Swedish~ Stereo~

Not so long ago some of pretty recognizable names of Swedish music - Miike Snow, Lykke Li, Peter Bjorn and John and some other less recognizable ones have set up their own lable Ingrid which has already got releasing plan for this summer and one of the first releases to come out is a compilation "Ingrid Volym 1" including songs of Lykke Li, Little Majorette and Karlsson & Winnberg (guys behind Miike Snow).
Mostly we were interested in Lykke Li's song "Come Near" which was already performed live at concerts last year and probably has just become a leftover from "Wounded Rhymes". Finally it has leaked. In studio version of the track you can really feel atmosphere of "Wounded Rhymes", right that sort of paranoid pop in all its epic and depressive atmosphere. Fans of "Wounded Rhymes" will be absolutely pleased with it.

One of our non-Swedish favorite artists - Kate Ryan who has become international star with help of 2N Productions - Niclas Kings and Niklas Bergwall makes come back this year. Her summer single "Love Life" was produced by Anders Hansson and Le Kid and Kate's romance with Swedish music is definitely not over.
Recently Kate has become a guest of De Grote Peter Van de Veire Ochtendshow (guesting something with such a long title can already be significant career highlight by default, no?) - radio-show where she was singing mix of Chase & Status' "Time", Adele "Someone Like You" but the most surprising and unusual - she has made cover of Lykke Li's "I Follow Rivers"! Yes, it's has turned possible and quite nice, now you can also download this record for free on Kate's soundcloud channel so don't hesitate.

Lykke Li's creative presentation of tracks from the last album "Wounded Rhymes" keeps going with a new video for "Jerome" - not the most commercial choice but still very beautiful performance. Hope Lykke has some plans to promote "Love Out Of Lust" and "Rich Kids Blues" but now we should take what we're given, here's nothing to complain about actually.

Rockbjörnen-2011 candidates are revealed this year and you know what I think looking at Best male category? Seems like Swedish girls audience's getting more powerful and wilder these days, when Eric Saade, Danny, Ulrik Munther and Ola (honestly I sent my vote for Danny, yes, but...) are best male artists of Sweden seems like it shows that this category (of young pop-chaps) gets loads of commercial potential these days in Sweden, will next Melodifestivalen get pop-guy vs. pop-guy next year again?
Alright, moving to other candidates - Tove Styrke, Veronica Maggio, Takida, In Flames, Ola, Eric Saade and Ulrik Munther have gor two nominees. We're personally glad to see September, Eric Amarillo, Dead By April, Roxette, Adele and Jedward in nominees as well (Tokio Hotel again? They've won two of last year's nominees. Have they even released anything since that?). Though there's loads of commercial pop it absolutely doesn't mean it will win (m)any categories but you can affect it voting here.

Lykke Li's creative flow seems to be just endless lately. We've got whole bunch of singles, videos and finally absolutely amazing album artist presents on different festivals during this summer. Critics love Lykke, audience loves Lykke, we love Lykke as well!
In response to all this love Lykke presents another single from her album "Wounded Rhymes" - "Rich Kids Blues", quite logical choise and one of the strongest tracks on the album, slightly Tarantino-atmospheric and icluding deadly sticking chorus.

Lykke Li is just synonym to awesome in this season. Awesome music, awesome videos, awesome stories, awesome everything.
Today Lykke presents new video for another track "Sadness is a Blessing" from her latest album "Wounded Rhymes" - another one directed by Tarik Saleh and featuring famous actor Stellan Skarsgård (yes, father of Alexander and Gustaf).
It's one of the lightest tracks on the album and the video is not as depressive as previous one, though it gives whole range of feelings that drunk and dancing Lykke can give and she can give a lot, watch yourself!

