Útidúr
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland | INDIE
Music
Press
"While Sigur Rós is this year´s headliner at the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival, I´m just as excited to see Útidúr!" "Útidúr has this magical quality about them, kind of like the country itself ... you’ll definitely want to check these guys out." - beautifuldecay.com
One of these is Útidúr, whose 12 members stand shoulder-to-shoulder and toe-to-toe on even a reasonably-sized stage. They manage to mix lounge music, pop-rock, Balkan-influenced sounds (horns a-plenty!) and other bits and bobs with a great level success. Their album, which I was earlier handed, also has a cracking front cover. - http://drownedinsound.com
Utidur’s brassy, orchestral pop—the highlight of this third night of music—recalled Beirut with alternating male and female vocals. - www.avclub.com
Quirky orchestral twelve-piece folk-pop ensemble. Think Beirut but with bigger balls and more quirks. We actually caught them by chance last night and they were just incredible. Music to fall in love and get your heart broken to. - www.thelineofbestfit.com
Útidúr sound can range from a boisterous wedding party band in a Viking beer hall to delightful indie chamber pop, and it’s a celebration either way. - www.urb.com
I highly recommend that you do not leave this island without the debut album from local twelve-piece band Útidúr stowed away in your luggage. It’s one of those little gems that turns up out of nowhere and charms its way into your iTunes favourites in less time than it takes to load up your Mac.
The album flows extremely well from track to track, and skilfully creates a coherent atmosphere throughout that’s laden with Mexican Mariachi flair and darkly mischievous lyrics. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Beirut and at certain moments, Tindersticks. Well, Tindersticks with bottle of tequila and a Colt 45 that is.
This is an album that you can turn this on and enjoy right through, but forced to choose a favourite, it would be the quirky melody and harmonies on ‘The glow / retreat’.
This album stands out from the sea of Icelandic post-rock guitars and brooding soundscapes to create something not only distinctive, but distinctively good too. - The Reykjavík Grapevine
Discography
LP´s:
This Mess We've Made - 2010
EP´s:
Detour - to be released in april 2013
Photos
Bio
Útidúr (pronounced: ooh - detour) is a group from Iceland that plays joyous and ambitious chamber-pop with a dramatic streak. Although this charismatic crew is quite (midnight) sunny in attitude they also know their way through darker waters. Trace elements of Angelo Badalamenti, Beirut, Calexico and Ennio Morricone can be found in their system so fans of these should expose themselves to Útidúr in any way they deem appropriate.
Formed by guitarist/singer Gunnar Örn and pianist Kristinn Roach, Útidúr started churning out multifaceted songwriting that soon chain-reacted the project to mushroom into a 10 strong bunch. The full posse now varies from 8-10 musicians that play double bass, piano, drums, trumpets, violins, guitars and an accordion. Útidúr’s debut album ‘This Mess We’ve Made’ was recorded at the Sigur Rós recording studio ‘Sundlaugin’ in the summer of 2010. The album is big in sound, featuring over 20 musicians, and you can expect a spacious blend of bipolar drama and sofa-sinking mellowness, all soaked in hook-laden pop sensibility. In 2012 the band recorded an EP which will be released in april 2013. Much more upbeat than the debut the EP infuses electronic sounds with the otherwise acoustic soundscape the band usually works in. Outside of Iceland Útidúr have played 21 shows all over Canada, 10 shows in Germany and 2 shows in London.
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