The Sugarcubes ( Icelandic: Sykurmolarnir) were an Icelandic alternative rock band from Reykjavík formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. For most of their career, the band consisted of

Björk Guðmundsdóttir Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

(vocals, keyboards), Einar Örn Benediktsson (vocals, trumpet), Þór Eldon (guitar),

Bragi Ólafsson Bragi Ólafsson (born 11 August 1962 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic musician and a writer. Internationally he is best known for his work as a bassist in The Sugarcubes, the avant-garde pop band from Iceland that brought fame to Björk ...

(bass), Margrét "Magga" Örnólfsdóttir (keyboards) and Sigtryggur Baldursson (drums). The Sugarcubes' debut album, '' Life's Too Good'' (1988), was an unexpected international success, and produced their signature song " Birthday". It is credited as the first Icelandic album to have a worldwide impact and influenced Icelandic popular music. Their follow-up album, ''

Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week! ''Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week!'' is the second studio album by Icelandic alternative rock band the Sugarcubes, released in September 1989 through Elektra Records. A version of the album sung in Icelandic titled ''Illur Arfur!'' (English: ''Bad ...

'', was released 1989 to mixed reviews. Their third and final album, '' Stick Around for Joy'', released in February 1992, was better received and produced the successful singles " Hit" and "

Leash Called Love "Leash Called Love" is a song written and recorded by the Icelandic band the Sugarcubes for their 1992 album ''Stick Around for Joy'', and their follow up to their number one ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks single "Hit". The track dealt with the ...

". '' Rolling Stone'' referred to them as "the biggest rock band to emerge from Iceland." Björk would later become an internationally successful solo musician and the bestselling Icelandic musician of all time.

History

1977–1986: Formation and early years

The members of the Sugarcubes had formerly been in a variety of Icelandic bands.

had the longest career out of any of the members; she had recorded an album when she was 11. In her late teens, she joined the Icelandic post-punk band

Tappi Tíkarrass Tappi Tíkarrass was an Icelandic punk band which added elements of funk, rock and jazz to their music, marking a difference from other traditional bands at that time. The band is also considered the first serious music project of now renowned sin ...

, who released two albums before splitting in 1983. Drummer Sigtryggur "Siggi" Baldursson was a member of

Þeyr Þeyr () was an Icelandic New wave music, new wave band from the early 1980s. Origins The origins of Þeyr date back to the late 1970s when singer Magnús Guðmundsson, bassist Hilmar Örn Agnarsson and Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson (drums and synthesi ...

, while Einar Örn Benediktsson and

formed a punk band called

Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk ('Sleepy Chess-Player') was a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months (1981–1982) and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs. The distinguishable character ...

. By 1984, Björk, Einar Örn and Siggi had formed the group Kukl with keyboardist Einar Melax, and released two albums on the independent British record label

Crass Records Crass Records was an independent record label that was set up by the anarchist Punk rock, punk band Crass. Overview and history Prior to the formation of Crass, Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher had published their creative works via their own D ...

. The Sugarcubes formed on 8 June 1986 with Björk on vocals, Björk's then-husband Þór (Thor) Eldon on guitar and Bragi Ólafsson on bass. On the same day, Björk gave birth to her and Þór Eldon's son, Sindri Eldon. The band's name was assumed by its fans to be an LSD usage reference.

1987–1988: ''Life's Too Good''

In late 1987, the band signed to One Little Indian in the UK and to

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

in the US. They released their debut album, '' Life's Too Good'', in 1988 to critical acclaim in both the UK and the US. They first came to notice in the UK when BBC radio DJ

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

played " Birthday", which was later voted by his listeners as #1 in the 1987 Festive Fifty, and #23 in the All Time Chart. Their music has been described as avant-pop, and was characterized by a psychedelic post-punk sound sometimes reminiscent of the B-52's and Talking Heads, whimsical yet heartfelt lyrics, and the imploring, girlish voice of Björk, accompanied by Einar Örn's erratic vocal performances. In the last quarter of 1988, The Sugarcubes toured North America to positive reception. In September, the band played at The Ritz in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, a concert attended by David Bowie and

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...

. On 15 October the band appeared on '' Saturday Night Live'' with a performance of their songs "Birthday" and "Motorcrash".

1989–1990: ''Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week!''

