Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.01.2007, Page 18

18_REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE 01_007_FEATURE/MUSIC/ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The Thirty Best Icelandic Albums of 2006
Text by Sveinn Birkir Björnsson Photos by Gulli
“I was quite pessimistic for the most part of the year, feeling
that most domestic releases were quite mediocre, but the
last three months of the year have proven a real goldmine,
maybe even passing last year’s crop in quality. Narrowing the
list down to only five albums was not an easy task at all,” said
one of the many music journalists the Reykjavík Grapevine
contacted when selecting the best album of the year 2006.
The statement sums up the year in many ways, as a number
of releases sailed under the radar.
This could partially be explained by the fact that none of
the giants of the Icelandic music scene released an album last
year. However, a number of promising artists released their
premiere effort. In fact, out of the top ten, six entries are
debut albums, while two more count as sophomore releases.
Many of these artists have already garnered praise and atten-
tion from international publications. With that in mind, the
future of Icelandic music is looking bright indeed. All in all, it
was a great year to be a music fan.
When conducting the poll, we also asked the panel to
name their favourite concert of the year. Unsurprisingly, the
highly anticipated and much discussed Sugarcubes reunion
topped the list. A little more surprising was Roger Waters
placing third.
We also asked critics what was the most anticipated re-
lease of the year 2007. While Jakobínarína, I Adapt, and Ben-
ny Crespo’s Gang were repeatedly mentioned respectively,
one band stood out. Apparently, Icelandic music journalists
are to a man waiting for the fourth release from rock n’ roll
giants Mínus. The album is in production, with the band hav-
ing spent three weeks in November and December recording
in Los Angeles with producers Husky Hoskulds and Joe Bar-
resi. Judging from their live performances last year -(two of
their performances ranked high on our concert list, Airwaves
Kerrang! Night and the Mínus – Entombed ticket, both great
shows)- the fivesome is in a fantastic form.

But, without further ado, here are the thirty best Icelandic
albums of 2006 ›››
“An incredibly fresh rock album that takes
you in so many directions that it leaves you
spinning.”
Reykjavík!
Glacial Landscapes 27
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