FM Belfast: Artist of the Day @ Spin

FM Belfast
We hardly knew ye at SXSW, but we wish we did! Geeky, Icelandic synth pop gets us every time.
By Peter Gaston
What's the Deal?
After a friend described this outfit as "an Icelandic Hot Chip who decorate everything with Christmas lights," we instantly lamented not seeing them in Austin. And we felt even worse after checking their MySpace www.myspace.com/fmbelfast
It's gloriously kitchy, Commodore-64-style digipop, sung in gleefully off-kilter accented English. Kind of like a low-fi version of Royksopp.
Who?
According to their official website, FM Belfast includes eight members, but we can't seem to find any evidence that all eight members play in the band at any given time. After a few gigs in Austin and a few in NYC (including one about two blocks from this writer's front stoop!), FM Belfast isn't scheduled for more gigs until two U.K. festivals in September: Isle of Wight's Bestival and Dorset's End of the Road.
Fun Fact:
FM Belfast doesn't need a frilly rock venue to get down: They rocked a bookstore for their Iceland Airwaves performance this year.

FM Belfast @ Iceland Airwaves 2007 - Icelandair Opening Party @ Kjarval Museum @ Reykjavik (Video by Wim Van Hooste)
Source:
www.spin.com/articles/fm-belfast