Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.01.2008, Page 2

Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.01.2008, Page 2
02 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 01 2008 | Year 6 | January 11 – Febuary 07 The Reykjavík Grapevine Vesturgata 5, 101 Reykjavík www.grapevine.is grapevine@grapevine.is www.myspace.com/reykjavikgrapevine Published by Fröken ehf. Editorial: +354 540 3600 / editor@grapevine.is Advertising: +354 540 3605 / ads@grapevine.is Publisher: +354 540 3601 / publisher@grapevine.is The Reykjavík Grapevine Staff Publisher: Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson publisher@grapevine.is Editor: Sveinn Birkir Björnsson / birkir@grapevine.is Assistant Editor: Steinunn Jakobsdóttir / steinunn@grapevine.is Staff Writer: Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir / vala@grapevine.is Contributing Writer: Haukur Magnússon / haukur@grapevine.is Ian Watson / www.ianwatson.org Art Director: Gunnar Þorvaldsson / gunni@grapevine.is Photographer: Gunnlaugur Arnar Sigurðsson gulli@grapevine.is Marketing Director: Jón Trausti Sigurðarson / jontrausti@grapevine.is Sales Director: Aðalsteinn Jörundsson adalsteinn@grapevine.is Support Manager: Oddur Óskar Kjartansson / oddur@grapevine.is Distribution: Þórir Gunnar Jónsson / thorir@grapevine.is Proofreader: Jane Victoria Appleton Press releases: listings@grapevine.is Submissions inquiries: editor@grapevine.is Subscription inquiries: +354 540 3605 / subscribe@grapevine.is General inquiries: grapevine@grapevine.is The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times a year by Fröken ltd. Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly from May til October. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers. Although the magazine has endeavoured to ensure that all information inside the magazine is correct, prices and details may be subject to change. The Reykjavík Grapevine can be found in Reykjavík, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Selfoss, Keflavík, Ísafjörður, Kárahnjúkar and at key locations around road #1 and at all major tourist attractions and tourist information centres. You may not like it, but at least it's not spon- sored. (No articles in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’). Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 30.000 copies. Average heat (in °C) in Reyk- javík. Only .5 degrees colder than the hottest year yet. Issues of The Reyk- javík Grapevine. 5.5 Number of text messages sent on the Síminn network alone on New Year’s Eve. A 30% increase from last year. New cars reg- istered. 517 less than the year before. 830,000 22,603 Increase in the market price index for apart- ment housing in Reykjavík. 11% Average number of pizza boxes used by Icelanders every year. If stacked, these boxes would reach a height of apx. 240 km. Increase in usage of the city public bus system. The amount of real estate transactions (ISK). The number of fatalities in accidents. 4,000,000 The number of registered students at the University of Iceland. 9786 The number of pas- sengers travelling through Leifur Eiríksson Interna- tional Airport. 2,200,000 13.65% 29 360,000,000,000 Population increase in Iceland. 1.8% The population of Iceland. Twelve month infla- tion in Iceland. The number of new internet domains registered, bringing the total of Icelandic domains to 20.000. 312,872 5.9% 4000 The number of ships in Iceland. The number of Ice-cream sellers shut down in Reyk- javík for not pass- ing health- inspections.2 1809 18 The Grapevine Selects the Album of the Year • Interview With Director Ragnar Bragason The Last Day of Earth • Jesus Christ Enters the Stage • The Lonesome Traveller Gets Wet Issue 01 // Jan 11 - Feb 07 2008+ info. A Complete City Guide and Listings: Map, Dining, Music, Arts and Events Cover illustration: Gunni Þorvalds Facts gathered by: Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir Happy New Year kids. And welcome to the first is- sue of 2008. What an exciting year we have ahead of us. First, later this month, we have the Europe- an Finals in team handball. That should turn this country upside down. Later this year, we will be treated to both the European Finals in football, as well as the Olympic Games in Beijing. I am hon- estly torn over when would be the ideal time to take a summer vacation. It is entirely possible that the Grapevine will stop publication during this time. And, with any luck, we might have presiden- tial elections this year as well, although it seems unlikely, since our current president will probably be appointed by default, since he is the only can- didate to have declared interest in the job. The public discussion over the presidential elections has bothered me though. It is as if the majority of the public would rather skip the whole process, since our current president would likely win anyway, than have anyone run against him, citing the financial costs of staging the elections. This is the message in its simplified form: if the outcome of the election were likely to be one way, we would rather forgo our democratic process and save some money doing so. Democracy demands financial costs. This is inevitable. It is the constitutional right of every man to run for office in this country, as long as he meets certain requirements of age and citizen- ship, and we should under no conditions try to curfew that right. This sort of talk invites the dan- ger of slippery slope, and that is a slope we don’t want our democracy to be in. We should rather embrace the idea of partaking in the democratic process. This issue of the Grapevine celebrates the year that has passed. We look at interesting events from 2007, select the album of the year, and round up some numbers that put the year in perspective. I hope you all had a good year. I did. From the Editor’s Chair Opinion Freedom in Pyrotechnics 08 An opinion by Alexandra Hertell Four random conclusions for 2007 08 An opinion by Haukur Magnússon Articles No Sleep, No Pay 06 Interview with filmmaker Ragnar Bragason Life in Numbers 09 Reviewing a year in the life of Páll Hilmarsson in numbers Recent Books About Iceland 21 Reading suggestions for the Icelandophile Features Scenes from Suburbia 12 Photojournal from Seltjarnarnes Looking Back 14 The Year’s Most Interesting Headlines Top 10 Albums of 2007 15 The Grapevine awards its respected album of the year title Top of the Charts 16 Interview with Markús Bjarnason & Birkir Fjalar Viðarsson Music & Nightlife Psychedelic Normalcy 18 Benny Crespo’s Gang in Concert Jesus Christ Rockstar 18 Jesus Christ Superstar steps on stage CD Reviews 19 Outside Reykjavík A Different Kind of Country Music 22 Yet another American music journalist drives the Ring Road Across the Country in 40 Days 28 Adventures of the Lonesome Traveller, Leg V info. Listings B2 Food Reviews B10 Shopping B12 30 Years of Contemporary Art B14 Earth Waves Goodbye to GusGus B15

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