Band of the Week: Lykke Li

An excellent photo taken by Luderbus via Flickr.

[June 30 - July 6]
Lykke Li
Sounds Like: Singer-Songwriter/Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: Peter Bjorn & John, Kate Nash, Feist,
Synopsis: Sweddish folk artist with a tongue for indie-pop.
Makes You Want To...: Muse; Sing; Dream.
[Myspace]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Lykke Li.

Oh, good ol' Sweden. A gracious, bountiful land tucked serenely in the centre of Scandinavia. A land probably given too much credit in textbooks for certain psychological disorders named after certain capital cities rather than their excellent contributions to international culture. A land of opportunity? More than likely, since they seem to have an excellent economy, not to mention a glorious education system (and of course, beautiful landscapes!). Sweden is also reknowned for their contributions to the music scene: I'm From Barcelona, The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Shout Out Louds, José González, and of course, Peter Björn and John, all hail from Sweden.

But there's been another little lady who's been stirring up some dust around the internet who calls Stockholm her home. Her birth name is Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson, but avid listeners who have their ear to the underground know her as Lykke Li (pronounced roughly "Lee-key Lee" for those not yet savvy).

Lykke has been marking her territory all across the interblag with critical acclaim after the release of her hot-off-the-presses debut album, Youth Novels (which happened to be produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Björn and John). With a slew of addicting indie-pop anthems, Youth Novels has been an instant hit, especially for a debut album, rising to 112th best selling album in the UK.

An emerging talent is more of an appropriate connotation for Lykke: when she's not making bloggers gasp of sheer enjoyment due to her musical talent, especially with covers of certain rappers known as A Tribe Called Quest, she's appearing in fashion blogs like Painfully Hip for her discreet yet wonderfully unique fashion sense. But this is about the music, no? Her songs are wonderfully eclectic, putting an equal emphasis on the music with a folk tinge, as well as her delightfully light, lilting voice that's like an auditory massage. Her lyrics are calm, relaxing, and introspective, and quite the treat to hear. Need I flaunt more at this point?

Lykke Li premiered her debut full-length LP, Young Novels, back in May. It may be two months old now, but it still has that new-album smell; ergo, it's definitely worth a few dollars for some excellent music. Unfortunately the aforementioned album is a bit hard to track down in the States, but if you have Facebook, add the Lykke Li application, invite a few friends, and get two free tracks from Young Novels! Not bad, eh? Lykke Li definitely has a Myspace as well, though you aren't likely to see her there often beginning this coming Thursday...

No doubt in support of Young Novels, Lykke and her crew an extensive touring period. What's the recipe to a wonderful Lykke Li touring dish, straight out of the kitchen? Add one full month of steamin' hot touring across Europe until early August. After partying, let simmer for three weeks while she rests. Then, add three teasing shows on the North American continent before another tour in September. We have time to prepare for the wondrous visit of Lykke Li here in the US, but get busy, and start listening to more great music; and of course, have an excellent week.