Grapevine Playlist: Auðn, Magnús Jóhann, Countess Malaise & More!

It’s October 23rd, 2020, and you have no idea what to listen to. Thankfully, the Grapevine is here for your weekend tracks.

Countess Malaise – That Bitch

“I’m too hard. I’m too bad. I’m too sad… but I’ve always been that bitch.” So starts the latest effort from goth-rapper-monarch Countess Malaise. Her 2019 debut ‘HYSTERÍA’ was full of these bad-bitch-confidence-fuck-you moments, but never has it felt so authentic as it does now—seriously, only the Countess could make vulnerability seem hard af. Not to mention, the song track is catchy as hell on an “I’m A Savage” level and we’d challenge any famous TikTok readers to make a dance for it, pls. HJC

Auðn – Verður von að bráð

Ya fav atmospheric bm bois Auðn are on the cusp of dropping their third effort ‘Vökudraumsins fangi’ next week, and gave us a lil’ amuse-bouche with a number of solo releases over the preceding few, including the latest “Verður von að bráð”. The track is a bit more “heavy metal” or “headbang-y” than you’d expect from Auðn, but the dissonance meshes nicely with their characteristic despondent sound. To say we’re excited to hear the upcoming album would be an understatement and not trying to flex, but I used to be their Top Fan on Facebook until the Russians hacked me. HJC

Magnús Jóhann – Waiting

Truly stunning. Kind of like if Philip Glass, Ludovico Einaudi and Atticus Ross got drunk and decided to do an experimental improvised collaboration with their jazzy friends from the conservatory who were under the impression they were doing a minimalist soundtrack album for an indie slow-burn psychological thriller. What a misunderstanding! Thankfully it ended up in this beautiful track. To be honest, I’m truly so happy to have found Magnús Jóhann because I imagine “Waiting” will definitely be on constant rotation at the Grapevine office. HJC

Bríet – Rólegur Kúreki

Full on wilderness road trip vibez! “Rólegur Kúreki” translates into “Quiet Cowboy” in English, an idea perfectly captured by the gentle harmonica and galloping horse rhythm chugging along in the background. It’s a pleasant song that makes me want to ride a horse into the sunset. JD

Janus Rasmussen – Neyð

A hypnotic track that synthesises the dancefloor rhythms of his debut album, ‘Vín,’ with Janus’s own eerie vocals. The music video combines these captivating sounds with glimpses of the Icelandic landscape, which feels fitting through the various mood changes. The juxtaposition ends up in a song you could equally dance or fall asleep to. IRW

Ólafur Arnalds – Loom (feat. Bonobo)

Ólafur Arnalds doesn’t reinvent the spinning wheel in this track (get it?), but “Loom” is still a solid addition to any cool-down playlist or study night. It’s hard to criticise the composer because Ólafur Arnalds does Ólafur Arnalds so perfectly that everything he releases just kind of sounds like a great Ólafur Arnalds song. You get us? So while “Loom” is definitely not one of his best efforts, it’s still really good and will definitely end up in some sort of indie film realisation scene one day. HJC

Tendra – Draumaland

Full of old school romantic French vibes, “Draumaland” is a gentle and jazzy little ditty, best enjoyed with a large glass of red wine, dimmed lights and the crackle of an old record player. Listen to this song after a hectic workweek to set you right up for a lazy weekend full of croissants and coffee. A simple guitar and vocal track, “Draumaland” proves that all you need is a well-written melody and a beautiful voice to touch hjarta and stir emotions. The black and white live session music video that accompanies the track adds to the intimacy of this sweet song that got us feeling all warm and nostalgic for the Amélie life we never had. JD

ZÖE – Silver Bullets

Pretty! Fun! Chill! ZÖE obviously knows what she’s doing—in fact, this song seems almost eerily engineered to be memorable, catchy, and generally a pleasant time. See—“Silver Bullets” is definitely aptly named. You think you’ve just listened to a rather enjoyable indie track until four hours later you’re walking home humming the chorus. Girl, you’ve hit our heart. Thankfully we’re not werewolves at the Grapevine. HJC

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