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 ›