Pitchfork

As the first night of the 2006 Iceland Airwaves festival got underway, the kids poured into the freezing cold streets of the vibrant city of Reykjavik-- a precursor to the madness to come as the weekend approaches, the bands get bigger, and the crowds get drunker. This night was mostly made up of Icelandic bands, of which there seems to be an endless supply-- and several of these very young musicians proved their mettle.

At Grand Rokk, a venue right off the main shopping street of the city center, the teenage Retro Stefson (pictured above)-- a rambunctious bunch of kids-- injected a healthy dose of bossa nova into their blend of keys, samplers, and guitars. They wrapped up their set with an impromptu cover of Wu-Tang Clan's "Ain't Nothin' ta Fuck Wit". Apparently, neither are they.

Retro Stefson were followed by the workhorse power-pop of Spengjuhöllin. But the highlight of the night was the singer-songwriter Helgi Valur, performing at a small bar called Dillon. His backing band, consisting of trombone, cello, bass, and drums, lent his raw, folksy, Springsteen-esque rock a vigor much appreciated by the small crowd.

Finally, last night ratified the dubious concept of Icelandic hip hop, with Original Melody and Forgotten Lores performing to a rapturous crowd at Nasa. Rapping in English and Icelandic, these crews brought the motherfucking ruckus like they invented the shit.

And it only gets better from here. Keep your mouse situated at the Fork for more photo installments from the Iceland Airwaves festival, which continues through Sunday.

SPENGJUHÖLLIN

HELGI VALUR [photo by Jonah Flicker]

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