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Suddenly, I finally get Sigur Rós^*.

And now I am nearly speechless, in awe at the sheer melancholy beauty all around me as I proceed through each of their recordings.

As an example, check this lovely video of Glósóli, which ends in a way some of my dreams begin.

For other examples, there’s a generous selection of free MP3 tracks at the band’s website.

I’m surprised I took so long to get here, but I’m oh so glad to have arrived.

2007-12-01 update:
Ah! The Heima movie trailer (3:53, from “a film by Sigur Rós”) displays breathtaking Icelandic beauty — her landscape and her people. Jumps off the screen as National Geographic-caliber photography. Check it in the highest resolution you can.

^*Not in existential totality, of course, but enough to really appreciate what they’re doing

A while back I wrote this to a friend who’s originally from west Texas.

I am, to my surprise, crazy about the instrumental post-rock band Explosions in the Sky (EitS). Do you know of them? They’re from Odessa, TX, which makes me wonder if they might have registered on your radar sooner. (Now they’re in Austin.)

You can hear EitS track samples (and see more info) at eMusic or at Amazon, or hear entire tracks from concerts as listed here.

I’d describe their sound as “intricate beauty in the midst of chaos.” I find it somehow very comforting, not a response I would have predicted.

I think my favorite EitS album so far is The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place. One of the eMusic commenters captures why I like this album in particular:

Inspired by the desire to replace feelings of desperation with feelings of hope “The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place” (written over and over on the cover as if someone is trying to convince themselves…) is an empathetic companion to anyone who’s felt the same.

Finally, the EitS bassist has a really cool name. How could I not like ‘em? ;-)