Atlantica - 01.05.2002, Side 54

i-site MUSIC❍
52 A T L A N T I C A
Quick, in what town is Iceland’s oldest jazz festival held? Surely, it
must be Reykjavík, not only the nation’s capital, but also the cul-
tural centre of the country – a city where the downtown postal
code 101 is synonymous with hip, cool and chic.
Wrong. The oldest jazz-fest is held in Egilsstadir. Where the hell is
Egilsstadir? Why, it’s in the East Fjords, and the festival (10-13
July) is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.
Believe it or not, international artists clamour to perform at the
Egilsstadir Jazz Festival. Okay, perhaps they don’t clamour, but
they do show up. Among those scheduled to appear at this year’s
festival are the Danish trio Sophisticated Ladies, baritone saxist
Sessilla Wennström and the JJ Soul Band backed up by an
Icelandic quartet. See you in Egilsstadir. EW
For more information, call on (+354) 587-1401 or log on to
www.jazzis.net/egilsjazz
“Life is killing my rock ´n´ roll,” says the skinny frontman of Singapore Sling. This is the kind of
tongue-in-cheek pretentiousness that pours forth from the tufty-haired Reykjavík rocker. He’s
secretly ironic – but now the secret’s out. This boy will only talk about the price of sliced bread if
there’s word play involved, but in inimitable Icelandic style, his lines are delivered with all seri-
ousness. And that’s what you’re contending with on Singapore Sling’s new album, which will be
released when this goes to print, but has been tentatively titled The Curse of Singapore Sling.
However, those that believe that there is something too well practised about the new wave of
retrorock, will find the Slingers hotchpotch of tracks more earnest. According to them, the “roll”
part is very important to their sound and this is evident as they build up momentum and then
coast through tracks like ‘Overdriver’, ‘Heart or Chrome’ and ‘Roadkill’.
Released on up-and-coming label Hitt Records, the Slingers’ debut can be purchased in all good
record stores around Reykjavík and in the duty-free store at Keflavík airport. Don’t let the fact that
they dub themselves “psychotic bastards” put you off however — not at least until you’ve seen
their birth certificates. JMcC
Bay City Rollers
Jazz-Fest
P
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Hrafnaspark trio will
perform in Egilsstadir
this summer.
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