Grapevine New Music Picks: Isafjørd and Baggalútur

HOW IS IT DECEMBER?! I mean… happy Friday. If you too are feeling overwhelmed by the final chapter of this year rapidly hurtling towards us, join us in distracting ourselves with the lovely new music released this week.

Have you got a new single or album coming out soon? Drop us a line on grapevine@grapevine.is and let us know all about it for a chance to be featured in our online or print coverage!

All these tracks—and so many more brought to you by The Grapevine over the past twelve months—are available in our New Music Picks 2021-22 playlist.

Isafjørd – Hjartastjaki

While the winter has so far been mild and kind, it’s always good to have the right music choice on hand for the epic cold-weather drives just around the corner. Something to match the majesty of the snow-covered mountains and endless icy roads ahead. New album ‘Hjartastjaki’ from post-rock duo Isafjørd ticks every box. Huge chords, organ, crunchy distortion, desolate vocals… It’s a solid album, and unsurprisingly: the men behind it are none other than Aðalbjörn Addi Tryggvason of Sólstafir and Ragnar Zolberg of Sign x-Pain of Salvation. They clearly know what they are doing, and ‘Hjartastjaki’ proves this. JG

Baggalútur – Jólasjór: Christmas songs one and eight

Christmas! Cheer! In Icelandic! We didn’t know we would enjoy this, but we proved ourselves wrong. Starting with the first track on the album—“Styttist í það” we reconsidered everything we’ve ever thought about Christmas. Baggalútur collaborates with a number of other Icelandic artists for this album, and trust us, this is exactly what you need to get that festive mood going. We’ve got some tips on how to get ready for Jesus’ birthday party, but we forgot about a playlist. With this album, you’re all set! IZ