Yesterday, Swedish announced that they would no longer be performing elective abortions, due to the organization's potential alliance Providence Health & Services, a Catholic health system. This decision drew great ire from many, particularly in light of other blows to the pro-choice camp yesterday, including the House's passage of HR 358. However, today, the Seattle Times reports, Swedish is doing women and their right to choose a solid--by offering financial backing to a new Planned Parenthood branch, located on their First Hill campus. more ›

It's a bad day to be a woman, a good day to be a reckless teenage driver, and a so-so day for Occupy Seattle. Win/win? Let's get this weekend started. more ›

Metal at the Showbox? Of course. Colby recommend Amon Amarth tomorrow night. more ›

There was some excitement on the street before Lykke Li took the stage for a full house at the Showbox, so maybe that's why we felt out of sync with the slow-boil, drum-and-bass(ish) start to the concert. We'd wondered how Lykke Li would take to headlining at such a large venue, and the answer was stark shafts of light, atmospheric smoke, and a heavy hand on the bass end of the soundboard. It was miles away from the Swedish pop songbird we'd seen at the Triple Door in May of last year, but it grew on us, hearing the fierce, sweet, ear-candling pop lyrics of "Little Bit" and "Tonight" lofted over over a booming cataract of drums--and seeing a whole roomful of Seattle concertgoers dancing. Meanwhile, Lykke Li dervished her way around the stage, alternating between staring off with soulful eyes and brandishing various sticks at the cymbals, band, and anyone else who might have needed a little kick in the pants. She's touring with a set drawn from her album Youth Novels, which we have yet to grow tired of hearing--it's bracing to hear a twenty-something writing lyrics so idiosyncratically well in, for her, a foreign language. Even at the back the conversational rumble would die down, everyone's eyes glued to the stage, the Showbox's many bartenders with nothing to do but run a cloth over the bar until the next song ended. more ›

DANCE DANCE DANCE: Pint-size Swedish ex-ballerina Lykke Li returns to Seattle for her largest venue yet, the Showbox at the Market. Last time we saw her, we said she has "an extra helping of cute and an idiosyncratic voice: breathy baby-girl ("Liddle bit in love wi' you," she sings, and your heart melts) mixed with Swedish soul. Her first full album is Youth Novels. Live, she's in perpetual motion, sashaying around the stage, swiveling her hips, one hand pushing the audience back, the other punishing a cymbal with a drumstick." We're not saying it's because her parents were hippies, but she's got a hell of an onstage work ethic. more ›

• Burien is busy branding--and the city is using très fancy technology to do so. B-Town Blog posted the latest video and offered a bullet-point summary of the very nice branding elements you will see, should you choose to spend minutes of your life watching a YouTube about all the wonders Burien has to offer.
• PhinneyWood would like you to donate your watches to charity via Jody Laine of the Tiempo Watch and Clock Shop. Why not? You probably use your cell phone for time-keeping already, anyway.
• Care for some Irish Knockers? Why, yes, thank you for asking! Magnolia Voice had the skinny on the new menu at Mulleady's, including photos of the restaurant's interior (they have a very inviting fireplace!).

According to Google Analytics, any day we can mention the words H&M and Seattle in a post is a very good day. So we were thrilled to get a press release heralding the Swedish stores arrival ("FINALLY," it said in caps) in Seattle. Except it's not really in Seattle. The first H&M store in the area will open on July 25th at Southcenter Mall. As much as we H&M cravers want to will it to be so, Southcenter is not in Seattle. more ›

Jens Lekman just makes us happy. Last night at Neumo's, the sweet Swede gave a joyful pop performance, not too different from his show last fall, except now his all-girl backing band is smaller--only four members, two of which (including opener, My Brightest Diamond's Marla Hansen) are actually from the States--and this time around everyone was in grey instead of white. The only other dude on stage, Viktor Per Sjöberg, mans the laptop and other effects, in order to slip in samples like the Chairmen of the Board's "Give Me Just a Little More Time" during "The Opposite of Hallelujah." more ›