Amiina and Polly Scattergood will also play the anti-jingle festive celebrations

The dreaded deluge of Christmas-themed drivel seems to start earlier and earlier each year, and by the beginning of November most of us are already seeking refuge from the monotonous audio torture of Yuletide-themed audio spam. Whether it’s time honoured cheesy anthems or torturous jingles you’re fleeing from, look no further; the Barbican have come up with the perfect escape. After their successful debut last year, which featured Jarvis Cocker, Patrick Wolf and the wonderful Sandy Dillon (whom you’ll find on our upcoming tribute album, Beautiful Star: The Songs Of Odetta), the Twisted Christmas show makes a very welcome return on Tuesday 15th December.

Described as “a deliciously dark evening of alternative Yuletide entertainment”, 2009’s party sees a host of stars getting subversive with classic Christmas numbers, as well as some of their own festive takes. The line up includes Richard Hawley, acclaimed singer-songwriter/pianist Ed Harcourt, Icelandic quartet and part-time Sigur Rós string section Amiina, traditional Scottish folk artist Alasdair Roberts, the lovely Polly Scattergood and one of our favourites, American psych-folk singer Josephine Foster, who releases her new album Graphic As A Star on November 9th. The Sense Of Sound Choir, who featured on BBC1’s ‘Last Choir Standing’, will also be making an appearance, with further acts yet to be confirmed.

Tickets cost from £15 to £25 and are available here. This should be the perfect antidote for anyone who has a seasonal allergy to commercial Christmas soundtracks.

Charlotte Richardson Andrews

Rugla – Amiina

Image from here

So, tomorrow is Columbus Day here in the States and that means that I have the day off. The same cannot be said for many places of employment so I consider myself lucky. I have decided to honor the misdirection of that Italian seafarer with one of my favorite pastimes. Scrolling through hundreds of Flickr photos of my favorite places, people and things. But mostly people. I generally proceed systematically in the order of measures of nostalgia and it usually falls down like this:

1. Seoul (always first)
2. Ireland
3. Ghana
4. Tunisia
5. Princeton
6. Other parts of Korea (Hwajeong, Ilsan, Gyeongju)

A key element in harnessing all of this nostalgic energy (and indeed it really is the stuff of art; mind and soul are one with a bevy of memory, not weighed down but simply adrift on the sea of experience) is music. Good music. Ethereal music. Music that soars and brings you along with it. And so I chose to be inspired by music recommended by my favorite blog (and my and many others musical guru). You should read her blog if you can; truly a pleasure.

So, the music is Riceboy Sleeps and it is the combination of Amiina and Sigur Ros. The track is Boy 1904 and you can find it here.

Riceboy Sleeps-Boy 1904

But please buy it if you like it. Music like this deserves the $.99.

The music and the Flickr led me think of visualizing all of this. So, I stumbled across this Flickr data visualization called Tag Galaxy. Visit their site, type in a Flickr tag (anything really) and watch the world of that tag constitute before your eyes. How applicable is this to anything practical? It isn’t. But what is the utility of Flickr. It is a place, my favorite place, for gathering around objects of interest and beauty. It is nice to step out of one self and be mesmerized by something else, something taken in some far off place. It is nice to let the ego rest for a night and just surrender to beautiful things.

So come and join me on Flickr if you would like. I can be found here.

I had an opportunity to speak with María of Amiina, one member of the all female quartet from Iceland, perhaps most recognized for their role with Sigur Rós. The quartet, Sólrún, María, Edda and Hildur, have such a positive attitude towards life, music, and art; their sentiment is both admired and humbling. Whether you’re a fan of Sigur Rós or simply interested in beautiful music, explore Amiina’s curious attentiveness to sound. Their next performance will be in the Jersey, Channel Islands at the Branchage International Film Festival on October 2nd, where they will accompany filmmaker Lotte Reiniger’s animation films.

My photographs from Iceland can be found here

Michael: Icelandic culture has a warm, friendly sentiment. While I was visiting, everyone was so nice and welcoming. Do you often look to Icelandic culture for inspiration? What specifically?

María: Well, yes and no. There are some qualities in our culture that are very beneficial at times, but can be very annoying as well. There is definitely a feeling of enthusiasm towards life here. One of the things that I like here is when things need to be done, they are done no matter what. People are extremely hard working. There are no ifs or “that’s not possible”. Miracles can be worked overnight. But the downside to this is that sometimes things are done without thinking it through properly.

Michael: What is your absolute favorite place in Iceland? My favorite is Djúpavík. I visited Iceland for 3 weeks this past May and traveled around the entire country, making sure I visited there.

María: There are so many beautiful places, but all very different and hard to compare. I love Skaftafell for it’s beauty, Mjóifjörður for it’s special charm of isolation, the islands on Breidafjördur because they are countless………

Michael: Who are some of your favorite composers?

María: I don’t really have any favorite ones …… I like a lot of old renaissance choir music like Thomas Tallis and William Bird. There is also a lot of great young composers around with more varied music than before.

Michael: What’s your favorite piece to play (that’s not your own)?

María: It’s always lovely to play some Bach…

Michael: Are there any new artists that impress you? Musically or not. Who?

