The eagerly anticipated gig sees the Melbourne boys being supported by Wons Phreely and fellow Melbournians Big Scary, both acts putting out superb sets and receiving a well-deserved grand response. They certainly set the pace, getting the crowd all hyped up for the main act of the night.

The short intermission saw the venue filling up to maximum capacity with a crowd of mostly cool indie kids. Not long after, Little Red appeared onstage with opening number Stare In Love, a much beloved single from their first album Listen To Little Red. The boys looked genuinely happy to be there, it’s their first tour since returning from the UK for a series of gigs and an intensive recording session at The Grove Studios in the Sydney bush.

Little Red played a good mixture of tunes from their current album, as well as giving the lucky crowd a sneak peak at songs from the upcoming sophomore effort. Still bringing the cool 60’s vibe, the new songs showcase an evident maturity from the boys. Little Red has grown up indeed, mixing the 60’s sentiment with a cooler and edgier vibe.

Such evidence is clearly seen in the catchy new single Rock It. Vocalist and guitarist Dominic Byrne showed much enthusiasm as he sings and grooves along to the song. Rock It is just one of those infectious tunes that never leaves your head, and it’s no surprise that it’s been on constant rotation on Triple J. Another stunner from the upcoming album is Slow Motion, sung by Quang Dinh. His vocal ability is outstanding, and the crowd recognisesd his efforts and gave an overwhelming feedback.

Adrian Beltrame and the rest of the Little Red boys played a generous amount of crowd pleasers, including Witchdoctor and Fight Song. Tom Hartney got the fans all excited with Coca Cola, the crowd showing their appreciation by singing and dancing along to the catchy riffs. It’s always a pleasure seeing the stage antics of drummer Taka Honda. With a cheeky grin on his face, he drums happily to the upbeat tunes, most noticeably in Coca Cola as he bangs his sticks while standing on top of his drum kit. Dominic ends off Little Red’s hour-long set with yet another crowd favourite It’s Alright.

Little Red gave an exciting sneak peak of what’s to come in their upcoming sophomore album, and all I can say is that I can’t wait to hear more! And for those of you lucky enough to get a ticket to Splendour In The Grass later this month, don’t forget to check the boys out at the festival. It will be a brilliant set you would not want to miss out on.


*Photo by Dan Beard

From the Press release:
Melbourne melodicists Little Red have delivered the first single, ‘Rock It’, from their highly anticipated second album and the response has been overwhelming. Premiered on Triple J’s breakfast show at the end of last week, the song has been on repeat rotation over recent days and has instantly received an official rotation add from the station. Taken from the as-yet-untitled sophomore album (due out this September on Liberation Records), the song marks a cleaner, more hi-fi sound that was brought to life in collaboration with producer Scott Horscroft (The Temper Trap, The Presets, Silverchair). ‘Rock It’ is party music of the best kind: warm, infectious, straightforward and unadorned. It is the sound of a band moving even further toward a sound entirely their own, blurring their influences as they do the decades of classic pop they draw from.

Meanwhile, the band has announced a return to the live arena with a series of single launches around the country throughout July that culminates with a prime slot at the massive Splendour in the Grass festival. The lads have been one of the country’s most loved live acts ever since their emergence a few years back, and it is standard practice that these shows will be a non-stop party of energy, huge melodies and good times. Fans will also get to hear the band premiering a selection of brilliant new songs from the forthcoming album. Tickets are sure to go quickly, so don’t hesitate.

The band’s next immediate step is London as the band jet off this to the UK this weekend to perform at next week’s Musexpo conference in London, as well as performing additional showcases over the following week. Their debut Listen to Little Red, a Top30 hit at home, also received critical acclaim in the UK and anticipation is certainly high for these return shows.

The new single ‘Rock It’ is OUT NOW on iTunes via Liberation Music.

The Details
Who: Little Red, Big Scary
When: Saturday 17th July, doors at 8pm
Where: Oxford Art Factory – 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst
How Much: $23 presale.
Tix: Moshtix

———

SUNSET SOUNDS returns to announce a picnic basket-full of guests to join the soiree-starters of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear, Moby, Hilltop Hoods, King Khan & The Shrines, and loads more over January 6 and 7. Welcoming them to the lush paradise-like realm of the stunning Brisbane Botanical and City Gardens comes;

Dance-inducing, pop-culture fanatics DATAROCK (Norway)
Synth drenched icy-pop delivered by indie darlings DAPPLED CITIES
The dapper-suited pop-rock crooners LITTLE RED
Funny, dirty and devilishly clever JAMIE T (UK)
Gritty and charming modern exploration of pop music from BERTIE BLACKMAN
Evocative blenders of intelligent lyricism, the folky bliss-starters OH MERCY
The dream-like tapestries that weave an aural delight from PATRICK WATSON (Canada)
Statically charged wall of sounds from DZ
Dressing indie tunes with a healthy dose of 60’s pop, Brissy’s own HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY
Brisbane’s indie overlords FANS DJ’S
Delicately layered lullabies of MCKISCO

With many more still to be announced!

TICKETS on sale SEPTEMBER 24 http://www.ticketmaster.com.au

With tickets to The Falls Music & Arts Festival SOLD OUT, make sure you don’t miss out on the sophomore year of SUNSET SOUNDS.

