Þeyr Has Spiritual Intercourse With The Nation

In 1981, a flock of serious men came out of the woodworks—often wearing long grey or black overcoats. They probably clutched a Joy Division or a Þeyr record under their arms. Þeyr hadn't started out as the deep thinking young dudes' premium choice though. No sir, in 1979 they had approached Svavar Gests, a record mogul from another dimension, bearing two corny pop songs that were representative of the music they were making at that time. Svavar liked the songs well enough to agree to finance a Þeyr album to be released on the SG label that he'd run since the early sixties.

Þeyr (usually called Theyr by people deprived of the letter Þ) were a group of friends who had been dabbling in music since the mid-seventies. They started to record their pop songs during the winter of 1980, and had about half of a LP ready when they decided to take the summer off. During the summer of 1980, the band got hip to all kinds of new

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Soccerade gains popularity in Iceland

Football fever has struck Iceland this year, as many fans are being impressed by the skills of stars like Cristiano Ronaldo during the highs and lows of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Numerous football fans and Icelandic stories have been getting into the World Cup spirit, including a Cristiano Ronaldo endorsed sports drink called Soccerade, which has become popular between both sportsmen and young footballers in Iceland.

The Soccerade drinks are the result of many years of product development and are now a worldwide phenomenon, including the backing of Real Madrid and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo. During the 2010 FIFA

Self drive holiday tours in Iceland see an increase in popularity

Self drive holidays in Iceland are proving to be a popular choice amongst travellers visiting the country this summer. The self drive experience has long been considered by many as the best way to explore Iceland as it gives travellers the freedom and flexibility to experience 'the land of fire and ice' at their own pace.

The increasing popularity of pre-organised self drive tours is mainly due to the difficulty of finding accommodation in some regions of Iceland during the busy summer season. However, travel agencies like Icelandtotal.com hold reservations at hotels all across Iceland, allowing them to create

Another glacial flood underway in Iceland, little danger to travellers

Another flood is taking place at South Iceland’s Skafta river, this time from the larger eastern crater under the Vatnajokull glacier.

The Icelandic Roads Administration is advising travellers in the area to drive cautiously.

The flood is thought to have begun at around 01.00 last night and it will reach inhabited areas later today. No danger to houses or infrastructure is predicted; but hydrogen sulphide pollution near the glacier is likely for a time.

Today’s flood is much bigger than last weekend’s and it is considered likely that the water will flood over roads at Holaskjoli and Skaftardalur.

Floods

Former Morgunblaðið Editor Styrmir Gunnarsson On Why Iceland Should Not Join The EU

Styrmir Gunnarson has been at the forefront of the Icelandic political landscape for nearly half a century, including 36 years as editor of the daily newspaper Morgunblaðið, which has strong ties to the political right in Iceland. As editor of this formerly most influential medium in Iceland, Stymir has been in a unique position to observe and even shape the political discourse in this country.

Since retiring his editorial chops in 2008, Styrmir has been taken a very active part in the local discourse. Among other things, he has published two books, one documenting the collapse of the Icelandic banks ('The Siege'), and another detailing his take on the findings of the Special Investigation Committee's report. He is also an active member of the organisation Heimssýn, "Iceland's 'No to EU' movement, [whose] members agree that Iceland's interests are best served as an independent country outside the European Union.

Founded in 2002 as a cross-political organisation, Heimssýn's goal has remained the same: to keep Iceland outside the EU" (we stole this description off their website).

By your definition what is the EU and what does it do?

The European Union, in my point of view, was formed to prevent further wars on the European continent, after two world wars in the Twentieth century, and many wars in former centuries. That's why it came into being.

Independent film festival in Reykjavik Iceland makes preparations for 2010 event

The Reykjavik International Film Festival (RIFF) is making preparations for its 7th consecutive year of showcasing independent films in the heart of Iceland's capital city, Reykjavik. The festival, taking place this year between September 23rd and October 3rd, has become one of Iceland’s most popular cultural events, offering both Icelandic and international film enthusiasts a wide selection of alternative and independent cinema.

The Reykjavik International Film Festival began back in 2004, when a group of film enthusiasts and professionals wanted to create an annual international film festival in Reykjavik. Their aim was to establish a major film event in

24-Hour Arty People

"Our original idea was that we needed one platform for different kinds of art. In Iceland we have a lot of festivals for film, art and music but nothing that has everything under one roof," explains Hildur Maral Hamíðsdóttir, one of the organisers of the brand new Jónsvaka festival.

So they built a roof, they called it Jónsvaka and they claim it embraces all the corners and crevices of the local artistic world.

The bash makes its début on June 24th, over the Jónsmessa weekend (which is a sort of local version of Midsummer's Day/Night). Indeed, that is when the sun reaches its highest waking peak and we all get a lil' disorientated. Hildur and her co-organiser, Harpa Fönn Sigurjónsdóttir, plan to get Reykjavík buzzing with tangible creativity and imagination over the period, particularly amongst the young folk.

They tell us the festivities will be scattered all over Reykjavík in the form of art exhibits, street performances and evening concerts. If they are right, you are likely bound to stumble into something nifty downtown at that time. Designers will also take the stage in a fashion show on the opening night at the Reykjavík Art Museum, along with a PopUp store over the weekend selling all sorts of fashionable goods. Sounds fun!

The bash also plays host to a three-day concert programme at NASA, offering all