Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.09.2014, Side 27

The pouring rain in the past couple of weeks has made it
painfully obvious: autumn is upon us. It’s the time of the
year when it’s best to stay inside, curl up in a foetal posi-
tion under a blanket and drink some hot cocoa. For that
kind of non-activity you need a soundtrack. Here is ours.
Words
Óli Dóri & Davíð Roach Gunnarsson
sushisamba
Þingholtsstræti 5 • 101 Reykjavík
Tel 568 6600 • sushisamba.is
Laugavegur
HverfisgataL
æ
kj
ar
ga
ta
Sk
ól
as
tr
æ
ti
Þ
in
g
ho
lt
ss
tr
æ
ti
Skólavörðust.
Amtmannsstígur
In
g
ó
lf
ss
tr
æ
ti
Lækjar-
torg
Our kitchen is open
17.00–23.00 sun.–thu.
17.00–24.00 fri.–sat.
Amazing
6 course menu
Starts with a shot of the Icelandic
national spirit “Brennivín“
Arctic char
with cucumber andcoriander
Smoked puffin
with yuzu mayo
Minke whale
with celeriac purée
Reindeer burger
with portobello mushroom
Icelandic free range lamb fillet
with cinnamon potato
And to end on a high note ....
“Skyr“ panna cotta with white chocolate
and raspberry sorbet
6.990 kr.

A unique Icelandic Feast
I\ZPZ
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27The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 14 — 2014 MUSIC
Megas
“Tvær Stjörnur”
Autumn is a time for heartbreak if there
ever was one, and “Tvær stjörnur,” a
song about lost love and the inevitable
passing of time, is Megas at his most
romantic and bittersweet. Megas,
whose vocals are usually raspy and in-
distinct, has never sung as beautifully
in a traditional sense. The only instru-
mentation is bright jazzy piano chords,
which follow his voice closely. Megas
is Iceland’s provocative musical poet
numero uno, but “Tvær Stjörnur” really
shows off his sentimental side.
Sprengjuhöllin
“Verum í sambandi”
This song was one of the most popu-
lar hits in Iceland in the summer of
2007, but we’ve always thought it was
far better suited for autumn. It begins
with acoustic guitar strumming and
the fragile and lonely sounding voice
of Snorri Helgason. Then come soft
drum fills and brass in a chorus which
roughly translates to: “Now leaves fall
from trees/forging a pale path/that I
walk away from you/autumn is back
again.” It’s an articulate tale of regret
and romance gone wrong for compli-
cated reasons.
Emilíana Torrini
“Nothing Brings Me Down”
If we were sent to a desert island in a
state of continual autumn, ‘Fisherman’s
Woman,’ Emilíana Torrini’s album from
2005, would probably be our desired
soundtrack. The album’s opener con-
sists of richly textured acoustic guitar
riffs, Emilíana’s impeccable vocals and
a smattering of piano. The sound and
lyrics are so warm that you want to hug
them. “Home alone and happy/noth-
ing brings me down/Full of wine and
steady/nothing brings me down.”
Mugison
“I’d Ask”
“She loves me/And I love her back.”
What else do you need when dark-
ness is taking over and the weather is
getting worse by the day” “I’d Ask” ap-
pears on the 2004 album ‘Mugimama
Is This Monkey Music’, and it has a
warm autumnal feel to it. “I pan, I ped-
dle/Paperwork, chill” sings Mugison
with a hint of uncertainty in his voice,
the uncertainty that comes with winter.
M-Band
“Autumn”
M-Band’s recent album ‘Haust’ (“Au-
tumn”) was almost entirely written two
autumns ago. The title track perfectly
captures the feel of fall and the com-
ing of winter. It starts with acoustic
instruments, develops into a beautiful
harmony between synths and vocal,
and ends with disarranged noise that
leaves the listener with total emptiness.
Straumur has been active since last
summer, with writers Óli Dóri and
Davíð Roach documenting the local
music scene and helping people
discover new music at straum.is. It
is associated with the radio show
Straumur on X977, which airs every
Monday evening at 23:00.
www.straum.isStraumur radio show airs
Mondays on X977 at 23:00
Straumur
Autumnal Blues
Five songs to get you
through the fall
STRAUMUR