Airwaves13
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The Absolutely, Unquestionably, Very Best Of Airwaves 2013!
We did it again (oops). We did it again. It was a tough one, what with the one hundred thousand bands each playing three shows per night for fifteen consecutive nights at eight thousand venues spread throughout the gargantuan Reykjavík metropolis area…
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Sykur: Being Insane Is A Good Thing!
The lead singer of Sykur, Agnes Björt Andradóttir, is clearly mental. But in a good way.
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A Note On Replication And Adaptation
Apparently there has been some controversy — and some misunderstanding — regarding my recent comment about certain Icelandic bands and the music of the African diaspora. I do choose my words carefully, but some people didn’t read them very carefully. They seemed…
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Confusing, Lovely, Twerking, Pre-Flight Entertainment
I will hand it to the six Icelandic guys in wifebeaters known as UMTBS for performing on a very high energy level to a room of full of tired and hungover people, and enjoying doing it. They shredded, they shrieked, they pressed…
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Too Much Polish, Not Enough Passion – Iðnó pt. 2
No, you don’t need hand gestures to accompany each vocal flourish, and no, you don’t need to tell the crowd to move closer to the stage (pet peeve of mine, that one). And you might want to consider spitting your gum out…
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Very Solid! – Iðnó pt. 1
It was an early start at Iðnó on Saturday. The band Vigri went on stage just after seven o’clock and played extremely melodic and well crafted electronic music. The vocal arrangements were nothing short of dazzling and complemented their keen sense of…
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Icelandic Metal Is Alive And Well – Amsterdam Pt. 1
Trust The Lies is a young, upcoming metalcore band. They are obviously well rehearsed for the occasion, with all melodic changes delivered without a hitch, and their timings are impeccable. They have a lot of raw power, and pull off an energetic…
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This Was Special For Mykki Blanco
One of the most notable shows of Airwaves 2013 was about to begin, featuring Nolo, Ghostigital, Mykki Blanco, Gold Panda, and Savages at the Reykjavik Art Museum on Saturday night, and Michael Quattlebaum Jr. aka Mykki Blanco is in his pajamas in the…
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“…Then The Bass Came In” – Harlem Pt. 2
Venue impressions: very hand painted, intimate feel. Feels like a lot of DIY loft venues I’ve been to in NY, so mission accomplished I guess. Great stuff to be looking at if one were to be flipping out on hallucinogens, I imagine.…
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Like Sticking Your Head In Warm Ambient Goo – Harlem Pt. 1
ARNI² Fresh from their blistering set last night (where they apparently played nowt but banging hardcore techno), Árni Grétar and Árni Vector decided to take a different tack this evening by playing a mostly ambient style of music. Starting softly, they mixed…
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Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp – Hressó pt. 2
Sure, I’ve seen this band play a hundred times before in countless dive bars and various shitholes across the United States, but this is the spirit of Rock and Roll and Dimma are living it. Hard and fast.
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A Night Filled With Promise – Gamli Gaukurinn pt. 1
Gamli gaukurinn is a bar with a small stage in one corner. It is in no way perfect, but with the addition of Harpa Concert Hall to the Iceland Airwaves list of venues, I do kind of miss going to shows at…
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The Inexhaustible Indie Venue – Iðnó pt.1
The former half of Iðnó’s Friday line-up was interesting. The night started promptly at eight with a set from Jóhann Kristinsson. His music is in many ways conventional indie rock with creative songwriting performed very nicely. He started out playing alone on his…
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Harlem Hypnosis – Harlem Pt. 2
It’s getting really late. It’s not late by Reykjavík standards, but it is considering how early everything started this evening. Half the room looks lobotomized, and I’m not sure they know where they are. But at least they know they’re having a…
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múm And The Ghost In The Machine
The drums play a key role in múm: they can be organic and primordial, they can resemble the clanking, steam-driven machinery of the Industrial Age, and they can recall the Digital Age, with busy, precise and intricate patterns that suggest some sort…
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Damian From Fucked Up: ICELAND IS MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN CANADA, HYPE = TRUE
Sorry guys, our browser doesn’t support video uploads from phones. Odd to send you to a page like that. There is a video of this stuff coming later tonight – do view it when it’s here, it’s fun!
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When the SF Embassy Met Jón Gnarr
Much has been said about the, shall we say, creative style of politics as pioneered by Iceland’s mayor Jón Gnarr – a reputation that goes far and wide beyond the borders of Iceland. Having read articles about him in the (non-icelandic) press,…
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Photos from Thursday
The Reykjavík Grapevine is lucky to have some very talented photographers covering the festival. Here is a selection of some of their work from Thursday.
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Northern Music, Northern Lights
It’s only my second day at Airwaves and already I have some solid advice. Icelanders: do not attempt to replicate the music of the African diaspora, especially reggae and hip-hop. You will fail. Miserably and laughably. Be yourselves. That is the way…
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Ólafur Arnalds Draws Tears At Harpa Eldborg
The house lights are on in the modern, volcanic red heart of Iceland. Smoke, as though suspended from ethereal fly lines, dissipates over the audience more slowly than the aurora tinting the night sky. It is Airwaves 2013, and one of Iceland’s…
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Muck Me, I’m Glad We Metz
The lovely Torontonians made sure to shred, rip, tear and murder everything they could in the most efficient manner imaginable with the time allotted to them. And like true Canadians, they politely bade the attendees “a great night” and to “take care”…
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Music You Can Sit To
As the set continues Hausswolff and her band prove themselves masters of texture, which ranges from ominous, to somber, and finally hopeful. They’re not in a hurry to get there though. They know a journey is in the traveling, not the destination.…
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The Choppy Line-Up
Although I deeply respect and understand the urge to push boundaries, there is always an audience to consider. Doing something is not the same as pulling it off.