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| Hunangsdropar for your ears |
Maybe you are familiar with the Wilco documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, which is a fairly unflinching and frank look at life in a band. The filmmakers had an idea of what they were trying to do at the outset but their preconceptions flew out the window almost immediately. They wanted to film Wilco in the midst of creating their sonic masterpiece. After hearing the album, the label wanted them to rework it, perhaps adding some more palatable music, as they had done on their prior album. The industry people were not smelling a hit single here folks, which seems a little ridiculous, as Wilco is pretty clearly an album oriented group (perhaps in the age of mp3's a dying anomaly?). The bottom line is, Jeff Tweedy and Co. created a terrific album, the label refused to release the album as is, and they wound up buying the record back and releasing the album on another label which was part of a conglomerate that included their original label. And Yankee Hotel Foxtrot wound up being an artistic and commercial success.
I used to buy records from an outfit called Ajax Records in Chicago. They had a gigantic and diverse catalog of music from which I picked up some pretty rare items. I even bought old flying nun vinyl--the first single by Pin Group in fact. And even more amazingly they became a recording label and released things that they liked--like The Mountain Goats, The Cannanes, East River Pipe, and reissues of This Kind Of Punishment and Peter Jefferies from New Zealand. Eventually it all came to an end. I recall reading a fairly bitter disappointed statement from the owner Tim Adams, where he basically said that all the effort that he put into this label was unrewarded. He said that he never sold more than a few thousand of any one release. While I don't think that he had any delusions that the artists on his label would be elevated to the limo and private jet crowd, I know that he loved these bands and thought that if people had the chance to hear these recordings, that a decent number of music fans would love them too. I wish Tim was still putting out records on Ajax--he had a good ear for music and I have a lot of respect for him for what he did. He definitely turned me on to some great music that I would have never heard otherwise. So here's to Ajax, Skipping Stones, and the other music labels that continue to fight the good fight!
But back to Iceland. I've been into their music scene since I saw a video of Cold Sweat by Sykurmolarnir aka Sugarcubes late one night. I went to Tower Records in NYC and picked up whatever I could find. I like the sound of the language, the way Bjork rolls her R's. I used to order records from the Smekkleysa (Bad Taste) label once in a while. They have gone digital which is good pricewise, but they used to describe the records a bit and I got emails from Dr Gunni ("mail-order slave" and legendary musician) about new releases. It's a very interesting place, halfway between Europe and America. On one level, you could imagine it as a arctic sequel to Paradise lost, where you stumble upon an isolated Viking settlement that retained their medieval past. But of course it is a very modern place, (they are very much unAmish) though they also conservatively maintain their traditions. I found people there to be quite nice, very polite, perhaps a little reserved. I remember being in a bookstore there and when I asked the proprietor a question, another man interjected "he is very sorry, but he does not speak English." But I was the one embarrassed then. Since I was in the country everyone I had met spoke English, and I was lulled into thinking that this meant everyone did. He should not have been apologizing to me at all! After all it was his country and I was a dumb tourist.
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| Thingvellir--Unbelievable Scenery--And probably Elves |
Of course when I was there it was not that popular a destination for Americans. I know that a lot of people thought I was lunatic for going there. And that is probably the least valid reason to accuse me of lunacy. Today Iceland's Tourism industry markets itself as the "Party Capital of Europe" and with the international popularity of Sigur Ros people in the music biz are taking junkets to hear the latest bands at Festivals. I would recommend it as much for the clean air, the pristine and surreal scenery, the beautiful night sky, and of course the food and drink--though I never tried a sheep's eyeball or Hakarl (putrefied shark meat), or Slattur, the Icelandic version of Haggis. But there is Salmon, Lamb, the dairy product Skyr unique to Iceland, and the rough Icelandic Schnapps Brennivin, aka Black Death (which will give you a hell of a unique hangover).
Dyrdin is a band from Reykjavik which has been around in some form since 1994. This album came out in 2006. I don't know too much about them really. The music is crisp and energetic 80's keyboard driven new wave with strummy guitar reminiscent of groups like Blondie, R.E.M., The Go-Gos, Pointed Sticks, or even Shonen Knife or New Zealand's Look Blue Go Purple. Two songs are in English, Wake Up and Bubble Girl. I have no idea what they are saying, which is good because that would mean the singer would have to be singing Takk and the names of food and cities over and over for that to happen.
But the topics are helpfully described on the inner cover of the Cd. The topics seem a little twee, about unrequited love between Snow People (Snjofolk), about the statue of national hero Jon Sigurddson wishing he could jump down from his pedestal and party with the people celebrating Iceland's Independence Day (17. Juni.) It's a theme akin to the Soft Boys classic song Underwater Moonlight. There is even a love song to Mr Spock of Star Trek fame. There are songs about falling in love with a slimy green alien (Brottnumin)and about the life of honeybees (Hunangsdropar) But even if you don't know what these songs are about they are very very fun party music that will make you want to get up and dance. I'm hoping that they get back in the studio soon and make a followup.
As you are certainly aware, Leif Ericson Day is nearly upon us once again. Yes, its nearly October 9th already. It seems as though last years celebrations just ended. So dust off your Viking helmets and break out the Brennivin and crank those Purrkur Pillnikk albums!
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| Hallgrimskirkja in Reykyavik Iceland Some upstart church Odin, Leif and I are not pleased |
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