Listening to the dissonances of nature and nationhood in modern Iceland
During the past three decades, Iceland has attained a strong presence in the world through its musical culture, with images of the nation being packaged and shipped out in melodies, harmonies, and rhythms. What 'Iceland' means for people, both at home and abroad, is conditioned by music and its ability to animate notions of nature and nationality. In six chapters that range from discussions of indie rock ballads to 'Nordic noir' television music, Dissonant Landscapes describes the capacity of musical expression to transform ideas about nature and nationality on the northern edges of Europe.
Introduction ? Part I. National Dissonance ? 1. The Icelandic Pastoral in Times of Crisis ? 2. Musical Responses to the Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant ? Part II. Journeys North: Contemporary Mediations of the Boreal ? Island Songs: Musical Geography in Digital Media ? 4. Trapped in the Arctic: Tourism, National Aspirations, and Geopolitics ? Part III. Tectonics: Refiguring Nature in Icelandic Music ? 5. The Ecological Aesthetics of Anna orvaldsdóttir ? 6. Below Ground: Volcanic Action and the Geosocial in the Music of Sigur Rós ?Conclusion ? Notes ? References
