from Sweden, blogz 'n boardz r buzzin' like mad at the moment (the new Robyn! the new M.I.A.! the new Royksopp! etc)
http://www.lykkeli.com
http://www.myspace.com/lykkeli
― StanM, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 08:51 (5 years ago) Permalink
Good record. Could've been gooder.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 09:01 (5 years ago) Permalink
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJHdT1j6hH8
Acoustic live version with guests: Robyn, Adam & Bebban (Shout Out Louds), Daniel (The Concretes), Lars (Laakso) and Mikael (Hjalmar). Director: Ted Malmros + Christian Haag
I kind of love this.
― The Macallan 18 Year, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 15:40 (5 years ago) Permalink
pretty good song, although she seems to have trouble staying in tune, particularly on the b-side 'dance dance dance'.
i'm sure i'll despise this in six months time when everyone outside of sweden starts pulling their dicks about it
― electricsound, Saturday, 16 February 2008 00:06 (5 years ago) Permalink
diggin this.
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Saturday, 16 February 2008 00:10 (5 years ago) Permalink
Really enjoying this album. Though I keep finding myself playing "I'm Good I'm Gone" over and over.
― A. Begrand, Saturday, 16 February 2008 01:07 (5 years ago) Permalink
She's good. There's a nice intimacy to her voice.
― chap, Saturday, 16 February 2008 01:21 (5 years ago) Permalink
That video is creepy. But the song is alright
― sonderangerbot, Saturday, 16 February 2008 01:48 (5 years ago) Permalink
What's the point of this shit?
― Dom Passantino, Monday, 18 February 2008 15:31 (5 years ago) Permalink
It sounds pleasant.
― chap, Monday, 18 February 2008 15:31 (5 years ago) Permalink
Matas Berlin mix of 'Little Bit' gives it that ever-important disco lift
― blueski, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 00:03 (5 years ago) Permalink
She is among the acts I plan to catch at By:Larm in Oslo this week.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 11:38 (5 years ago) Permalink
Can we get the obvious awkward bit out of the way and ask how the hell you pronounce her name?
The Lex is probably onto something about how people immediately jump on any female Scandinavian popstar in an 'OMG this is awesome!' way, mind.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 12:59 (5 years ago) Permalink
Probably pronounced like Lee-cuh Lee, although an actual scando might know better.
Happens with indiepop as well.
― Bocken Social Scene, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 13:04 (5 years ago) Permalink
Ly-cuh Lee would be more correct. At least in Norwegian, but I believe it's not much different in Swedish.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 13:20 (5 years ago) Permalink
and American RnB pop, in Lex's case
― blueski, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 13:22 (5 years ago) Permalink
So it's 'lie-cuh lee', then?
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 13:22 (5 years ago) Permalink
Ly as in Lycra.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 13:24 (5 years ago) Permalink
No, not lie, more Ly as in Lynch. 'Ly-cuh lee' I suppose.
― sonderangerbot, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 14:25 (5 years ago) Permalink
Yes, Lynch.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 14:35 (5 years ago) Permalink
swedish (and norwegian?) 'y' is like the german 'ü'.
― cb, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 14:55 (5 years ago) Permalink
exactly what I was going to say, cb.
Surely her name is pronounced something like Luca, but with the u having a sort of u-umlaut sound.
I'm off to see her live this evening, by the way.
― Daniel Giraffe, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 16:03 (5 years ago) Permalink
so, not "Likely"
But Lickly.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 16:10 (5 years ago) Permalink
lookly.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 16:11 (5 years ago) Permalink
The intro is nice and nearly every track here could potentially be a fantastic pop song but for god's sake, put your back into it woman.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 21 February 2008 09:14 (5 years ago) Permalink
At least almost. You can hardly hear the difference, although it is there.
― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 21 February 2008 09:20 (5 years ago) Permalink
The name Lykke Li is pronounced the same way as the danish word Lykkelig, which means Happy. (from some fashion blog)
This Swedish lo-fi popstrel (her name is pronounced ‘lick-a-lee’) (from Time Out)
― Savannah Smiles, Thursday, 21 February 2008 09:53 (5 years ago) Permalink
Actually I just listened to it again and although the tunes are there, they're handled so badly and her voice is so flimsy that they're wasted. I wish she'd actually put some force in there from time to time or make and effort to sound committed to anything other than this vague mimsiness. Is it possible to sound diffidently mimsy? Because she does.
It's not that I've got a tin ear for this sort of stuff, two of my favourite albums from the last couple of years were by Marit Larsen and Feist. But I spent most of this record wondering if it was hamstrung by its own delicate aesthetic or just cheap, flimsy and badly performed and the four songs at the end confirmed the latter. Breaking It Up in particular should have had something at least vaguely resembling a kick to it.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 21 February 2008 10:05 (5 years ago) Permalink
Yeah, she def. can't sing as well as Lily All-waydaminnit! If SHE was that years biggest hit with that voice, why couldn't Luckily be?
― StanM, Thursday, 21 February 2008 10:14 (5 years ago) Permalink
'
― StanM, Thursday, 21 February 2008 10:15 (5 years ago) Permalink
Because we're already drowning in bland female vocalists and pretty much any of yer interchangeable Adeles or Duffys could have done a better job with this material?
It's not just the vocals, the production and arrangements are limp as well.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 21 February 2008 10:19 (5 years ago) Permalink
Twee is back (Juno sountrack and so on), maybe it's the Scandinavian version, twë?
― StanM, Thursday, 21 February 2008 10:21 (5 years ago) Permalink
I rather like the Duffy that I've heard ("Mercy" seems to be the uptempo single that sticks out like a sore thumb).
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 21 February 2008 10:31 (5 years ago) Permalink
Annie fans ought to be all over it, then
― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 21 February 2008 11:04 (5 years ago) Permalink
or indi3 fans full stop
― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 21 February 2008 11:26 (5 years ago) Permalink
"Little Bit" would sound terrible with Duffy or Adele singing it.
― Savannah Smiles, Thursday, 21 February 2008 11:27 (5 years ago) Permalink
It sounds terrible anyway!
― Matt DC, Thursday, 21 February 2008 11:56 (5 years ago) Permalink
'weak voice' is surely the point ala Shapiro
― blueski, Thursday, 21 February 2008 12:25 (5 years ago) Permalink
I dunno, it's weaker than that even, I think with Shapiro or Annie or anything like that it doesn't matter as much because they're supposed to glide over the backing, which is a lot fuller in any case. A lot of the music here is sparser, or more organic at least, and you'd expect the voice to fill that space and it just doesn't.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 21 February 2008 12:30 (5 years ago) Permalink
light voice over light music obviously works in some situations. i'm not feeling any particular imbalance in li's case yet (based on myspace songs only). not sure how much i'll actually listen to this tho.
― blueski, Thursday, 21 February 2008 12:45 (5 years ago) Permalink
I went to see her last night. Goodness knows why her management chose that venue: 9 out of 10 of those attending hadn't come for the gig - she was the entertainment at a club night - so there was a serious noise and general-lack-of-decorum problem.
That said, I enjoyed her performance. She has a nice line in moving about on stage and hamming up the songs. Whether that will make her the 'summer's biggest hit' (cf thread title) is another matter.
― Daniel Giraffe, Thursday, 21 February 2008 16:12 (5 years ago) Permalink
i like "little bit" if that's what you're talking about, but that's been out for a WHILE.
― htshell, Thursday, 21 February 2008 16:53 (5 years ago) Permalink
Saw her at By:Larm (Norwegian Equivalent of MIDEM) and she was absolutely brilliant. A very charismatic live act, and a great and unique voice. It was completely crowded, so obviously she was one of the "next big things" at the meeting.
