SAN FRANCISCO--Bands like the Police and the White Stripes have been lauded over the years for being able to make so much noise with so few instruments.

In a charming set at the Swedish American Hall here last night, the four women of Amiina won over a packed house for a decidedly different reason: With a symphony's worth of instruments packed on the stage, the Icelandic quartet managed to make music that was hauntingly quiet at times.

All four--Maria Huld Markan Sigfusdottir, Hildur Arsaelsdottir, Edda Run Olafsdottir, and Solrun Sumarlioadottir--are classically trained, and for the past seven years they have served as the string quartet for Sigur Ros, Iceland's second-most-famous sonic export behind Bjork.

But in the past few years the group has taken that classical training to experimental heights, and in a 90-minute set last night, they extracted sound from a dazzling array of instruments and household items.

A quick scan of the stage revealed the following: cello, two violins, guitar, samplers, piano, two laptops, synthesizer, two xylophones, tuned wine glasses half-filled with water, multicolored office desk bells, vibraphone, glockenspiel, cuatro, harmonium, harpsichord, and four singing saws.

With all of those instruments piled around them, the women had to proceed gingerly as they moved from instrument to instrument during the songs, each relying on digital looping to lay down a section on one instrument before moving on to another.

As a result, each track had a cascading effect to it, as loops of xylophones and violins emerged and then faded away, only to be replaced by a harpsichord or a toothless saw being played with a bow. It was sweet and melodic at times, robust and swelling at others, but it was always atmospheric. Quite frankly, it sounded like the score to a sweeping-yet-quirky period drama.

The quartet was in town to promote its full-length debut, Kurr. The band has two remaining shows, tonight at the Silent Movie Theatre in LA and tomorrow at the House of Blues in San Diego. But while the album is awash in experimental atmospherics, seeing this group is believing--let's hope they tour the US again soon.