Icelandic Artists

I have always loved seeing international artists take the spotlight during American tours and on American film scores. Icelandic culture establishes music as an integral part of everyday life. In recent years, many Icelandic artists have reached large audiences and global stages. Artists such as Bjork and Sigur Ros have achieved international fame, while growing artists, like Jonsi continue to climb the global ladder. It is very difficult to overcome cultural barriers, but I sincerely hope that these Icelandic groups become household names within the U.S.

Sigur Ros is a post-rock band. They are best known for the their involvement with the Game of Thrones soundtrack. As musicians, Sigur Ros has proved to be extremely powerful in the areas of vocal dynamics and subtle, but unique, instrumentals. Their emotional theme, "The Rains of Castamere (Game of Thrones,)" perfectly set the scene for one of season four's most powerful moments. This song can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3QW8PVyyNM. The light, but serious tone of Sigur Ros is only one example of how talented Icelandic musicians truly are.

Bjork is one of my favorite artists of all time. Her spunky personality is reflected in her music and acting. As an experimental singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Bjork has seen her fair share of spotlights. Each album she releases represents a different part of "her world." By listening, we are immersed into her stories and fantasies. These stories are told through her lyrics and instrumentals. One of her most unique and entertaining pieces is "It's Oh So Quiet" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htobTBlCvUU.) This song is actually a cover of an early Betty Hutton song. Bjork's take on the song grew to be very popular. In fact, I remember it being featured on a commercial a few years ago. It is clearly a song about love- a very personal subject for Bjork and a common theme in her music. Bjork's talent may be extensive, but many rising Icelandic stars reflect similar strengths.

How to Train Your Dragon  and HTTYD 2 are two of my favorite animated films. Two songs that fronted the soundtracks for these second films were "Where No One Goes" and "Sticks and Stones." John Powell, the composer for the "HTTYD" film series, co-wrote "Where No One Goes" with singer-songwriter, Jonsi ("Sticks and Stones" was self-produced.) Jonsi is often associated with the way he plays guitar with a cello bow and his unique countertenor/ falsetto vocals. In "Where No One Goes," Jonsi uses notable Icelandic themes, while balancing Powell's HTTYD theme and his own distinct vocal sound. A complex combination like this shows true musicianship. Furthermore, the Icelandic musician has been a fairly popular target for other movie soundtracks. Jonsi even wrote a song for the film "We Bought a Zoo."

Above: Jonsi Playing Guitar with a Cello Bow

The growing influence and popularity of Icelandic musicians is truly inspiring. I hope that this trend passes on to the music/ musicians of many other countries.

"Sticks and Stones" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXV2fCimTsE

"Where No One Goes" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh_doTIrFRo

Additional Sources of Info:
http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/9582-the-invisible-woman-a-conversation-with-bjork/