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Episode Recap

Season 37, Episode 11: Florence + the Machine & Lykke Li

Austin City Limits made its name by showcasing the best American music, but, as you’ve no doubt noticed, over the past several years we’ve hardly limited ourselves to North American borders. This Saturday, 1/28, you can see some of the best music coming out of Europe, as we present Florence + the Machine and Lykke Li.

Exploding out of the U.K., Florence + the Machine brought their unique vision of rock – incorporating everything from gutsy vocals to ethereal harp to raging guitars – to our stage for a packed afternoon show. Twin anthems “Dog Days Are Over” and “What the Water Gave to Me” raised the roof as Florence Welch twirled across the stage like a beat-besotted ballerina. Florence fans already know the score – it’s time for newbies to check out this musical force of nature.

Florence + The Machine “The Dog Days are Over” from Austin City Limits on Vimeo.

Lykke Li’s music is more difficult to pin down, but that makes her work all the more enticing. The Swedish chanteuse (ACL’s first Scandinavian artist) deftly mixes elements of girl group pop, steamy soul and stately torch song for an otherworldly sound all her own. “Get Some,” “I Follow Rivers” and the gorgeous, instantly memorable “Sadness is a Blessing” highlight this heavenly half-hour – tune in to hear Lykke Li’s distinctive sonic signature for yourself.

Lykke Li “Sadness is a Blessing” from Austin City Limits on Vimeo.

It’s a night of refreshingly unique indie rock on ACL this Saturday 1/28 – check the episode page  for more goodies, and your local listings for exact airtimes. Keep up with ACL on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages.  Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter for even more info on your favorite show. Next week: the return of the one and only Wilco.