Grapevine is glad today! And you know why? Yes, it’s because Grapevine’s favourite new Icelandic rock band, Ofvitarnir, has finally released an album! And because that album, ‘Stephen Hawking/Steven Tyler’ is just as great as the first tracks we gleamed at shows and on the internet promised it would be. Truly a day to rejoice!
Seriously, we’ve been playing that record all day, all night ever since it was released a couple of weekends ago. It’s a style of music we haven’t heard with local bands for a while, and it’s all done with a passion that’s too often lacking.
Who are Ofvitarnir? You surely will know some of them. Notorious multitasker Þórir Georg (of My Summer As A Salvation Soldier, Þórir Georg, Fighting Shit, Gavin Portland, Deathmetal Supersquad, etc., etc. fame) leads the band on vocals and guitar, joined by mysterious vixen Júlía on bass and powerhaus kitbanger Fannar Örn on drums. The trio plays a heavy, melodic and grunge-y sort of punk rock that brings to mind a lot of early ‘90s alt.heroes like Fugazi, Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. (and even newbies like Wavves!) on first listen. Some of it’s happy music, some is depressing, doomy gloom, but all of it’s pretty great for a listen.
Download the record’s immediately catchiest track ‘O O O O’ from www.Grapevine.is before heading over to their record label’s website, www.pbppunk.com, where you can download the entire album for free (all the label’s releases are available for free download actually, but the label—which is probably themselves if we know the crew correctly—encourages you to buy ‘em at places like Geisladiskabúð Valda). Enjoy!
http://www.grapevine.is/wp-content/uploads/02_O_O_O_O0.mp3
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