Even though she was brilliant, Superfamily were even better though.
― Geir Hongro, Friday, 22 February 2008 03:47 (5 years ago) Permalink
I was there too (the Thursday show), and yeah, I was floored. It was weird, though, I was jet-lagged and fell asleep and woke up a half hour before the first band went on, and I thought I wouldn't get in at all, but when I got to the club right before 9, there were only about five people there. So I got an ace spot in front...but yeah, did it ever get crowded fast. Anyway, Lykke Li, was far more energetic and charismatic than I expected. I had high hopes going in, but nothing like what we ended up seeing firsthand. She did an instore at the Platekompaniet record store the next afternoon, and did a much more low-key, but equally likeable performance.
Egads. They're like the Killers as interpreted by Metal Skool. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
― A. Begrand, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 05:20 (5 years ago) Permalink
I wanted to catch Dylan Mondegreen at first (great band, lousy live performance), so I didn't get to Blå until around half an hour before. And by then it was very crowded. I did get in, but hardly got out afterwards. :)
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 10:48 (5 years ago) Permalink
awful
― OskarM, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 15:43 (5 years ago) Permalink
and srsly just one drop in the bucket of poorly conceived swede-twee
i guess once it crosses the ocean it becomes "sophisticated"
― OskarM, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 15:48 (5 years ago) Permalink
i like this album, but most of the songs sound like they could just take off into something really spectacular, but just dont. like maybe a remix cd would be amazing. anyways, just heard a nice remix. http://www.thefader.com/articles/2008/5/6/freeload-lykke-li-everybody-but-me-diskjokke-remix
― jaxon, Wednesday, 7 May 2008 22:13 (5 years ago) Permalink
this album is like the female vocals from young folks stretched out over 45 mins, but it's nice
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 7 May 2008 23:21 (5 years ago) Permalink
and not just cuz it's another swedish chick but the vocals have that same sleepy-eyed but kinda seductive thing to it
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 7 May 2008 23:23 (5 years ago) Permalink
This is becoming one of my most anticipated albums in a long time. All the press I keep reading sees her dismissing the "twee" parts of Youth Novels in interviews, I'm hoping she replaces it with the muscular strength and energy that her music would benefit from.
― o0o00h really? (boxedjoy), Wednesday, 9 February 2011 10:20 (2 years ago) Permalink
This is probably my favourite album of the year so far.
― Stevie T, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 10:21 (2 years ago) Permalink
psyched for this, + am sort of surprised
― just sayin, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 10:35 (2 years ago) Permalink
Halfway through and this is a really good listen! Tight and short and very full-sounded, especially compared to Youth Novels, which sounded very anemic. There's a lot more support of her voice here (both like...how she sings...and how the production bolsters her).
It kind of splits the difference between girl-group Phil Spector Be My Baby-isms and 'tribal' drums or whatever.
― Alex in Montreal, Sunday, 20 February 2011 20:12 (2 years ago) Permalink
There's a lot less of that mimsy, ultra-girly high-pitched whine-singing on this than the debut album (think "Time Flies"), the sonics of this record and her voice suggest she has grown as much as the press narrative indicates. First impressions are of an album that's a bit front-heavy but still a massive leap forward.
― o0o00h really? (boxedjoy), Monday, 21 February 2011 19:00 (2 years ago) Permalink
Stream the entire album on soundcloud
and yeah, great record.
― Thee Macallan 18 Year, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 18:11 (2 years ago) Permalink
i'm very happy that she's actually singing on this record, but i can't help but feel a bit disappointed (after only a few listens) about the move to a more 60s girlgroup sound. that might be the influence of the producer, but either way, it just seems so obvious given the emotional content of the record. it might grow on me, but what drew me to her in the first place was just how weird everything sounded on her debut.
