The Sugarcubes () were an Icelandic

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band from

Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...

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 voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public pe ...

(vocals, keyboards),

Einar Örn Benediktsson Einar Örn Benediktsson (born 29 October 1962), often billed as Einar Örn, is an Icelandic popular music singer and trumpet player. He was a member of the Sugarcubes. He served as a member of the Reykjavík City Council between 2010 and 2014 ...

(vocals, trumpet), Þór Eldon (guitar), Bragi Ólafsson (bass), Margrét "Magga" Örnólfsdóttir (keyboards) and

Sigtryggur Baldursson Sigtryggur Baldursson (born 2 October 1962) is an Icelandic drummer and singer. Sigtryggur was born in Norway to Icelandic parents. He was a founding member of the Sugarcubes and has been a longtime fixture on the Icelandic punk and alternat ...

(drums). Previous members included Friðrik Erlingsson (guitar) and Einar Melax (keyboards). The Sugarcubes' debut album, ''

Life's Too Good ''Life's Too Good'' is the debut studio album by Icelandic alternative rock group the Sugarcubes. It was released April 25, 1988 by One Little Indian in the UK and Europe and in May 1988 by Elektra Records in the US. The album was an unexpected s ...

'' (1988), was an unexpected international success, and produced their signature song "

Birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many religion ...

". 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 on 20 September 1989 through Elektra Records. A version of the album sung in Icelandic titled ''Illur Arfur!'' (English: '' ...

'', 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". ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' 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 Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

band

Tappi Tíkarrass Tappi Tíkarrass is 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 sing ...

, 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 synthesiz ...

, while

, Bragi Ólafsson and Friðrik Erlingsson formed a punk band called Purrkur Pillnikk. 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, Einar Örn on vocals, Björk's then-husband Þór (Thor) Eldon on guitar, Friðrik Erlingsson 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 first performed in July 1988 under the name "Þukl" at the N'Art Festival held at the Nordic Culture Centre in Reykjavik, Iceland. In August of that same year, the band first performed as Sykurmolarnir (Icelandic for Sugarcubes) at the Roxzý nightclub in Reykjavik, Iceland. Some have assumed that the band's name referred to

LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...

use, but it is more likely in keeping with their intention to form a "cute" pop band, which was in stark contrast to the band members' previous music endeavours.

1987–1988: ''Life's Too Good''

In late 1987, the band signed to

One Little Indian One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In t ...

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 ...

in the US. They released their debut album, ''

'', in 1988 to critical acclaim in both the UK and the US. They first came to notice in the UK when

BBC radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

played "

", which was later voted by his listeners as #1 in the 1987

Festive Fifty The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's 50 (though the exact figure varied above and below this number) best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show. It was usually do ...

, and #23 in the All Time Chart. Their music has been described as

avant-pop Avant-pop is popular music that is experimental, new, and distinct from previous styles while retaining an immediate accessibility for the listener. The term implies a combination of avant-garde sensibilities with existing elements from popular ...

, and was characterized by a psychedelic

sound sometimes reminiscent of

the B-52's The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's (with an errant apostrophe; used until 2008), are an American band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, k ...

and

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.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 (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, a concert attended by

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

and

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

. On 15 October the band appeared on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' 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 influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

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 o ...

(formerly of

Magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

and

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees ( ) were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. Post-punk pioneers, they were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later ...

) 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 The Zoo TV Tour (also written as ZooTV, ZOO TV or ZOOTV) was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock music, rock band U2. Staged primarily to support their 1991 album ''Achtung Baby'' and later their 1993 album ''Zooropa'', the tour visited ...

in October and November 1992, playing to a total of 700,000 people. A

remix album A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson ('' Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 200 ...

, '' It's-It'', 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 " Leash Called Love", reached number one on ''Billboard'''s

Hot Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set list ...

Chart in 1992. The Sugarcubes disbanded in late December 1992. The members remain involved in the management of record label Smekkleysa (Bad Taste Ltd). Björk embarked on a solo career, coming to prominence with albums such as '' Debut'' (1993), ''

Post Post, POST, or posting may refer to: Postal services * Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries **An Post, the Irish national postal service **Canada Post, Canadian postal service **Deutsche Post, German postal s ...

'' (1995), and ''

Homogenic ''Homogenic'' is the third studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was released on 22 September 1997 by One Little Indian Records. Produced by Björk, Mark Bell (British musician), Mark Bell, Guy Sigsworth, Howie B, and Markus Dra ...

'' (1997).

2006: Reunion

On 17 November 2006 the band had a one-off reunion concert at

Laugardalshöll Laugardalshöll (; also known as Laugardalshöllin and Laugardalsholl Sport Center) is a multi-purpose sports and exhibition venue located in the Laugardalur district of Iceland's capital Reykjavík. The complex consists of two main venues, a s ...

sport arena in

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

, 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 Múm (stylized in lowercase) () is an Icelandic indietronica band whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments. History The band was formed in ...

and

Rass Rass or RASS may refer to: Places * Ar Rass a city in central Saudi Arabia * Rass, Bareq, a neighborhood in southwestern Saudi Arabia :''See also Ar Rass (disambiguation) and Ras (disambiguation)#Places for similarly named places'' People * R ...

. Despite this reunion, the group has expressed that it has no intention to play future shows or record new material.

Style

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' wrote that the drumming and guitar work were influenced by

Joy Division Joy Division were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...

and also

Cocteau Twins Cocteau Twins were a Scottish rock music, rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981. In 19 ...

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 A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' characterized the band as

avant-rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...

Members

;Final line-up *

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

– vocals, trumpet (1987–1992, 2006) *

– drums, percussion (1987–1992, 2006) * Margrét "Magga" Örnólfsdóttir – keyboards (1989–1992, 2006) ;Former members * Fridrik Erlingsson – guitar (1987–1988) * Einar Melax – keyboards (1987–1989) * Tomasz Mertonski – jazz flute (1988–1989)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations and remixes

Singles

Vinyl and CD boxes

* 1989 – ''12.11'' (

One Little Indian Records One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In t ...

) * 1989 – ''7.8'' (

) * 1989 – ''CD.6'' (

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

)

Collaborations and featuring

* 1987 – '' Snarl II'' ( Erðanumúsík), Icelandic compilation. Featuring under the name of Sykurmolarnir. * 1987 – '' Luftgítar'' ( Smekkleysa), album by Johnny Triumph. * 1987 – '' Skytturnar'' ( Gramm), soundtrack to the movie directed by Friðrik Þór Fríðriksson. * 1988 – '' One Little Indian - Greatest Hits Volume One'' (

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

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

'' (

Megas Magnús Þór Jónsson (born 7 April 1945), better known by the stage name Megas, is an Icelandic people, Icelandic vocalist, songwriter, and writer. Childhood and interest in music (1945-1970) Being an admirer of Elvis Presley, Megas welcomed ...

), album by

. * 1990 – '' World Domination or Death Volume 1'' ( Smekkleysa/ Workers Playtime PLAY), compilation. * 1990 – '' One Little Indian - Greatest Hits Volume Two'' (

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

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

), compilation.

Other releases

* 1988 – '' Sugarcubes Interview Disc'' (

) * 1998 – '' Avengers (soundtrack)'' (

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

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

)- 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 band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart w ...

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

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 A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

collection * 1992 – '' Murder and Killing in Hell'', 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'' (

), music video collection, re-issue of 'The Video' with additional bonus videos * 2006 – ''Live Zabor DVD'' (

), 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 Musical sextets Mixed-gender bands