Let's face it, there is a lot to like about Sweden. Delicious Meatballs, lingonberries, lutefisk, great films like Let the Right One In and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, reasonable minimalist furniture from Ikea and lest we not forget, The Muppets' own culinary master himself: The Swedish Chef. That being said, we are also big fans of what those Swedes do musically. That's why we're excited Junip is coming to town. more ›

We didn’t get to ring in the New Year with our favorite Swedish singer/songwriter, Jens Lekman, but we did catch him at the Empty Bottle the next night, and he even reenacted a sweet little midnight countdown for us. This was a one-stop tour, so it’s no wonder he sold out all three shows of his December 31 through January 2 residency at the Empty Bottle as well as his Sunday matinee at Viaduct Theater. And even though the venue was at max capacity with seriously excited Lekman fans, it wasn’t a wild, overbearing crowd. Instead it was an easygoing affair, the room sublimely silent, enraptured by Lekman’s whimsical banter and heartfelt, melancholic pop ballads. more ›

Special to Chicagoist from Sarah Cobarrubias more ›

In recent years many New Year's Eve bills have sold extremely slowly -- partially due to the economy and partially because there hasn't been much really inspiring --- but this year is shaping up to be different. The Empty Bottle has announced that their shows with Jens Lekman at The Bottle and Girl Talk at The Congress have both sold out. And we're told ticket sales at a number of other venues are also selling briskly. Don't worry though, we hear there are still plenty of tickets available for The Gin Blossoms at The InterContinental out by O'Hare. more ›

If you're looking for something a bit more low-key than dancing with a thousand sweaty bodies at the Congress to the raucous antics of Girl Talk, then pencil in Swedish indie pop singer-songwriter Jens Lekman's New Year's Eve show at the Empty Bottle. Lekman's bittersweet melodies have won our hearts and we think they'd make the perfect soundtrack for stealing a midnight kiss from a stranger. Tickets are going to go fast, so grab yours now for $30 each. more ›

The addition of soul crushing songwriter Bon Iver makes tomorrow's TNK show a must see for Chicagoist. more ›

The Swedes are really fucking rad, and the latest evidence comes in the form of Jens Lekman having the number one record there this week. Lekman is a pop music master in a time when the genre is struggling to identify a true star, and his presence on the can't-miss Secretly Canadian label should help to expand his appeal Stateside. It's the combination of pretty, bouncy instrumentation and Lekman's unmistakably drole vocal delivery that set... more ›

Yesterday, we learned that Lollapalooza sold 3,000 tickets without even announcing a single band. Today, not to be outdone, Pitchfork announced six of their thirty-six slated acts for the Pitchfork Media Festival. Here are the six acts that are supposed to get us all excited and ready to buy tickets on Monday. That's right - in three days these one- and two-day passes go on sale. No word yet on exact sale time, but we know the price this year will be $20 for the one-day pass and a mere $30 for the two-day pass. more ›