― borntohula, Thursday, 24 February 2011 02:06 (2 years ago) Permalink
sounds more like fever ray / xx (all the dark space) than girl group to me. i like it a lot, LOVE that opening track
― NI, Friday, 25 February 2011 00:46 (2 years ago) Permalink
im liking this also; reminds me some of AZURE ray, inna slow dirge-y way
― johnny crunch, Friday, 25 February 2011 00:51 (2 years ago) Permalink
i think the fact that bjorn from peter bjorn and john produces influences that 60s girl-group sound i'm talking about. i hear it mostly on "youth knows no pain" "rich kids blues" and "sadness is a blessing." but even without bjorn's involvement, there's a lot of 60s pop signifiers all over this record, especially in the drums and the layering of her vocals in places. i get the fever ray sound too though, "silent my song" floored me when i first heard it because of how closely it resembles stuff from that record.
― borntohula, Friday, 25 February 2011 05:36 (2 years ago) Permalink
can't even get over how sexy that spin cover ishttp://culturepop.me/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/spin-lykke-li.jpgevery time i'm at the bookstore i pick it up, and then realize spin sucks and doesn't even top 80pages a mag. i can't even believe these guys continue to exist sometimes.
― mamma mia pizzeroni (kelpolaris), Friday, 25 February 2011 06:08 (2 years ago) Permalink
yeah I can hear the FR in Silent My Song too but obv also Pet Sounds. Touchstones aside, it's so massive! makes me wanna hear her + bjorn do an album of gospel hymns.
― Cosmo Vitelli, Friday, 25 February 2011 07:50 (2 years ago) Permalink
it's so immediate and indebted that it's a surefire contender for backlash-of-the-year.
― Cosmo Vitelli, Friday, 25 February 2011 08:39 (2 years ago) Permalink
lol @ that spin cover THE INSANE FUTURE OF RAP
― johnny crunch, Friday, 25 February 2011 13:39 (2 years ago) Permalink
ofwg no doubti mean not no doubtbut no doubt
― bang-proof-bling-mans (forksclovetofu), Friday, 25 February 2011 14:53 (2 years ago) Permalink
xpost
well the article was actually about Odd Future but i managed to lol in store as well.
― mamma mia pizzeroni (kelpolaris), Friday, 25 February 2011 18:38 (2 years ago) Permalink
the futures is nutzo, y0!~
― Thee Macallan 18 Year, Friday, 25 February 2011 18:38 (2 years ago) Permalink
http://s401.photobucket.com/albums/pp94/theaudiopervjr/?action=view¤t=lykkelifallon_Segment100-00-04-00-04-201.mp4
pretty good performance.
― jaxon, Saturday, 5 March 2011 03:04 (2 years ago) Permalink
free official remix by The Magician (apparently, he's a Belgian DJ) : http://soundcloud.com/themagician/lykke-li-i-follow-rivers-the-magician-remix
― StanM, Monday, 7 March 2011 17:13 (2 years ago) Permalink
(pretty shameless attempt at a piano house hit, but it works, imho)
― StanM, Monday, 7 March 2011 17:15 (2 years ago) Permalink
One half of Aeroplane
― willem, Monday, 7 March 2011 17:15 (2 years ago) Permalink
The Magician is the guy that left Aeroplane, he's great.
― Matt DC, Monday, 7 March 2011 17:15 (2 years ago) Permalink
duh - I even knew that! :-/thx for reminding me though.
― StanM, Monday, 7 March 2011 17:17 (2 years ago) Permalink
This is an impressive second record. I love the first, but I could see this one eclipsing it given time.
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 7 March 2011 18:22 (2 years ago) Permalink
There's nothing on here I love as much as Little Bit but on the whole I think this is a stronger record. It's fast becoming my album of the year so far.
― Kitchen Person, Monday, 7 March 2011 18:27 (2 years ago) Permalink
^^^^ I pretty much agree 100% with this post.
