Jón Þór Birgisson
Encyclopedia
Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson (ˈjouːn ˈθouːr ˈpɪrkɪsɔn, ˈjounsɪ) (born April 23, 1975) is the guitarist
and vocalist for the Iceland
ic post-rock
band Sigur Rós
. He is known for his use of a cello
bow
on guitar
and his falsetto
voice. He is also blind in his right eye and is openly
gay
. His boyfriend Alex Somers
has done much of the graphic design for Sigur Rós. They also perform together as an art collaboration called Jónsi & Alex. They released their self-titled first book in November 2006, which was an embossed hardcover limited to 1000 copies, along with their first album, Riceboy Sleeps
, in July 2009. Jónsi is a raw food vegan
.
On December 1, 2009, Jónsi's official website, jonsi.com, was launched in anticipation of his debut solo album, Go
, which was released the week of April 5, 2010. After the release of the album, Jónsi promptly started a worldwide tour across North America and Europe, featuring songs from the album plus a few other selections, planning to tour from March–September.
In late January 2010, Jónsi had announced that Sigur Rós was on "an indefinite hiatus," as the band had scrapped plans for a new album previously announced to be released in 2010, saying that "they were just rumors." The band has decided to take the year off, as several members of Sigur Rós recently had children, and as Jonsi's solo career has been developing.
‘Jonny B’. He wore sunglasses
on stage throughout whole concerts. Bee Spiders received the ‘most interesting band’ award in 1995 in a contest for unknown bands called ‘Músíktilraunir’ (Music Experimentations). The band played long rock songs and was compared to The Smashing Pumpkins
. Jónsi also fronted a grunge
band called Stoned around 1992–1993. He also uses the alias Frakkur to release his solo material, e.g. the contribution to Kitchen Motors Family Album
which marks the first release under this name.
Since then, Jónsi has been the frontman for Sigur Rós since the band formed in 1994, and released their first album, Von, in 1997. The group released 4 other studio albums over the next 11 years together, until 2010 when the group announced their "indefinite hiatus," for the band members to spend some time with their families and solo careers.
Aside from his many years with Sigur Rós, Jónsi collaborated with his boyfriend Alex Somers
on their album, Riceboy Sleeps, under the moniker of Jónsi and Alex, which released in 2009. In April 2010, Jónsi released his first solo album, Go, and began a worldwide tour to promote the album from March–September across North America and Europe.
Jónsi recorded "Sticks and Stones" for the score to the 2010 film How to Train Your Dragon
, for which DreamWorks Animation
released a music video
on December 17, 2010.
Jonsi's song "Around Us" was used to for the American promotional trailer for Hayao Miyazaki's film, "The Secret World of Arriety."
. The instrumental album was recorded in Iceland and played solely on acoustic instruments, with appearances by Amiina
and the Kópavogsdætur choir.
The 68 minute album has 9 tracks and was released July 20, 2009 on Parlophone Records.
. The album was set to be produced by Peter Katis
(Interpol
, The National
, Tokyo Police Club
).
On December 4, 2009, a free MP3 of the track "Boy Lilikoi" was made available to mailing list subscribers through his website.
The MP3 announced the title of the album to be Go
and gave a worldwide release date of 'the week of April 5, 2010' through Parlophone
and XL Recordings
.
On April 5, 2010, as promised, the album was released in Iceland and the United Kingdom, with a worldwide release date of the following day. The album featured the tracks: "Go Do
", "Animal Arithmetic
", "Tornado", "Boy Lilikoi", "Sinking Friendships", "Kolniður", "Around Us", "Grow Till Tall" and "Hengilás".
The album was sung mainly in English, making a change from the majority of Jónsi’s previous work, which was sung mainly in Icelandic and Vonlenska. The album charted at #20 on the UK album charts on 12 April 2010, and reached #23 on the Billboard 200
.
The "Go" limited edition box set also included Go Quiet
, a 45 minute film, directed by Dean DeBlois
(director of the Sigur Rós concert film Heima
), that features all nine songs from the album performed acoustically at home in Reykjavík, over New Year 2010.
Jónsi went on tour with his album Go
on the 6th of April 2010, and was until later in the summer. The tour does not include any venues within Jónsi’s home country of Iceland. Jónsi touring band includes Alex Somers on guitar, soundeffects and keyboards, Thorvaldur Thór Thorvaldsson on drums, Ólafur Björn Ólafsson
on keyboards and Úlfur Hansson
on bass and monome
.
