Sigur Ros: Worth the $18?

I *do* miss him: he made the issues clearer...

The New Icelandics are sure a improvement on the OLD Icelandics (= Purkur Pilnik — who I once saw supporting the Fall [actually wasn't Einar in PP?] and that ur-terrible jazzrock group whose name I've conventiently forgotten)

But then again, as a member of the drone/shoegazer contingent, I would think that, wouldn't I?

If you *like* the Spiritualized/early Mogwai/Cocteaus aesthetic, then by all means go for it. If you're on the fence, download the "itchy woo" track (Sven G Englar or whatever it's real name is) and draw your conclusions from that.

Salient question: is Sigur Ros Icelandic for "Clannad" or "the Strokes"?

Very much worth the $18, but its only about 15 Canadian across the country.

What I dont understand is how MCA thinks there going to make money off of it. The album can be a bit much for those new to it, but Sven G Englar (aka Itchy Woo) is lovely. I've had the single for well over a year and still listen to it on super heavey duty rotation. Its great for programming. The band themselves are super shy, not bad at football either once you get them to stick their head out of their shells.

Verdict: the Icelandic Clannad. Ergo, not worth the $18.

They're definitely not Cocteau Twins ripoffs... the music isn't that similar and the singer has a weirder voice. The music sounds like -- hell, I don't know. They don't sound much like other bands I know, maybe Godspeed You Black Emperor! or a bit like Spiritualized, and solo Jon Anderson. Anyway, it's quite good, well worth your money. It's one of those things that _should_ get boring, but there's always these subtle details to keep you interested.

As for Jimmy Page -- it's a bit silly to consider playing guitar with a bow a shtick or gimmick. It's just another perfectly acceptable way to manipulate the instrument. Anyway, Sigur Ros play their guitars in a way that makes them sound like rich, complex feedback.

"hafsol" on hvarf is tremendous
jack redelfs otm about them sounding like solo jon anderson

Never thought of it before, but yes, Oliasof Sunhillow! Which is an amazing album in itself. I always think that Sigur Rós constantly get shafted on ILM for few coherent reasons.

I'm pretty sure that my musical tastes are widely different from Momus, but "Big sheets of ponderous sound took me nowhere" is a very coherent summation for me.

right. all music is pointless noise, except the music you like

^ except that a lot of people here choose to actively hate Sigur Rós, it seems there's something else going on with this band. :)

racism against icelandics?

passive aggressive radiohead backlash?

i am punk, i hate elves?

because there music doesn't self-evidently suck

where the elves live?

there, beside the hot water springs

They have nothing to do with the Cocteau Twins. Sigur Ros last album "Agaetis Byrjun" is badly over-produced though they use mainly acoustic instruments. The melodies are very close to kitsch (or schmalz). This album is the opposite of a grower, let's say it is a shrinker, once listened to it bursts like a bubble. Extremely pretentious, hollow, superficial and artificial stuff. What I find the most embarassing is the singer's voice which is very high- pitch and makes Radiohead's Thom Yorke (I don't like his voice either) sound like a bass.

― Alexander Fritz, Monday, May 28, 2001 12:00 AM (9 years ago) Bookmark

Whatever happedned to Alexander? We need more of his type 'round here.

hahaha remember this band?

Jonsi solo career is a real lol. He canceled a bunch of in-stores because they were "too intimate." No but seriously this band. I just re-read *most* of this thread and it's good to know people were already onto them 8 years ago.

stories about ppl crying and fainting at their shows always felt like some serious tail wagging the dog shit. some super sad wish fulfillment of "i WANT a band to mean this much to me"

I went to see them play Shepherds Bush Empire about 9 or 10 years ago in collaboration with some guy for some soundtrack thing. Walked out due to it being intensely fucking dull.

Yes, that one off thing for Odin's Raven Magic (theater or dance thing, indeed) wasn't like their other stuff, but that doesn't matter. Hate hate hate.

stories about ppl crying and fainting at their shows always felt like some serious tail wagging the dog shit.

When I saw them in the rain at Glastonbury, it was pretty intense, although I admit I was off my tree on mushrooms.

Sigur Ros last album "Agaetis Byrjun" is badly over-produced

This is basically true. A lot of the horns etc. sound very 'Disneyish' for want of a better word. Olsen Olsen on the Heima DVD is way better than the album, because you get screechy guitar noise instead of a whole orchestra tipping in.

Sven G. Englar