[Rob Babcock]

After reading a very positive review in TAS, I decided to take a chance on the new Sigur Ros album.  While this is their third album, I guess it's the first major label release.

It's tough to catagorize the music if you haven't heard it.  Firstly, the album has no name, nor do any of the songs.  For that matter, nowhere in the 4 page rice paper insert nor the jewel case tray will you find so much as a single word!  No credits, no recording info, nada!

Hmmm...well, I buy discs to listen to, not look at, anyhow.  And this album sounds great.  The TAS review states that the album skirts a lot of genres without landing in any of them, and here I'll have to agree.  There's a definate New Age feel to lots of the songs, but many display more emotion and gravitus than you normally associate with that genre.  Much of the time, the vocals sound like an Icelandic Billy Corragaine.  

The songs definately are measured out at a very slow, almost glacial pace, but even so are oddly messmerizing.  You just get drawn into the music, and when it's done you'll marvel that 70 minutes went by!

Sonically, the new Sigur Ros is aces, nearly holographic in clarity and with deep, taut & tuneful bass that is near-shocking; it's definately some of the best bass I've heard on CD and rivals the low end definition of SACD/DVD-A.

Very hard to catagorize, and certainly not the type of thing you could pop in just to listen to a "song" or two (they average about 9-11 minutes each!), but very compelling.  Depending on ones patience and taste for the unusual, you'll find this a very interesting and worthwhile disc.

[bob82274]

I have downloaded one or two songs of theirs in the past and have enjoyed it.  I have thought about picking up some of their stuff while in BB but when you have no job you have to get sure bets.  After hearing this and the fact that I start work monday I guess I'll have to pick it up soon.

[Tonto Yoder]

Michael Fremer has comments on two Sigur Ros CD's on musicangle--

http://www.musicangle.com/sigurros.html

Like you've said, it's hard to describe to someone else, but I've enjoyed this disc as much as any I've gotten recently.  BTW, the lyrics of the Sigur Ros are in Icelandic and a language that the singer makes up (think he calls it Hopelandic or something like that).  In that sense, Sigur Ros is a bit like Dead Can Dance, esp. the Lisa Gerrard songs--that ethereal, other-worldly beautiful voice that conveys a feeling rather than a lyrical "message."

[Tonto Yoder]

It's tough to catagorize the music if you haven't heard it.  Firstly, the album has no name, nor do any of the songs.  For that matter, nowhere in the 4 page rice paper insert nor the jewel case tray will you find so much as a single word!  No credits, no recording info, nada!

Rob,
I stumbled on a vinyl copy of Sigur Ros' "( )" at the local store--there's ALSO nothing written, but that poses some unique problems with the two LP set. Each record label is a black and white Rorschach-looking picture, and I'm not sure whether to start with the record that looks like a squaw peeing outside her teepee or the record that looks like Kelly McGillis (in "Witness") peeing outside a barn-raising?

[JoshK]

I first got into Sigur Ros about a year and a half ago, very very cool stuff.  Can't remember how I stumbled into them.  But glad I did.

Funny that, having been to Iceland last summer and traveled around, stayed up all night, partied with the locals, I have an association with that memory and Sigur Ros's music.   I can't hear one without thinking of the other.

[Rob Babcock]

I will concede that the neurotic need to order/organize drove me to take the rice paper CD tray liner out and write "Sigur Ros 2002" on the spine with a silver Sharpie.  I can't stand not being able to read the spine when I'm looking for something.

With the LP version I guess I'd be stumped, too.  Wish I could tell you, but with no song names I don't know which is which either.

[Tonto Yoder]

Sigur Ros will be on HBO's "Reverb"---

http://www.musicstation.com/cgi-bin/rotv/rotv_cgi?search_type=artist_exact&sort_by=artist&type=tv&search=213215

[Marbles]

Tonto, do I have a band for you!

These guys are histerical!!

http://www.electricamish.com/

[Tonto Yoder]

Those guys look like OHIO Amish!

 

Thanks for the link

[mgalusha]

These guys are histerical!!

http://www.electricamish.com/

Very funny. Reminds me a Weird Al a bit. We need to get a copy for Klaus, after all it's not every day you run into a song titled "Parson Klaus is Coming To Town".  

[Rob Babcock]

They're on Bob & Tom occasionally; I get a big kick out of them too.

[Tonto Yoder]

http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/asc/asc31.sigurros.rmm

[cjr888]

Much thanks for the link.   Field Day Fest moved to today and to Giants Stadium -- not sure if they ended up being one of the bands confirmed to play with the switch..  If so, I'll be ticked -- wanted to go, but couldn't talk myself into it knowing that it was going to rain the entire day here in NJ...   Wanted to see Radiohead, Beck, Blur, Beth Orton, Elliot Smith and Bright Eyes, but I think confirmation of Sigor Ros would have sealed it for me.   Still itching to see them live.  I've been toying with the idea of hopping on a plane and catching Glastonbury this year, but we'll see...