María: Björk is always inspiring because of her artistic independence.

Michael: With the release of “Heima,” did you notice any specific reaction throughout Iceland?

María: Yes, we felt a lot of support from the community when the Heima tour was happening. The excitement built up from gig to gig and ended in an amazing concert in Asbirgi. The media followed us as did the people and everyone was so grateful for having something as positive to focus on. It really touched the people in the country and united.

Michael: How’d you feel about positively exposing Iceland to the rest of the world? What was one thing you wanted people to take from that film?

María: This is just where we come from. It wasn’t meant to be a long touristic video to try and get people to visit Iceland and I hope sincerely that we were able to avoid that. But this is something we always wanted to do, to play real gigs in Iceland and it seamed ideal to film it and make a concert film out of it that would really be worth watching. It also makes sense to give back to the society we were brought up in.

Michael: If you could solve one world problem, which would it be and why?

María: Global warming. It would automatically solve many other problems or prevent things getting worse.

Michael: During your time working with Sigur Rós, could you briefly describe that experience?

María: We toured together for years and played endless gigs. We would never have lasted that long if it hadn’t been really good. We were like a big family.

Michael: Would you collaboratively write your parts in Sigur Rós with the rest of the band or was one specific person composing the string arrangements?

María: We all made our own parts, sometimes together and sometimes parts were created from improvisation. The ones that were more ensamble-like we did together and were more “composed” .

Michael: Did you work on Jonsi’s recent solo project? Not Riceboy Sleeps, but his most recent work with producer Peter Katis.

María: Haven’t heard it, but I’m sure it’s good. Jonsi never fails…

Michael: What is your favorite food?

María: Sushi

Michael: Do you have a favorite book?

María: Brekkukotsannáll by Halldór Laxnes

Michael: If you could have one superpower, which would it be and. why?

María: Stop time from time to time. Just to have a moment to breath!

Michael: What are Amiina’s plans for 2009/2010?

María: To do more music, we want to finish an album, this summer we have been focusing on playing as many live gigs as possible before Hildur has her baby. It’s been very refreshing, we toured with Kippi and Maggi with one setup and then with a semi acoustic setup with the four of us girls. It was a perfect balance: A powerful set with the guys and then more delicate and intimate with the four of us. It suits us perfectly, we will try and nourish both sides of Amiina. So now we crawl back into our creative hole and hopefully come out of it with lots of new stuff in 2010!!

In this first part of our monthly roundup of releases we didn’t get time to review in full over the last four weeks, we take a look at some great releases from All The Fires, Amiina and Annie & The Beekeepers.

* * *

All The Fires
‘The Map’ EP ••••
Hobo 

Orchestral folk-pop may not be one of music’s most recognisably innovative forms, but don’t equate that with an inability to stir and provoke. Mirroring the famous Korzybski philosophy from which this EP derives its name – “the map is not the territory” – this six-piece band from Falmouth in Cornwall arrive with this debut release to prove once again that genre abstractions can be sorely misleading. All The Fires are a talented bunch who construct often mysterious tales rich in layered three-part harmonies from singers Rosalie James, Kathryn Williams (not the one from Newcastle) and Matthew Dixon, scattering vibrant natural imagery and literary references among them. The Cornish air has clearly got into their heads and blown away any cobwebs as these five tracks all display an impressive clarity and uncommon grace.

Opening with the lyrical ‘Found You’, which seesaws with a similarly beautiful lightness of touch that made Bic Runga’s Beautiful Collision such a rare treat, the EP goes from strength to strength. Referencing the dwindling Cornish language, ‘Bys Vyken’ (‘for ever’) is a typically sumptuous piano ballad, supported by Williams’s unfalteringly pretty cello, while the magical ‘Zugunruhe’ (a biological phenomenon of anxiety and sleep disturbances generally seen in migrating animals) saves the best for last with a wistful tale of staying in a seaside town during the winter. Moving and compelling, ‘The Map’ is a bit like being in a huge maze with beautiful trees and flowers at every turn. You know you have to find the exit eventually but part of you just doesn’t want to get there.

Claire Robinson
UK release date: 01/07/09; www.myspace.com/allthefires

Amiina
Re Minore EP ••••
Self-released 

There is much not to like about Amiina, if you are the jealous type; all four women are beautiful and extremely accomplished musicians, blessed with the kind of cool grace that only emanates from the presence of real talent. Famously best friends with fellow Icelanders Sigur Rós, often providing the string section for Jónsi Birgisson’s eccentric live sets, they have steadily built an international reputation of their own for producing wonderfully diverse and slightly electronic instrumental compositions, most notably for their 2007 full-length debut Kurr. Capable of playing a vast array of instruments, any Amiina composition might call upon the accordion, strings, glockenspiel, saw, and various keyboard noises and loops. Despite this, Re Minore, their third release, is refreshingly free from clutter and transfixes the listener with subtle rhythms and interwoven trinkets of melody.