'', the band's second album, was released in September 1989. The greater vocal contribution by Einar Örn on the record was criticized in many of the record's reviews, which were noticeably weaker than those for ''Life's Too Good''. Not all critics agreed that it was worse than their debut album, though.

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

rated it a B+, higher than the B− he gave ''Life's Too Good''. The singles "Regina" and "Planet" topped the UK indie charts but fared poorly in the mainstream charts outside of Iceland. After the release of ''Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week!'', the band embarked on a lengthy international tour. At the end of the tour, they started to ponder splitting up and went on a hiatus.

1990–1992: ''Stick Around for Joy'' and breakup

At the conclusion of the tour in late 1990, the band members pursued their own interests. '' Stick Around for Joy'', their third and final album, was released in February 1992. It featured guest guitarist

John McGeoch John Alexander McGeoch (25 August 1955 – 4 March 2004) was a Scottish musician and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of the rock bands Magazine (1977-1980) and Siouxsie and the Banshees (1980-1982). He has been described as one o ...

(formerly of

Magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

and

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...

) on the opening track, "Gold". The album received noticeably better reviews than ''Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week!'', and spawned the band's first big hit single, the aptly titled " Hit". Further singles "Walkabout" and "Vitamin" failed to make any chart impact. The Sugarcubes opened for U2 during the US leg of their Zoo TV Tour in October and November 1992, playing to a total of 700,000 people. A remix album, ''

It's-It ''It's-It'', released in October 1992, is a remix album by the Icelandic alternative rock band the Sugarcubes. After its release, the Sugarcubes disbanded and lead singer Björk went on to have a successful solo career. One single that was releas ...

'', was released in October 1992 along with a re-release of "Birthday" which was backed by numerous remixes of the song. One single that was released from the compilation, the Tony Humphries remix of "

", reached number one on ''Billboard'''s

Hot Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

Chart in 1992. The Sugarcubes disbanded in late December 1992. The members remain involved in the management of record label

Smekkleysa Bad Taste (known as Smekkleysa in Icelandic, literally ''Tastelessness'') is one of Iceland’s most important record labels; located in Reykjavík and known worldwide for being home to The Sugarcubes, it also publishes poetry books, short fil ...

(Bad Taste Ltd). Björk embarked on a solo career, coming to prominence with albums such as ''

Debut Debut or début (the first public appearance of a person or thing) may refer to: * Debut (society), the formal introduction of young upper-class women to society * Debut novel, an author's first published novel Film and television * ''The Debu ...

'' (1993), '' Post'' (1995), and '' Homogenic'' (1997).

2006: Reunion

On 17 November 2006 the band had a one-off reunion concert at Laugardalshöll sport arena in Reykjavík, Iceland, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut single, "Birthday", with all profits going to the non-profit Smekkleysa SM to promote Icelandic music. They were supported by fellow Icelandic groups múm and Rass. Despite this reunion, the group has expressed that it has no intention to play future shows or record new material.

Style

'' Trouser Press'' wrote that the drumming and guitar work were influenced by Joy Division,

and also

Cocteau Twins Cocteau Twins was a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrum ...

on the slow numbers. The group also incorporated "electronically mutated trumpet and sound effects". The other instrument is Björk's voice, containing a "range of emotions", being one moment "a little girl soprano" and then next "a crazed animal". Einar also sings on certain tracks with Björk on background vocals. '' Pitchfork'' characterized the band as avant-rock.

Members

;Final line-up *

– vocals, keyboards (1986–1992, 2006) * Þór Eldon Jónsson – guitar (1986–1992, 2006) *

– bass (1986–1992, 2006) * Einar Örn Benediktsson – vocals, trumpet (1987–1992, 2006) * Sigtryggur Baldursson – drums, percussion (1987–1992, 2006) * Margrét "Magga" Örnólfsdóttir – keyboards (1989–1992, 2006) ;Former members * Fridrik Erlingsson – guitar (1987–1988) * Einar Melax – keyboards (1987–1989)

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations and remixes

Singles

Vinyl and CD boxes

* 1989 – ''12.11'' ( One Little Indian Records) * 1989 – ''7.8'' ( One Little Indian Records) * 1989 – ''CD.6'' ( One Little Indian Records) * 2006 – ''The Complete Studio Albums Box'' – 3× CD repacked box with three main English language studio albums. Released to celebrate 20th Anniversary reunion concert ( One Little Indian Records)

Collaborations and featuring

* 1987 – ''

Snarl II A snarl is a sound, often a growl or vicious utterance, often accompanied by a facial expression, where the upper lip is raised, and the nostrils widen, generally indicating hate, anger or pain. In addition to humans, other mammals including ...

