Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.12.2016, Qupperneq 40

The R
eykjavík G
rapevine
Iceland A
irw
aves Special 20
16
40
Downtown Reykjavík has some
g re at i ndep endent re cord
stores, all of which sell LPs by
Icelandic artists that you might
not find elsewhere. So if—or
more likely, when—you fall
head over heels for some Icelan-
dic band during Airwaves, here
are the places where you might
be able to track down their mu-
sic. And just for fun, we threw in
some nice cafés that have record
players where you can get a cof-
fee, listen to vinyl, and look over
what you bought.
Reykjavík Roasters
Kárastígur 1
Start the day off with a cup of
“Kaffismiðjan” and a crois-
sant at Reykjavík Roasters.
Pick a record to play from their
wide-ranging selection, and
make your own latte art. You
should be energised and ready
for the day.
Reykjavík Record Shop
Klapparstígur 35
Stop by the small but hom-
ey Reykjavík Record Shop on
Klapparstígur. After admiring
their collection of old and new
vinyl, and perhaps finding an
album to take home, head over
to Skólavörðustígur.
12 Tónar
Skólavörðustígur 15
This classic music shop has been
located at Skólavörðustígur 15
since 1998. Pick out some re-
cords, settle into one of the
comfortable sofas with a coffee,
clamp on the headphones, and
relax for a while. You’ll always
find something to your liking
here, especially because the su-
per-nice staff are always willing
to recommend Icelandic bands
you might like based on your
taste.
Kaffi Vínyl
Hverfisgata 76
This relatively new café-bar is
a great lunch stop, and always
has the crackle of vinyl in the air
as the staff and customers pick
LPs to play from their record
collection. Pick something out,
and try something from their
all-vegan menu.
Lucky Records
Rauðarárstígur 10
When it comes to sheer quan-
tity of records on offer, Lucky
Records w ins hands dow n.
It’s easy to lose an hour going
through the racks in this vinyl
candy store, whether you’re
after specific rarities, dusty
second-hand LPs, or the latest
Icelandic and international re-
leases.
Smekkleysa
Laugavegur 35
Smekkleysa (“Bad Taste” in En-
glish) is a record label and cre-
ative collective that grew from
Reykjavík’s punk scene in the
1980s. Today, it’s also a bright
green record store with a fine
selection of CDs and vinyl on
offer.
Stofan
Vesturgata 3
If you want somewhere to re-
charge and look through your
purchases, we recommend the
Stofan café. They have soups,
snacks and pastries, and the
staff play chilled out music in
the daytime with DJs playing re-
laxed sets most evenings.
Mengi
Óðinsgata 2
This artist-run arts and music
space has quickly become a sta-
ple of the local scene, hosting
interesting exhibits by day and
experimental performances by
night. It’s definitely worth pop-
ping in to check out the records
and objects they have on sale by
local artists in the shop area,
and to find out what events are
going on.
A Vinyl Lover's
Guide to Reykjavík
Words Hrefna Björg Gylfadóttir & John Rogers
Photos Art Bicnick