Sólrún, María, Edda and Hildur have a delicacy to their playing that suggests a positive lack of conscience for an audience. The familiarity and friendship between the girls transpires in the tranquil disposition of this trio of new songs. Minimalist in parts and ambient in style, this is truly magnificent stuff. Highlight is the accordion-driven ‘Ásinn’, which spins around an ethereal theme with ever continuing string loops. The only hazard will be actually tracking a copy of this down. Only 500 vinyl copies were pressed, making Re Minore a genuine treasure in every way.

Anja McCloskey
Available on import only; www.myspace.com/amiina

Annie & The Beekeepers
Squid Hell Sessions EP •••
Self-released 

Naming themselves after the rather alarming collapse and disappearance of bee colonies the world over, this Boston-based trio first convened at Berklee College of Music in December 2006. Self-taught guitarist Annie Lynch first met cellist Alexandra Spalding when she saw her playing in a Joni Mitchell tribute ensemble, later adding upright bass player Ken Woodward to ground their compositions. From their first rehearsals in Woodward’s “frigid basement” to high profile industry shows at CMJ and SXSW, Annie & The Beekeepers have come a long way in a relatively short time. 

Following on from last year’s well-received self-titled debut comes this six-track EP, recorded at Squid Hell Studios in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. A collection of new songs and live favourites, Lynch describes this predominantly gloomy affair as “dark, rich and deeply satisfying”, and she’s pretty much on the button. The songs may be decidedly melancholy, but there’s something defiantly unsinkable in their acoustic sails as earthy bluegrass melodies are burnished with Lynch and Spalding’s exquisite, strikingly feminine vocal harmonies. Highlights are ‘Like A Dog’, which begins proceedings with heartfelt confessions and rising, spine-tingling vocals, and ‘The Wine Song’, which infuses a country-rich sound with ticking banjo and impassioned, R&B spun vocals. Squid Hell Sessions is beautifully melodramatic, a country-folk delight that moves between tragedy, irony and wryness with graceful, genuine magic.

Charlotte Richardson Andrews
UK release date: 08/06/09; www.myspace.com/annielynch

Two weeks away from here, my apologies.  Now to get straight to it.  I LOVE discovering new music, and I have long since been a fan of Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós.  Since then, I have gradually become acquainted with other Icelandic artists, first of all Valgeir Sigurðsson.  After seeing him play an intimate gig in a tiny chapel in Salford, Manchester UK, he has become firmly planted in my list of favourite recording artists.  This rendition of ‘Focal Point’ which features on the album ‘Eqvilibrium’ is fantastic.  Founder of record label Bedroom Community, Sigurðsson has worked alongside many top artists including Bjork, cementing his place as an integral part of the Icelandic music scene.

Since then, my eyes have been opened up the the works of Múm, Amiina and more recently Johánn Johánnsson.  I was blown away by the album Fordlandia, recorded alongside the very excellent City of Prague Symphony Orchestra.  Here is the track ‘The Rocket Builder’.  If you get the opportunity to listen to the first track from the album (same title), just sit back and allow the sound to wash over you.  Johánnsson has a sublime way of weaving his ambient melodies.

Ancora recensioni su Dedication:

• All Time Low – Nothing Personal – Hopeless
• Amiina – Re Minore – autoproduzione
• August Burns Red – Constellations – Solid State
• Broadway Calls – Good Views, Bad News – SideOneDummy
• The Casualties – We Are All We Have – SideOneDummy
• Delorean – Ayrton Senna – Full House
• Eels – Hombre Lobo – Vagrant
• Frightened Rabbit – Liver! Lung! FR! – Fat Cat
• Gomez – A New Tide – ATO
• LoveHateHero – American Underwater – Ferret
• No Age – Losing Feeling – Sub Pop
• This Is Hell – Warbirds – Think Fast!

Tanta curiosità attorno al nuovo Eels e per le anticipazioni di No Age e Amiina. Tornano i Gomez, i Delorean celebrano l’estate, e la nuova scena punk rock sembra sempre più in crisi… Tutto su www.dedication.it, buona lettura!

So they’re not ACTUAL haiku’s but whatever. I just learned about the 5-7-5 thing. Whatever.

You’ve all seen an indie movie. A shittily produced art-house film with incredible amounts of integrity. Most of these films have a long shot of a road or a car traveling on the road.

This is what you would hear on that drive in that movie. FYI, you’re in the passenger’s seat.

Amiina is a musical quartet from Iceland. Good friends of Sigur Rós, the band has grown into their own area of the spectrum of instrumental music. They have a three-song EP coming out called Re Minore.

I’ve included a song from the EP called Þristurinn.

Amiina – Þristurinn

Download, listen, & enjoy.

Website
MySpace

Esse país produz música boa...

Quando as férias começaram, eu resolvi que não iria sair com os amigos. Muito pelo contrário, eu iria ficar em casa todos os dias sozinho. Não porque tava com raiva de alguém ou tava deprimido e queria morrer, o que eu queria mesmo era criar uma espécie de “casulo”, ficar em contato comigo mesmo e apreciar os simples momentos de solidão com minha casa.

