UKNY for November 11
Kiriyama Family at Iceland Airwaves on November 7, 2018 (photo by Kara Manning)
Since Wednesday, the 20th Iceland Airwaves music festival has been underway, meaning that all of central Reykjavík has been transformed into a city of musicians and fans bundled in heavy wool sweaters, galloping up and down streets like Laugavegur and Skólavörðustígur trying to catch as many sets as possible. If you time out your night — and walk quickly — you can make a gig at Hurra (which definitely resembles Mercury Lounge) from Gamla Bíó (reminiscent Bowery Ballroom) in just under ten minutes, before darting back to Harpa, the breathtaking opera house and where artists like Natalie Prass and JFDR played last night.
It's a woozy, exhausted Sunday morning here in Reykjavík and the festival is officially over. Stragglers remain, recovering in steamy geothermal pools or finally getting some sleep for the first time in four days. I'm heading back to New York today, reluctant to leave this remarkable country which is home to just around 338,000 people — and one of out every three seems to have a band.
Tonight's UKNY at 11 was pre-recorded before I left for Iceland, but it includes an FUV Live session with one of the biggest draws of this year's event, the Reykjavík band Vök, and selections from artists making their Iceland Airwaves debut (Iceland's Tara Mobee), established Icelandic artists (Kiriyama Family, who had a knockout, jubilant set at Gamla Bíó on Wednesday night), and British and American folks too, like London's insouciant Jockstrap (questionable name, promising band) and Snail Mail's Lindsey Jordan.
Missed the show? Listen on demand in the FUV Weekend Archives after broadcast.
Songs played:
1. (Reykjavík, Iceland) Tara Mobee, “Nothing to Say,” single
2. (Richmond, US) Natalie Prass, “The Fire,” The Future and the Past
3. (Reykjavík, Iceland) Kiriyama Family, “Chemistry,” Waiting For …
4. Charles Watson, “Love is Blue,” Now That I’m a River
5. Jockstrap, “I Want Another Affair,” Love is the Key to the City EP
6. Snail Mail, “Speaking Terms,” Lush
7. JFDR, “Somewhere (String Version),” White Sun Live: Pt 1 Strings
8. FUV Live session with Vök (includes live performances of “Night and Day” and “Waiting”)
9. (Reykjavík, Iceland) Vök, “Autopilot,” single
10. (Reykjavík, Iceland) Matthildur, “Heartbeat,” single
