It’s pretty miserable here. It’s grey, cold and damp. I really want to be back here. It’s Grundarfjörður. I was there this summer for a Pascal Pinon concert. It was one of the best nights I’ve had in a good long while. Post from July 2013: It seemed that Grundarfjörður was near to nowhere. I […]
This is the new video from Úlfur, from his White Mountain LP. I like it! In case you missed it, here is my interview with Úlfur from a couple of months back; Úlfur is one of the first Icelandic words that I learnt. My tutor, an eight-year-old Icelandic girl, drew a picture of a wolf […]
Rachel, a travel blogger, has featured me (I know!) on her blog today, along with two other bloggers. Here is the short interview; -Favorite travel destination and why? Ha! This is an easy question. Iceland. I’ve written a book about my obsession with the people, places and music of Iceland. ‘Iceland, Defrosted’ is less about […]
Snorri Helgason is a strange beast. At once a Reykjavík hipster, and at the same time making music that could be seen as deeply unfashionable, he insists on making Americana tinged folk/country that sounds sublime, and belies his young age. It’s a slow start for an album, but the opening track sounds like its fresh […]
Muted is an alias of Bjarni Rafn Kjartansson. He first came to my notice via a collaboration with Samaris and has recently released a limited edition vinyl called Lizard On Ice. He ended up cutting out the label for each record sleeve himself, something that is indicative of the Icelandic music scene. He spends time […]
So a while ago, I compiled a list of facts about Puffins. They weren’t necessarily true or accurate, but they were frequently amusing. The list of 100 Crazy Puffin Facts has become one of the most visited pages on this blog (even Rough Guides tweeted about them today), and I still get the odd fact […]
Iceland, Defrosted is featured in this months National Geographic Traveller. It’s a short, but sweet entry in the ‘New Books’ section. Warm-hearted focus. I wish I’d thought of that!
I have no idea what a Smilewound actually is. Or a ‘Toothwheel’ for that matter. Apart from being the latest album and single from Icelandic collective Múm, that is. It’s also their first proper album for four years, and the first one with founding member Gyða for 11 years. Their previous releases have been quirky […]
#18. Icelandic Sheep in North Iceland take it in turns to get mistaken for visiting Polar bears. #19. Regular sheep can’t get up if rolled onto their backs. Icelandic sheep can’t get up after a night on the Brennivín. #20. Icelandic sheep are usually placid, but will attack humans at the merest mention of Svið. […]
Photo courtesy of Pete Chipman. So a while ago, I compiled a list of facts about Puffins. They weren’t necessarily true or accurate, but they were frequently amusing. They were partly inspired by David O’Doherty who did the same for the Panda. The list of 100 Crazy Puffin Facts has become one of the most […]
Iceland, Defrosted 
You must be logged in to post a comment.