Categorized | Albums

Little Joy – Little Joy

Printed in various incarnations in almost every article written on the fledgling band and self-professed on the band’s official MySpace page, the making of and their self-titled debut is headed toward folklore status. What appears to be the product of good friends, good times and good fortune, feels as effortless and charmed as its conception. The story goes something like this: Once upon a time there was a Portuguese music festival in Lisbon where was playing with his other little band, . , (former singer and guitarist for ) happened to also be performing at the same festival. Common interests like Brazil, beards and music, perhaps, paved the way for a fast friendship. When Amarante was in the US a year later recording with , he looked Moretti up and the two became thick as thieves. , (multi-instrumentalist and singer) was introduced to the pair through mutual friends and the three exchanged musical flair in the wee hours of the night. Soon after they moved into a house in Echo Park together, where they spent steamy late summer nights recording and cooling off at a local haunt down the street called “”.

It should be no surprise that the music made between these friends (er, um lovers…Moretti and Shapiro are now listed as “in a relationship”) is just as precious as the telling of its tale. The music is Bossa Nova cool with Brazilian beats and honeyed melodies. There is definitely a Ska and Calypso vibe, with some Strokes (especially in the vocals) thrown in, and a whole lot of sunshine. It’s what you would expect to hear as you walk on white sand, barefoot of course, towards your very own private Tiki hut in the sky.

Must hear tracks include “Keep Me In Mind” which easily accomplishes just that and “Don’t Watch Me Dancing” showcasing Shapiro’s dulcet voice in a modest gem about a beautifully flawed girl named Margarita. “No One’s Better Sake” is a short sweet ride with the top down that kindly borrows from early 60s reggae, incorporating feral drums and dramatic turns on the chorus.

Overall, the album is well done. It’s understated, yet at the same time coquettish and plucky. It’s vintage in its finest form, worn-in, one of a kind, and nostalgic for better times. An album like that seems fitting right about now. On the other hand, , the band, appears to be a bit too self-conscious for my palate. From the “Making the Band” fairytale that have spun to the grainy Polaroids of the band falling in love backstage at dark, discreet venues, it feels overcooked. But I believe that I can look past that, throw this album on, and take a nice long lazy siesta, remembering simpler times when it was just about the music. I’ll just have to keep my eyes closed and stay off the Internet while I do it.

Tracklisting:
01. The Next Time Around
02. Brand New Start
03. Play the Part
04. No One’s Better Sake
05. Unattainable
06. Shoulder to Shoulder
07. With Strangers
08. Keep Me in Mind
09. How to Hang a Warhol
10. Don’t Watch Me Dancing
11. Evaporar

: myspace

Little Joy
Price: USD 10.99
48 used & new available from USD 7.08

Written by:

Related Posts

This post was written by:

Bethany Smith - who has written 297 posts on popwreckoning.


Contact the author

4 Responses to “Little Joy – Little Joy”

  1. One of my favorite albums of the year! They are phenom live, too.
    Also, lucky Binky! Fab is a dreamboat and a half.

  2. EGP says:

    Interesting…good review…

  3. papan600 says:

    Sounds like my kind of band!!!

  4. Rosie says:

    Binky performed on the Carson Daly show last week and wore one of our dresses. :)

    http://whitleykros.myshopify.com/

Trackbacks/Pingbacks


Leave a Reply

  • Comments
  • Popular
  • Latest
  • Tags
  • Subscribe

Our Flickr Photos - See all photos

PopWreckers

Editor-in-Chief ::
Jessica McGinley (Phila.): email

Managing Editor ::
Joshua Hammond (KC): email

Assignment Editor ::
Bethany Smith (Omaha): email

Technical Editor ::
Nick Davis (KC): email

Photographers ::
Tracy Nunnery (San Fran)
Ed Roper (Phila.)
Dese'Rae Stage (NYC)

Writers ::
Fahad Ashraf (DC)
Mary Chang (DC)
Jeff Chenette (Boston)
Dara Drupp (Pittsburgh)
Jesse Gelwicks (Portland)
Jon Gitchoff (St. Louis)
Joe Gotschall (Cleveland)
Marc Z. Grub (Toronto)
Tatum Hengel (LA)
Ali Hussain (NYC)
Reni Papananias(NYC)
Mona Sheikh (NYC)
Andrea Squiccimara (Phila.)
Sara Swiecki (LA)
Kyle Thurin (Austin)
Molly Thurin (Austin)

"PopWreckoning is better than Pitchfork." - Shawn Fogel
Top Blogs

Concert Calendar

June 26th
Telepathe @ Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia
Wheat @ Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia

July 2nd-5th
Rothbury Festival

July 23rd
Gogol Bordello @ The Pageant, St. Louis

August 23rd
Girl Talk @ McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn

disclaimer

All media content contained within Popwreckoning is meant to enhance reader appreciation for the art and medium. Please support artists you discover here by purchasing albums, attending shows and buying merch.
Contact us at should you wish for certain media to be removed from Popwreckoning.

Green Web Hosting! This site hosted by DreamHost. mp3 blogs
The Hype Machine
Blog Directory for PA

Blog Flux Directory
Music Blogs - Blog Top Sites

Add to Technorati Favorites Music