'' ( Erðanumúsík), Icelandic compilation. Featuring under the name of Sykurmolarnir. * 1987 – '' Luftgítar'' (

), album by Johnny Triumph. * 1987 – ''

Skytturnar ''White Whales'' (orig: Skytturnar ()) the third film directed by Icelandic director Friðrik Þór Friðriksson in 1987. Starring Eggert Guðmundsson, Þórarinn Óskar Þórarinsson, and Eggert Þorleifsson, this film features Hilmar Örn Hi ...

'' ( Gramm), soundtrack to the movie directed by

Friðrik Þór Fríðriksson Friðrik is a masculine Icelandic given name. Notable people with the name include: * Friðrik Þór Friðriksson (born 1953), Icelandic film director *Friðrik Ólafsson (born 1935), Icelandic chess Grandmaster and former president of FIDE * Fri ...

. * 1988 – ''

One Little Indian - Greatest Hits Volume One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...

'' ( One Little Indian), greatest hits (volume 1) released by One Little Indian. * 1990 – ''

Hættuleg hljómsveit & glæpakvendið Stella ''Hættuleg hljómsveit & glæpakvendið Stella'' was an album released in September 1990 by Icelandic rock singer Megas. This double CD album featured The Sugarcubes, a band led by Björk and Einar Örn Benediktsson. Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttars ...

'' (

Megas Magnús Þór Jónsson (born 7 April 1945), better known by the stage name Megas, is a vocalist, songwriter, and writer who is well known in his native Iceland. Interest in music Being an admirer of Elvis Presley, Megas welcomed the arrival of ...

), album by

. * 1990 – ''

World Domination or Death Volume 1 In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the wor ...

'' (

/ Workers Playtime PLAY), compilation. * 1990 – ''

One Little Indian - Greatest Hits Volume Two 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length ...

'' ( One Little Indian), greatest hits (volume 2) released by One Little Indian. * 1990 – '' Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary'' (

), Elektra Records anniversary compilation. * 1993 – ''Welcome to the Future'' ( One Little Indian), compilation.

Other releases

* 1988 – '' Sugarcubes Interview Disc'' ( One Little Indian) * 1998 – ''

Avengers (soundtrack) Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...

'' (

WEA The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of the ...

/ Atlantic)- Feat.

Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...

's cover of The Sugarcubes' "Mama" * 1998 – '' Music Inspired by the Motion Picture: The Avengers'' (

BIG EAR The Ohio State University Radio Observatory was a Kraus-type (after its inventor John D. Kraus) radio telescope located on the grounds of the Perkins Observatory at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio from 1963 to 1998. Known as Big Ear, th ...

)

Videography

Video albums

* 1989 – '' Live Zabor'', VHS, collection of live performances from 1988/89 and interviews * 1991 – '' The Video (Sugarcubes video album)'', VHS/laserdisc, music video collection * 1992 – ''

Murder and Killing in Hell The Sugarcubes ( Icelandic: Sykurmolarnir) were an Icelandic alternative rock band from Reykjavík formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. For most of their career, the band consisted of Björk Guðmundsdóttir (vocals, keyboards), Einar Örn Ben ...

'', VHS, 1992 live concert performance, Manchester Academy UK * 1992 - ''Sykurmolarnir – Á Guðs Vegum'' (''The Sugarcubes - On God's Way''), Icelandic VHS of various live performances and remixes * 2006 – ''The DVD'' ( One Little Indian), music video collection, re-issue of 'The Video' with additional bonus videos * 2006 – ''Live Zabor DVD'' ( One Little Indian), re-issue

Music videos

References

External links

Review of reissued Sugarcubes video releases at Modern Peapod
*
Interview with Einar Örn Benediktsson
in ''Chief Magazine'' discussing the band's birth, breakup, and eventual reunion
The Sugarcubes live in Copenhagen 1988
photo Peter Lind {{DEFAULTSORT:Sugarcubes, The Icelandic alternative rock groups Icelandic post-punk music groups One Little Independent Records artists Musical groups disestablished in 1992 Musical groups established in 1986 Björk 1986 establishments in Iceland Avant-pop musicians Musical groups from Reykjavík Female-fronted musical groups