ISO Nominated for Grammy Award
The Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Rumon Gamba, the orchestra’s main conductor, have been nominated for the respected Grammy Awards for their masterly take on the work of French composer Vincent d’Indy. The album, “D'Indy: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1,” was released by British record label Chandos earlier this year.

Iceland @ Eurosonic
Four Icelandic bands will represent Iceland at Holland’s Eurosonic festival which takes place between the 15th-17th January, 2009. Hometown heroes Hjaltalín, For a Minor Reflection, Dísa and Helgi Jónsson will all take the stage and showcase their talents at the renowned festival, which has often proved influential in determining the line-ups at other European festivals. Dates and additional info after the jump.
 

Elíza Newman Joins Effective Music
Icelandic singer-songwriter Elíza Geirsdóttir Newman has signed a publishing deal with UK label Effective Music. The agreement includes Elíza’s two first solo records. The first album “Empire Fall” was released last year and received positive reviews in Britain and elsewhere while the second is scheduled for release next year.

Kraumur Awards Winners
Last week saw the newly appointed Kraumur Awards announce their Best Icelandic Albums of 2008. The Awards are sponsored by the Kraumur Music Fund, an independent fund established by the Aurora Charity Fund and the nominations and winners were chosen by a selected panel of Icelandic music journalists and radio show hosts, with years of experience in playing and writing about Icelandic music.

Gusgus - New Album and Gigs
Gusgus are putting the final touches to their new album, "24/7". Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson, President Bongo and Biggi Veira recently spent a week at Studio Tankurinn in Flateyri where they laid down the defining tracks for the upcoming album. The album was recorded live and some photos from the session can be seen here.