múm (pronounced [muːm], “moom”) is an experimental electronic group from Ic… Read Full Bio ↴múm (pronounced [muːm], “moom”) is an experimental electronic group from Iceland whose music is characterized by soft vocals, eccentric beats and colorful effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments.

Originally a duo, the band has expanded and contracted in the 12 years of being and has counted 15 - 20 people along the way.

The band was formed in 1997 by original members Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, their first release was a split 10" with the girl-band Spúnk and saw light in the summer of '98. They were joined a year later by twin sisters Gyða and Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir and released two albums as quartet. Following a number of collaborative projects, the group’s celebrated debut album Yesterday was dramatic - today is OK (reissued by Morr Music in October 2005) gained a wealth of glowing press and widespread praise. A remix project, Please Smile My Noise Bleed, also released on the Morr Music label in November 2001.

In 2002, after the release of Finally We Are No One and the extensive first world tour, Gyða left the band to return to her studies in Reykjavík. Shortly after, the third sister Ásthildur Valtýsdóttir joined for singing duties temporarily and Serena Tideman replaced Gyða on cello, for a single European tour. The band's third album, Summer Make Good, a darker and foggier, nautically themed work was released in May 2004, flanked by two singles, Nightly Cares and Dusk Log. By then the ensemble had evolved to include Eiríkur Ólafsson and Hildur Guðnadóttir (who had guest appearances on múm recordings from the beginning) and Ólöf Arnalds. In early 2006, Kristín also left the band after releasing and heavily touring the album Summer Make Good.

The start of 2006 saw the band's creativity start to blossom once again, starting with two remixes Goldfrapp of the tracks ‘Number 1’ and ‘You Never Know’. They followed this with two legendary DJ sets at the FatCat Festival in Belgium in February and SXSW in Austin Texas 2007. With a combination of decks, effects, laptops, toy microphones, old cassette player recordings and vocals, coupled with their own recorded material, strange electronic covers by friends, gypsy folk music and general craziness on stage. They were also subsequently invited DJ at Summer Sonic Festival in Japan as well as be headline act as DJ's in Radio 1’s Rob Da Bank tent at Bestival on the Isle of Wight. In september 2007 múm released Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy which turned out to be the bands last release for the Fatcat Records.

múm has always worked on projects which could be classed as unusual for a pop band or a pop collective. Among their extra curricular activity is their own soundtrack for the classic Sergei Eisenstein film, 'Battleship Potemkin', live performances of which have taken place in Hafnafjordur Iceland, Brooklyn Lyceum New York, and at the distinguished Gijon Film Festival Spain. múm have also composed for theater, most notably two radio theater plays, 'Svefnhjólið' (Sleeping Wheel) by Gyrdir Eliasson which won the Nordic Radio-theater prize and in 2008 Augu þín sáu mig (Your eyes saw me) by poet Sjón (which múm also worked with in 1999 on the operetta Kisa (cat). In 2005 they were invited to Amsterdam by the Holland Festival to collaborate with the National Dutch Chamber Orchestra to create a performance piece based around various compositions of the late avant-garde composer Iannis Xenakis for one of the centre piece shows at the festival.

múm released their fifth studio album, Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know, in August 2009. The collective now consists of founding members Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason and for touring and recording, this line-up is expanded to include their friends Eiríkur Orri Ólafsson (trumpet / piano/ keyboards), Hildur Guðnadóttir (cello / vocals), Sigurlaug Gísladóttir (Vocals / ukulele/ various), Róbert Reynisson (guitars/ukulele's) and the Finnish Samuli Kosminen (drums / percussion). The musical group sometimes extends to Ólöf Arnalds, Högni Egilsson, Ólafur Björn Ólafsson and Guðbjörg Hlín Guðmundsdóttir as well as a never ending family of friends and musicians who may join at the drop of a hat.

Official website: http://www.mum.is

Blessed Brambles
múm Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bless the weeds that grow on the yard
Just like rain and dust appear
Bless the dogs who talk to ferns
Let's, let's kiss the boys who pee in mud

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

Bless the weeds that grow on the yard
Just like rain and dust appear
Bless the dogs who talk to ferns
Let's, let's kiss the boys who pee in mud
Kiss the girls who clean the cheese
Bless the bee that clings and then leaves
Kiss the hart who spread manure
Here, go go smear the poison ivy, let your crooked hands be holy
Bless the does who got too fat
Bless the bee that clings and then leaves

Kiss the hart who spread manure
Go go smear the poison ivy, let your crooked hands be holy

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to múm's song Blessed Brambles are a celebration of the natural world and its imperfections. The singer blesses the weeds that grow in the yard, acknowledging that they are just as important as rain and dust. They also bless the dogs who talk to ferns and suggest that we should kiss the boys who pee in mud, highlighting the importance of embracing every aspect of life, even the messy and unconventional parts.

The lyrics go on to suggest that we should kiss the girls who clean the cheese and bless the bee that clings and then leaves. These lines further emphasize the idea that everything in nature has a purpose and should be appreciated, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. The final lines encourage us to smear the poison ivy with our "crooked hands" and bless the animals, even those who have gotten too fat.

Overall, Blessed Brambles is a song about finding beauty in the imperfections of life and embracing everything that nature has to offer, no matter how unconventional it may seem.

Line by Line Meaning

Bless the weeds that grow on the yard
Acknowledge and appreciate the worth of the wild plants that grow on the yard

Just like rain and dust appear
Weeds grow in the same way as rain and dust appear unexpectedly

Bless the dogs who talk to ferns
Let's appreciate the dogs who seem to talk to ferns which cheers them up

Let's, let's kiss the boys who pee in mud
Celebrate the boys who play in mud and let them receive affection from us

Kiss the girls who clean the cheese
Show appreciation towards the girls who have the patience to clean the cheese

Bless the bee that clings and then leaves
Acknowledge the hardworking bee that clings to the flower for nectar and then leaves after pollination

Kiss the hart who spread manure
Give credit to the deer who help in spreading manure which is beneficial for the plants

Here, go go smear the poison ivy, let your crooked hands be holy
Encourage to spread the poison ivy as it might have a purpose and consider it as sacred work

Bless the does who got too fat
Appreciate and accept the does who got too fat as it is also a part of nature

Contributed by Aubrey A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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