For the Apparat Organ Quartet to play at Airwaves this year. We first saw the 5-piece, (don’t take Quartet literally) at Airwaves 06, and they were a revelation. The tallest man in Iceland encouraged us to stay, and this was very good advice. I wouldn’t say this is normally my style of music, but they were awesome live.
No, I was not high.
They need to make an appearance this year. Please?
/_\!
Nary a syllable of updated information. No new bands, no email pitches from either the festival, or Icelandair. The Facebook groups are largely quiet, there’s not much social networking chatter on the Airwaves. (Yeah yeah yeah, it’s three months away, but is this really a trip you just do on the spur of the moment?)
CSS has definitely become a must see since the initial bands announcement, which seems forever ago. C’mon Mr. Destiny, help a brother out!
Is an ass. A pathetic, has-been ass.
I don’t know Kele Okereke, other than the fact that I loved Silent Alarm, despite the inevitable slagging the album and band got after it became a huge hit. (Why slag success? That’s another post.) I did get close at Airwaves 07, at the totally awesome Amiina show at Fríkirkjan, the 1800’s era church Reykjavik. He came in with his girlfriend (I assume) and stood upstairs with the rest of us rabble, and basically was one of the crowd, in a crowded standing room only show. He pulled no star act, no rock star ego bs, but was just there for the music, just like us. It was refreshing.
Johnny Rotten, on the other hand, is still a child craving attention. Devoid of any marketable talent, he’s always resorted to making a scene, calling names, acting the fool in order to get noticed. Hence, the latest incident. We can all go back to ignoring him, or even feeling a bit of sadness that someone who was part of some terrific music can’t stand not being the center of attention forever.
For now, enjoy a Bloc Party video:
My friends at Icelandair emailed me again yesterday, pitching the myriad advantages of using their planes to get me where I want to go.
Where I want to go Reykjavik. In mid-October specifically. There’s this little music festival that I have become quite enamored with, and I sing (no pun intended, because I can’t sing) its praises often. But darn that cold, hard, emotionless economic reality. Airwaves has never been a bargain trip, at least for those of us paying in dollars. (Hard cold economic fact #2-dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to. Not Icelandair or Airwaves fault.) But there was still a sense of value in what you were buying. Lots of great, under the radar bands, in a compact, manageable location. An interesting, hospitable urban environment with plenty to do outside of the music, and for the more adventurous and less hung over festival goers, the opportunity to hit the truly unique Icelandic countryside, and be back in town in time for dinner, pre-game drinks and another night of band hopping. Cool, cool, cool.
But when the costs nears 3 bills, the trip is seen through another prism. “3k? What kind of (other) trips can we take for that? “ The list is long. This is not a happy conversation by the way. We WANT to do this again. It’s not become hum-drum, nor are we jaded by the prospect of Airwaves trip #3. Perhaps we will just bite the bullet and pay, or somehow, miraculously, it will become more affordable. I know, very unlikely, but one can hope…
It is nice that the organizers are upfront about their “favorite label” being Moshi Moshi, and this year they have an early representative in Florence and the Machine. The linked article says that only 500 cassettes were available on her first release, though 10,000 or more people will claim they have it or had one if she makes it big.
Label #2 is Domino, home of These New Puritans, who are unfortunately tabbed with the “post-punk” moniker. This is a generic, broad, pointless description, since “punk” has been gone since either the late 70’s or early 80’s depending on your definition and where you live.
Oh yea, we must put White Lies in the first position for must-see act, for I am a sucker for comparisons to Echo and the Bunnymen. Wolf Parade did Airwaves in 06, and they return, sort of, as The Handsome Furs.
As for Icelandic bands,
GusGus, Skakkamannage, Seabear, Retro Stefson, Dikta, Hjaltalín, Reykjavik, FM Belfast, Sprengjuhöllin, Dr.Spock, Dýrðin, Borko, Steed Lord, Glutus Maximus, Ghostigital.
Airwaves veterans all. Yes, I cut and pasted, because I have no idea how to make Icelandic characters on my English Mac keyboard, and I’ve given up on Apple troubleshooting tips and “Genius” (use the term very loosely) Bar appointments. GusGus was a highlight last year, as was FM Belfast. The two guys that we met in the lobby of our hotel on departure Sunday (and grew up eerily close to where I did, small world…) swore by the Dr. Spock show.
So what are we waiting for? Venues, though there shouldn’t be too much change from last year. Another Mr. Destiny “teaser” release of bands, and please, lower prices. It is too much to ask, but someone’s gotta do it. The Airwaves experience for two now is pushing $3000, (extra days, transport, food, frivolity, etc) less if you live in a connecting city. Why the whiny lament? This…
