Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.12.2006, Blaðsíða 19

4_REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE18_006_REVIEWS/MUSIC/CDS
An album inspired by recordings of electromagnetic waves
emitting from an obsolete computer the size of a large
refrigerator. Sounds fun? Not really but this actually is a
highly enjoyable CD. Originally composed for a string quar-
tet as the soundtrack to a dance piece, this is eerie and
haunting symphonic stuff with sounds from the computer
sampled. Each of the five tracks slowly builds up to a peak
with strings and weird sounds – after all this is built on
electromagnetic sounds. The computer plays a big part and
its various accessories like the IBM 1403 printer or the IBM
1402 Card Read-Punch. The album is big and powerful and
cinematic. It has a remorseful sound, somehow sounding
like a eulogy or an homage to an obsolete machine. A great
and beautiful piece of modern composition.
The Foghorns have been pretty active in the music scene
the past couple of years, playing numerous shows but never
drawing a big crowd. The brainchild of former Grapevine
editor, Bart Cameron, this release was partly recorded live
in Reykjavík and partly in some (I imagine) seedy locations
in Brooklyn and Wisconsin. The sound is rough and lo-fi but
perfectly fitting the Bruce Springsteen folk-punk rock (think
Nebraska, not Born To Run). Lyrically it’s an album of sor-
row, sadness and longing – the bitterness shines through. It
sounds honest and raw with a feeling of intensity; as if the
band has a point to make and really, really wants the listen-
er to get it; as if they care about their work, getting the mu-
sic out just to get it out and not because they think it will
make them lots of money. It won’t. So throw all the money
you can spare at them because this is a fucking great CD.
The Foghorns
New Low
Jóhann Jóhannsson
IBM 1401, A User’s Manual
All reviews by Páll Hilmarsson
Megas, a cultural icon around these parts, sure seems
popular this year. Two albums have surfaced where artists
try to put their mark on his songs and lyrics. Magga Stína, a
talented and sometimes quirky musician, backed by some of
the best musicians in the country, offers 11 songs by Megas
on this album, three of which are new. It’s hard to make an
old song your own, especially songs by such a unique artist
as Megas. Magga Stína succeeds on some tracks, especially
Fílahirðirinn frá Súrín, which is the greatest Icelandic love
song of all time and her version hits the target perfectly.
Although she doesn’t manage to make you forget Megas’s
originals she provides a pleasing album and by far the best
cover album of his songs the world has seen.
Sena, the biggest record label on the market, seems to have
an endless supply of former Icelandic Idol contestants to
put in front of a microphone, covering old songs like Always
on My Mind, all yielding the same results. For the most
part these are pretty girls who can hold a tune somewhat
decently. Bríet Sunna delivers for her part, singing pretty
when told to, but devoid of feeling or emotion. The hired
session players trudge through the songs and surely earn
the money the record label paid them. This sounds like ka-
raoke and that is what it is. Better than your average drunk-
on-a-Saturday night karaoke, but still karaoke. Some of the
Icelandic lyrics are so embarrassingly bad that they almost
justify buying the album for a short laugh but, probably, it
will just depress you in the end. Stay clear of this.
Maus were a popular, great and influential indie band back
in the late 1990s. Frontman and singer Biggi was charis-
matic in a weird way, sometimes out of tune and not really
cut out to be a singer. He even acknowledged this in a great
Maus song, Maðurinn með Stálröddina (The man with the
steel voice). His singing worked with Maus, backed by the
traditional guitar, bass and drums. This solo album is much
more low key than rock’n’roll and this is not good for Biggi.
The songs could have made up for this but they are unorigi-
nal electro-pop, never catching your attention. The compo-
sitions still sound like they could have been made into some
good Maus songs. The production is good and the booklet
is not hideously ugly. Included are liner notes instead of lyr-
ics, which feel awkward at times. This album is not excellent
or original, just mediocre, which is a letdown coming from
Biggi. I expected more.
Benni Hemm Hemm has been named Golden Boy of Icelan-
dic pop in this publication. Judging by his self-titled debut,
released last year, the title isn’t far off, winning two awards
at last year’s Icelandic Music Awards. The music sounds
something like indie big-band pop, with trumpets, acoustic
guitar and horns playing a big part, at times reminiscent
of the ever-influential Belle and Sebastian. Benni is a good
songwriter, the melodies are interesting but the album suf-
fers from Benni’s singing, which really isn’t strong enough.
I struggle to imagine a time when I would put this CD on,
maybe as a prelude to some heavy drinking and dancing
with some party people of the cute generation – it sounds
as if it would be a lot of fun to see performed live – but isn’t
really suited for the home stereo. Benni proves that he’s a
talented songwriter and the band performs well. It’s simply
not the follow-up I was anticipating.
Benni Hemm Hemm
Kajak
Biggi
id
Bríet Sunna
Bara ef þú kemur með
Magga Stína
syngur Megas
Energy for life through forces of nature
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