During the past three decades, Iceland has attained a strong presence in the world through its musical culture, with images of the nation being packaged and shipped out in melodies, harmonies, and rhythms. What 'Iceland' means for people, both at home and abroad, is conditioned by music and its ability to animate notions of nature and nationality. In six chapters that range from discussions of indie rock ballads to 'Nordic noir' television music, Dissonant Landscapes describes the capacity of musical expression to transform ideas about nature and nationality on the northern edges of Europe.

PRAISE

"Through a strong analysis and engaging writing, Størvold gives a nuanced insight into how exoticism was activated in relation to Icelandic music in the recent past." ~Kristín Loftsdóttir, author of Crisis and Coloniality at Europe's Margins: Creating Exotic Iceland

"Dissonant Landscapes takes discussions of nature and the musical imagination to a new level of sophistication. With Iceland as the crucible of his investigations, Størvold shows how environmental awareness has infiltrated musical practices that evade easy categorization, but have almost unlimited potential to motivate listeners towards action." ~John Richardson, author of An Eye for Music: Popular Music and the Audiovisual Surreal