Music
Music Monday: Of Monsters and Men
I’m prone to falling in love with bands super quickly. I had two song recommendations for ‘Little Talks’ and ‘Dirty Paws’, both from Of Monsters and Men and their debut album, My Head is an Animal.
I checked them out, and all of a sudden owned both My Head is an Animal and Beneath the Skin, the second album by Of Monsters and Men, plus I had booked tickets for their Melbourne show on the May 5. I have no doubt that they’ll absolutely rock the Palais Theatre in Melbourne; it’s a big venue but their music is larger than life.
Of Monsters and Men debuted in Iceland in 2011 and hit the world stage in 2012 with their worldwide release of My Head is an Animal. ‘Little Talks’ hit our own Triple J Hottest 100 in 2012 at number two and went six times platinum. (And yet I still didn’t really become aware of them until this March. I’m dreadfully hopeless at any post-90s bands.)
Their music bounces between bright upbeat tunes and slower, more melancholy songs that, to me, reflect their homeland of Iceland. The colours used in their music videos are more or less all black and white, with ‘Dirty Paws’ in particular emphasising the dark silhouette of the eponymous beast against a backdrop of snow. This makes the sparkling colour used in ‘Little Talks’ all the more outstanding. I’m looking forward to seeing if and how this kind of visual translates to their live performance.
Of Monsters and Men have featured on soundtracks for The Hunger Games, The Walking Dead, and Jessica Jones, and also on my morning commute. Because sometimes in a Melbourne autumn, leaving the house when it’s five degrees out, you need to hear lyrics like ‘And from the rain comes a river running wild that will create an empire for you’ (‘Empire’, on Beneath the Skin).
There’s nothing like a good song to kick-start the day, and whether you like a slow, contemplative tune with your morning coffee or something more upbeat while you run for the train, Of Monsters and Men have something for you.
Tickets for Of Monsters and Men are still available for the Palais Theatre in Melbourne on Wednesday May 4 and Thursday 5 May. Click here to purchase tickets now.
Of Monsters and Men will also play at Brisbane’s Tivoli on Thursday April 28 and Friday April 29 and the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Sunday May 1 and Monday May 2. Click here to purchase tickets now.
