Reykjavík Grapevine - 04.12.2015, Qupperneq 39

UNO at Ingólfstorg | Tel. 561 1313 | www.uno.is
HAPPY HOUR
EVERY DAY
17-19

GREAT
FOOD
NI
CE
GOOD
DRINKS
ATMO
KITCHEN IS OPEN
Weekends 11.30–24
Other days 11.30–23
free Wifi
BISTRO&B
AR
uno is the perfect place to start
a good day or end a great evening
Open 11:30-22:00
saegreif inn. is
Geirsgata 8 • 101 Reykjavík • Tel. 553 1500 • seabaron8@gmail.com
An absolute
must-try!
Saegreifinn restaurant (Sea Baron) is like none other
in Iceland; a world famous lobster soup and a diverse
fish selection.
It’s that time of the year again. That
time when the unholy festivus trinity of
capitalism, stress and over-consumption
slowly overtakes our lives, while some
really bad music blares out of every
corner. Christmastime in Reykjavík city,
baby.
Paddling through that annual,
inescapable shitstream of adult
contemporary Christmas music can
be hard work. However, we always
encounter rare nuggets of aural holiday
delights that serve to make the season
more bearable, and this year is proving
no exception.
To wit, one of the best new
bands to emerge from Iceland this
year, Vaginaboys, have blessed us with
a wonderful Christmas song that’s
somehow simultaneously ironic and
romantic. Over a tune that contrasts
warm keyboards with icy-cold 80s pop
synths, the ‘boys deliver lyrics that liken
Christmas to “a pink ice cream that never
melts” in gorgeous autotune. “I think
Christmas songs are boring,” the chorus
goes, “but I bear them when I’m with
you.” Beautiful. Paradoxically, they go on
to namecheck many of Iceland’s most
popular Christmas songs in the following
verses. Vaginaboys have been on a
streak lately, delivering a great EP and an
amazing music video—and now they have
a non-sucky Christmas song to boot!
We will surely be bumping Vaginaboys
throughout the festival season.
Straumur’s Christmas celebrations
will commence with a screening of the
documentary ‘Jingle Bell Rocks!’ at Bíó
Paradís on December 5—our fourth
music-related movie screening at the
theatre this year. With an eclectic cast
of characters and songs, ‘Jingle Bell
Rocks!’ focuses on original, alternative
Christmas music. Filmmaker Mitchell
Kezin uncovers the stories behind twelve
of the most amazing Christmas songs
you've likely never heard. Equal parts
social history, pop culture pilgrimage
and revealing character study, ‘Jingle Bell
Rocks!’ confronts the Christmas music
mainstream, reinventing the seasonal
soundtrack for a new century. Before
and after the screening, our friends from
Reykjavík Record Shop will be offering
some great alternative Christmas music
at good prices. Merry Christmas!
With that hectic Iceland Airwaves week still simmering in our hearts, we feel obligated to
bring you a list of the top acts we saw at the festival. Here they are, in no particular order.
Words
Davíð Roach Gunnarsson & Óli Dóri
STRAUMUR
The
Definitive
Straumur
Guide To Your
Alternative
Christmas
Straumur radio show airs
Mondays on X977 at 23:00Straumur www.straum.is