The Sugarcubes

The Sugarcubes offered an imaginative alternative for post-punk diehards. Formed in Reykjavik in 1986, the band evolved from the artsy, goth-rock band K.U.K.L. Led by ethereally voiced Björk, The Sugarcubes blended her breathy, soaring vocals with angular pop-driven punk melodies and a healthy dose of something rarely seen in the dour punk world—optimism. Their 1988 debut, Life’s Too Good, featuring the alluring, electric lead single, “Birthday," was most listeners’ introduction to Icelandic rock music. The band toured extensively in support of their follow-up, 1989’s Here Today, Tomorrow, Next Week, which showed the band shifting their sound, rounding off the thornier edges but still highlighting Björk’s meandering, otherworldly vocals. They returned to the studio for their third and final album together, 1992’s effusively eclectic Stick Around for Joy. When The Sugarcubes disbanded, Björk launched a remarkable solo career.