E para criar uma atmostera, eu mergulhei no ‘Vespertine’ da Björk, um álbum que foi concebido para ser essencialmente caseiro, instrospectivo e invernal, com todos aqueles vocais doces, orquestrações espectrais, programações eletrônicas calmas e uma série de barulhinhos borbulhantes, que vão de instrumentos como a harpa, a celesta e o glockenspiel até sons incomuns como sussurros, cartas sendo embaralhadas, alguém caminhando na neve e gelo sendo esmagado. Resultado: pirei (rs), porque meu álbum favorito da Björk sempre foi o ‘Homogenic’. Bom, FOI.

Então, naquela febre por essas músicas etéreas, eu cai de cabeça na música da Islândia. Existem bandas muito incríveis lá (coisa que eu já sabia, afinal eu já ouvia Björk e Sigur Rós), mas fui procurando e achei outros artistas fascinantes… Então, sem mais delongas, listarei aqui as duas descobertas que mais gostei… ^^

• ‘Seoul’ – Amiina.
• ‘Romance’ – Ólafur Arnalds.

Falarei mais sobre cada um deles em posts individuais, ok? Porque isso é muito pouco, hehehe.

By: Guilherme. =)

trying to prepare myself to actually get some sleep tonight…

i <3 amiina and their bells

pretty awesome combo…….高橋幸宏 (yukihiro takahashi) featuring amiina

Hoje, no música do dia que é pra termina o dia e ir dormir com o som de Amiina, é um quarteto de mulheres que fazem sons muitos lindos e agradáveis.

Bons sonhos!!! ^^

Julianna Barwick’in öyle tek başına gözüktüğüne bakmayın; tek enstrümanının sesi olduğuna da… Kapayın gözlerinizi, buyurun hipnoz seansına.

Bazı albümler anlatılmaz yaşanır; bu da öyle bir albüm. Ben biraz anlatmaya çalışacağım, ama bu, Julianna Barwick’I tasvir etmeye yetmeyecek biliyorum. 2007’de ilk albümü ‘Sanguine’i çıkardığında  meleklerin ayak seslerini hafiften hissetirmiş zaten. Şimdi bir de yeni albümü Florine’le kanatlanıp özgürce ve sessizce gökyüzünde uçma hissi herhalde böyle olurdu dedirtiyor. Eğer birilerine benzetmek gerekirse, benim gözümde Amiina’nın enstrümanlarının sadece vokal olduğu, Panda Bear’ın sözsüz kadın seslerinden oluştuğu bir atmosfer canlanıyor.  

Brooklyn doğumlu fotoğrafçı Julianna Barwick’in babası kilisede görevliymiş. Haftada 3-4 kez kilise ziyaretlerinde bulunurlarmış. Orada izlediği a capella’lara duyduğu hayranlıklar, ilahilerin ona yaşattığı hüzünler gözünden yaşların gelmesine kadar varmış. Armoni onu büyülemiş; büyülemiş ve şimdilerde yalnız başına çıkılan turnelerin keyfine sürüklemiş.

Julianna Barwick’in ilk göz ağrısı ‘Sanguine’ ruhani sesini bizlerle ilk tanıştırdığı albümü. Bu albümü yaklaşık bir buçuk sene üzerinde çalışarak yayınlamış. Tek başına; loop’larını bile elektronik gitarının pedalıyla yaparak. Time Out bu albümü anlatacak söz bulamamış; denizin diplerinden gelen ağır çekim seslerden tutun, Hıristiyan tenalı korku filmlerine kadar farklı duygular yaşattığını yazmış. Üst üste binen bir sürü Julianna oktavları, kısa kısa loop’lar ve büyüleyici melodilerden oluşan ‘sözsüz’ bu albümde parçaların isimleri de yok. İsimleri koymak size; sizin hissettiklerinize kalmış.

Melodide sınır tanımazlığını, vokalde ise hipnotize gücünü ilk albümünde çoktan kanıtlamış olan Julianna Barwick, 6 parçadan oluşan yeni albümüyle yine bizi bazen bir film noir sahnesine, bazen de bir kilise ilahisine davet ediyor. Armoniler, melodiler, oktavlar, insan sesinin ruhani boyutu yine karşımıza çıkıyor ‘Florine’de.  ‘Choose’ albümün en çok öne çıkan parçası. ‘Anyway you choose’ şeklindeki armonilerle süregelen parça, üçüncü dakikadan itibaren ses veren basla kalbi yerinden oynatıyor. Bana göre albümün yıldızı ‘Cloudbank’ ise insanın aklını başından alan bir melodi ve tüyler ürpertici vokallere sahip gerçek hüznü işleyen bir parça. Kiliseden yükselen koro seslerini albümde bolca hissetmek mümkün. Özellikle onlarca sesle karşılaşılan ‘Bode’ parçasında. Albümün farklılık gösteren parçası ise yine büyüleyici bir etkiye sahip, piyano ve Julianna sesini birleştiren ‘Anjos’.

Gerçekten de böyle bir müziğin tek kişinin elinden çıktığına inanmak çok güç.  Bir geçtiğimiz yıl Bowery Ballroom’da gerçekleşen canlı performansını düşünün… Diplo twitter’ında Julianna için ilginç bir tanımda bulunmuş: “new music that sounds like carebears making love”. Diplo haklı değil mi?

www.monomundo.com ‘BEATNIK’ dergisinin 9. sayısında yayınlanmıştır.

