Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.06.2009, Síða 34

Read this:
Þórir visited Músíktilraunir - one of Ice-
land's most significant cultural events.
Period. 22
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 5 — 2009
Music
Músíktilraunir
The Great Incubator of Icelandic Music
It was that time of the year again; the time when youngsters
emerge from their garages with stars in their eyes, hoping to
follow in the footsteps of their heroes. It was Músíktilraunir
time! And Grapevine was there, every step of the way!
Every year since 1982 (apart from ’84, when the contest was
dropped due to a teachers’ strike) this has been one of Iceland’s
most interesting and entertaining musical events. But this
competition isn't only a chance for young talents to shine.
It has been the breeding ground of some of Iceland's most
loved outfits, with bands and artists from every genre gaining
success and recognition through the competition. Whether it
be the carefree pop of Greifarnir (1986), the crushing death
metal of Sororicide (1991, then named Infusoria), Maus's
alternative radio friendly rock (1994), the hip hop sensation
XXX Rottweiler (2000) and, more recently, the indie-rock
stylings of Jakobínarina and Mammút to name a few.
Today one might think that with self-promotional tools
such as Myspace and Facebook – and the Internet in general
– bands would see less appeal in a contest like Músíktilraunir.
Today, promoting your band and getting some attention has
become so easy that the need for an event like this is often
questioned. While it used to be one of the very few chances
young up and coming bands had to get their names out there,
today most of the participants have music available for all to
hear, before they even decide to partake.
This year, like the last few, the final night was held in
Listasafn Reykjavíkur. A big venue, mostly just used for the
Iceland Airwaves festival (or once in a while for a well known
international act such as Iggy Pop). There has been a custom
for the previous year’s winners to open the final night of the
competition, and we thus got to witness Agent Fresco perform.
The band has gained so much popularity since they won
Músíktilraunir that it's hard to believe it's only been a year. They
did a good job and played with confidence and professionalism
that belied their short time together as a band.
The first band of the competition, however, was Artika. They
played emotionally charged and somewhat epic alternative rock.
Next up, Captain Fufanu offered some danceable electronica.
They mixed in some live keyboards and trumpet playing, which
made their show more than just a staid laptop performance.
The Vintage blasted out some 70s style stadium rock and did a
surprisingly convincing job being only 15 years of age. Ljósvaki
added some comedic anecdotes to his retro electro pop that
unfortunately didn't seem to amuse that many. Flawless
Error brought back the grunge, Nirvana t-shirts and all. Their
drummer, only 12, was probably the youngest performer of the
competition and was quite impressive. Blanco jumped around
howling like wolves, playing guitar solos and beaming with
joy. However, they lacked a bit in the playing department and
their songs were messy and difficult to follow.
After a short break the first band on were Bróðir Svartúlfs.
And, had anyone harboured doubts, they assuredly convinced
the entire crowd they were indeed this year’s winners-to-
be. The group played even better than the week before, and
their singer/rapper was on fire, spitting out his lyrics with
passion and attitude. Next on stage was Discord. Maybe it was
the venue, but their proggy deathmetal just seemed to lack a
little power. They did play well, and there was nothing really
to complain about. The same problem also seemed to plague
Spelgur. In a smaller, more intimate space, their cutesy folk
songs had a lot of charm and hooks, but here they just passed
you by without you hardly noticing them, which is a shame
because they were a band that would have had a decent chance
in MT this year. Melkorka were as epic as ever with their prog-
pop rock and sounded good. The night’s last band, We Went To
Space, didn't seem to hit their stride. Their set was messy and
their songs got lost in the room’s echo.
To no one’s surprise Bróðir Svartúlfs won the first prize,
with Ljósvaki getting the second and The Vintage scoring
third.
One of the biggest changes I have noticed in the last few
years is the lowering of the average age of bands. While a few
years ago, most bands would contain members over the age of
18; this year saw only a handful older than that. But that does
not make the competition any worse. It just means younger
kids are getting interested, and I'm sure this competition is an
influence on that. And hopefully it will remain an inspiration
for kids all over the country to pick up instruments and write
some songs for many years to come.
It has been the breeding ground of
some of Iceland's most loved outfits,
with bands and artists from every
genre gaining success and recognition
through the competition
Words
Þórir Georg Jónsson
Pictures from MT finals:
Sigurður Ástgeirsson
This year there were four semi final nights with two
or three bands making it to the finals from each
night. Here are some highlights from the first four
nights.
Friday March 27:
There were a couple of nice surprises on the first night of
MT, the first and biggest being the affectionately named
Miss Piss. They played some catchy, simple tunes that
stuck in my head for days to come. The other thing that
stuck out was Knights Templar's singer, who had probably
the best voice of the whole competition.
Saturday March 28:
Saturday did not have many standout points, apart from
Earendel's metallic assault. They played old school power
metal with the required guitar solos, head bangs and vocal
exercises.
Sunday March 29:
The biggest highlight of Sunday night was of course Bróðir
Svartúlfs, who were excellent. Another good band that
night was Wistaria, whose metal was a little more modern
sounding than previous night’s Earendel, but just as
entertaining. The biggest surprise of the night however was
the vocalist for Spiral Groove. He sounded remarkably like
Iceland's pop legend Stefán Hilmarsson in his early days.
Monday March 30:
The biggest surprise of the whole competition was Pascal
Pinon not making it to the finals. They were probably
my favourite band of the whole event. They played nice
acoustic indie-pop with a little touch of twee. Their vocals
were very good and their songwriting skills even better.
Monday night also brought us the only real hip-hop acts
of the event. Egill Orðljótur and Lonogdon were a nice
change of pace, but even though Lonogdon might have
been slightly better in the beat department, both groups
lacked in vocal delivery. Another moment of interest and
slight comedic value was The Vintage's first song. You
can't help but be a little amused by a 14 year-old singing a
song called Let's get it on.
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