Jens Lekman

It’s not just another country that Swedish-born musician Jens Lekman hails from. His recent Secretly Canadian release, Night Falls Over Kortedala, nods emphatically to influences from other eras, ranging from the deadpan nature of Jonathan Richman to Frankie Valli’s pop sensibilities. Even a lower-key Tom Jones or Old Blue Eyes can be heard in his velvet baritone as it delivers wistful, stream-of-consciousness stories and love songs. Lekman has also gone the old-fashioned route online, shunning the ubiquity of MySpace, saying, “I felt it was an insult to everything I loved about pop music. Everything that is unique and personal. I just decided it was the opposite of Jens Lekman and so I left.” So far, it hasn’t hurt him a bit. Throw Me the Statue and Viktor Sjöberg open.

Listen to a sample of Jens Lekman's "Julie Rmx."