's title track "Kaleidoscope" on his album of the same title
which was released on October 6, 2009.
Jónsi also appears on the album "In A Safe Place
," released by The Album Leaf
, on the song "Over The Pond."
in Iceland.
Jónsi's first language is Icelandic
. He also speaks English
, according to the official Sigur Rós web site:
, Jónsi plays mainly variations of the Les Paul
. He also plays Ibanez Les Paul copies, model PF200. The first Ibanez used to be his main instrument during the Bee Spiders era all through Ágætis Byrjun. It was largely refinished and decorated (as can be seen in Ágúst Jakobsson's documentary Popp í Reykjavík ). That particular instrument got stolen and broken but was on display in Reykjavík Art Museum
in the summer of 2003. During the recordings of "Takk...
" Jónsi bought another PF200 to replace the Les Paul. Since summer 2006 Jónsi has been using a guitar that was made on the road by his then guitar tech Dan Johnson. The guitar is usually referred to as "The Bird," after the band's bird designs seen on previous album designs/artwork that adorn the neck and frets of the guitar. "The Bird" is based on the body of Ibanez PF200. He also has been seen playing a variety of other instruments, like piano, harmonium, mellotron, baritone ukulele, and the banjo.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and vocalist for the Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
band Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with classicaland minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus. Since then, it has since been announced...
. He is known for his use of a cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
bow
Bow (music)
In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones....
on guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and his falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
voice. He is also blind in his right eye and is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. His boyfriend Alex Somers
Alex Somers
Alex Somers is an American visual artist and musician from Baltimore, Maryland. He is currently living in Reykjavík, Iceland with his boyfriend, Jón Þór Birgisson, the vocalist and guitar player for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. Somers is a founding member of the now defunct band...
has done much of the graphic design for Sigur Rós. They also perform together as an art collaboration called Jónsi & Alex. They released their self-titled first book in November 2006, which was an embossed hardcover limited to 1000 copies, along with their first album, Riceboy Sleeps
Riceboy Sleeps
Jónsi & Alex is an artistic collaboration between Jón Þór Birgisson and his partner Alex Somers. They create ambient music as well as visual art. The music tends to be more ethereal and experimental than that of Sigur Rós.-Visual art:Jónsi & Alex began as a Sigur Rós side project around 2003 under...
, in July 2009. Jónsi is a raw food vegan
Raw veganism
Raw veganism is a diet that combines veganism and raw foodism. It excludes all food of animal origin, and all food cooked above 48 degrees Celsius . A raw vegan diet includes raw vegetables and fruits, nuts and nut pastes, grain and legume sprouts, seeds, plant oils, sea vegetables, herbs, and...
.
On December 1, 2009, Jónsi's official website, jonsi.com, was launched in anticipation of his debut solo album, Go
Go (Jónsi album)
Go is the debut studio album by Icelandic musician Jónsi, frontman of the band Sigur Rós. The album was released on April 5, 2010, through XL Recordings, as reported by a downloadable track from the official site...
, which was released the week of April 5, 2010. After the release of the album, Jónsi promptly started a worldwide tour across North America and Europe, featuring songs from the album plus a few other selections, planning to tour from March–September.
In late January 2010, Jónsi had announced that Sigur Rós was on "an indefinite hiatus," as the band had scrapped plans for a new album previously announced to be released in 2010, saying that "they were just rumors." The band has decided to take the year off, as several members of Sigur Rós recently had children, and as Jonsi's solo career has been developing.
Musical history
In 1995, Jónsi fronted a band called ‘Bee Spiders’, under the aliasStage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
‘Jonny B’. He wore sunglasses
Sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...
on stage throughout whole concerts. Bee Spiders received the ‘most interesting band’ award in 1995 in a contest for unknown bands called ‘Músíktilraunir’ (Music Experimentations). The band played long rock songs and was compared to The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
. Jónsi also fronted a grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
band called Stoned around 1992–1993. He also uses the alias Frakkur to release his solo material, e.g. the contribution to Kitchen Motors Family Album
Kitchen Motors Family Album/Fjölskyldualbúm Tilraunaeldhússins
Kitchen Motors Family Album a compilation album released in 2006. It came into being two years after the celebration of Kitchen Motors' 5 year anniversary at May 1st 2004. The album features mostly previously unreleased songs by the artists and bands who have worked with Kitchen Motors since it...
which marks the first release under this name.
