Múm and Mystery

There's something so affecting about the northern lands - like Iceland - that can really be felt through the area's music.
Maybe it's the stunning, sprawling vistas or mood influencing weather, but the heart tugging beauty of bands like Sigur Rós and Múm seem to clearly transpose the region's dapper weather and epic scenery.

Sigur Rós, of course, requires no introduction and enjoys the status of having one of my all-time favorite music videos. Absolutely gorgeous:


Múm, on the other hand, is lesser well known - but very similar. They have fewer tracks of emotional amplitude, but there are some real gems. Their best in my opinion is "Green Grass of Tunnels" here:


This international band happened to play in LA at the Orpheum; an old, gorgeous theater with mandatory seats.
But it was in a SUPER sketchy part of downtown. To the degree that my mind often wandered off the show to "I wonder if my car is still there" and "Would a mugger believe me if I hid my wallet in my underwear? Or would he stab me anyway?"

Well after the first two opening acts I was wandering the lobby and noticed photographers were flocking around somebody. Nonchalantly sauntering over, I discovered it was none other than "Mystery"


This is one of the last places I'd imagine a VH1 sponsored pick-up artist to be making publicity rounds - at a way indie, foreign band's show in a seedy part of LA. It's one of those I guess, only in LA moments...