Peeps, here we go again. Iceland is getting darker these days but Iceland Airwaves will light up and warm your hearts and ears. It’s very exciting to see this northernmost capital get ready, music lovers arrive, bands are strolling around the city, the people from KEXP are getting ready for their beautiful broadcasting in Kex Hostel. You can feel the vibrant air and the good mood of everybody who is around. We can’t wait to see all this international acts, as there are not many of them coming during the non-festival months. There are the big names like Beach House (Sat Nov 7th, 22:10, Harpa Silfurgerg), Father John Misty (Thur Nov 5th, 0:00, Harpa Silfurberg), John Grant And The Iceland Symphony Orchestra (Thur Nov 5th, 20:00, Harpa Eldborg), Mercury Rev. (Thur Nov 5th, 22:30, Harpa Silfurberg), Perfume Genius (Fri Nov 6th, 22:10, Harpa Silfurberg) , Bianca Casady and the C.I.A. (Fri Nov 6th, 22:30, Harpa Norðurljós), Battles (Sat Nov 7th, 23:50, Harpa Silfurberg) and Låpsley (Sat Nov 7th, 22:50, Reykjavik Art Museum).
As we are checking our favorites list, we realise there are many many great girl power bands. But not just this, but we can’t wait to see those to play:
Just one month to go until the great and cozy Haldern Pop Festival is taking place at the fields and gras grounds of the tiny village in the west part of Germany, just few kilometers away from the border to the Netherlands. And also not far away is the Autobahn, but there is Autobahn everywhere in Germany. So, in a few weeks there will enter around 7000 guests the gates of Haldern to have three (13. – 15. august) days full of best music, hopefully sun and a lot of love. Love for the short ways from the campsite to the festival area, love for sitting in the gras in the beergarden, love for the morning coffee, love for the heat in the famous Spiegeltent, love for the big diversity of food and drinks and of course much much much love for great bands.
And there are many to explore, and to fall for in the end. Here are some of them:
SOAK from Ireland. She is not 20 yet, she is writing about her growing up things (listen to her album “Before We Forgot How To Dream”), just as we all went through it. So you find a lot of feelings, strangenes and weirdful thoughts which are guided by sensible singer-songwriter sounds and a special voice. She could be the little sister of Cat Power. This will not be the last time you heard from her!
AnnenMayKantereit from Germany. Yeah, it’s in german but beside that, the voice is a wonder. This guys are young and the singer sounds like an old wise man. Dusty and rough and empathic with no doubt about their talent.
Kiasmos from Iceland. No less than piano artist Ólafur Arnalds is having this project with his friend Janus Jasmusse from Bloodgroup. The piano is still there but combined with some beats and poppy sound effects. Very chilly and dancy and dark and happy and everything you need and expect from icelandic electronic music.
Father John Misty from the United States. Maybe since ages an american folk singer-songwriter, but for some time also the drummer of Fleet Foxes. J. Tillman was also touring with Damien Jurado. All of that sounds like a good thing, huh?! So, go and listen to his kind of self destroying and self ironying songs!
Alcoholic Faith Mission (DK) – AnnenMayKantereit (DE) – Bear’s Den (UK) – Benjamin Booker (US)
Bernd Begemann & Die Befreiung (DE) – Bilderbuch (AT) – Big Sixes (UK) – Cantus Domus (DE)
Courtney Barnett (AUS) – Curtis Harding (US) – Dan Deacon (US) – Delta Rae (US) – dEUS (BE)
Die Sonne (DE) – DMA’s (AUS) – Dotan (NL) – Douglas Dare (UK) – Family Of The Year (US)
Father John Misty (US) – Frances (UK) – Freddie Dickson & The Guard (UK) – Grandbrothers (DE)
Heisskalt (DE) – Ibeyi (FR/CU) – Iceage (DK) – Intergalactic Lovers (BE) – Johann Sebastian Bach (DE)
Kapok (NL) – Kate Tempest (UK) – Kiasmos (IS) – Kiko King & Creativemaze (DE) – LÅPSLEY (UK) Laura Marling (UK) – Liam Ó Maonlai & Peter O’Toole (Hothouse Flowers) (IRL) – Low Roar (IS)
Magnus (BE) – Mammút (IS) – Marcus Wiebusch (DE) – Mark Geary feat. Grainne Hunt (IRL)
Nils Frahm (DE) – Olli Schulz (DE) – Public Service Broadcasting (UK) – Puts Marie (CH) – Rae Morris (UK) – Savages (UK) – Soak (IRL) – Someday Jacob (DE) – stargaze & André de Ridder (DE)
Steve Gunn (US) – Sunset Sons (UK) – Terra Profonda (HU) – The Bronze Medal (UK) – The Districts (US) – The Slow Show (UK) – The War on Drugs (US) – Tour of Tours (DE/NL/US) – Tor Miller (US) – Tora (AUS) – Viet Cong (CAN) – Villagers (IRL) – White Fence (US) – Woods of Birnam (DE)
These bands are well choosed from the Haldern Pop team, which are doing their heart job since 1984. There is no doubt about this heart thing. It will win in the end. Always! At least every year at the gras grounds of Haldern. BE TRUE – NOT BETTER!
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