Issue 17 × 2014 November 7 - December 4 YOUR FREE COPY THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND POLITICS FOOD TRAVEL LITERATURE DEFIANCE Like, srsly, Emiliana Torrini Submitting to Flooding over! It's happening WTF? cooks up a storm uncertainty in the again! with HIM's Antto Westfjords 1 n "The Story Island," a fresh Face the Future O young crop of writers is busy carving out a culture all of their own—in defiance of what came of Literature before. Much like their predeces- sors, and their predecessors' pre- decessors... Complete Lots of Get the FREE Grapevine apps Reykjavík Listings cool events Appy Hour and Craving + Available on the App store and on Android Market. The Reykjavík Grapevine The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 1 — 2011 2 Issue 17 — 2014 2Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík www.grapevine.is [email protected] Editorial-in-chief | Haukur S. Magnússon Published by Fröken ehf. www.froken.is Member of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association www.saf.is Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies. Editor In Chief: We Care A Lot! Haukur S Magnússon / [email protected] Editor: Anna Andersen / [email protected] TRACK Journalist: John Rogers / [email protected] Journalist & Listings editor Tómas Gabríel Benjamin / [email protected] Editorial: OF THE +354 540 3600 / [email protected] Advertising: +354 540 3605 / [email protected] +354 40 3610 ISSUE Publisher: Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / [email protected] +354 540 3601 / [email protected] Kælan Mikla Contributing Writers: Ekkert nema ég Björn Teitsson Davíð Roach Grayson Del Faro SNARL 4 Haukur Már Helgason Download the FREE track at www.grapevine.is Jón Yngvi Jóhannsson Kári Tulinius Lemúrinn With its loud and gnarly thumping bass, Óli Dóri Nathan Hall "Ekkert nema ég" starts off filthy great. Ac- Paul Fontaine cording to the band, the song’s lyrics are all Quentin Bates Ragnar Egilsson from a long text message drummer Sólveig Rebecca Scott Lord Matthildur Kristjánsdóttir wrote her friend while drunk. Vocalist Laufey Soffía Þórsdót- Editorial Interns: Elín Rós / [email protected] Hey, check out the above photo. Who are those peo- community. They do this by reporting on it and re- tir renders the drunk-text beautifully, softly Melissa Coci / [email protected] ple? I’ll tell you: I’m in there, along with our designer flecting upon it, providing us with food for thought singing: "I will smoke the world / swallow Saskia Vallendar / [email protected] Tom Doyle / [email protected] Hrefna, along with our former interns Parker and Re- and fodder for conversation. its remains / so there will be nothing left Art Director: becca (currently visiting from abroad to do some writ- This is great! Active participation! Active conver- but me," before screaming at the top of her Hörður Kristbjörnsson / [email protected] Layout: ing), along with our current interns Tom and Saskia sation! What fun! lungs: "I am God!" Hrefna Sigurðardóttir and Elín and Melissa, along with our listings editor I love them all, and I love you, too. Hey, want to Meet Kælan Mikla, a trio of avant-garde Photographers: punks whose lyrics are poems (indeed, you Anna Domnick Gabríel, along with our journalist John, along with join in? Drop us a line! Atli Sigurðarson the ghost of what should’ve been (always lurking in may read about them in our poetry feature), GOLLI delivered on top of loud, quivering bass lines Hörður Sveinsson / www.hordursveinsson.com the background, him). Behind the camera is the lovely --- courtesy of Margrét Rósa Dóru- Harrysdót- Markús Már Efraím photographer Matt Eisman, who set up shop at our Matthew Eisman / www.mattheweisman.com tir. They capture Millenials’ melancholy, Spessi office over Airwaves, where he’ll be shooting some of As I write this, I can hear the band Hellvar blaring displaced sense of self, and narcissistic Sales Director: our favourite musicians (check out his images and SO through our office window, performing at the official Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / [email protected] worldview down to a tee. They are dirty, they Helgi Þór Harðarson / [email protected] MUCH MORE at www.grapevine.is!). Entirely miss- Bæjarins Bestu Pylsur off-venue (yup). It’s almost sev- are raw, and most importantly, they are fun! Óskar Freyr Pétursson / [email protected] Distribution manager: ing is our editor Anna, currently on sabbatical (miss en PM on Airwaves Thursday, and Reykjavík is brim- Their debut album hits the streets any day [email protected] u, Anna!). ming with energy, culture and enthusiasm. As soon as now, but this song comes from a Dr. Gunni Proofreader: Mark Asch The people in the above photo represent but a we send