V/A "Rokk í Reykjavík"

Contents: Vonbrigdi - "Ó Reykjavík", Egó - "Sieg heil", Fraebbblarnir - "Gotta go", Purkur Pillnikk - "Óvaent", Theyr - "Rúdólf", Q4U - "Creeps", Egó - "Breyttir tímar", Bodies - "Where are the bodies", Tappi Tíkarrass - "Hrollur", Baraflokkurinn - "Moving up to a motion", Spilafífl - "Talandi höfud", Thursaflokkurinn - "Í speglinum", Fridryk - "Í kirkju", Start - "Lífid og tilveran", Grýlurnar - "Gullúrid", Egó - "Sat ég inni á Klepp", Purkur Pillnikk - "Gluggagaegir", Tappi Tikarrass - "Dúkkulísur", Mogo Homo - "Bereft", Jonee Jonee - "Hver er svo sekur", Theyr - "Killer boogie", Bodies - "Kick us out of the country", Jonee Jonee - "Af thví pabbi vildi thad", Fraebbblarnir - "Í nótt", Vonbrigdi - "Gudfraedi", Egó - "Storir strákar", Q4U - "Gonna get you", Q4U - "Toys", Sjálsfróun - "Lollipops", Sjálsfróun - "Antichrist", Sjálsfróun - "Sjálsfróun", Bruni BB - "Af litlum neista verdur mikid mál", Sveinbjörn Beintensson - "Rímur" 

It took punk two years to travel across the Atlantic all the way to Iceland back in 1979. Our beloved chanteuse was envolved with the scene as she sang in Tappi Tíkarrass, one of Iceland's most promising punk-bands at that time. "Rokk í Reykjavík" is an ambitious 2CD-compilation that gives you a great overview of the Reykjavík-anarcho-scene as it contains contributions from lots of different punk-bands ranging from many different directions. It was recorded in 1982, when the era was about to fade and a lot of bands split up. You'll find some quite traditional, left-wing-radical UK-type three-chords-aggro-stuff performed by bands such as Vonbridgi and Fraebbblarnir. Some other bands are heading in a more pop-oriented, guitar-solo-based direction. The excellent Björk-fronted Tappi Tíkarrass adds elements of funk and jazz to their music, which makes it a good counterpart to the more traditional UK-oriented acts. Another band worth mentioning is Q4U, a riot-grrrl-combo in the vein of Siouxsie & the Banshees, with very humourous lyrics. "Rokk í Reykjavík" also contains contributions from some experimental, freaked-out "surrelist"-acts like Sjálsfróun and Purkur Pillnikk, fronted by a very young Einar Örn Benediktsson (later with The Sugarcubes...but unfortunately I don't think his battering makes it without Björk). The song-quality is very varied and the first disc ends with some dreadful dad's-rock-stuff.

Some of the best songs are performed by the band Theyr, which featured the drummer Siggtryggur Baldurson (later with The Sugarcubes), as well as one actual former Killing Joke-member. Their music is slower and more gothic-oriented compared to the other punk-acts and the singer has an audible David Bowie-complex (read more about them on my Theyr-page). My definitive favorite on the album though, is the dark, haunting and heavily Joy Division-influenced "Where are the bodies" performed by post-punkers Bodies. The song was recently covered by Utangardsmenn, the most popular rock-band in Iceland today and it's so advanced I'm surprised it didn't give Bodies a breakthrough outside their native country. The CD-version of "Rokk í Reykjavík" contains one piece by oddball noise-avant-gardist Bruni BB and some traditional Icelandic Middle Age chanting by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson, the founder of the Icelandic pagan-worshipping community. This 2CD-compilation gives you a great insight in the very artistic and imaginative Icelandic anarcho-punk-community, in which Björk has her roots. It's still an important source for her inspiration due to the "Do-it-yourself"- and "Do-what-thou-wilt"-attitude. Still, if you're only into Björk because of her singing style and her solo-stuff, I suggest you play it safe and just go for the bootleged Tappi Tíkarrass-CD instead.