Live at Iceland Airwaves 2010 Day 2 at RÚV

photo by Scott Holpainen

After a long and varied first day of performances at RÚV, we had no expectations for the second day, other than that no matter what kind of music each band was playing — straight-forward pop, multi-genre art rock, moody post-rock, or whatever — every session would be expertly played and ultimately captivating. Starting off the morning, and skipping school to do it, the very young Retro Stefson performed a super-fun set of afropop/rock/metal/disco fusion that will seriously make you wonder why the hell our own kids are learning and why they’re not getting their noggins filled global music history:

Often compared to Wolf Parade, the young Icelandic band Who Knew are learning to create their own path by making anthemic, feel-good pop songs that make you want to dance, pump your fists and yell choruses aloud:

The mostly instrumental group Miri were first described to us as a prog-loving post-rock band that played with smiles on their faces. So if Who Knew is happy Wolf Parade Nike Air Max 87 Womens, then Miri is ecstatic Mogwai!

The next band is called Stafrænn Hákon (pronounced “stav-rite how-con”… just be sure to roll the “r”) — it may take a little practice to say the name correctly, but it won’t take more than one listen to understand their appeal. Four guitars and moody yet dynamic melodies that will appeal to fans of Red House Painters. The word “stafrænn” means “digital” an apparent joke since this band is anything but!

Mammút, or “mammoth”, is a more than apt name to describe the energy and buzz surrounding this band’s powerful live performances. These five youngsters rock the #!@& out!