Stereogum Home

 

June 4, 2008

New Sigur Rós - "Festival"

thumbnail icon: New Sigur Rós - "Festival"

Yesterday BBC Radio 1's Colin Murray show unveiled a second single from Sigur Rós's mucho anticipated með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. We all had fun passing the Sung Tongs references around while being blown away by the sound shift (plus ample NSFWisms) brought by "Gobbledigook," and the accompanying album statement had a few of us thinking every song was gonna be a comparable mindfuck. Well calm down, a few of us. "Festival" does not recall Animal Collective, nor any other band but the ones in this post title.

The song's just over nine minutes and split evenly into two movements: the first is straight ( ) style, slowly unfolding, organ-laced celestial coos from Jonsi; the second comes at 4:35 with a very Takk-y "Hoppípolla"-->"Með blóðnasir" transition (see: downstroking bass, surrounding band swells), ending in what sounds like, yes, a festival. In other words: it's a Sigur Rós song. In other other words: It's good. I hear a few Hopelandic-y "yu-so"s in there, so my barely educated guess is that this is not the song that is meant to be in English. But prove me wrong at Hype Machine.

Also worth mentioning: The band will be touring all through Europe this summer (including a vacation-worthy show in Icleand with Björk), but not before hitting the US for shows in Omaha, Kansas City, Bonnaroo, and in NYC's Grand Ballroom (6/16) and Museum of Modern Art (6/17). Dates and ticket info here.

Posted at 11:01 AM by amrit in
Tags:




8 Comments

brilliant as always!

Posted by: jc at 06/04/08 11:18 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

seriously, on one level i keep wanting to dismiss sigur ros as cranking out the same type of tune, but every time i listen to a new tun i'm still moved in ways that no other band can come close to. amazing

Posted by: as at 06/04/08 12:08 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

6/17 can't get here fast enough.

Posted by: jbazz at 06/04/08 12:12 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Thank god this is pure ol' fashion Sigur Ros. So much better than Gobbledigook.

Posted by: Evan at 06/04/08 12:15 PM | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down

ha, that song title actually works there.

Posted by: r in reply to Evan's comment at 06/04/08 1:52 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

when it starts out, it almost sounds like it's going to be a sad irish love song, and then it turns into something even better. totally beautiful. can't wait for the album.

Posted by: woop at 06/04/08 5:21 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

jonsi's voice really shines in this one. i mean, more than usual

Posted by: 23 at 06/04/08 5:56 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Simply scintillating....

Posted by: DOC at 12/21/08 4:28 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


Staff

  • Founder/Editor-In-Chief: Scott Lapatine
  • Executive Editor: Amrit Singh
  • Senior Writer: Brandon Stosuy

Info

Contact

Get Flash to see our mp3 player. Here are our mp3s: Jonathan Boulet - A Community Service Announcement (The Album Leaf Remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (XXXchange remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (»)
Wolf People - October Fires (»)
Fan Death - Cannibal (»)
Fan Death - Reunited (CCENTURIESS Remix) (»)
Chll Pll - Dick Moves (»)
Chll Pll - Pass Out (»)
Beck - Harry Partch (»)
Tim Cohen - Haunted Hymns (»)
Tim Cohen - Take Aim Goliath (»)
Ducktails - Sandglider (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Drunkenmonkey Remix) (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Karn Remix) (»)
Beach House - Norway (»)
The Golden Filter - Thunderbird (»)
Crystal Antlers - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan Cover) (»)
CFCF - How Bizarre (OMC Cover) (»)
The Acorn - Strange Animal (Gowan Cover) (»)
Black Tambourine - Black Car (»)
Boyracer - Sunshine And Violence (»)
Henry's Dress - 1620 (»)
Honeybunch - Mine Your Own Business (»)
Lilys - Claire Hates Me (»)
Lilys - February Fourteenth (»)
Lorelei - Today's Shrug (»)
Sleepyhead - Different Colored Letters (»)
Small Factory - Merry-Go-Round (»)
Swirlies - Sarah Sitting (»)
The Ropers - Waiting (»)
Velocity Girl - My Forgotten Favorite (»)
Monsters Of Folk - Say Please (»)
Rain Machine - Give Blood (»)
Wetdog - Tidy Up Your Bedroom (»)
Brendan Benson - Feel Like Taking You Home (»)
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes Remix) (»)
Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover) (»)
Pearl Harbor - California Shakedown (»)
LoneLady - Immaterial (»)
Andrew Cedermark - Hard Livin' (»)
Family Portrait - Super Cool (»)
The Soft Pack - Answer To Yourself (»)
Bear In Heaven - Dust Cloud (»)
Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers (»)
Atlas Sound - Doctor (Five Discs Cover) (»)
Atlas Sound - The Screens (»)
Cloud Nothings - Hey Cool Kid (»)
The Mary Onettes - Dare (»)
The Mary Onettes - Puzzles (»)
Digital Leather - Photo Lie (»)
Memory Tapes - Easy Pert Mom (»)
Memory Tapes - Graphics (Sci-Fi Edit) (»)

Progress Report logo
Commercial Appeal logo
Premature Evaluation logo
Band to Watch logo
Quit Your Day Job logo
The Outsiders logo
The 'Gum Drop logo