Since then, Jónsi has been the frontman for Sigur Rós since the band formed in 1994, and released their first album, Von, in 1997. The group released 4 other studio albums over the next 11 years together, until 2010 when the group announced their "indefinite hiatus," for the band members to spend some time with their families and solo careers.
Aside from his many years with Sigur Rós, Jónsi collaborated with his boyfriend Alex Somers
Alex Somers
Alex Somers is an American visual artist and musician from Baltimore, Maryland. He is currently living in Reykjavík, Iceland with his boyfriend, Jón Þór Birgisson, the vocalist and guitar player for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. Somers is a founding member of the now defunct band...
on their album, Riceboy Sleeps, under the moniker of Jónsi and Alex, which released in 2009. In April 2010, Jónsi released his first solo album, Go, and began a worldwide tour to promote the album from March–September across North America and Europe.
Jónsi recorded "Sticks and Stones" for the score to the 2010 film How to Train Your Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon (film)
How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 3D computer-animated action fantasy film by DreamWorks Animation loosely based on the 2003 book of the same name. The film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, and Christopher...
, for which DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
released a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
on December 17, 2010.
Jonsi's song "Around Us" was used to for the American promotional trailer for Hayao Miyazaki's film, "The Secret World of Arriety."
Riceboy Sleeps (2009)
Jónsi and his boyfriend Alex Somers completed their first album together, entitled Riceboy SleepsRiceboy Sleeps
Jónsi & Alex is an artistic collaboration between Jón Þór Birgisson and his partner Alex Somers. They create ambient music as well as visual art. The music tends to be more ethereal and experimental than that of Sigur Rós.-Visual art:Jónsi & Alex began as a Sigur Rós side project around 2003 under...
. The instrumental album was recorded in Iceland and played solely on acoustic instruments, with appearances by Amiina
Amiina
Amiina is an Icelandic band composed of Hildur Ársælsdóttir , Edda Rún Ólafsdóttir , Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir , and Sólrún Sumarliðadóttir . They frequently perform live and in the studio along with Sigur Rós...
and the Kópavogsdætur choir.
The 68 minute album has 9 tracks and was released July 20, 2009 on Parlophone Records.
Go (2010)
A post that appeared on the official site on May 26, 2009, stated that Jónsi was working on a new solo album that will feature predominantly acoustic music and string arrangements from classical composer Nico MuhlyNico Muhly
Nico Muhly is a contemporary classical music composer, who has worked and recorded with classical and pop/rock musicians. He currently lives in the Lower East Side section of Manhattan in New York City.-Early years:...
. The album was set to be produced by Peter Katis
Peter Katis
Peter Katis is an American record producer, engineer, mixer and musician.Working primarily out of his own residential studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Katis is best known for producing alternative and indie rock bands, especially for Fat Cat Records.-Biography:Katis attended New Canaan Country...
(Interpol
Interpol (band)
Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...
, The National
The National (band)
The National is an indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The band's lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger, a baritone...
, Tokyo Police Club
Tokyo Police Club
Tokyo Police Club is an indie rock band from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. It consists of vocalist and bassist David Monks , keyboardist Graham Wright, guitarist Josh Hook , and drummer Greg Alsop ....
).
On December 4, 2009, a free MP3 of the track "Boy Lilikoi" was made available to mailing list subscribers through his website.
The MP3 announced the title of the album to be Go
Go (Jónsi album)
Go is the debut studio album by Icelandic musician Jónsi, frontman of the band Sigur Rós. The album was released on April 5, 2010, through XL Recordings, as reported by a downloadable track from the official site...
and gave a worldwide release date of 'the week of April 5, 2010' through Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
and XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
.
On April 5, 2010, as promised, the album was released in Iceland and the United Kingdom, with a worldwide release date of the following day. The album featured the tracks: "Go Do
Go Do
Go Do is an extended play by the Icelandic singer Jónsi, the lead singer of Sigur Rós. Go Do was released on 22 March 2010 as the lead single from his debut solo album, Go...
", "Animal Arithmetic
Animal Arithmetic
"Animal Arithmetic" is a song by the Icelandic singer Jónsi, the lead singer of Sigur Rós. "Animal Arithmetic" was released on 24 May 2010 as the second single from Jónsi's debut solo album, Go. The song features lyrics in both English and Icelandic....
", "Tornado", "Boy Lilikoi", "Sinking Friendships", "Kolniður", "Around Us", "Grow Till Tall" and "Hengilás".