I guess rainy lazy day like this is the most right to talk about new Lykke Li's album "Wounded Rhymes". I've already told you about this long-awaited work and not only by us as it has made its respectable debut at #2 of Swedish chart and still is in Top-10.
It's hard to call "Wounded Rhymes" just album, compilation of music tracks, it's definitely something much bigger, it feels like a whole world, world created by Lykke, world where the sun never rises and seems like there's no place for hope. Or actually there is? In this ghost world where Lykke sounds like another lost soul wandering around scorched wastelands and abandoned bars her voice feels like the only real hope if she realizes it or not.
"Wounded Rhymes" is probably the most original and inspiring work I heard this year. Mix of dark Tarantino-vibes and melancholic retro-jazz atmosphere lit by gentle pop-tunes sung by soft and relaxed Lykke's vocal feels like something completely unique and really precious these days when commercial pop-music desperately looks for new niches and ways to grow. Lykke doesn't seem to care about it, she just closes herself in her own world but leaves doors open for everyone who will want to come and get lost with her.

It's Friday and Lykke Li who will release new album "Wounded Rhymes" just in two weeks rewards all who's gone through this tough week with one of her favorite tracks from the album - "Love Out Of Lust".
As we said before every new little music piece of Lykke Li intrigues us like it never was on previous records and this one is not exception, it's much slower melancholic song comparing with two singles "Get Some" and "I Follow Rivers" but though it's dark it's more relaxing than depressive illuminating with hopeful rays of light and containing loads of Lykke's delicate esthetics.
We love it and get as the best treat for this Friday evening.

Right when I started to think that animated video is the only video-treatment we're gonna get for the latest Lykke Li's video "I Follow Rivers" Lykke has presented brand new video shot by Tarik Saleh inspired by Andrei Tarkovsky's movie "The Sacrifice" also made in Gotland with well-known in Sweden actor Fares Fares running away from Lykke through forests and snow fields to finish the chase in a deep romantic scene.
You can also check official very pleasant mix for this song - piano-based commercial dance track, quite universal to be welcome on club floors and everywhere else.

To be honest Lykke Li never was the artist we fell before finding it hard to realize preciousness of her experiments but the less time is left before her new album "Wounded Rhymes" the bigger excitement around her new music pieces grows on our blog.
Today Lykke presented new video "Untitled" - dark instrumental track with slight folk touch having nothing common with first two singles "Get Some" and "I Follow Rivers". It's pretty enigmatic and hypnotizing track and video with Lykke on a beach piercing sand with her knives. It has something touching very deep inside, it's not as depressive itself as it makes depressed you but it's incredibly beautiful.

Recently Lykke Li presented second single "I Follow Rivers" from her forthcoming album "Wounded Rhymes" - a bit lighter but still misterious dark work that definitely has warmed up fans around the world a bit more. Little later we've also got animated video, not less dark but still nice treat for a single. And now we can watch club gig shot in Kägelbanan (Stockholm) where Lykke performed "I Follow Rivers", "Dance, Dance, Dance" and "Get Some" in really special atmosphere. Watch it all below.

New Lykke Li's album "Wounded Rhymes" will be released this March, artwork and tracklist are already revealed and today we can already listen second single "I Follow Rivers".
Comparing with previous "Get Some" single "I Follow Rivers" is more calm but midtempo track with retro-baseline in a Winehouse-style on one hand and with Lykke Li's vocal making whole thing very unique, recognizable for Lykke and not like anything else you use to listen from other artists.
You can also catch on youtube performance of 5 other songs from album performed by Lyke live, mostly quite dark and melancholic but very special stuff.

Lykke Li's coming back with brand new single "Get Some" and has just provided video for it.
Career of Lykke Li has started not so long time ago. In 2008 she released her debut album "Youth Novels" produced by Björn Yttling (Peter Bjorn and John) that became quite unique combination of indie-pop and electronic music being something completely original but still quite acceptable to turn many heads to this young promising artist. The album reached Top-3 in Sweden and was released in other European countries. Lykke Li featured releases of some respectable Scandinavian acts like Kleerup and Röyksopp and her songs got to soundtracks of huge Hollywood releases - "Sorority Row" and "The Twilight Saga: New Moon".
This Autumn Lykke Li's back and new single "Get Some" is another original mix of Tarantino-guitars, jazz-melodics and African drums. Lykke looks quite gorgeous in video in image of extreme-Gaga going Voodoo queen in hypnotizing set singing in front of huge screen with some crazy old films cut.
B-side of "Get Some" single - "Paris Blue" otherwise is very thoughtful dark track with minimalistic instrumental and Lykke's voice drowning in melancholic echoes and depressive mood.