Reader, I'm a little bit obsessed with Lykke Li's candy-coated voice (it's pronounced "lick-a-lee"). And by that, I mean I can't stop listening to the addictive tracks on her debut EP, Youth Novels, which was produced by Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn & John fame. Like her ballerina-inspired up swept 'do (she got her start in showbiz dancing behind other artists on TV), Li's music is effortless and pretty, with a subtle staying power that makes you reach for the repeat button again and again.

"There's a theremin, celeste, flute, kazoo, harpsichord, foot stomps and lots more," Li says when asked about the album. "The best pop, I think, is a mix of everything, so some songs are hip hop, some are folk, old-school blues." While some bloggers think this genre bending new talent is just this just this year's Scandinavian pop princess—like Annie, Robyn or Sally Shapiro before her—this indie singer plays with live instruments (she rocks the kazoo on a necklace around her neck) and sprinkles her sugary songs with salty lyrics ("And for you I keep my legs apart / and forget about my tainted heart..."). Plus, she just looks cool, like a cross between Nelly Furtado and a random girl you'd stumble across outside of a cafe in the Mission who'd ask to bum a smoke.

Ready to get your fix? Li is playing Bimbo's 365 Club on Sunday night with another of our favorite Swedish acts, the equally aurally stunning El Perro del Mar (who looks like the lovechild of Edie Sedgwick and Twiggy); grab your tickets here.

Bimbo's 365 Club is located at 1025 Columbus Avenue, (415) 474-0365.

- Caroline Stanley

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