Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.01.2015, Síða 2

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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 1 — 2015
Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík
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grapevine@grapevine.is
Published by Fröken ehf.
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Editor In Chief:
Haukur S Magnússon / haukur@grapevine.is
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Ásgeir H. Ingólfsson
Ásmundur Ásmundsson
Atli Bollason
Catherine Fulton
Davíð Roach
Elín Traustadóttir
Helgi Hrafn Guðmundsson
Hildur María Friðriksdóttir
Kári Tulinius
Óli Dóri
Ragnar Egilsson
Snorri Páll Jónsson Úlfhildarson
Vera Illugadóttir
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The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times a year by Fröken
ltd. Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly
from May til October. Nothing in this magazine may be repro-
duced in whole or in part without the written permission of
the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed around
Reykjavík, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Seyðisfjörður, Borgarnes,
Keflavík, Ísafjörður and at key locations along road #1, and all
major tourist attractions and tourist information centres in the
country.
You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored (no articles
in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions
expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’).
On the cover: Svavar Pétur,
Prins Póló, The Prince, Skakki.
Photo: Baldur Kristjáns
(www.baldurkristjans.is)
Special thanks to: Berglind Häsler, Air
Iceland, Hertz and Píla.
Editorial-in-chief | Haukur S. Magnússon
THIS FEELS
RELEVANT NOW
Hi. Happy New Year.
Right now, at this very moment, you could certainly
argue that shit is fucked up and bullshit. For all sorts
of reasons.
But, it feels sort of important that we don’t. That we re-
tain hope. That we strive for understanding, empathy,
humanity. For compassion and care. And kindness.
Harmony. All that dirty hippie bullshit.
Here is some dirty hippie bullshit that rang through
my brain as I woke up this morning. It seems perti-
nent:
“(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love,
And Understanding
As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity.
I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
And each time I feel like this inside,
There's one thing I wanna know:
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
'cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me
wanna cry.
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
'cause each time I feel it slippin' away,
just makes me wanna cry.
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?”
(Those words were written by a man called Nick Lowe
in the year 1974, right when dirty hippies were falling
out of fashion. They are reprinted without permis-
sion.. I hope that Nick Lowe is still into that whole “be-
ing understanding” idea).
Happy New Year. I love you.
2
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 1 — 2015
TRACK
OF THE
YEAR!
Our panel of experts—along with the whole
of the Icelandic nation—picked “París
Norðursins” as THE song of 2014. The track
is a true radio monster, which resulted in
the perennial left-field outsider indie kid
(who has rested so comfortably on the
margins of Icelandic culture for over a de-
cade) becoming somewhat of a celebrity.
We hear he even had to remove his list-
ing from the phone book to thwart an in-
cessant stream of phone calls from drunk
housewives who wanted discuss the lyrics.
We went bonkers for it as soon as we heard
it, featuring it as our “TRACK OF THE IS-
SUE” last August. Here’s what we had to
say back then:
“You won’t find Prins Póló’s unexpected
summer hit 'París Norðursins' ( 'Paris Of
The North') on the act’s recent LP ‘Sorrí ’
( ‘Sorry’) . Written and recorded specifi-
cally for the purpose, the song features in
a highly anticipated film of the same name,
which hits theatres in early September and
should be pretty great if the Prince’s con-
tribution is anything to go by.
The track’s steadily humming, upbeat
bass line is accompanied with occasional
keys and distorted guitar segments, all
wrapped up in a fun and danceable pack-
age. Hiding behind that cheerful façade
are lyrics that explore a recurring bitter
theme in Icelandic literature—Halldór Lax-
ness’s ‘Independent People,’ for example—
that of the stubborn male who strives to
do honest work while his family life turns
to shit, partly because life is complicated,
partly of his own doing. Whether this mir-
rors the plot of ‘París norðursins’ remains
to be seen [update: we saw the movie, it
doesn’t exactly mirror the lyrics, but there
are similarities].
With its infectious melody, steady beat
and haunting lyrics, Prins Póló’s new single
is surely in the running to be crowned 'Ice-
land’s Summer Jam 2014.'”
It ran, it won, it surpassed. “París
Norðursins” is our TRACK OF THE YEAR!
TRACK OF THE YEAR! TRACK OF THE
YEAR!

× 2015
January 9 - February 5
Issue 1
YOUR FREE COPY THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND
The Year The
Prince Popped
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Appy Hour and Craving
Available on the App store and on Android Market.

WEATHER
THE DARKNESS
TRAVEL
FOOD
The year in
How to defeat it
IN THE ISSUE
We fan the flames of
Meet the tourist
of the year
WTF is “The Lizard” ?
DISCOURSE
Prins Póló made THE SONG OF THE YEAR.
And Prins Póló is THE BAND OF THE YEAR.
All hail the Prince!
THE GRAPEVINE
M
USIC AW
ARDS

Comic | Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir
París Norðursins
Prins Póló
Download it at www.grapevine.is