Riceboy Sleeps is a collaboration between Jón Þór Birgisson, a.k.a Jónsi, and his partner, Alex Somers of Parachutes. My initial thought was, this is nice. I mean. Who can ever call something hailing from Iceland and from Jónsi not nice? The calm of the strings like carefree wind through your hair. Immaculate music.

But the thing is. When I listen to Sigur Ros, it is like a picture of a boy holding onto a balloon. When I listen to Riceboy Sleeps, I cannot shake the image of the balloon floating aimlessly in midair, with the frail string just breezing along the current in midair.

I guess what I am trying to say is, Jónsi played a huge part when it comes to Shoegazing music for Sigur Ros. He has been around all along that we forget how important he is until he is gone. He is the boy that holds the balloon – the music – in place. Without him, it is just another one of those helium balloons you let off to the sky at special occasions with no specific destinations to go to.

Jónsi takes a big rest in Riceboy Sleeps (hence, the title perhaps?), leaving ample room for Amiina’s strings and the Kópavogsdætur Choir to take over. It is a sleepy calm throughout Happiness, Atlas Song and part of Indian Summer. And when Jónsi finally makes an appearance in the middle of Track 3, you kind of cherish every bar he sings because the previous songs are like minutes building you up for his return. But once he is gone, the rest of the album is as plain as the white fields in Iceland.

Riceboy Sleeps sounds pretty much the same from beginning till the end. There were not much dynamics from Amiina, and the Kópavogsdætur Choir did nothing climatical like Jónsi did. It is pretty much like background music for a movie that has not been made yet. Thinking back about it now, it is hard to pinpoint which song is which without checking my iTunes playlist while the song is playing, save Indian Summer, only because and when Jónsi sings. Perfect for playing back-to-back  as you go to sleep though.

For what it is worth, Riceboy Sleeps still provides the same kind of comforter cocooned around you like Sigur Ros did. Kind of like the warming up to something much bigger inside an enclavement. If that even makes sense.

HERE is Indian Summer. Listen to it. Wait for 6:20. It is worth your while.

You can aslo stream the album here.

Above the text you are currently reading yes this very text is a digital image of a band from Iceland.

The band’s name is Sigur Rós.

They’ve made quite a name for themselves through beautiful compositions of emotionally driven music. But more on that at another time. At the moment, my focus is on the dashing gentleman in the striped hat…and his boyfriend.

Said dashing gentleman is Jón Þór Birgisson otherwise known as Jónsi, the vocalist for afore-mentioned band, Sigur Ros.

In 2003, Jónsi met future partner, Alex Somers and after a short while, they began working together on various artistic projects unrelated to Sigur Rós. From raw food recipes to coloring books, the two have done quite a lot. The dynamic duo below:

Now, all while working on their many creative endeavors, the two have managed to put aside time to record music in a studio in Iceland and, after some time, a full length album was born.

The album, which shares a name with the guys’ 2006 hardcover book, Riceboy Sleeps, is an ethereal force to be reckoned with.

Today’s selection, not just chosen because even at it’s ambitious 5:03, the tune clocks in as the shortest song on the album, but because it also features an appearance from one of the two guests on the album: The Kópavogsdætur choir. The other guest appearance coming from fellow post-rock visionaries, Amiina.

A wonderful example of musical storytelling, the song, Boy 1904, is included below for your listening pleasure.

The album was released today in all formats except for vinyl, which is to be released August 4th.

(hey, that’s the day after my birthday! do I smell a fucking awesome gift or what?)

And now, I advise that you lower your thermostat by a few degrees, curl up with your loved one, and relax as this beautiful song lulls you back to the wonderful world where dreams live on forever and ever.

Jónsi & Alex – Boy 1904

Website
MySpace
Purchase

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’ve looked through their recipe book, the Good Heart Cookbook,
(online version and PDF download here)
and it all looks quite delicious. I am going to try a few soon. In the meantime, there is a video of Jónsi & Alex preparing what they call “Macadamia Monster Mash” at the following link:
Macadamia Monster Mash
(wordpress doesn’t dig on embedded Vimeo videos for some reason.

Welcome to another New Music Tuesday.
After such a long stretch of (hard to find) great music, It seems I have been flooded with too much this week. I actually had a difficult time trying to decide just what to post today after all the great music I’ve found.
I hope you enjoy the selections…

I love this band…so far. They’re the UK’s newest shoegaze/indie sensation The Domino State and I already can’t wait for their full length release. They don’t sound particularly unique (as far as indie-alternative goes) by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m certainly guilty of loving what they have created so far, which isn’t much it turns out. (inhale)
As much as I’ve scoured the internet, I have only been able to get my hands on the few tracks that they have available so far.
This recommendation is their latest single release “Firefly” which actually comes with two great tracks on it. Have a listen to it’s beautifulness.

(Firefly)

Myspace…The Domino State

Here’s a great selection for a quiet summer night. It’s Jon Thor Birgisson and Alex Somers…or simply Jonsi and Alex, with they’re beautiful and meditative release “Riceboy Sleeps”.
Jon Thor Birgisson (as you might know) is the lead vocalist behind the (strangely enough) similar sounding Icelandic group Sigur Ros whom I would also recommend if this sound is up your alley.

