[Watch] Sigur Rós Unveil Instagram-Fueled Video for "Stormur"

Sigur Rós have enlisted the help of social media powerhouse and hipster haven Instagram to create a wholly unique video experience. Over the past several weeks, the band has invited fans to upload photos or videos to Instagram that reflect their interpretation of the Kveikur song "Stormur," tagging them with "#stormur." The video has now gone live at Sigur Rós' website, and each viewing will be completely unique, "an ever-changing and always altering live music video" comprised of fan-uploaded content.

Head here to watch your unique "Stormur" experience, or add your own imagery to the mix.

[Watch] Interact with Sigur Rós' Live Webcast, Stream their Latest DJ Mix

Dresden, Germany was the site of Sigur Rós' live webcast concert in celebration of Kveikur, a launch party of sorts. One month later, the webcast has made its way on to the band's official website. The interactive replay allows viewers to switch between songs, move around the stage with full 360° views, and zoom in and out. If you want to see who was in the front row, you can do that—would you really, though? Unless you or a friend was in the front row, that'd be kind of weird. Anyways, check it out here.

Sigur Rós has also been DJing under the awesome pseudonym Triple Nipple as of late. Explaining the moniker, the band had this to say:

triple nipple represents what sigur ros do when they are off-duty – you know, for fun. some of it may be tough, cool and futuristic, some of it will no doubt be high-aroma fromage. most of the cool stuff comes courtesy of sigrun jonsdottir, the band’s trombone-wielding authority on baltimore club. guitarist kjartan holm, meanwhile, pitches in with some minimal hip-hop, orri with some dubstep and, yes, you’ve guessed it, jonsi brings the extensive cheeseboard. no-one involved lays claim to be able to mix, even remotely. this is how sigur ros get down and unwind in the dressing room and on the tour bus after a show. if you’d like a window on their world, come on in. if you are expecting a mystique enhancing exercise of deep solipsism, look away now."

After performing a live DJ set for Boiler Room Berlin last week, they've now thrown together a mix for FACT Magazine. Check out the 55-minute mix below.

[Album Stream] Sigur Rós - 'Kveikur'

After offering up several cuts from their new album, Kveikur, which follows up their 2012 release, Valtari, Sigur Rós now preview the new album in full one week before its official release date. As mentioned previously, they've said this album is to be "more aggressive" and after a few listens I'd have to agree. See if you do too over on Amazon.

Kveikur is officially released next week on June 18th via XL Recordings.

[Watch] Sigur Rós - "Kveikur"

Sigur Rós have already given us a few tasters of what to expect on their upcoming album Kveikur, which apparently sees them taking a "more aggressive" direction. We've enjoyed "Brennisteinn" and "Ísjaki" tremendously in the months since March but today they give us the album's title number accompanied by the live visuals the band will use on tour.  Director Sarah Hopper chops together footage from the British Film Institute Archive at a rapid pace creating a mind melting visual which is sure to be a delight to see in a live setting. The track is just as aggressive as promised.

Kveikur is set for release on the 18th of June.

[Sasquatch! 2013] Recap: Day Two

As the weekend of Sasquatch! festivities continued, the weather got better and so did the overall mood. The sun beamed down and the festival goers were waking up eager to party. The smell of bacon was met with the crack of beer cans opening, and campers were quick to set up ladder golf or throw a frisbee around. Day two was already off to a fantastic start and the nighttime was even better. The xx, Bloc Party, Holy Ghost!, Porcelain Raft, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, a hilarious stand up set by Nick Offerman and more, Saturday really impressed with some of the best performances of the festival. Check out the recap of day two below (and read our recap of day one here).

Photo by Christopher Nelson.

Much of Saturday was spent hanging out in the campgrounds, meeting our neighbours, drinking beer and enjoying the sun, putting us all in a good mood. Spirits were high as well as being consumed, and around two in the afternoon my girlfriend Katherine and I headed off to the festival grounds. Over the next couple of hours, we spent some time in the backstage and media areas doing interviews (these will be appearing on the blog over the next five days) with some fantastic musicians. Everyone we met was so interesting and fun to chat with and that's the feeling I got throughout the whole festival. There was always someone new to meet.

At around 6 o'clock, we made our way to the El Chubacabra tent to see Nick Offerman. For those unfamiliar, get familiar. Offerman is best known for playing Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation as well as being married to Megan Mullaly of Will & Grace fame. The guy is hilarious, with a very straightforward, dry Nick Offerman. Photo by Matthew Lamb.delivery, and it all works into his American everyman style. He strutted out without a shirt on, calmly stating, "You were warned that minor nudity was included." Putting on an American flag button-up, he offered attendees his "10 tips for prosperity." He encouraged the consumption of plentiful meat and bread, to practice romantic love and to do it often, as well as the safe use of drugs and intoxicants. He also dished out a few songs on his guitar, and at the end even brought his wife and actress Stephanie Hunt on stage. They did a mashup of Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" and Cypress Hill's "Hits from a Bong" that was simply awesome. You can check out the mashup here, but be warned the sound quality isn't the best.

