It's going to take a little practice, but you'll be saying the name Ásgeir like a true Icelander soon enough. When we first introduced the young singer-songwriter to Seattle audiences two years ago, we knew his ethereal falsetto and captivating songs would appeal to KEXP listeners even if his songs were sung then completely in Icelandic. But when he revealed that he was working with American expat John Grant on English versions of his locally award winning and record breaking debut, Dýrð í dauðaþögn, his fate was sealed. The translated In the Silence, released earlier this year, has thrust him before larger and larger crowds. Two years after his first Seattle appearance, nearly to the day, Ásgeir returns like a king to Seattle, selling out his show at Columbia City Theater and already scheduled to come back in February to perform with Hozier at the Paramount. He returned also to KEXP, older, wiser and with a full band to share the glorious noise of In The Silence here:
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Perfume Genius mastermind Mike Hadreas is a local, but it wasn't until the 2010 Matador 21 anniversary shows in Las Vegas that I first saw him live. Sandwiched on the bill between two iconic heavyweights (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Cat Power, for crissakes), Mike sat timidly behind his piano w…
Ziggy Marley, the multi-Grammy award winning musician and son of Reggae legend Bob Marley, likens being a musician to being a farmer – he waits for the writing season, tends the seeds of ideas, and harvests a crop of songs. "The music comes organically," he says. And what sweet fruit it is. Watch a…
What does Iceland taste like? Cold? Salty? Perhaps a little gamey? Delicious? Do Icelanders like what we like? Find out for yourself as the Nordic country invades Seattle for Taste of Iceland, a weekend-long cultural extravaganza this Thursday, October 9th through Sunday, October 12th, featuring ta…
