KEXP at Iceland Airwaves, Day 4: Pink Street Boys

Our fourth day of live Iceland Airwaves music from Kex Hostel in the volcanic wonderland of Iceland kicked off early and with a high energy middle finger. Oh, are you hung over from Reykjavik's infamously late nightlife? Pink Street Boys don't care. These boys claim to be the loudest band in Iceland, and they are keeping punk rock energy alive. They say their name comes from their practice space on Pink Street, and they bust out a fast and dirty brand of garage, surf, and punk rock. These guys are pretty dedicated to their anarchic lifestyle, as seen in their profane tattoos.

We started our shows earlier today, and Pink Street Boys ripped open their set at noon with loud, rolling surf drums, blazing guitars, and screaming vocals. There is something retro rock and bouncy about the sound underneath the punk exterior. The audience looked a bit stunned at first, but some were already drinking beers and soon were nodding along. The drummer was particularly impressive to watch, as he went full the speed for the whole set, shirtless and sweating. It was tough to decipher much of the lyrics, but the aggressively antiestablishment energy came through loud and clear. The five piece band had 2 guitars, bass, drums, and a keys player who switched to guitar and tambourine at times. The tambourine in particular added to the retro rock undercurrent. "This song is about beating up people, like we do," lead singer Axel Björnsson snarled. Plenty of attitude here, and they did not hold back despite the early start.

Up next we've got Börn live streaming at 6AM. And check out the full schedule here.