Next up was Holy Ghost!, who performed at the Honda Bigfoot stage right after Offerman's set. It was good timing and I was really excited to see these guys live again. Rest assured, they did not disappoint. The sun was still bright when Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser tore up their hour-long set. With a full touring band supporting them, they sounded great. Kicking it off with their new single "Dumb Disco Ideas," the New York duo then dished out loud, dancey renditions of "Hold On," "Wait & See," "Do It Again," "Hold My Breath" and pretty much their whole debut album. I didn't stop dancing that whole hour.

Still on a bit of an energy high from Holy Ghost!, we caught the second half of Bloc Party's set at the main stage. While we showed up late, what we did see was fantastic. I caught them last year at Outside Lands Bloc Party. Photo by Christopher Nelson.Festival in San Francisco, and they sounded as good if not better this time around. Sitting comfortably up on the hill, their set sounded so tight and it was a treat hearing songs from all four of their albums. While most of the set was material from Four, hearing old highlights like "Helicopter" was great. They even debuted a new song titled "Ratchet." Crowds were high-energy for this one.

With a bit of free time on our hands, we caught a short bit of Porcelain Raft at the Yeti stage. I had never seen Mauro Remiddi live but I really enjoyed his debut album Strange Weekend, so I was excited to find out what he sounded like in person. After hearing both "Drifting In And Out" and "Put Me To Sleep" I was very impressed. Remiddi's dreamy tunes sound great live, floating effortlessly through your eardrums. After what I heard, I was sad to leave, but The xx was waiting right around the corner.

Heading back to the Sasquatch stage, we prepared for The xx. Tucking into the left side of the stage, we made our way into the crowd and up to the front left. With a great, up-close view, we parked ourselves inRomy and Oliver of The xx. Photo by Christopher Nelson. place. As the band walked on stage the sun was giving us it's final minutes of light, giving way to the band's dark attire and stunning light show. All I can say is these three blew me away. Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie xx know how to build and atmosphere and completely own a crowd. Their stage presence is minimal and quietly charming, and for good reason. They let their instruments and sounds do the talking, using heavy bass kicks, explosive claps, rolling basslines and dazzling light arrangements to put you in a trance. It was so mesmerizing to see and hear "Reunion" live, being carefully strung along by the slowly-encompassing atmosphere. "VCR" was met with roaring applause, and then complete silence as the crowd gave way to the music. As was "Islands." As was "Swept Away." "Angels." "Crystalised." Seriously, it was like that with every song. I had no expectations going into it, but I left that stage in awe.

Walking away from the main stage, my mind was lost, still in a daze. We wandered to the El Chupacabra for a change of scenery. It was a drastic shift going from the minimalist beauty of The xx to the pulse-pounding electronic beats of Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. That didn't matter. My excitement for TEED quickly took over. Easily securing a spot against the front barrier, our eardrums were met with a barrage of pulsating bass and synthesized sounds. Surrounded by flashing lights, he kept the crowd moving for an hour straight, never letting go. TEED assaulted the senses with a well-paced set, and fans responded with high-energy dancing. He threw down tracks both old and (mostly) new, including "Your Love," "American Dream Pt. II," "Garden," "Stronger" and more. This was my first taste of electronic music at the festival, and it was so good.

Following TEED's set I had a ton of energy, so my friends and I bounced around to different stages for a while. First, we headed to the main stage, reaching the crest of the hill overlooking the tail end of Sigur Rós' set. The view was beautiful. A clear black sky speckled by stars dominated while the band doled out their final songs. It was a brief visit to the main stage—only 10 minutes—but it was a mellowing follow-up to TEED. My attention was occupied by something else, though, as Sigur Rós' quieter presence lost out to Tame Impala's raucous sounds at the nearby Yeti stage. We brashly decided that the party should continue and headed in that direction.

Tame Impala were supposed to perform at the Honda Bigfoot stage at 10pm, but due to their gear arriving late they were moved to an 11:15 set at the much smaller Yeti stage. That didn't matter, though. By the time we arrived at Yeti, the crowd was massive. Thousands of dedicated fans amassed around the stage, and the band responded with a fuckin' rowdy set. They brought songs from both Innerspeaker and Lonerism and Empire of the Sun. Photo by Matthew Lamb.unleashed them in loud, blistering fashion upon us, enveloping vocalist Kevin Parker's fragile vocals in warm, psychedelic sounds. It was incredible to hear "Elephant" roar to life, causing the excitement level to explode, and to lose yourself in "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" as it drifts along in a dream-like manner. The highlight was easily the end of their set, as "Solitude Is Bliss" so very loudly echoed from the stage, leaving everyone with the words "You will never come close to how I feel" etched into their minds.

