Of Monsters and Men is an Icelandic indie folk/rock band formed in Garðabær in 2010. It consists of lead singer and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, singer and guitarist Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson, lead guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, and bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson.
members: Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir
formed in: Garður
labels: Republic Records, Dedicated Records, Dear Deer Records, Island Records Group
genres: indie folk, indie pop
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Of Monsters and Men was formed in 2010 when singer, guitarist, and pianist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, who originally performed solo under the name Songbird, asked friends Brynjar Leifsson (electric guitar) and Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson (backing vocals, melodica, glockenspiel) to help her perform. They were invited to play at Músíktilraunir, an annual music competition in Iceland, at which point Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson (backing vocals, melodica, glockenspiel, tambourine) joined the band. As a quartet, they won the competition. Raggi came up with the band name, as an allusion to reading fairytales and telling stories growing up.
Are you them, or do you know them? The mail slot is open.
"Little Talks" is the debut single by Icelandic indie rock band Of Monsters and Men. The song was released as the lead single from their debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal (2011).
It was also released on the band's EP Into the Woods. It was written by primary vocalists Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson, and produced by Aron Þór Arnarsson.
According to Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, the song describes two loving people talking past each other and implies one is deceased, saying "maybe one person isn't really hearing the other one." The song was inspired by an old house she moved into.
"Little Talks" received critical acclaim. USA Today described the song as a "monster hit", noting its "galloping chorus" and "reverb-heavy production". PBS Arts described the song's "rolling, infectious energy" and foreboding lyrics.
In 2013, YouTube star Kurt Hugo Schneider and Coca-Cola teamed up to create music videos featuring creative covers of two 2011 hits namely "Little Talks" and Calvin Harris' "Feel So Close" for a campaign called "The Sounds of AHH". "Little Talks" shows Schneider playing only Coca-Cola bottles, glasses and cans. Featured in the version are the vocals of Kevin Olusola. Commercial edits of the video aired on season 13 premiere of American Idol on 14 January 2014 on FOX.
"Dirty Paws" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men for their debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal (2011). It is the opening track and the title of the album comes from a line in the song, and was released as its second single in April 2012 in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe.
The lyrics describe a war among animals, launched by the bees against the birds, but won by an alliance of animals against them.
"King and Lionheart" is a song recorded by Icelandic alternative folk band Of Monsters and Men, written by co-lead vocalist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and produced by the band with Aron Arnarsson and Jacquire King for the band's debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal (2011). The song maintains its position on both issues of the album, appearing as the second track on both the original Icelandic and international versions of the album.
After reaching No. 1 on the Icelandic Tónlist singles chart in 2012, the song was released as a radio-only single from My Head Is an Animal in the United States and the United Kingdom in March 2013. The song peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
A music video for "King and Lionheart", directed by video production group WeWereMonkeys, was produced and released on 23 January 2013. The video, which mirrors the Nordic art style of the music video for "Little Talks", also directed by WeWereMonkeys, blends in the visual art styles of two-dimensional rendered backgrounds with CGI and live action-imposed film sequences.
"Mountain Sound" is a single by Icelandic indie folk and indie pop band Of Monsters and Men. The song was released as the second single from the international version of their debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal (2011).
It was written by band members Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, Ragnar Þórhallsson and Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, and produced by Jacquire King.
Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson collaboratively composed both the music and lyrics. "Mountain Sound" is in a 22 time signature in E major, with a vocal range from C#4 to C#5. Bryndís and Þórhallsson share vocal leads.
The music video for "Mountain Sound" was filmed on location at a festival held at the Hljomskalagardurinn park in Reykjavík, Iceland, on 7 July 2012. The band was filmed while performing at the festival. The video was first released onto YouTube on 13 September 2012.
"Mountain Sound" received positive reviews. Matt Collar of allmusic praised "Mountain Sound" as "catchy" and found it similar to Florence and the Machine. Rolling Stone called the song "upbeat, barreling". Reviewing the My Head Is an Animal album, Hilary Saunders of Paste Magazine cited "Mountain Sound" as an example of quality vocal leads by Bryndís and Þórhallsson. Oran Mor of The Guardian commented that the song "crafts a memorable chorus out of the very English-sounding line 'Hold your horses now'."
"Alligator" is a song by Icelandic indie folk group Of Monsters and Men. It was released on 3 May 2019 by Republic Records as the lead single for their third studio album Fever Dream (2019).
Written by Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and produced by the band and Rich Costey, "Alligator" is an uplifting yet aggressive indie rock, folk-pop, punk rock and electronic rock track about trying to break free from disillusion and confusion. Although its high energy, drums and forceful vocal performances recall the group's early sound, it is absent of their typical folk stylings.
"Alligator" was released on 3 May 2019. The release of the single was preceded by the group teasing it on their social media with alligator-related imagery. As Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir announced upon release, "We are so excited about Alligator, the first release from our upcoming album. The song very much speaks to the excitement and energy that we feel about being back. We can't wait to share more music and see everyone again." An official music video, filmed in two days "inside one of Iceland’s most haunted hotels" according to Nanna, was released on 2 July 2019. It depicts the singer having a fever dream about a hotel with the other members wearing masks.
"Alligator" is an exultant yet aggressive indie rock, folk-pop, punk rock and electronic rock song in the style of Chvrches and with elements of 1980s power pop. Over a thick, pounding bass line, buzzing, hazy guitars a la Yeah Yeah Yeahs and "ominous, drifting, shapeshifting drums", Nanna, in a stressful and anthemic manner, calls for liberation from the feelings of disillusion and confusion. As she belts in the chorus, "Wake me up / I'm fever dreaming / And now I lose control / I'm fever dreaming / Shake it out / It's just a-what I’m feeling / And now I take control / I'm fever dreaming!"
Several critical reviews of Fever Dream considered "Alligator" to be the album's best track. Sophia Simon-Bishall of The Line of Best Fit enjoyed it as "startling and thrilling", but also claimed it promised a diverse sound that the rest of the track list failed to live up to. DIY's Louisa Dixon and Slant Magazine's Graham Kervin were disappointed most of Fever Dream followed a forgettable pop style instead of the "arena-ready punchiness" and powerful vocals of "Alligator". Paste's Andy Crump enjoyed "Alligator" as a "banger" and lamenting that "if, from start to finish, the whole record worked half as well as 'Alligator,' it’d be a bold new chapter in Of Monsters and Men's narrative". More negatively, PopMatters journalist Jordan Blum...