Retro Stefson
Retro Stefson, who owe their name to the fact that three of the members share the same surname - Stefansson - are this year's insider tip in the indie pop world. After their 2009 debut album "Montana" made a splash in their native Iceland they're now trying to win over the rest of the world with their follow-up, "Kimbabwe".
And indeed the band is coming up with all sorts of qualifications to live up to expectations. The members are young, cosmopolitan and full of unbridled energy. In all, Retro Stefson is not a band who cares all that much about reproducing; rather they're engaged in merging disparate styles. "Disco House, Pop, Tropical"- is how they themselves define what they do on their MySpace site. With that they're representing the contemporary way of thinking that different musical styles are not irreconcilable.
Their music gets the message over without resorting to shrieking tones and acute put-ons. If anything their sound is dominated by pleasant poise and organic, transparent textures that convey an impression of a fresh breeze going through their songs. 
The refusal to accept genre-boundaries does not result in randomness but is more of an expression of fear of conformity and stagnation. If you wanted to be cocky you could argue that Retro Stefson are finally redefining the term "world music" whose usage has always been somewhat inaccurate. That is to say as music that unites many styles stored in the archives of the musical world itself.
This practice is analogous to a mix of English, French, Portugese and Icelandic lyrics that also reflect the familial backgrounds of the band members. At the same time it's important to point out that the lyrics are fulfilling an onomatopoetic function rather than to convey an opinion. It reminds you of how English pop music lyrics were conceived as a child.
It seems Retro Stefson's music is the contingent to an easy precision that manages in equal measure to be playful and to the point. Retro Stefson can very accurately assess how many gimmic lived novelty gag. That's why the metal interludes for example only come in moderate doses. Metal plays an important role here; a mediating one to prevent their occasional childish silliness loses its appeal and become a mere annoying concept. But besides who has more right to be childish than a band whose members partially haven't reached legal age yet?
Discography:
Montaña (2008)
Kimbabwe (2010)