Riceboy Sleeps alluring sound comprises mostly acoustic instrumental tracks with the collaboration of the string quartet Amiina (who are Sigur Rós’ official string quartet), and the Kópavogsdætur Choir, which make for wonderful (often quiet) sound-scapes, perfect for a warm summers night.
Listen to this sample titled “Boy 1904″.

Website…Jonsi and Alex

Eulogies is an American indie-rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Their album “Here Anonymous” came out in April of this year, though my happy ears just discovered their awesomness this week, and honestly… I love every song on it.
Listen to this song “Two Can Play” and go check out their Myspace for more, I know you’ll love.

Myspace…Eulogies

Come back next week for more great tunes.

Ciao.

Riceboy Sleeps is far more than a Sigur Ros side project

First and foremost, Riceboy Sleeps, the new ambient album by Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi Birgisson and boyfriend Alex Somers, is a project of love. Forget about that. Don’t be phased by the fact that they’re lovers and making music together. Never mind the fact that—apart from being the cutest thing in the world—it’s so hip it could make Charlie Daniels crap his pants. With its emphasis on what Jónsi calls “organic sounds” and acoustic instruments, not to mention Amiina (Sigur Rós’s incredibly talented string quartet), Jónsi and Alex’s Riceboy Sleeps is better appreciated without the back-story.

Unsurprisingly, Riceboy Sleeps shares more in common with Sigur Rós than it does with other ambient music, like the work of Brian Eno. Jónsi’s trademark falsetto vocals are present on four of the album’s nine tracks, but this is far from a drawback. In fact, the stand-out songs of the album happen to be the ones that utilize vocals and instrumentation to form a cohesive sound.

“Boy 1904” begins right off with what sources all over the Internet claim to be the “only known recording of the last castrato.” Both the shortest and most accessible track on the album, “Boy 1904” also serves as a kind of midpoint (track five of nine) for it. The songs get progressively less vocal-heavy as the album closes, almost like the vocals on the album appeared on a bell-curve. (“Happiness,” the now-famous lead track, has no singing, and neither does “Sleeping Giant,” the closer.)

On “Indian Summer,” the strings carry on seemingly forever, complemented by a few lilting bars on the piano. All of a sudden, about six minutes into the song, choral voices start to creep in alongside the strings, as if they had grown from the violins themselves. The singing (several layers of Jónsi’s falsetto) progressively crescendos to vocalize apart from the strings, with multiple voices playing against each other. Like Sigur Rós, the meaning is in the sound of the voice, not the words used—voice as an instrument. Keeping with this philosophy, “Indian Summer” closes with the instruments steadily dropping out, and the singer quietly doing so the same way. In their video commentary, Alex and Jónsi described the song as “naked” without the vocals, and it would be. “Indian Summer” isn’t just the most expressive track on the album; it’s the most complex, divided into two sections, one a piano-driven meditation, and the other a string-soaked celebration.

“Sleeping Giant,” the final excursion on the album, closes it off with an ominous tone. The strings are subdued for the most part towards the beginning of the song, and only pick up later. Throughout the track creaking and breathing noise constantly resonate in the background, as if a sleeping giant were indeed snoring. And after 68 minutes of gentle, relaxed music, the album finally comes to a close over the isolated creaking of a giant at rest, perhaps sprawled out somewhere in the forest or over rocks on a mountainside.

Listening to Riceboy Sleeps from beginning to end has a calming effect. Jónsi and Alex take their listeners more on a soothing trip, than present them with music. The record will undoubtedly not suit everyone who listens. Like the work of Sigur Rós, emotional impact is inevitable, if for no other reason than the effect of Jónsi’s falsetto. If you can pay attention, though, the riceboy will reward you for your time. Did I mention these two recorded it all in their house? Maybe back-story does help us appreciate it a bit.

–Eric Vilas-Boas

I find this to be incredible work music, sitting at your desk, struggling along with some mechanical task, drifting into some happy place.

The band is Amiina. They are an Icelandic musical quartet composed of Hildur Ársælsdóttir, Edda Rún Ólafsdóttir, Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir, and Sólrún Sumarliðadóttir. Say that five times fast and consider yourself impressive.

I came to know them as the backing band for Sigur Ros.

Here are two tracks for you,  so give it a listen and work away to your heart’s content.

Amiina-Seoul
Amiina-Sogg

The track called Seoul is especially near my heart as I do think it captures a bit of that crystallized innocence, that wanderlust of floating around through Gangnam(강남) or Hongdae on a nice bus in a nice bus lane late at night (or as was my case, early in the morning.)

Einige Highlights einer Biennale, die nicht berauschend und nicht schlecht ist.

