Reykjavík Grapevine - 04.04.2014, Qupperneq 23

Since our winters are very long and dark (with seasonal affec-
tive disorder being a national epidemic), the coming of spring
is something the whole nation looks forward to every year. Al-
though we don’t really have a spring break tradition, we have a
lot of songs that celebrate the season, both in spirit and con-
tent. Here are five of those.
Lóan er komin by Grísalappalísa
Ever since the 19th century poet Páll
Ólafsson wrote a poem about it, the plover
(‘lóan’) has been forever linked to spring and it’s
an accepted fact in Iceland that as soon as this
particular bird has been sighted, spring is upon
us. This Grísalappalísa song takes its name (‘The plover has arrived’) from said
poem and it arrived last spring to kick-start the band’s career with a bang. This
is energetic post-punk at its giddiest and most playful, and it makes you want to
new-wave dance the winter away.
Vorvísa by Hallbjörg Bjarnadóttir
Recorded in 1955, “Vorvísa” (“Spring Verse”) was written by Hallbjörg
Bjarnadóttir, the first Icelandic woman to sing jazz and a renowned international
entertainer at the time. The bright jazzy piano chords flow like newly defrosted riv-
ers and her super throaty low register voice is like a force of nature waking from
hibernation. The plover also makes an appearance.
Reykjavíkurnætur by Megas
Somewhere between Bob Dylan and
Serge Gainsbourg, Megas is a strange beast in-
deed. He is a socially conscious king of sleaze,
adored by the usually politically correct intellec-
tual left. His song “Reykjavíkurnætur” (“Reykjavík
Nights”) is a decadent ode to sunny Reykjavík nights, and the lyrics take you on
a tour through some of the city’s best-known slacker and lowlife hangouts during
the time he was growing up.
Vor í Vaglaskógi by Hljómsveit Ingimars Eydal
“Vor í Vaglaskógi” (“Spring in Vaglaskógur Forest”) was recorded in 1966
by Hljómsveit Ingimars Eydal. The legendary radio host Jónas Jónasson wrote the
song with lyrics from the poet Kristján frá Djúpalæk about a spring night shared
by two lovers in Vaglaskógur forest in the Northeast Iceland. The vocals on the re-
cording are none other than Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson, one of Iceland’s most adored
singers of all time. Icelandic sleaze rockers Kaleo’s cover of the song was a hit last
year, but please don’t play that version. It lacks the original’s bouncy riff and its
ever-so-catchy hook.
Advent In Ives Garden by Sin Fang
“Advent In Ives Garden” is Sin Fang’s debut sin-
gle from 2008. Beautifully glitched electro pop, it is best
enjoyed walking outside at the early stages of spring with
your iPod volume pumped up.
Crossfade by GusGus
So far, this spring’s biggest hit has to be GusGus’s new
single “Crossfade,” which dropped just this week. It awed us when the band pre-
miered it at the Sónar festival over a year ago and now it’s finally here. The thump-
ing rhythm is both dubby and robotic and Daníel Ágúst’s verses have a sensual
swagger that’s uniquely his own. But it’s the glorious chorus, where Högni and
Daníel trade lines that fade into each other, that lifts it from the dance floor and into
the psyche. It is soaked in dance music/DJ Culture nostalgia that make us long for
the raves we were too young to have experienced: “Do you remember the days/
When we started to crossfade.”
Finally, to further celebrate spring, we are throwing a concert at KEX Hostel on May
3. The amazing Montreal-based band Phédre, which released our favourite song of
2012, “In Decay,” is coming to play a show at the Gym & Tonic venue at KEX. Sup-
ported by their friend Ken Park and an Icelandic artist, the ticket price is only 1,000
ISK. Come and celebrate with us!
Spring Bangers
Five songs to celebrate the coming of spring
Words
Óli Dóri and Davíð Roach
23 Music Go to http://tinyurl.com/papjzyq to listen to these songs!
Nanna Dís
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Bonus
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RÓBERT A. OTTÓSSON: THREE SACRED HYMNS
BENJAMIN BRITTEN: REJOICE IN THE LAMB
HREIÐAR INGI ÞORSTEINSSON: HALLGRÍMUR PÉTURSSON EASTER CANTATA -
PREMIERE
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