Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.03.2012, Page 18

Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.03.2012, Page 18
18 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 3 — 2012 Elding Whale Watching Call us on (+354) 555 3565 or book online at www.elding.is from Reykjavik all year round E N N E M M / S ÍA / N M 49 69 9 Tour Operator Authorised by Icelandic Tourist Board lding.is Make sureit’s Elding! Environmental Award Icelandic Tourist Board Take part in an adventure at sea with an unforgettable trip into the world of whales and sea birds. Before or after the tour you can also enjoy the exhibition in the Elding Whale Watching Centre. Viðey ferry Viðey Island is situated just few minutes from Reykjavík by ferry. It is interesting to visit any time of the year and each season has it's own charm. The ferry's winter schedule runs through three seasons; autumn, winter and spring with departures on Saturdays and Sundays from Skarfabakki pier. Elding Whale Watching schedule – all year round * From 15 May to 15 September ** From 15 June to 15 August Jan-Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct-Dec 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 14:00 14:00 14:00 17:00* 17:00 17:00 17:00 17:00* 20:30** 20:30 20:30** EL-01 / EL-02 / EL-03 February 4th – 30th April Every Saturday and Sunday 11:00 – 13:00 Posthússtræti 2 // 101 Reykjavik // +354 599 1000 Music | Reviews Nine girls walk into a studio and im- prov for seven hours, using only their voices. What do you get? A 40-minute studio album of improvised a capella. Sounds like a joke, right? No, it’s not. These girls have created a unique album—a brave, wondrous artistic feat that is original in its execution, not to mention its style. Unfortunately, while the girls have beautiful voices, there are songs on this album that really drag it down. The first song on this album, titled “I Natt, Mens Du Sov,” is extremely difficult to listen to. “The Mermaid and the Sailor” has real potential, but due to the limits of improvisation, such as no rehearsal and/or set lyrics, the song becomes too repetitive. Looking past the repetitiveness of some of these songs, however, the album proves decent. Still, the idea behind this album is fantastic and IKI cannot be accused of being cliché. So in sum, the album is worth listening to at least once, to appreciate what these artists are at- tempting. Just skip the first song… - SALvATORE A. TUMMOLILLO IKI IKI www.myspace.com/ikivocal Worth listening to at least once I first saw 1860 in October of last year, not long after their inception, and was drawn to the catchy, simple chord progressions, bouncy triads, and hum- mable choruses; their debut album, ‘Sagan,’ is much of the same, with lime ice cream-covered rhymes, lique- fied over an uncomplicated and folky, beard-rock popsicle stick. By the middle of the first track, you know what to expect from the rest of the album—while each song has an attractive hook, only once during the decidedly enjoyable ‘Love & Lime’ did I really feel like these boys nailed it. For an album that involuntarily evokes images of sepia-bleached Polaroids, suspenders neatly affixed to white cot- ton shirts, and autumn picnics in Paris, these songs rarely gave me the urge to relish in those comfortable clichés—in- stead, I’m sitting inside. Ultimately, I suggest that you give this album a listen, and make your own decisions! I hope these gentle- men continue making a go of it, for I have the feeling that when it’s time for their second album to roll around, the songwriting and composition will have matured significantly. While ‘Sagan’ doesn’t tear down any folk music boundaries, as it stands right now, 1860’s debut offering is a fun, yet undeveloped, experience. Standout tracks: ‘Love & Lime’, ‘Consequences’. - BOWEN STAINES 1860 Sagan myspace.com/1986theband A solid debut, but if you’re not a folk music fan, ‘Sagan’ isn’t going to change your mind. Isn’t there some other album called this? Now, the music here is basically irrelevant, so I’m pretty much just gon- na talk about the lyrics. While this may seem counterproductive, as this is an English-language publication and the lyrics are all in Icelandic, but since the music is basically irrelevant, and I can’t for the life of me imagine why the hell you’re reading a review of a Baggalútur album for if you don’t speak Icelandic, I’m gonna go ahead anyway. The lyrics have their occasional moments of wit, but like most Icelan- dic comedians, Baggalútur are too obsessed with being consistent and making sense, and have a tendency to make their jokes too long and noticeably lacking in punchlines. ‘Gærkvöldið,’ for instance, may be littered with contemporary slang that’s been cleverly rhymed and metered to fit with a forgettable adult pop song, but that’s THE WHOLE ENTIRE SONG. There’s nothing else in it. ‘Þetta er búið’ and ‘Uppgjörið 2006’ is basically just a dull sing-song with a bunch of predictably acerbic rhymes about THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY. Yes, they really are that lame. So. Asides from some okay lyrics about stuff that’s sort-of interesting to someone who’s lived in Iceland for at least five years, there’s little of real value here. The music is cheap, unremarkable and competently played and sung, with bland and inoffensive production, and are primarily vehicles for the lyrics, which… well, I’ve prob- ably made point already. Baggalútur even fail at making the songs catchy, with the exception of ‘Brostu,’ a fine pop song and definitely the musical highlight of the record (or compilation? Whatever), but even that still kind of sucks. - SINDRI ELDON Baggalútur Áfram Ísland! www.baggalutur.is The least cool band in Iceland continues to plumb the depths of abject lameness.

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