Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.01.2015, Qupperneq 23

Best albums
10 ASONAT
CONNECTION
9 GUSGUS
MEXICO
8 BEN FROST
AURORA
7 FM BELFAST
BRIGHTER DAYS
6 BÖRN
BÖRN
5
OYAMA
COOLBOY

Oyama’s ‘Coolboy’ is packed
full of dreamy shoegaze,
wrapped in a combination
of sounds that form a tight
union.
4
GRÍSALAPPALÍSA
RÖKRÉTT FRAMHALD
Grísalapplísa’s sophomore ef-
fort, ‘Rökrétt framhald’ (which
roughly translates as “A Logi-
cal Next Step”), is not as logi-
cal a step forward as the title
suggests. In contrast to the
band’s début, this record is
all over the place—while ‘ALI’
was much more of a concept
album, ‘Rökrétt framhald’
features a tight selection of
songs that work better on
their own.
3
ÓBÓ
INNHVERFI
With ‘Innhverfi’, Icelandic mu-
sic mainstay (and frequent
Sigur Rós keyboardist) Óla-
fur Björn Ólafsson, Óbó, has
made a wonderfully alluring
album. Free from the clichés
that are often associated with
the kind of music Óbó plays,
‘Innhverfi’ was one of 2014
most pleasant surprises.
2
PINK STREET BOYS
TRASH FROM THE BOYS
‘Trash From The Boys’ is one
of the most exhilarating rock
albums unleashed upon Ice-
land in recent memory. Re-
leased on cassette via Lady
Boy Records last fall, the
album viciously attacks all
senses at once, tantamount
to a blow to the face.
1
M-BAND
HAUST
Hörður Már Bjarnason’s first
LP as M-Band, ‘Haust’, is a
dark soulful techno record
that sometimes recalls Gus-
Gus at their best, with a little
bit of Jon Hopkins thrown into
the mix for good measure.
The highlight of the album
is the splendid “Ever Ending
Never”, with haunting vocals
build around a repetitive,
bouncing synth line.
Best songs

10 BOOGIE TROUBLE
STEINUNN
9 PÁLL IVAN
EXPANDING
8 MYNDRA
DISTANT LOVER
7 PINK STREET BOYS
EVEL KNIEVEL
6 FM BELFAST
THE END
5
M-BAND
EVER ENDING NEVER
Like GusGus, Jon Hopkins
and Caribou on a massive
bender in Berlin. A long night,
but you wish it would never
end.
4
GRÍSALAPPALÍSA
FLÝJA
Grísalappalísa diversified
their sound on their second
album, as heard on “Flýja”
(“Escape”), a dark ballad
that’s equal parts Lou Reed,
Serge Gainsbourg and Bob
Dylan. The string arrange-
ment’s exceptional, too.
3
GUSGUS
CROSSFADE
Full of nostalgic references
to the origins of dance mu-
sic, which double as sexual
innuendos. Högni’s bright
baritone in the chorus serves
as the perfect tonic for Daníel
Ágúst’s dark verses that are
drenched in reverb.
2
GANGLY
FUCK WITH SOMEONE ELSE
Iceland’s answer to FKA
Twigs. Brooding and futuris-
tic triphop featuring a trio of
mysteriously unknown voices
that are scrambled and bent
like radio signals from a far-
away galaxy.
1
PRINS PÓLÓ
PARÍS NORÐURSINS
There was no question about
it. The dirty synth bass throbs,
kick drum on every beat and
funny lyrics analyzing the
main players in an archetypi-
cal Icelandic fishing village,
push “París Norðursins” over
the top. Concise, witty and an
arrow through the heart of a
nation.
For more detailed lists (in Ice-
landic, but with YouTube em-
beds and stuff), head over to
www.straum.is
We at Straumur wish all you readers a happy new year, and hope 2015 will be a blast for
all of us. But, before we dive head-on into the New Year, it’s time to reflect on what just
happened. Behold, our absolute favourite Icelandic albums and songs from last year:
Words
Óli Dóri & Davíð Roach
Photo
M-Band
Straumur’s
Best Of 2014!
www.straum.isStraumur radio show airs
Mondays on X977 at 23:00
Straumur
STRAUMUR
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Open:
Mondays-Saturdays 11:30-22:30
Sundays 16:00-22:00
Now offering
catering service!
www.hafnarborg.is
Aðalstræti 9
101 Reykjavík
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on weekdays
and from 14:00
on weekends
23The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 1 — 2015 MUSIC