Reykjavík Grapevine - Jan 2021, Page 2

First 08: THE RENT IS TOO HIGH!!
07: Sif, <3 Beautiful
Blonde Wife <3
06: The $$ Of Transition
19: All About That Bass
18: Núll = Fun Nihilism &
Nietzsche
23: Möller Records
If you feel down
because of the
p a n d e m i c , t h e
b o r i n g s t o r m s
and the strong
w i n d s b e a t i n g
on you al l the
goddamn time,
don’t despair: Reykjavík Grapevine’s
Music Awards are out! We got an
incredible panel to find out who were
the best musicians of the dreadful
pandemic year, and it turns out that
we had some seriously good music this
year. We have a new star rising as the
artist of the year, Bríet, who came liter-
ally like a storm to the Icelandic scene.
Her album, Kveðja, Bríet (Best regards,
Bríet) was one of the strongest debuts
we have seen for years in Iceland. On
top of that, she sang straight into the
nation’s soul which couldn’t get enough
of her best song of the year, Rólegur
Kúreki (Easy now, cowboy), which is not
something many new artists manage to
do.
An old friend of Reykjavík Grape-
vine, JFDR, showed the nation, once
again, that she is one of Iceland’s top
artists, and won the best album of the
year award for her ethereal, sincere
EP, Dream On. Both of these women
have in common the courage to bare
their soul, something that the Icelan-
dic nation did not only appreciate, but
needed in the odd time of social restric-
tions and distance from other people.
The last year in music was good, but
it was a seriously hard year for artists
at the same time. Many have lost their
living because of the strict social gath-
ering rules while others used the time
to record new music. Yet musicians did
not forget their most vulnerable broth-
ers and sisters: Frosti Jón Runólfsson
made an incredible video of Jónsi’s song,
Sumarið sem aldrei kom (The summer
that never came), where Frosti followed
houseless people and their hard days
in his shocking video, creating a true
momentum in Iceland when the video
came out. We also have unique artists,
like Hekla, who is one artist you should
have heard. Her usage of the Theramin
and her classical approach to it shows
us that creativity in Icelandic music is
bustling. The same goes with the odd
couple in Holdgervlar, the one you
should be watching. All in all, this year
in Icelandic music was much stronger
than anyone anticipated. So go to your
streaming platform, or better, buy the
albums you like, because, well, Icelan-
dic artists are struggling like so many
of us.

Valur Grettisson
Editor-in-chief
Strong Year
In Music
Megan Massey is
an award-winning
QWOC poet from
Bedford, England. She
writes about women,
magic, and the Indian
diaspora. She recently
graduated from the
University of London
with a BA in Creative
Writing. She is cur-
rently in law school.
Hannah Jane Cohen is
based out of Iceland
by way of New York.
She's known for her
love of Willa Ford,
David Foster Wallace,
and other such
"intellectuals." Her
visionary work is
known for expand-
ing the definitions of
emotion, introspec-
tion, and above all
else, taste. Hannah is
also the current Drag
King of Iceland, HANS.
Pollý is a hard-work-
ing journalist by day
and an enthusiastic
ball-catcher by
night. A four-year-old
dachshund mix with
an IQ of a five-year-
old human, Pollý has
been the official
Chief Of Morale at
the Grapevine for
eight months and is
a regular contribu-
tor to the Grape-
vine Newscast on
YouTube. Woof.
Shruthi Basappa is
one of Iceland's most
knowledgeable food-
ies. She's covered
local restaurants for
years and has also
been involved in vari-
ous food competi-
tions in Iceland, such
as Food & Fun and
more. By day, she
works as an architect
at Sei Studio.
Sveinbjörn Pálsson
is our Art Director.
He's responsible for
the design of the
magazine and the
cover photography.
When he's not work-
ing here, he DJs as
Terrordisco, hosts
the Funkþátturinn
radio show, or sits at
a table in a Laugarda-
lur café, drinking
copious amounts of
coffee and thinking
about fonts.
Art Bicnick is an
international man
of mystery. He
moves like a shadow
through the subcul-
tures and soirees
of Reykjavík, never
still, often ghosting
the scene in a puff
of blue smoke—the
exhaust fumes of the
elusive, well-travelled
Bicnick Mini.
Andie Sophia Fontaine
has lived in Iceland
since 1999 and has
been reporting since
2003. They were the
first foreign-born
member of the
Icelandic Parliament,
an experience they
recommend for
anyone who wants
to experience a
workplace where
colleagues work tire-
lessly to undermine
each other.
Jess Distill is a
musician, artist and
wannabe writer from
St. Albans, England. As
a long time lover of
Iceland, and recent
copywriting diploma
graduate, Jess came
to the Grapevine to
expand her writing
portfolio whilst see-
ing if she could hack
it as an Icelandic
resident.
Valur Grettisson is
an award-winning
journalist, author
and playwright. He
has been writing for
Icelandic media since
2005. He was also a
theatre critic and
one of the hosts of
the cultural program,
'Djöflaeyjan' at RÚV.
Valur is not to be
confused with the
dreadful football club
that bears the same
name.
EDITORIAL
31: Yoda Cave Reviewed
28: Restaurants Adapt To
The New Norm
30: Horror-Scopes
COVER PHOTO:
Bríet & JFDR, the winners
of the Artist of the Year,
Album of the Year, and
Song of the Year awards
at the 2020 Grapevine
Music Awards.
Photo by Art Bicnick
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