Free Icelandic Music Fest at the Crocodile Tonight

KEXP's "Reykjavik Calling" showcase actually unites the talents of both Seattle and Icelandic musicians, but you scenesters are no doubt are familiar with Rachel Flotard and Rusty Willoughby, John Roderick, Jason Dodson, and Nathan Wade. (Really all we need is some more electronica and we have Iceland Airwaves South.)

But if you haven't been following the Icelandic Music Awards closely for the past few years, you may be wondering what's a Mugison? A Sin Fang Bous? A Lay Low? And who's this Pétur Ben character?

The beauty of this particular evening is that there's no barrier to simply showing up and finding out on your own--it's free. Doors open at 8 p.m., but depending upon how concerned you are with getting in, you may want to arrive early. (It's 21-and-over though, so don't show up earlier than your 21st birthday.)

Let's prep with a little tour down YouTube's Icelandic lane.

Mugison's "Murr Murr" won Best Song at the 2004 Icelandic Music Awards. His real name is Örn Elías Guðmundsson, and it may surprise you to know that Mugison has opened for the Queens of the Stone Age. They say it's "equal parts power rock, electrifying pop and desolate folk."

Pétur Ben's "I'll be here" begins "If I was a tree / I'd let you nest in me." Heart melted. The album that it's from, Wine For My Weakness, won Best Album at the 2006 Icelandic Music Awards.

Lay Low represents Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir's realization that no one outside of Iceland is willing to hazard a guess at how to pronounce her name. She won Best Female Singer at the 2006 Icelandic Music Awards. Here she is covering "Jolene."

Sindri Már Sigfússon is the founder of both Seabear (folk-ish) and Sin Fang Bous (experimental). Maybe you've heard him on NPR? "Sweetness-with-bite," says Pitch-with-fork. No one can resist punning off the "fang" part.