A few Fridays ago, I fell in love. Not on the street or in a bar, but on a blog. I love when bands have their own blogspots. Required reading includes Semifinalists' blog, Mystery Jets' blog, the near daily photos of No Age and of course Grizzly Bear's legendary wordpress posts. So when I noticed Seattle band Natalie Portman's Shaved Head had a blog, I promptly made my way over to check out what they had going on in terms of sentences. Most of the posts were in relation to their own livelihood as a band until I scrolled down to an entry containing the youtube link that would be my introduction to Sweden's fabulous Lykke Li. I hesitated before clicking, but boy am I glad I took the leap (if clicking on a youtube link can be described as a leap :).
The video - the editing, concept, coregraphy... Captivating isn't entirely the correct word, hypnotizing maybe? Not to mention the freshness of the song.
Mattias Montero, the video's magic harnessing director, also served as director of photography for Calvin Harris' "The Girls."
How much does Lykke Li's look like Ashley Olsen in the video? Yes - I actually narrowed it down to a specific Olsen. Except unlike the Olsen twins she's not creepy. She also kinda resembles one of the girls from the Like.
The track sounds like it could be an estranged sister to Roisin's song "Primitive" (which you can download as apart of my post on seeing Roisin live) and her dance moves mirror some of those from Moloko videos or the understated shoulder shrugs that M.I.A. gets familiar with when onstage.
I'm really excited about many many people/bands at SXSW this year - BON IVER, These New Puritans, BORN RUFFIANS (so I can sing along with all my heart), heartthrob Lazaro Casanova, seeing No Age again and again and again, seeing SMD's live show instead of DJ set, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, N.E.R.D., New Bloods, Shy Child, Turbo Fruits, The Pan I Am, White Rabbits, Robots In Disguise... the list goes on AND ON, but Lykke Li is pretty much decorating the top of my list.
God I love this girl!
So magical that the song takes on greater significance in an acoustic clip of "Little Bit" filmed on a street.
(can any Swedish people translate the interaction with the man in the window?)
And here she is performing "I'm Good I'm Gone" in a bathroom with the aid of a faucet and toilet as instrumentation. I SWEAR they are singing a Michael Jackson song as the clip begins:
She is playing ten billion parties. I will totally be catching her at Fader's, at the Pitchfork party on Friday where she graces the main stage an at Press Here's on Saturday. I can't tell yet whether I will see her or No Age more, but I won't be satisfied until I've seen both acts at least five times over the next few days.
Her disc came out in the US this past Tuesday, featuring production from Bjorn of Peter Bjorn and John.
"Tonight" Lykke Li MP3
Anyways, dispatches from Austin to follow. If I don't party till I puke and/or get alcohol poisoning, I won't have partied hard enough this week hahahahaha. I'm staying with Greg from Panda Toes - we are also DJing together on Thursday along with 1/2ALIVE at the Above the Radar party throughout the day on Thursday at Trophy's. More info about the party over on Panda Toes.
I've been to ten million concerts in the past couple weeks that will eventually see the light of day sometime too...
Whoo!
Recent Comments