At KEXP, we get excited about a lot of Icelandic bands, and we're thrilled to watch so many of them reach the wider audiences they deserve, but few seem as immediately poised for arena rock stardom as Mono Town. The trio's emotive and often explosive songs draw heavily from a shared love for Britpop bombast, spaghetti western twang and classic funk grooves. Previously, multi-instrumentalists and brothers Börkur and Daði Birgisson helped form the Icelandic funk band Jagúar to much acclaim, but with singer/guitarist Bjarki Sigurdsson they create a unique sound in Mono Town, one we were immediately drawn to back in 2012. During Iceland Airwaves that year, we recorded them in their studio, where they were still working their debut and while they were just beginning to play live, but for our broadcast this past fall, they were the first band we booked, knowing that it won't be long before they're in the highest demand. (In fact, just afterwards iconic indie rockers Pixies were so enamored with them that they took Mono Town along this winter on their Scandinavian tour.) Check out Mono Town's full performance at KEX Hostel in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves 2013 and look forward to the U.S. release of their debut, In the Eye of the Storm, this spring.
Full Performance:
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