Iceland - South Coast

This year, we went to Iceland in late October / early November. It's actually a great time to visit. The crowds are smaller, and the weather, while cold, is appropriate for the dramatic landscape. There are some beautiful things to be seen along Iceland's South coast. 

We arrived in Reykjavík early, and made the drive to the Eastern side of the island in the same day. Our first destination was Jökulsárlón. It's a glacial lagoon that is unlike anything else in the world. It's a lake full of large ice chunks from Vatnajökull. The nearby black sands beaches are beautiful and are covered in small blocks of ice. 

The next location was directly outside of Vik. Dyrhólaey is a black sand beach and features enormous rock outcroppings.

The south coast has many waterfalls, including Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. Skógafoss is enormous and dramatic. Seljalandsfoss has a small path that runs behind it that lets you view it from both front and back.

Besides these main tourist destinations, the South Coast itself is beautiful. Flat and sparse in some areas, as well as mountainous and rugged in others, the Ring Road is a sightseeing tour worth taking.

Soon, I'll include features on the Golden Circle and the North country.

Manzanita Bones - The Rupture : Album Review

Manzanita Bones writes in blurred lines. They are a duo whose sound is by turns ethereally soaring and earthily grounded. They are able to navigate, often within a single song, from moments of clean folk harmony to disorienting noise-rock. It's a sound that is not bound by stylistic rules, and yet maintains a consistency in it's transgression of those rules.

Their new album, The Rupture, is like Bonnie "Prince" Billy meets the Misfits. It's the sort of scratching disintegration that is reminiscent of early Dinosaur Jr. hidden in folk clothing. Although lyrically introspective, they carry a wider philosophical sensibility, and enjoy changing perspectives. They are instrumentally adventurous, commonly on the edge of crashing, but in a controlled way. 

The songs are widely varied, and bear some wide-ranging comparisons. With Western country and folk elements, "Shooting For A Kill" would make great theme music for a Coen brothers film. The spoken-word / pseudo-instrumental "The Rupture" reads like a McCarthy novel. "Caroline" has verses with an open spaciousness one would find in the best of The Black Heart Procession. 

The instrumental interludes in these songs are integral and not asides or filler material. The final minute of "Just a Little Sigh" is perhaps the highlight of the song, heightening the theme to a fury. Their folk acoustic themed "Trying to Stand Up" fluctuates between tongue-in-cheek absurdity and full sincerity. "What You Said" is a scratch-filled blues romp, as trashed and rough as any moment in '80's punk.

All in all, The Ruputure is a raucous adventure; etching a sonic landscape with blind curves and trap doors. And, yes, you have to hear it to have any clue what that means.

You can hear more Manzanita Bones at:

www.manzanitabones.com

These photos were made available from Nashville Music Photographer www.thatverynextthing.com. That Very Next Thing has Nashville Music Photography services currently available.

Photoshoot for NYMM - Trista Mabry

Had a really great photoshoot with Nashville musician, Trista Mabry, for New York Minute Magazine. It was a blast and she's an incredible musician.  There were a lot more good photos than we could fit in the article, so here there are.  And, definitely check out the interview here.

You can find more about Trista Mabry at:

https://www.reverbnation.com/tristamabry

Twitter: @trista_brooke

"Uprise" is currently available on iTunes

The full photo shoot is available at: www.thatverynextthing.com

The interview is at: New York Minute Magazine