Sigur Rós to appear in 'Game of Thrones' season 4

The upcoming season of Game of Thrones has taken a turn for the ethereal. Iceland24 is reporting today that Icelandic post-rock group Sigur Rós will appear in the fourth season of HBO's hit fantasy series, which is scheduled to air in spring 2014. According to HBO, band members Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, Georg Hólm, and Orri Páll Dýrason are currently shooting on location in Croatia, though it remains unclear what role (or music) they'll play in the upcoming season.

The decision isn't a huge surprise, considering that Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss are fans of the band's music — which they listened to extensively while shooting in Iceland — and the show's history of casting musical acts.

Members of Snow Patrol and Coldplay have made guest appearances in earlier seasons, and HBO tapped indie band The Hold Steady to arrange a Westeros tavern song that played over the closing credits of an episode last season.

It’s been a big television year for Sigur Rós. The band was also featured on “The Simpsons” back in May in an episode titled “The Saga of Carl.”

Icelandic weightlifter Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who placed third in the World’s Strongest Man competition last month, will play Gregor Clegane, or ‘The Mountain,’ in the fourth series of Game of Thrones.

"Game of Thrones" returns to HBO in Spring 2014.

Peter, Iceland24
September 2013

Of Monsters and Men get their Own Whiskey

Diageo’s Irish whiskey brand Bushmills has created a bespoke blend for Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men, which headlined its Bushmills Live festival last month.

The Spirits Business did a story on OMAM and the Whiskey

“Like Of Monsters and Men, the Old Bushmills Distillery prides itself in handcraftsmanship”, said Master Destiller Colum Egan.

“The Icelandic band’s craft is music and Bushmills’ is whiskey. The creation of the new liquid recognises the centuries-old qualities of making things by hand.” 

The 23-year old whiskey is a blend of liquid aged in Sherry and Bourbon barrels laid down in 1987, 1989 and 1990 – the years the band members were born.

“Age is really important when making a great whiskey,” Egan added. “Over time the wood influences the liquid resting inside it and creates amazing flavours that we use to make great whiskey. We wanted to use this theme of age to celebrate Of Monsters and Men as the headliners of Bushmills Live 2013.” 

Of Monsters and Men headlined Bushmills Live on 19-20 June 2013, which also featured performances from Jake Bugg, Willy Mason, Sons and Lovers, Bear’s Den, Foy Vance, Iain Archer and emerging artists David C Clements and VerseChorusVerse.

Of Monsters and Men is a five-piece, English-language, indie folk/pop band from Iceland, formed in 2010. The members are lead singer/guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, co-singer/guitarist Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson, guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson and bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson.




The band won the Músíktilraunir in 2010, an annual battle of the bands competition in Iceland. In 2011, Of Monsters and Men released an EP titled Into the Woods. The band's debut album My Head Is an Animal (2011), reached the No.1 position in Australia, Iceland, Ireland and the US Rock and Alternative Charts, while peaking at No. 6 on the US Billboard 200 album chart, No. 3 in the UK, and Top 20 of most European charts and Canada. Its lead single "Little Talks" was an international success, reaching the Top 10 in most music charts in Europe, including No.1 in Ireland and Iceland, and No. 1 on US Alternative Songs.

Source: News of Iceland
Iceland24, July 2013