Iceland Airwaves 2013
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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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Icelandic Hiphop Exists!
Cell 7 is adept at the braggadocio expected of rappers these days, but also demonstrates lyrical depth: “I represent to the fullest, I’m a feminist.” As far as the Icelandic acts of the night went, I am pleased to say she was…
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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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Haunted Halloween and the True Spirit of the North
The atmosphere, the intimacy and the haunting elements of Anna’s voice invoked The North, in capital letters, icy landscapes, Nordic crime drama, isolation, winter depression and all the clichéic notions you probably already have for this part of the world. It is…
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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.
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SGs and Lap Steels at Amsterdam
I was proven very wrong very quickly. Caterpillarmen play party music that doesn’t take it self too seriously, but do so with so much conviction that it’s impossible not to pay attention. This is the band Johnny Triumph would have started had…
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Genre Explosion At The Art Museum
Dub reggae outfit Ojba Rasta are one of the evening’s more interesting – and fun – surprises. While they’re ostensibly pushing a sound that will always struggle for relevance in the bigger picture of contemporary music, that’s hardly the point here. The…
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Airwords: Poets Bring Voice to the Party
The Airwords event offered an interesting new angle to Airwaves ’13 by bringing, some of Iceland’s most notable writers to the party. The event was a mix of readings and music sets. Harpa Kaldalón was a comfortable and classy room for the…
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Mayhem, The Breakdown Of Law And Order
Perhaps Iceland is not ready for Yo La Tengo, or maybe Yo La Tengo is not fresh enough for the younger generation of Icelanders. Either way, those who stayed were treated to a monster of a set that will stick in their…
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Oyama Shake Harpa, Plug Pulled Due To Volume
Emerging Icelandic shoegaze stars Oyama had to stop their performance in Harpa yesterday due to being too loud for the venue. During a particularly fragile passage of classical music, their distorted noise-rock was audible through the walls of the Eldborg hall, prompting…
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Support the Ones Who Host You
By Bryan Riebeek. Photo by Hlynur Hafstein Of the 216 bands playing at Iceland Airwaves this year, 156 of them are Icelandic. Thus, Icelandic musicians will make up the bulk of what we hear, and will spend countless hours entertaining us for the…
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Tempel’s Land Of Bears Among Rock And Ice
Before bringing their unique post-rock sound to the land of rock and ice, Swedish duo Albert af Ekenstam and Filip Leyman of Tempel took time out to chat with us about musical plans, amorous adventures and tips for keeping warm. By Carmel…
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Reykjavík Grapevine’s Podcast: Airwaves Friday Edition
Hurry and check out today’s fresh edition of your Grapevine Airwaves Podcast! It has it all, stories and recordings from yesterday, and expert tips on what our esteemed podcast team and its interlocutors thinks you should see today and tonight!
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Azerrad’s Report: Wednesday
Noted music writer slash Grapevine’s guest of honour Michael Azerrad goes wild at Iceland Airwaves 2013, wandering between venues, listening hard and taking notes. For his Wednesday report, he digs on Mammút and Emiliana, and has some words of advice for Retro…
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Vök Storm The Scene At Harpa
First impressions: the venue is really slick. Extremely open, good viewing angles, clean, consistent, clear sound. If we had to lose NASA to get this, well, it still sucks but we got a damn nice venue out of it. This was my…
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Photos from Wednesday night
The Reykjavík Grapevine is lucky to have some very talented photographers covering the festival. Here is a selection of some of their work from Wednesday night.