― rendezvous then i'm through with HOOS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 7 March 2011 19:47 (2 years ago) Permalink
really looking forward to seeing her live again this year
― I just want to give a shout-out to Buzzy Beetles (forksclovetofu), Monday, 7 March 2011 19:48 (2 years ago) Permalink
honestly never knew it was pronounced 'licky lee' until i saw her on fallon last wk
― johnny crunch, Monday, 7 March 2011 20:14 (2 years ago) Permalink
I sort of skipped her the first time around even though I liked "Little Bit," but this album is really good. Will be listening to this a lot, I think.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 23 March 2011 22:20 (2 years ago) Permalink
― Hippocratic Oaf (DavidM), Wednesday, 23 March 2011 22:28 (2 years ago) Permalink
― I just want to give a shout-out to Buzzy Beetles (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 24 March 2011 03:07 (2 years ago) Permalink
Really surprised how much I like this - 'Sadness Is A Blessing' is a fantastic song. Toning down the mimsiness and going widescreen and Spectoresque has really helped.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 24 March 2011 11:58 (2 years ago) Permalink
get some is great but it does sound like I want candy to me.
― akm, Monday, 28 March 2011 05:31 (2 years ago) Permalink
i look forward to forks posting a clip of nardwuar interviewing everything from now on
― thomp, Monday, 28 March 2011 05:38 (2 years ago) Permalink
will do!
― slight even by tweet standards (forksclovetofu), Monday, 28 March 2011 12:04 (2 years ago) Permalink
This album is great.
I'm not sure how you pronounce her name for sure, but I'm pretty convinved that the way Greg Kot keeps calling here Lick-e-uh Lee doesn't seem right at all.
― 'what are you, the Hymen Protection League of America?' (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 14 April 2011 15:16 (2 years ago) Permalink
Kot is wrong.
It's Lick-ee. Simple as that.
― That's why they call me (Johnny Fever), Thursday, 14 April 2011 15:17 (2 years ago) Permalink
Wouldn't be the first time. His over-pronunciation was driving me crazy!
― 'what are you, the Hymen Protection League of America?' (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 14 April 2011 15:20 (2 years ago) Permalink
What do you expect from a guy who pronounces "persona" as per-SAHN-uh.
― jaymc, Thursday, 14 April 2011 17:29 (2 years ago) Permalink
check her interview with narduwar to hear her pronounce her own name
― brotherlovesdub, Thursday, 14 April 2011 17:48 (2 years ago) Permalink
lol swedish act gets stellan skarsgard
― Gukbe, Friday, 29 April 2011 17:33 (2 years ago) Permalink
also something about lykke <3 <3 <3
good performance on conan last night
― jaxon, Friday, 29 April 2011 17:47 (2 years ago) Permalink
On Later... earlier this week.
― Hippocratic Oaf (DavidM), Saturday, 30 April 2011 13:20 (2 years ago) Permalink
i strongly dislike "sadness is a blessing"
― j lol (surm), Saturday, 30 April 2011 13:27 (2 years ago) Permalink
sometimes my boyfriend puts it on in the house on saturday mornings (i hope not this one) - just feels trite
― j lol (surm), Saturday, 30 April 2011 13:28 (2 years ago) Permalink
i mean this in the least dickish way possible but i love everything about her except her music. i want to like it but it's just too gimmicky.
― sonderangerbot, Saturday, 30 April 2011 13:43 (2 years ago) Permalink
"sadness is a blessing" is the perfect example of how it is oft best to show, not tell
― j lol (surm), Saturday, 30 April 2011 14:06 (2 years ago) Permalink
'sandess if a blessing' fulfills my desire for spector
― THAT'S LIGHTWEIGHT DICKERY (dayo), Monday, 16 May 2011 08:03 (2 years ago) Permalink
actually it kind of sucks the more you listen to it
― THAT'S LIGHTWEIGHT DICKERY (dayo), Monday, 16 May 2011 16:24 (2 years ago) Permalink