The album was sung mainly in English, making a change from the majority of Jónsi’s previous work, which was sung mainly in Icelandic and Vonlenska. The album charted at #20 on the UK album charts on 12 April 2010, and reached #23 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
The "Go" limited edition box set also included Go Quiet
Go Quiet
Go Quiet is a music film directed by Dean DeBlois, featuring acoustic renditions of all nine songs from the 2010 album Go by Jón Þór Birgisson. The film was created as a counterpart to the lavishly produced studio tracks of Go, with an emphasis on stripped-down intimacy...
, a 45 minute film, directed by Dean DeBlois
Dean DeBlois
Dean DeBlois is a Canadian film director, film producer, screenwriter, animator and editor. He is best known for co-writing and co-directing The Oscar-nominated animated films Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon , and for directing the acclaimed Sigur Rós documentary/music film...
(director of the Sigur Rós concert film Heima
Heima
Heima is a documentary film and double DVD set about the tour around Iceland in the summer of 2006 of the band Sigur Rós...
), that features all nine songs from the album performed acoustically at home in Reykjavík, over New Year 2010.
Jónsi went on tour with his album Go
Go (Jónsi album)
Go is the debut studio album by Icelandic musician Jónsi, frontman of the band Sigur Rós. The album was released on April 5, 2010, through XL Recordings, as reported by a downloadable track from the official site...
on the 6th of April 2010, and was until later in the summer. The tour does not include any venues within Jónsi’s home country of Iceland. Jónsi touring band includes Alex Somers on guitar, soundeffects and keyboards, Thorvaldur Thór Thorvaldsson on drums, Ólafur Björn Ólafsson
Stórsveit Nix Noltes
Stórsveit Nix Noltes are an Icelandic post-rock and Balkan folk band formed in 2004 and composed mostly of members of other Icelandic bands such as múm and Benni Hemm Hemm...
on keyboards and Úlfur Hansson
Klive
Klive is an Icelandic electronic musician, Úlfur Hansson . Klive's first album, Sweaty Psalms, was released in May 2008. It was recorded and written over two years, self-released but distributed by Kimi Records locally. The record received outstanding reviews in local newspapers and webzines, for...
on bass and monome
Monome
Monome is a family of interface devices for computers made by a Pennsylvania company of the same name. Despite being produced irregularly in small quantities since its introduction in 2006, the Monome button-grid controller has had a significant impact on electronic music...
.
Collaborations
Jónsi makes a guest appearance on TiëstoTiësto
Tijs Michiel Verwest, , known as Tiësto , is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto...
's title track "Kaleidoscope" on his album of the same title
Kaleidoscope (Tiësto album)
Kaleidoscope is the fourth studio album by Dutch trance artist Tiësto, released on 6 October 2009 on Musical Freedom, Tiësto's new label in association with PIAS Recordings...
which was released on October 6, 2009.
Jónsi also appears on the album "In A Safe Place
In a Safe Place
In a Safe Place is an album by The Album Leaf, released in 2004. Recorded in Sigur Rós' Sundlaugin studios, it features collaborations in the recording from Sigur Rós' members and quartet Amiina....
," released by The Album Leaf
The Album Leaf
The Album Leaf is an American solo musical project founded in San Diego, California in 1998 by Jimmy LaValle. He is known for his use of electronics, synthesizer and Rhodes piano...
, on the song "Over The Pond."
Activism
In 2003 he was escorted off the premises while protesting against Kárahnjúkar Hydropower ProjectKárahnjúkar Hydropower Project
Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant is a hydroelectric power plant in eastern Iceland designed to produce 4,600 GWh annually for Alcoa's Fjardaál aluminum smelter to the east in Reyðarfjörður. The project, named after nearby Mount Kárahnjúkur, involves damming the Jökulsá á Dal River and the Jökulsá...
in Iceland.
Languages
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
. He also speaks English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, according to the official Sigur Rós web site:
On the first three Sigur Rós albums (Von, Von Brigði, Ágætis Byrjun), Jónsi sang most songs in Icelandic but two of them (“Von” and “Olsen Olsen”) were sung in ‘Hopelandic’. All of the vocals on are in Hopelandic. Hopelandic (Vonlenska in Icelandic) is the ‘invented language’ in which Jónsi sings before lyrics are written to the vocals. It is not an actual language by definition (no vocabulary, grammar, etc.), but rather a form of gibberish vocals that fit to the music and act as another instrument. Jónsi likens it to what singers sometimes do when they’ve decided on the melody, but haven’t written the lyrics yet. Many languages were considered to be used on , including English, but they decided on Hopelandic. Hopelandic (Vonlenska) got its name (from a journalist, not Jónsi himself) from the first song which Jónsi sang on, “Hope” (Von).
