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/

Asaf Avidan

There are so many wonderful things to be said about the unique artists that emerge from all over the globe. Asaf Avidan, however, has an incredible amount of my interest and admiration. The Israeli singer first caught my attention when he was still with his band, The Mojos. This band possessed a unique sound and style, so naturally, I was drawn to them. As with most of the music I listen to, I stumbled across this band while shamelessly filtering through YouTube one night many years ago. The lead singer, Asaf, had an electric energy and truly memorable voice.

The thing I appreciate most about Asaf's voice is his ability to seamlessly progress from a note at the center of his range to a series of notes at his highest register. I find it remarkable that he can fluctuate between higher notes with such a raw sound. His style is remnant of an American folk singer or European indie rocker. Despite this, traces of a completely unique sound can be heard in each song he releases.

The now solo artist dazzles, not only with his voice, but also his equally unique guitar skills. Each song that Asaf Avidan releases contains heavy amounts of string. In fact, my favorite song of his was (originally,) entirely acoustic. This song is called the Reckoning Song (One Day:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A16VcQdTL80. One Day was the song that brought Asaf Avidan into the international spotlight. The original version of this song is extremely powerful, I possess a great amount of respect for the ethereal way Asaf's fingers skim the strings of the guitar. The delicacy and emotion he puts into his instrumental and vocals is incredible. As the guitar plays a softer tune, his voice tells a story through quickly shifting tones and dynamics. Furthermore, he draws from the message of his lyrics to channel the style of the song. The lyrics are reflected in each note he hits. If you listen carefully, you'll notice that his voice almost jumps in some areas, this technique is extremely uncommon and adds even more flare to his performance.

In further regard to performance, Asaf has produced several different versions of One Day. Wankelmut, a German DJ, collaborated with him to create remix of the song. This version is now performed more frequently than the original, acoustic version. The remix can be heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRAMNWzfjcg.

This international piece contains hints of Israeli musicianship, while maintaining English lyrics. The lack of a language barrier makes me question why this song never grew in popularity within the United States. By listening to international musicians, we can expand the variety of music played within the United States. Artists like Asaf inspire singer-songwriters globally. His influence would surely benefit the United States! It is crucial that we give international artists a chance to shine.


*Bonus Video: check out this AMAZING cover of One Day by a contestant on The Voice in Israel. You will not be disappointed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISoWAEV6xWE