A few weeks back we ran a story about Iceland’s third-most popular rock band, Beni Hemm Hemm, and in it writer Bart Cameron briefly touched on the very small but very active music scene that centers around Reykjavic.

One of Iceland’s all-time great bands is the undersung Gus Gus, a multi-media arts collective that released a bunch of albums, starting in the mid-’90s. And one of Gus Gus’ leading voices was that of Hafdis Huld, who first started touring with the band when she was 15.

Huld released an album last year; the songs I’ve heard are in the electro-acoustic vein of Gus Gus but skew poppier and even more, um, eccentric. Huld manages to be simultaneously sexy and silly, a rare combination that maybe only Icelanders can achieve. “Diamonds on My Belly” is a great example of sexy—dig the heavy bass line rubbing against a little banjo lick, plus Huld’s breathy vox.

For silly, see “Tomoko” (she’s not the blond):

Word is Huld is working on a new album. Unlike Benni Hemm Hemm, she sings in English, and the fact is her lyrics are so damn endearing it’s hard not to fall for her goofy Icelandic sweetness.

Thx to Fiona for the tip.