this off, I plan on heading off to drown myself curated compilation entitled ‘SNARL 4’, releases: small part of all the wonderful folks who strive night in all the good vibes, to fully immerse in all the music, which is filled with other exuberant bands [email protected] Submissions inquiries: and day and night (but never mornings, those are for good and bad, and perhaps hang out with some of our and is equally worth getting. [email protected] sleeping) to ensure that the magazine you are cur- lovely visitors. Head on over to www.grapevine.is if Subscription inquiries: you want to download this track and/or read +354 540 3605 / [email protected] rently reading can exist; that it looks nice, and that it It’s easy to lose hope when barraged by the abso- General inquiries: has images and words and ideas and thoughts about lutely WTF news that have been coming out of late our huge ass interview with Kælan Mikla [email protected] and/or watch our Post-Set Breakdown video Founders: who we are—we as a culture, and we as a people—who (you can get informed about a lot of them in this interview with the band. Enjoy! Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson, we were and what we are becoming; what we’re doing, issue—I recommend going straight for page six). At Hörður Kristbjörnsson, Jón Trausti Sigurðarson, and why we might be doing it. such times, it’s important to keep an eye on the good Oddur Óskar Kjartansson, I’ll also tell you this: Although the people whose stuff (while remaining vigilant towards all the BS). At Valur Gunnarsson thoughts and words and images and comix and efforts their best, festivals like Iceland Airwaves can serve to The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times a year by Fröken ltd. Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly make up the Grapevine might have some very differ- remind us why living in Reykjavík can be so great. from May til October. Nothing in this magazine may be repro- ent motivations for subjecting themselves to hours Keeping that spirit alive should be a priority. duced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed around upon hours of hard, mostly thankless work, they all Reykjavík, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Seyðisfjörður, Borgarnes, share a passion for actively contributing to their/our Keflavík, Ísafjörður and at key locations along road #1, and all major tourist attractions and tourist information centres in the country. Comic | Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored (no articles in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’). On the cover: Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir of the Meðgönguljóð collective Photo: Hörður Sveinsson (www.hordursveinsson.com) Make up: Flóra Buenano Thanks: Thank you, everyone! You are great! www.66north.com Say your piece, voice your opinion, send your letters to: [email protected] the timeless warmth SOUR GRAPES AND STUFF of Iceland Most Awesome Letter of the Issue! When I read the Reykjavík Grapevine’s nothing serious ever happened to me, I here. Some. It's just that those wrong are article Closed Doors, Empty Stomach, see those looks and I hear those words on always much up front. Desperate Measures about a Jewish- the streets. Being a Jew from Middle East, www.arnartr.com Iraqi refugee seeking asylum in Iceland you certainly encounter a lot of hatred and Filip Simonfy after having hard time in Slovakia, a rath- intolerance. No wonder Adam had to flee er ambivalent feeling captured my mind. again, and he chose well. Unfortunately, Well, I am from Slovakia, and at first, I I am skeptical when thinking about his Dear Filip, felt a bit pissed off and offended about the experience here as persecution. However way how my country of origin was por- severe the situation was, it probably does thank you so much for your thought- trayed. But then I thought it might actu- not meet all the criteria. But I am not an ful and moving letter. ally be deserved. expert, and I wish the authorities decide I have a brief experience in working otherwise and allow Adam to stay. we understand your grief at how Slo- with asylum seekers in Slovakia and... During my year in Iceland, I met vakia is portrayed in the article (po- It is not a country where you would like many people from all over the world and tentially confused readers: the article to end up after having run for your life very little was known about Slovakia. At in question may be found online—you from a place that once had been your most, brief reference to Eurotrip or Hostel should read it. It is also rather moving home. That's no one's choice, it's just the is made, but that's it. And that's why I was and thoughtful). I am most certain first country beyond the border.