In einer Ecke des Arsenale stehen ein paar Kartons mit Postkarten von Venedig, die man sich nehmen kann. Sie sind so gelungen schlecht, so unschlagbar gut getroffen als Genrestück “schlechte Postkarten”, dass sie noch nicht mal in ihrer Trashigkeit was hermachen, eben wirklich trist bis zur letzten Konsequenz. Dadurch ist es doppelt schön zu sehen, wie die Kunstbeflissenen sich eindecken mit diesen Objekten, die objektiv keinen Wert haben, außer dem einen, dass sie nichts kosten. Das gefällt mir: kulturellen Abfall produzieren und dorthin stellen, wo normalerweise Kunst steht, und dann abwarten… Das Subversive daran richtet sich gegen den Kunstbetrieb. Wenn er es vermag, durch seine Mechanismen diesen Karten irgendwann einen Tauschwert zu verleihen, dann hat der Tauschwert seine Aussagekraft über den künstlerischen Wert des Werkes auf eine wunderschön klare Art verloren.

Im isländischen Pavillon passiert etwas ähnliches, wenn auch mit anderen Mitteln und einem anderen Gestus. Der Raum ist sensationell, ein alter Salon zum Großen Kanal raus, man tritt aus der Balkontür direkt auf den Anlegesteg, die Fenster gehen nach Süden, das Licht fängt sich bis abends in ihren gußeisernen Gestängen. Dazu gibt es einen winzigen Nebenraum. Im Nebenraum hängt die Kunst, eine Videoinstallation über das Musizieren im isländischen Schnee. Der Salon ist natürlich das eigentliche Werk, aber er sprengt den Werkbegriff unverschämt. Hier lebt der Künstler während der gesamten Biennalezeit, spielt Gitarre, plaudert mit seinen eingeladenen isländischen Freunden, malt sich selbst beim Gitarrespielen in Unterhose, liest dies und jenes, die Taschenbücher liegen aufgeschlagen auf dem Sofa, während sich auf dem alten Brunnen in der Mitte die leeren Bierflaschen sammeln. Neidisch sieht man sich um und würde bald wieder gehen, wenn nicht gerade zufällig eine isländische Mädchenband für den Auftritt am gleichen Abend proben würde. Bis dahin wird alles leergeräumt sein, der Laden proppevoll mit jungen Venezianern, die Island irgendwie gut finden, und dann spielt Amiina!

Amiina ist eine großartige Band, gegründet von vier Isländerinnen, die nach ihrer Gründung ziemlich schnell beschlossen haben, dass Streichquartett sie weniger interessiert, stattdessen eine saucoole Mischung aus Glockenspielen, Sägen (mit Filzklöppel angeschlagen, nicht nur gestrichen), E-Geige und Synthies – und einem wunderbar transparent gespielten Drumset, dazu elfenreine Chöre und überhaupt keine Eile.

Das Tolle an Isländern ist, denkt sich da der deutsche Reisende, dass sie so ganz in sich ruhen als Isländer, während der Deutsche sich dadurch auszeichnet, dass er immer weg will von sich selbst. Und wenn er es nicht will ist er tatsächlich unerträglich, das ist das Schlimme. Es gibt keine Alternative zu diesem Weg-von-sich-selbst-Streben, wenn man auch nur im geringsten Geschmack beweisen will als Deutscher, was ja nicht unbedingt gesagt ist. Die Geschmacklosigkeit ist zur Zeit viel angesagter als die Kultiviertheit in Deutschland, auch in “coolen” Kreisen. Angesagt aus einer Not, die ich nicht verstehe, weil ich gar kein Bedürfnis habe, in mir als Deutscher zu ruhen. Nie gehabt. Kein Bock auf Geschmacklosigkeit, auch wenn sie als einzige es ermöglicht, nicht von sich selbst wegstreben zu müssen. Naja, genug tedesco-bashing. Q.e.d. Das Thema scheinen jedenfalls die Isländer nicht zu haben, sie sind eindeutig nordisch, von einem kleinen Inselchen mit einem Ministerium für Elfenangelegenheiten, ohne Nachbarn, ohne Kriege, ohne Feinde außer dem Klimawandel.

Der Klimawandel zum Beispiel war kein Thema auf dieser Biennale, soweit ich es gesehen habe. Das wäre mal eine schlagkräftigere Parole als “Fare Mundi!”. Welten machen, das klingt nach Luftschlösser bauen, um aus dem Alltag mal ausbrechen zu können. Die Welt erhalten ist die Herausforderung, nicht die Flucht ins Abstrakte.

“Mantenere Mundo!” – darum geht es doch, auch in der Kunst: aufzuzeigen, wo der Raum für das Leben und den Geist zerstört wird, zugebaut, vergiftet. Und freie Plätze besetzen, um sie zu öffnen und zu pflegen. “Fare Publicco!” hätte ich auch noch verstanden. Die Privatisierung stoppen durch das Schwert der Kunst. Wenn schon Parolen, dann politische, sonst ist das leere Schöngeisterei. Die Kunst ist in einem Häuserkampf und muss ihren Mann stehen, solange der öffentliche Raum weiter geschlachtet wird für die Feier des Goldenen Kalbes.

