If there’s one thing Americans know about Iceland, it’s that this small country has an amazingly vibrant music scene. And over the course of this week, we’ll be highlighting a bunch of bands and performers, starting with M\u00fam (pronounced “Moom”), one of my personal favorites.<\/p>\n
I like all of M\u00fam’s albums, but Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy<\/em> is probably the most accomplished and immediate. So many songs on this album feel like they’re just going to fall apart . . . But somehow, all the rhythms, instruments, and childlike cooing keep everything in place, resulting in a rather moving album that is both nostalgic and haunting. <\/p>\n In addition to the opening song—“Blessed Brambles,” embedded below—I particularly love They Made Frogs Smoke ‘Til They Exploded,<\/a> Marmalade Fires,<\/a> Dancing Behind My Eyelids,<\/a> and Guilty Rocks.<\/a> (Especially “Guilty Rocks.”) <\/p>\n