Reykjavík Grapevine - 28.08.2009, Blaðsíða 33

U N I V E R S I T Y O F I C E L A N D P R E S S
haskolautgafan.hi.is – hu@hi.is – tel. 525 4003
RING OF
SEASONS.
ICELAND: - IT’S
CULTURE AND
HISTORY
Terry G. Lacy brings both
the perspective of an
outsider and the familiar
eye of a long-term resident
to this delightful exploration
of all facets of Iceland, past
and present. She conveys her
story with a skillful interlacing
of history, religion, politics, and culture to paint a vivid
picture of the way Icelanders live today.
„This fascinating book is a must for anyone who is interested
in Iceland.“ - Dick Ringler
SURTSEY - AN ECOSYSTEM FORMED
Dr. Sturla Fridrikson describes the birth of the island in
1963 and how in itself it became an interesting
geological phenomenon and a biological laboratory,
where scientists could investigate how organisms
disperse across the ocean to remote islands and how
plants and animals colonize completely barren areas such
as Surtsey. Available in English, French and German
Surtsey was inscribed on
UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2008.
THE MANUSCRIPTS OF ICELAND
In this collection of articles scholars present the story of
Icelandic manuscripts, their medieval origins, the
literature they contain and its influence up to the present
day. This book is a tribute to the central role that
medieval Icelandic literature played in forging national
identities in N-Europe.
Amazing photography exhibition.
A “must see” event for all
nature loving visitors to Iceland.
Jón Páll Vilhelmsson
by
Icelandic
landscape
Friðrik Tryggvason, curator.
Trúbatrix – Taka 1 is a compilation
of all female musicians (both known
and unknown) that are brought
together with the idea of creating a
unified network in which they can
work to raise their profiles and create
a supportive working environment.
The album is pretty relaxed and cosy.
It wouldn't be what I would listen
to in order to motivate myself in the
morning, but I enjoyed it nonetheless,
even if on a slightly frivolous level.
The album covers a variety of sounds,
ranging from singer/songwriter/folk
to blues, with some light poppy tracks
in there too. This gives the album
an air of variety, while the styles are
similar enough that it still sounds
pretty cohesive. On the whole it's a
good album and worth listening to,
but maybe a bit lacking in substance
at points. It is however nice to be able
to lend support to this new artistic
community.
-BERGRÚN ANNA HALLSTEINSDÓTTIR
Trúbatrix
Taka 1 (2009)
trubatrix
One for the morning after, rather
than the night before.
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Trúbatrix – Taka 1 is a compilation
of all female musicians (both known
and unknown) that are brought
together with the idea of creating a
unified network in which they can
work to raise their profiles and create
a supportive working environment.
The album is pretty relaxed and cosy.
It wouldn't be what I would listen
to in order to motivate myself in the
morning, but I enjoyed it nonetheless,
even if on a slightly frivolous level.
The album covers a variety of sounds,
ranging from singer/songwriter/folk
to blues, with some light poppy tracks
in there too. This gives the album
an air of variety, while the styles are
similar enough that it still sounds
pretty cohesive. On the whole it's a
good album and worth listening to,
but maybe a bit lacking in substance
at points. It is however nice to be able
to lend support to this new artistic
community. -BOB CLUNESS
Even though their 2nd album has
just been released, LOTH’s hit single
“Paperboat” has been part of the
radio rock landscape for what seem
like forever now. And it’s fair to say
that the album is pretty frontloaded
with stuff you’ve probably already
heard. The opening track, Katrina,
is the highlight of the album, with
menacing overdriven guitars and
rolling drumbeat, evoking pictures
a storm on a Nevada highway. After
this they quickly settle into their US
influenced brand of desert blues-rock.
And indeed where the album works is
when they stick to this template (Heart
of Moon, Paperboat), the sound has
substance is worth listening to. But
after the hits, the rest of the album
seems to meander into drawling, sub-
Eagles west coast acoustic territory,
and I found myself caring less as the
album went on. -BOB CLUNESS
Sunn o)))
Lights on the Highway
Monolith & Dimensions (2009)
Amanita Muscaria (2009)
flightofthebehemoth
If you want truly thought
provoking, challenging music that
sounds like the end of the world,
it’s a plus. If your favourite band is
Hjaltalín, then...
lightsonthehighway
Get for the hits and when they
decide to rock. For the rest, just
stick to the Neil Young.
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Music | Review
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 13 — 2009
21
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