Já que estávamos falando da Islândia e de Post Rock e acabei de comentar sobre Amiina, continuemos! Este quarteto mágico é formado por Hildur Ársælsdóttir, Edda Rún Ólafsdóttir, Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir e Sólrún Sumarliðadóttir [favor, ignorar os nomes] e toca constantemente ao vivo com o Sigur Rós e eles possuem muita afinidade [Maria é casada com Kjartan Sveinsson, tecladista e multi-instrumentista do Sigur Rós nas horas vagas!]

O Amiina, também chamado anteriormente de Aníma, Amína e AnimaminA [pode ser lido de trás para frente, também] usa instrumentos um tanto exóticos na formação de suas melodias, como serrotes, campainhas e copos d’água, mas mesmo assim produzem uma adorável atmosfera nos ouvidos de quem aprecia.

Aqui para download o seu debut EP AnimaminA       Download

FAIXAS:

1 – Skakka

2 – Hemipode

3 – Fjarskanistan

4 – Bláskjár

STOP PRESS.
“FOR A MINOR REFLECTION“.
It only seems like yesterday when myself and the honourable Jonny Wignap (ex B.L.T. now guitarist with “The Violet May“) were sitting in a backstreet cafe in Reykjavik recovering from the previous evenings “entertainment” when a slice of scrawled pencil graffiti caught the eye, “F a M R”!

Intrigued we investigated this “sign” and found ourselves in “12 tonar“, without doubt the finest indie record store in the northern hemisphere, furthering our enquiries. 15 minutes later, credit card maxed out we left armed with a shed load of c/d’s including “Mugison“,”Amiina” and a lovely handmade “Reistu big via, solin er komin a loft” by the afore mentioned “For a Minor Reflection“.
Further exploration (ie: we played it) revealed an amazing slab of post rock. Six masterful compositions and, before you ask, nothing like the wonderful SIGUR ROS!

12 Tonar, Reykjavik

Fast forward to last Autumn and a packed Empress Ballroom, Blackpool. We had made the pilgrimage to see Sigur Ros with the added incentive FaMR were supporting and we were anticipating a great night. It wasn’t great – it was awesome. The four unassuming young Icelanders, three dressed in white one in black, looked out from the stage at the huge crowd waiting for Sigur Ros. “erm ‘ello, we are from Reykjavik and normally play to 25 people”. We laughed. In reply they launched into a 40 minute set of amazing intensity that completely brought the house down. These lads, totally unfazed, were really incredible and seemed quite unaware of the huge reaction they had caused. There are no pretensions lurking here, just great music.

What do they sound like you might ask? I hate comparisons and so would say switch off the tv and go see. Pushed I guess “Mogwai“, “explosions in the sky” would be nearest the mark. So why the “stop press”? They are on tour right now and playing “229″, which I believe is 229 Great Portland Street London, on Wednesday 17th June and I strongly advise you guys to get some of this while it is fresh! Find them at www.myspace.com/foraminorreflection

Keefy x
Oh, by the way, translated the album is “Rise and Shine, the Suns Up”

They may have no sun, no trees and now no money or food either, but those Icelanders are just so darned talented. In May 2004 I spent a wild wild weekend in Reykjavik celebrating (?) my 40th birthday. By some weird synchronicity exactly five years later to the day I was in the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London’s Southbank last Friday night enjoying an evening of “Icelandic Music Through Unconventional Means”. The Icelandic music was provided by the gorgeous Amiina – part time Sigur Ros collaborators, but a talented ensemble in their own right, and the brilliant  Valgeir Sigurdsson. The unconventional means was provided by beatboxer and Southbank artist in residence Shlomo. Now I really wanted to dislike Shlomo – I still have a jaundiced view of beatboxing being done by little kids slapping their cheeks. But the art has obviously moved on bit and Shlomo was a mix of lovable gawkiness and awesome beats. 

The night consisted of various collaborations – Amiina and Valgeir; Amiina and Shlomo; Valgeir and Shlomo climaxing with everyone playing together – a bit like a musical swinger’s party . Every combination worked perfectly, the ambient beats complimented perfectly by Shlo’s vocal pyrotechnics. The innovation was amazing, especially Amiina, who seem to have a Roy Castle-esque talent of being able to play any household object – saws and glasses of water featured heavily. I guess there has always been a make do and mend ethos in Iceland.

This was one of the memorable things I remember about Reykjavik’s clubs and bars. There was none of the elitism and tribal nature of the UK music scene. An obscure dance record would be followed by the Eurovision song contest winner, which would be followed by Britney, which would be followed by Bohemian Rhapsody. It was like a box of assorted tunes had been washed up on the island, and they didn’t know (or care) what was ‘cool’ and what wasn’t. This unpretentiousness is so apparent in Amiina. They look to be really enjoying themselves, like awkward teenagers performing at a school concert, but at the same time making beautiful beautiful music.

The only cloud on an otherwise perfect evening was cast by the clip from the film Dreamland detailing the destruction of a huge area of natural beauty in Iceland by the creation of a huge dam servicing the aluminium smelting plants that are popping up all over the country. The now deposed Icelandic government sold their souls to the US and got financial armageddon in return.

I hope the creativity and resourcefulness shown by this remarkable nation’s talented musicians will  inspire and convince all Icelanders that they are capable of getting themselves out of the unholy mess created by the greed of their bankers and politicians.