photos by Chris La Putt

Iceland Review: Your sound on that album is acoustic, folksy and quite unique. Is that a style you're going to stick with?

ÓA: When I was making and writing the songs I wasn't thinking in styles. That comes afterwards. The recording style was very determined; I wanted to use tape and wanted to set the rules up against me a little. I recorded both singing and guitar at the same time to make it as live and immediate as possible. I like the danger of whole takes. In the future, the style of my recordings might change because I want to add more musicians and to deal with different things, but I think that the core is the singing and the storytelling.

If I didn't know it was her, I'd barely recognize her. Iceland's Ólöf Arnalds played her third of four NYC shows in a row, last night (5/7). It took place at Scandinavia House in Manhattan. Her set was broken into two parts separated by an interlude (intermission). She was accompanied by a fellow who played guitar and a toy piano. There was free wine and a garden in the back to walk through. She also played Union Hall and Sycamore this week. Tonight's show is with Bjork at Housing Works (5/8). More pictures from last night below...

Continue reading "Olof Arnalds - Scandinavia House pics, Bjork tonight "

DOWNLOAD: Ólöf Arnalds - Við og Við (MP3)

Ólöf Arnalds @ South Street Seaport (more by Chris La Putt)

Ólöf Arnalds has just finished recording her second solo album which was once again produced by Kjartan Sveinsson from Sigur Rós. This time round Kjartan also plays on the record along with his wife María (of Amiina), Skuli Sverrisson (Laurie Anderson), Shahzad Ismaily (Tom Waits, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy), and Davíð Þór Jónsson (Mugison). [press release]

Ólöf and Skuli Sverrisson, who performs on her album, played a special show at (Le) Poisson Rouge on September 9th of last year. Onstage guests included Laurie Anderson, Peter Scherer, Okkyung Lee, Hilmar Jensson, Shahzad Ismaily, and Nico Muhly. That show was just days after her outdoor South Street Seaport show last summer.

Ólöf will again be in New York and sharing a talent-laden stage. She's one of two acts opening the sold-out, May 8th Housing Works benefit headlined by fan and fellow icelander Bjork, and Dirty Projectors. (Kurt Weisman is the other opener.) At the show, Ólöf will be "showcasing tracks from [her new record] as well as [songs from] her award-winning solo debut, Við og Við." The MP3 above is the title track off that debut.

She'll also be playing three nights of NYC shows leading up to the benefit. The first is at Union Hall on Tuesday, May 5th. Tickets are on sale.

The second and third are at Ditmas Park venue Sycamore on Wednesday, May 6th and the Scandinavia House on Thursday, May 7th. A reception will follow the latter.

All tour dates with a video of Ólöf Arnalds on music-doc show Dig For Fire, below...

Continue reading "Ólöf Arnalds - a new album, an MP3 & 4 NYC shows "