Reykjavík Indie Music and Records

The exterior of Gaukurinn is marked by a mural of a large, stylized raven painted in stark black and white against the corrugated metal siding. This building houses one of the longest-running live music venues in Reykjavik. It began its…

The black wooden building with the bold yellow lettering on Bankastraeti has held its ground in downtown Reykjavik since eighteen ninety-two. It served as a coffee house for decades, owned by the same family from the early twentieth…

A glass-fronted storefront on Óðinsgata holds a community space known as Mengi. Behind the windows, a small stage and a collection of instruments occupy a room that functions as a gallery, recording studio, and concert venue. Musicians…

The store front at Skólavörðustígur fifteen carries a modest sign, but the interior holds an extensive collection of Icelandic music. Lárus Jónsson opened 12 Tónar in nineteen ninety-eight to help local musicians reach an audience beyond…

The Reykjavik Record Shop sits inside a plain storefront marked by a small, hand-painted sign near the corner of the street. Inside, the walls hold wooden shelves packed with Icelandic vinyl, ranging from folk records released in the…

Smekkleysa, or Bad Taste, operates out of a storefront marked by a sign that often features a cartoonish, slightly chaotic logo. It started as a record label in the eighties, founded by members of the Sugarcubes and their circle to release…

Dillon Whiskey Bar occupies one of the oldest wooden houses in downtown Reykjavik, painted a distinct, sharp black with white trim. Built in eighteen thirty-five, the structure served as the home for Johannes Nordal, a merchant who played…

The storefront of Lucky Records wears a bright yellow sign above the entrance, sitting tucked away on a side street near the old harbor. It began as a small collection in a basement back in two thousand and five. Over the years, the shop…