The annual Aldrei fór ég sudur music festival, beloved brainchild of musical mastermind Mugison, is set to take place for the fifth time in his hometown of Ísafjördur this Easter.
A two day, free-for-all affair, Aldrei fór ég sudur has been steadily gaining a solid reputation as a remarkable venue to catch the most exciting artists Iceland has to offer at a given time, performing to an enthusiastic all-ages crowd in an enchantingly unorthodox setting.
Below are some of the bands confirmed to play so far:-
SSSól
A legendary Icelandic act fronted by the even more legendary charmster Helgi Björns (who hails from Ísafjördur), SSSól have long been a party-time favourite of Icelanders. The band was formed in the late eighties and managed to stay on top of the Icelandic pop game throughout their active career by releasing infectious singles and impressively adventurous LPs, and frequently touring the country with their excellent live shows.
www.myspace.com/sssol
Hjaltalín
Often referred to as “the Icelandic Arcade Fire”, Hjaltalín have been winning fans over with their indie-style take on chamber-pop for well over a year now. Hjaltalín recently received a whopping five nominations for the Icelandic Music awards, and their début LP “Sleepdrunk Seasons”, topped many critics’ year-end lists for 2007. With an impressive arsenal of catchy compositions, and some impressively diverse instrumentation, the nine members of Hjaltalín manage to create a compelling live show.
www.myspace.com/hjaltalinband
Retro Stefson
Retro Stefan was founded by a group of eight school friends from Austurbæjarskóli in late 2005. In 2007, they made their mark by playing an untold number of shows in practically every space in Reykjavík you can fit eight kids and some instruments in. Their lively concerts and mature song writing skills far surpass their tender age and have earned them a devoted following in Iceland. It seems like the rest of the world is catching up as well, as they’ve gotten interested enquiries from highly revered UK hipster imprints like Moshi Moshi…
www.myspace.com/retrostefsonmusic
Sprengjuhöllin
Sprengjuhöllin came, saw and conquered in 2007, selling thousands of copies of their début, “Tímarnir okkar” and winning the hearts of critics and music-fans alike. A self-described “hipster oriented pop band” Sprengjuhöllin started their rise to fame when two of their self-made singles made it to the top of Icelandic radio charts. Their single “Verum í sambandi”, managed to keep its place at the top of the uniformed Icelandic song chart for five consecutive weeks, making it Iceland’s most popular song of 2007.
www.myspace.com/sprengjuhollin
XXX Rottweiler
XXX Rottweiler kickstarted an Icelandic hip hop revolution back in 2001 with their self-titled début. With raps in Icelandic that dealt with a variety of topics pertinent to Icelandic urban living backed by sturdy beats and a TV-star frontman, their rise to notoriety was swift and well deserved. Dozens of Icelandic hip hop acts tried to follow in their footsteps, but they remain the unchallenged overlords of Icelandic rap. As their frenetic live-shows will attest, there’s a good reason for that.
www.myspace.com/xxxrottweilerhundar
Sign
Sign rebel, playing direct, unpretentious rock underlaid by strongly driven, emotive riffs, hinging on charismatic 20 year old Zolberg’s distinctive, hard hitting vocals. “A damn near face-frying experience.” KKKKK Kerrang! – “These boys are brought up on a healthy diet of rock ‘n’ roll.” Rock Sound “Driving hard sounds with great riffs, great songs and lot of ‘tude.” Metal Hammer.
www.myspace.com/sign
For more information on Icelandic bands and music visit: www.icelandmusic.is
