scene, when bands like Jet, Interpol and The Hives dominated the airwaves with straightforward, simple, yet somehow whimsical rock. If you miss those days, then superserious is the band for you. They capture this sound perfectly, and will have you dusting off your Vans trucker hat and cracking open a PBR with the boys. The video is also very charming, which certainly doesn’t hurt. ASF
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