Still feeling the reverberation of Tame Impala course through my body, we set our sights on the final show of the night: Empire of the Sun. Gladly choosing this band over Laidback Luke's set at El Chupacabra, I prepared for the bright, colorful extravagance of Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore. That's exactly what we got. Booming explosions of light and smoke introduced the band, donned in absurd outfits and accompanied by bizarre dancers. Apparently, they needed over an hour to prepare the stage and costuming for the show, and it certainly showed. This is pure showmanship, with stage-wide visual wonderment. The music was fantastic too. It was great to finally hear "Standing on the Shore," "We Are The People," "Half Mast" and "Walking on a Dream" live, but it was the new material that really stood out. "Alive" was anthemic and the whole crowd was chanting along energetically, while brand new songs from their upcoming album Ice on the Dune really showcased a catchy '80s dance vibe. I did get the sense that their was a lot lip-syncing going on, but I admit I didn't care because it was so bright and theatrical and fun. Fuck... is that a bad thing? It was just so good!

Day two really showcased all of what Sasquatch! has to offer: amazing music diversity, stunning vistas and weather as well as tons of memorable experiences. It was a day full of continuous high notes, amazing performances and ridiculous fun, and the story continues tomorrow with a recap of day three.

By Adrian McCavour.

[Listen] Sigur Rós - "Ísjaki"

Sigur Rós have dished out another single from their upcoming album Kveikur, which will see the band going in a "more aggressive" direction. We got a sense of that with "Brennisteinn" and now you can hear it on their new song "Ísjaki." The band are streaming the single along with an accompanying lyric video—although it doesn't make all that much sense when the lyrics sung are either Icelandic or the band's made-up language Vonlenska—which you can watch below.

Kveikur is out on June 18th.

Kveikur Tracklist:
01. Brennisteinn
02. Hrafntinna
03. Ísjaki
04. Yfirbord
05. Stormur
06. Kveikur
07. Rafstraumur
08. Bláprádur
09. Var

[Watch] Sigur Rós - "Brennisteinn" (Official Video)

I have a seriously hard time believing of all the things you can do in 7 minutes and 40 seconds today that this will not be by far the best use of your time. From their just recently announced forthcoming album, Kveikur, we have the video for their first single from the record, "Brennisteinn". I have to admit, over the past few years my love for Sigur Ros had begun to mellow out quite a bit. I happily bought their albums and put them on from time to time, but if this song is an accurate indication of what's to come for this new album, I believe I just fell madly in love with them all over again. As you can see and hear from the video above, "Brennisteinn" is a much darker, more aggressive approach than what the band has done in the past, and they did it with such balance and poise that you're a little taken back for a second and then immediately so drawn to it that you keep asking yourself throughout the rest of the song why this hadn't already existed before. 

The countdown to June 17th (18th in the US) when Kveikur officially drops has begun. I need more of this and I need more of this NOW. 

[News] Sasquatch! 2013 Lineup Announced

After a successful ten-year anniversary last year, Sasquatch! Music Festival is back to celebrate its eleventh year at the Gorge Amphitheatre. Late last night the lineup for the festival was revealed, and you'll be hard-pressed to deny how awesome it is. Topping off the festival bill are Mumford & Sons, The xx, Sigur Rós, Vampire Weekend, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Postal Service, with numerous fantastic acts rounding out the lineup: Arctic Monkeys, Primus, Empire of the Sun, Grimes, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, The Lumineers, Alt-J, The Tallest Man on Earth, Tame Impala, Earl Sweatshirt, Japandroids, Death Grips, Dirty Projectors, Bloc Party and Danny Brown.

Other notable acts include Andrew Bird, Dropkick Murphys, Built to Spill, Azealia Banks, Steve Aoki, Father John Misty, El-P, Killer Mike, Divine Fits, Twin Shadow, Solange, Disclosure, Toro Y Moi, Devendra Banhart, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Presets, P.O.S., SchoolBoy Q & Ab-Soul, John Talabot, DIIV, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Wild Belle, Suuns, Caveman, Shad, Fang Island, Matthew Dear, Porcelain Raft, Surfer Blood, Holy Ghost!, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, and many more.

Pretty damn impressive if you ask me. Let us know what you think of the festival lineup in the comments below or on Twitter. General passes go on sale on February 9th through the official festival website.