Swedish indie-popstrel Lykke Li has been setting blogs abuzz with a new single, and at this sold-out gig, excitement fizzes through the crowd during a slow build, as Li stands with her back to us, swathed in a black cape. Opening with an infectious new track, "Youth", she writhes around the stage, all long hair and long legs, tassels flying from her leather shorts as she dances. As with many of the current swathe of young electro-pop artists, it seems as much about the performance as the music.

Philip Selway has finally found the confidence to step from behind one of Britain's biggest bands and into the spotlight. Chris Mugan talks to him about his debut solo album

Lily Allen broke down in tears as her song "The Fear" scooped three prizes at the Ivor Novello Awards yesterday.

Lily Allen broke down in tears as her song The Fear scooped major prizes at the Ivor Novello Awards today.

Having leapt feet-first on 2008's Seventh Tree into the spooky wyrd-folk world then being opened up by the likes of Bat For Lashes, Goldfrapp now suddenly effect a complete volte-face on Head First, heading back to the electronic pop of their three previous releases.

We Brave Bee Stings and All, Thao Nguyen's 2008 album with her band the Get Down Stay Down, was that year's best-selling record on the Kill Rock Stars label and something of a breakthrough.

The next big thing wigs out

The debut release on Gruff Rhys's Irony Bored label, Me Oh My shows Welsh singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon to be a strikingly different prospect to the recent run of new female singers – closer to wyrd-folkie than soul-diva, but blessed with a unique line in imagery, and a ramshackle innocence to her musical approach that recalls the third Velvet Underground album, if Mo Tucker had sung all the songs.

As if it wasn't a productive year already for Charlotte Gainsbourg, what with all that genital mutilation in Lars Von Trier's Antichrist, she's also gone back into a recording studio to follow up her excellent 2006 album 5.55. The first song to emerge from it is "IRM", and it's available for free from charlottegainsbourg.com.

When Natasha Khan asks "shall we carry on with a bit more dancing?" she might as well be talking to herself. The trademark cape has a bit more sparkle than previously, but tonight's audience is not looking for a big pop performance. They stand in awe as she powers through the best of Fur and Gold and Two Suns.

How does it feel to be the first female artist in seven years to scoop the coveted award? What do the nominees eat for dinner? And what is La Roux really like? Speech Debelle reveals all