Instruments
Like a few other players of bowed guitarBowed guitar
Bowed guitar is a method of playing a guitar, acoustic or electric, in which the guitarist uses a bow to play the instrument, similar to playing a cello or a viola da gamba. Unlike other bowed instruments, the guitar has a flat bridge, making it difficult to bow individual notes on the middle strings...
, Jónsi plays mainly variations of the Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
. He also plays Ibanez Les Paul copies, model PF200. The first Ibanez used to be his main instrument during the Bee Spiders era all through Ágætis Byrjun. It was largely refinished and decorated (as can be seen in Ágúst Jakobsson's documentary Popp í Reykjavík ). That particular instrument got stolen and broken but was on display in Reykjavík Art Museum
Reykjavik Art Museum
Reykjavik Art Museum is the largest visual art institution in Iceland. It occupies three locations in Reykjavík; in Harbour House by the old harbour at Kjarvalsstaðir by Klambratún and in Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum in Laugardalur...
in the summer of 2003. During the recordings of "Takk...
Takk...
Takk... is the fourth full-length studio album by the Icelandic band Sigur Rós. The first singles, "Glósóli" and "Sæglópur", were released on August 15, 2005 and August 16, 2005 respectively, the former worldwide and the latter only in the United States. The single "Hoppípolla" was released in the...
" Jónsi bought another PF200 to replace the Les Paul. Since summer 2006 Jónsi has been using a guitar that was made on the road by his then guitar tech Dan Johnson. The guitar is usually referred to as "The Bird," after the band's bird designs seen on previous album designs/artwork that adorn the neck and frets of the guitar. "The Bird" is based on the body of Ibanez PF200. He also has been seen playing a variety of other instruments, like piano, harmonium, mellotron, baritone ukulele, and the banjo.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICL Music of Iceland The music of Iceland includes vibrant folk and pop traditions. Well-known artists from Iceland include medieval music group Voces Thules, alternative rock band The Sugarcubes, singers Björk and Emiliana Torrini, and post-rock band Sigur Rós. Iceland's traditional music is related to Nordic music... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
DEN Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
FIN |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
GER |
IRE Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
ITA Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
NOR VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
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| 2010 | Go Go (Jónsi album) Go is the debut studio album by Icelandic musician Jónsi, frontman of the band Sigur Rós. The album was released on April 5, 2010, through XL Recordings, as reported by a downloadable track from the official site...
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— | — | — | — | 86 | 100 | — | — | — | 20 | 23 |
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Extended plays
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Go Do Go Do Go Do is an extended play by the Icelandic singer Jónsi, the lead singer of Sigur Rós. Go Do was released on 22 March 2010 as the lead single from his debut solo album, Go...
|
| 2011 | Go Out
|
Other albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Riceboy Sleeps Riceboy Sleeps Jónsi & Alex is an artistic collaboration between Jón Þór Birgisson and his partner Alex Somers. They create ambient music as well as visual art. The music tends to be more ethereal and experimental than that of Sigur Rós.-Visual art:Jónsi & Alex began as a Sigur Rós side project around 2003 under...
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| 2010 | Go Quiet Go Quiet Go Quiet is a music film directed by Dean DeBlois, featuring acoustic renditions of all nine songs from the 2010 album Go by Jón Þór Birgisson. The film was created as a counterpart to the lavishly produced studio tracks of Go, with an emphasis on stripped-down intimacy... |
| Go Live
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Other appearances
| Song | Artist | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Over The Pond" | The Album Leaf The Album Leaf The Album Leaf is an American solo musical project founded in San Diego, California in 1998 by Jimmy LaValle. He is known for his use of electronics, synthesizer and Rhodes piano... |
2004 | In a Safe Place In a Safe Place In a Safe Place is an album by The Album Leaf, released in 2004. Recorded in Sigur Rós' Sundlaugin studios, it features collaborations in the recording from Sigur Rós' members and quartet Amiina.... |
| "Kaleidoscope" | Tiësto | 2009 | Kaleidoscope Kaleidoscope (Tiësto album) Kaleidoscope is the fourth studio album by Dutch trance artist Tiësto, released on 6 October 2009 on Musical Freedom, Tiësto's new label in association with PIAS Recordings... |