Lykke Li vs Holy Ghost - "I'm Good, I'm Ghost" (The Hood Internet)

*MP3: Lykke Li vs Holy Ghost - "I'm Good, I'm Ghost" (The Hood Internet)

The Hood Internet breaks out another great remix, this time of Lykke Li. Check an EP of the Hood Internet vs. Lykke Li here: The Hood Internet.

Kings Of Leon vs. Lykke Li - "Knocked Up" (Rodeo Mash-Up)

Download: Kings Of Leon vs. Lykke Li - "Knocked Up" (Rodeo Mash-Up)
YouSendIt: Kings Of Leon vs. Lykke Li - "Knocked Up" (Rodeo Mash-Up)

This mash-up brings out some very cool vocal work in the song. In what is already a very cavernous and emotional 4-minute jam, Lykke Li's haunting vocals take it up a notch into the ultra-depressing/slightly creepy realm, which I'm totally into.

Furthermore, Lykke Li is playing at the Varsity Theater on Feb. 8 as well.

Kings of Leon on MySpace
Lykke Li on MySpace

Lykke Li - Youth Novels

Lykke Li
Youth Novels (LL Recordings, 2008)
Grade: B

Download: Lykke Li - "Breaking it Up"

The blogosphere is a harsh and bitter mistress. Go ask Tapes N' Tapes if you don't believe it. So, naturally, it is understandable that both excitement and skepticism would arise in the face of Swedish electro-pop songstress Lykke Li's released material, which has been praised frequently and in hyperbolic nature by most, if not all, of the blogosphere. The Little Bit EP, released stateside in May, focused on the softer side of Li's lyrical and musical personality. The arrangements of songs like "Time Flies" and "Little Bit consisted of bare, but still lush-sounding, electronic minimalism embellished with the occasional percussive quirk. Lyrically, Li played the role of doe-eyed school-girl in love, which proved to be both cloying and cute.

The good news with Youth Novels, Li's recently released debut album (stateside, at least) is that the tracks are fuller sounding (check out the warm orchestral glow of "Melodies and Desires" and "This Trumpet In My Head") in part, and Li is more the aggressor lyrically, which makes her sound more grown-up on songs like album standouts "Breaking it Up" and "I'm Good, I'm Gone", which both shine with a robotic cool. The bad news? Saddoes McBreathes-heavy is still around. ("Tonight"). But with that said, nothing here is ever less than listenable, due to the successful production of Björn Yttling and Li's gifts as a songwriter. Hopefully, she'll keep using those gifts to assert successfully, rather than to pine in an somewhat unconvincing manner.

Lykke Li MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

(Jonathan Graef)

New Lykke Li - "Little Bit" (Loving Hand Remix) and "Hanging High"

Download: Lykke Li - "Little Bit"
Download: Lykke Li - "Little Bit" (Loving Hand Remix)

The sugary-sweet schoolgirl pop infatuation (boy, there's a lot of adjectives) of "Little Bit" seems like an unlikely candidate for remixing, but then here comes the Loving Hand remix of that song, the original of which can be found both on Lykke Li's Little Bit EP, as well as Li's forthcoming debut album, Youth Novels. As far as the remix goes, Loving Hand samples the original's vocal line and steel-drum hook, but also adds the usual techno accoutrements. Dig the horn samples on the chorus and throughout the rest of the remix (especially toward the end, where the trumpet is allowed to explore the musical terrain). Get ready to settle down, because this is a long one, but worth listening to all the same.

But that's not the only activity in the Li universe. Recently, the Swedish songstress did a stripped down version of Youth Novels track for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Check that out at the top of the post, as well as the original "Little Bit" and its remix for comparison.

Both of these come via the 'Fork.

Lykke Li MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Lykke Li To Release Full-Length Debut Album, Youth Novels, on August 19th

Download: Lykke Li - "Tonight"
Download: Lykke Li - "Dance Dance Dance"


Swedish pop songstress Lykke Li may have just issued her Little Bit EP stateside this past week, via her own label LL Recordings, but that doesn't mean that Li can't be focused on future releases. Indeed, as the NME reported yesterday, Li is planning on releasing her first full-length long player on August 19th. The record's title is Youth Novels, and it will also be issued by LL Recordings. The 14-track album was produced by Bjorn Yttling of fellow pop-minded Swede craftsmen Peter, Bjorn and John.

Here's the tracklisting, courtesy of NME:

'Melodies & Desires'
'Dance Dance Dance'
'I’m Good, I’m Gone'
'Let It Fall'
'My Love'
'Tonight'
'Little Bit'
'Hanging High'
'This Trumpet In My Head'
'Complained Department'
'Breaking It Up'
'Everybody But Me'
'Time Flies'

Youth Novels is out on August 19th.

Lykke Li MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)