Rockness Recommends
Kaiser Chiefs, The Walkmen and The Little Ones play the Vic.
April 11, 2007
"1-2-3-4, c'mon baby, say you love me!" So says Kaiser Chiefs, The Walkmen and The Little Ones. You see, they're all playing the Vic Theater on Friday, April 20th in what is sure be a great way to celebrate 4/20, the holiest of the most holy days.
Named for a football team (that's soccer) in South Africa, Leeds' Kaiser Chiefs kick the shit out of anyone who doesn't like big keyboard riffs in the choruses of songs. They've recently toured with Bloc Party, The Killers, and Franz Ferdinand, so yeah, they kind of sound like those guys.
They're an indie band that makes no apologies for the catchiness of their songs. In order take over the world, which is their goal, you gotta bait them with hooks. It worked for The Futureheads, didn't it? With a band this perky and sticky sweet, it's hard to judge their staying power. Kaiser Chief's songs definitely have the potential for radio overkill. I mean, do you ever want to hear "Take Me Out" again in your life? I sure don't. But we'll cross that bridge if/when we come to it.
At this point, you all know about The Walkmen. But let's talk about them anyway to relive the good times we've had with them. This band's singer, Hamilton Leithauser, is a 21st century Frank Sinatra or Bing Crosby. A straight-up indie rock crooner, Hamilton and his roller-coaster pipes immediately separate The Walkmen from their buzzworthy New York City contemporaries. Sometimes you wonder if he'll find the note. But like a tortoise, he always reaches it, only in his own time.
You may already know that live, The Walkmen step it up a notch. They're louder and more aggressive sounding songs than those found on their recordings. And by the way, it's on stage that you truly see how much drummer Matt Barrick destroys. He kills the skins with controlled fire and fury that serves as a spine to band's chaotic song structures. They always seem on the brink of falling apart, but they always keep it together, thanks in big part to their command over their instruments and those crooner pipes.
Opening the triple-bill jam is Southern California's The Little Ones, who play infectious pop that radiates with the sunshine of their home state. This newish band features members of the underrated Polyvinyl group Sunday's Best (including sweet sounding singer, Ed Reyes.) Now Sunday's Best were no sad sacks in their own right, but The Little Ones are even more exuberant. Handclaps and hooks and harmonies abound.
The Little Ones debut CD, Sing Song, received tons of word-of-mouth praise and toe-tapping attention that it led to a reissue on Astralwerks. They've recently played shows with French Kicks, Band of Horses, and Silversun Pickups. So along with playing with heavy-hitters like the aforementioned Kaiser Chiefs and Walkmen, this band is not really all that little anymore.
Kaiser Chiefs, The Walkmen and The Little Ones play Vic Theater, on Friday, March 20th.
Named for a football team (that's soccer) in South Africa, Leeds' Kaiser Chiefs kick the shit out of anyone who doesn't like big keyboard riffs in the choruses of songs. They've recently toured with Bloc Party, The Killers, and Franz Ferdinand, so yeah, they kind of sound like those guys.
They're an indie band that makes no apologies for the catchiness of their songs. In order take over the world, which is their goal, you gotta bait them with hooks. It worked for The Futureheads, didn't it? With a band this perky and sticky sweet, it's hard to judge their staying power. Kaiser Chief's songs definitely have the potential for radio overkill. I mean, do you ever want to hear "Take Me Out" again in your life? I sure don't. But we'll cross that bridge if/when we come to it.
At this point, you all know about The Walkmen. But let's talk about them anyway to relive the good times we've had with them. This band's singer, Hamilton Leithauser, is a 21st century Frank Sinatra or Bing Crosby. A straight-up indie rock crooner, Hamilton and his roller-coaster pipes immediately separate The Walkmen from their buzzworthy New York City contemporaries. Sometimes you wonder if he'll find the note. But like a tortoise, he always reaches it, only in his own time.
You may already know that live, The Walkmen step it up a notch. They're louder and more aggressive sounding songs than those found on their recordings. And by the way, it's on stage that you truly see how much drummer Matt Barrick destroys. He kills the skins with controlled fire and fury that serves as a spine to band's chaotic song structures. They always seem on the brink of falling apart, but they always keep it together, thanks in big part to their command over their instruments and those crooner pipes.
Opening the triple-bill jam is Southern California's The Little Ones, who play infectious pop that radiates with the sunshine of their home state. This newish band features members of the underrated Polyvinyl group Sunday's Best (including sweet sounding singer, Ed Reyes.) Now Sunday's Best were no sad sacks in their own right, but The Little Ones are even more exuberant. Handclaps and hooks and harmonies abound.
The Little Ones debut CD, Sing Song, received tons of word-of-mouth praise and toe-tapping attention that it led to a reissue on Astralwerks. They've recently played shows with French Kicks, Band of Horses, and Silversun Pickups. So along with playing with heavy-hitters like the aforementioned Kaiser Chiefs and Walkmen, this band is not really all that little anymore.
Kaiser Chiefs, The Walkmen and The Little Ones play Vic Theater, on Friday, March 20th.
