Rachel Katz<\/p>\n
\n
Rolling Stone magazine has likened them to Mumford and Sons and Arcade Fire. In 2010, they won their homeland\u2019s battle of the bands competition. Their catchy, folky tunes have listeners humming the melodies for days on end, and their whimsical album art is unique and intriguing. They have attracted fans around the world without even
\nreleasing a full album on this side of the Atlantic. \u201cHow is this possible?\u201d you may be asking, and with good reason. It is nearly impossible for musicians today to make a splash outside their country of origin without excessive publicity. This is all very true, unless of course, you\u2019re a member of the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men.<\/p>\n
Of Monsters and Men is an indie-folk band hailing from Reykjavik, Iceland.
\nThe group formed over the course of a few years. At first, Nanna Brynd\u00eds Hilmarsd\u00f3ttir
\nwas a solo performer. Then, in 2010, Arnar R\u00f3senkranz Hilmarsson, Ragnar \u00fe\u00f3rhallsson\u00a0and Brynjar Leifsson joined the project.<\/p>\n
In 2010, the quartet entered, and ultimately won M\u00fasiktilraunir, a national battle of the bands contest. It\u2019s not surprising to see why they won, either. Though the competition was fierce, Monsters<\/em> performs with a blank-faced earnestness and innocence that has become so difficult to find in the music industry today. This is not to say that their performance skills are weak, though; in fact, just the opposite is true. There is a quiet confidence in their playing, and they gain strength as they continue to play.<\/p>\n After their victory at M\u00fasiktilraunir, two more members joined the party,\u00a0Kristj\u00e1n P\u00e1ll Kristj\u00e1nsson and \u00c1rni Gu\u00f0j\u00f3nsson.<\/p>\n Their debut album, My Head is an Animal<\/em> was released in Iceland So how did Monsters <\/em>make it big over here? The If you are in need of some music to relieve stress, study with, or just \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rachel Katz Rolling Stone magazine has likened them to Mumford and Sons and Arcade Fire. In 2010, they won their homeland\u2019s battle of the bands competition. Their catchy, folky tunes have listeners humming the melodies for days on end, and … Continue reading
\nlast September to almost unanimously positive reviews online. (I have no
\ngrounding in Icelandic, but I\u2019m sure it was well received there.) Online,
\nreviewers have praised My Head is an Animal<\/em> to no end, describing it as \u201can absolutely wonderful album,\u201d with a distinct \u201ccatchy and raw\u201d sound.\u00a0 With regards to the songs themselves, \u201ccatchy and raw\u201d is truly the most accurate
\ndescription I can think of. In addition to the typical drums-guitar-bass-vocal
\nband cookie cutter, the group has experimented with trumpets and accordions in
\ntheir music. We can\u2019t forget to mention the truly whimsical lyrics. Each song
\ntells a unique, personal story. When asked about the meaning behind their songs
\nin an interview with earmilk.com, guitarist\/singer Ragnar \u00de\u00f3rhallsson said, \u201cIt’s
\nno fun to say what songs are about! We like keeping it a secret.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nanswer: Seattle\u2019s KEXP Radio. The station recorded a broadcast of the band\u2019s hit single Little Talks<\/em> last fall and the rest is history. Of Monsters and Men released their first EP Into the Woods<\/em> on iTunes just before Christmas; My Head is an Animal<\/em> is scheduled for
\nrelease on April 3rd<\/sup>. The whole album is fantastic, but my personal
\nfavourites are Sloom, Your Bones, From Finner, King and Lionheart<\/em>, and of course, Little Talks.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nmake you smile, check out Of Monsters and Men.<\/em> I can guarantee you won\u2019t regret it.<\/p>\n