So, the line-up now looks a little like this
Yeah Yeah Yeahs (USA)
Moby(USA)
Grizzly Bear (USA – First Ever Australian Shows)
Hilltop Hoods
The Temper Trap
King Khan & The Shrines (Germany – First Ever Australian Shows)
Bertie Blackman
Dappled Cities
Patrick Watson (Canada – First Ever Australian Shows)
Rodrigo y Gabriela (Mexico)
Emiliana Torrini (Iceland)
Andrew Bird (USA)
Jamie T (UK)
Little Red
Editors (UK)
Kaki King (USA)
Yves Klein Blue
Seasick Steve (USA)
Datarock (Norway)
Xavier Rudd
Sarah Blasko
Art Vs. Science
Lisa Mitchell
The John Steel Singers
The Middle East
Fans DJ’s
McKisco
Hungry Kids of Hungary
Oh Mercy
DZ
and many more still to be announced!

THE BATTLE

As promised, the Red Bull Soundclash will deliver non-stop excitement from the word go. Channel [V] will be there to cover all the action with hosts Renee Bargh and Kyle Linahan to join DJ Leeroy Brown (Katalyst) centre stage as they lead the rival bands through the four rounds of monumental music madness that is the Red Bull Soundclash.

The Warm Up: Each band plays three of their own songs – Round 1 – The Cover: The bands cover an iconic Aussie track in their own style. Round 2 – The Take Over: Musical ping pong: One band starts a track and the other has to finish. Round 3 – The Clash: The remix round: Each band has to remix three of their own tracks in three different styles. Round 4 – The Joker: The secret weapon: Each band pulls out a wildcard….a big time musical friend! The Final: The winning band takes to the stage to close the show.

THE BANDS

Hailing from Melbourne, Little Red has taken the music industry and Australian fans by storm! Since the release of their debut EP ‘Get Ready’ in 2006, Little Red have wasted no time in establishing themselves as one of THE bands to watch. With a host of sell-out headline shows and prime festival slots already to their name, this band promises to deliver a knockout live show every time. With their catchy tunes and infectious pop melodies, these boys will surely give Downsyde a run for their money!

Perth lads Downsyde have also solidified their place in Australian music. These hip-hop heavyweights have been breaking barriers and thrilling audiences around the country for almost a decade! 2008 saw them release the much lauded and critically acclaimed album ‘All City’ which gave rise to the now anthemic tune ‘Fortune and Fame’. Pioneers of the Aussie hip-hop craft, these guys will certainly be a tough match!

Tickets on Sale now – http://www.ticketek.com.au

Where: Roundhouse, UNSW
When: Friday, 2nd October 2009
Kick Off: DJ’S in the beer garden from 6.00PM. Doors open at 8.00PM
Cost: Students $20 – GA $25

We catch up with Adrian at his luxurious villa on the Melbourne peninsula, surrounded by beautiful women of dubious provenance. He seems far too relaxed, considering the band is currently working on their second studio album. Is this all you do to prepare for touring and recording?

“We’ve spent a lot of time preparing for our second album, making demos, practising and arranging things.”

No calisthenics or yoga?

“Nah, no running or cycling or anything like that. We do a bit of fishing and we do some work on the beach but that’s about it. We do more mental exercise. It’s surprising how much the body can take.” He takes another sip of his cocaine mojito.
You guys have been labelled a lot: white boy funk, RnB etc. Where does the funk come from?

Adrian tilts his feathered blue-felt fedora back on his head and thinks. “We listen to all sorts of music. We still love our motown but we listen to anything that sounds good. Maybe we have a retro tag, that’s ok, but our second album will shake that tag, we think.”

So when you guys go on tour is it a free-for-all? You’re not all spoken for?

“Definitely a free-for-all. We’re really looking forward to hitting Sydney on Friday for the Big British Sound show. It’s sold out, of course, so it should be a big one. Even our mixer has told me he’s looking forward to partying in Sydney. Down here on the peninsula there’s not much to do, you know?” Adrian beckons a bikini-clad beauty to top up his intoxicating cocktail.

Do girls get put off by the band name?

Adrian looks angrily through his gold-plated monocle. “You implying something about the size of our penises? No, girls don’t get put off. I don’t think they even make that connection. What is wrong with you? It’s a catchy name, a racy little name. We got from, I think, The Rolling Stones song, Little Red Rooster, which is a classic blues track.”

“We’re originally from the suburbs and we used to graffiti Little Red everywhere round our streets so when we had to come up with a name it was the logical choice”

We head for safer topics: Have you been to Sydney often?

“Yeah we’ve been there heaps of times, we love it there. There’s always something going on. All cities are great for us though, we love travelling, getting out to different places.”

How does it compare to Melbourne?

“Well we grew up here so, you know, wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Melbourne is a beautiful city – the more time you spend there you more you get to know all the little places. You can find great shops and cafes, real gems, down every alley. There’s lots of culture. It’s a beautiful place.” Adrian leans back in his hand-woven hammock and glances idly towards two topless lovelies playing volleyball in the heart-shaped pool. “Yeah… A beautiful place.”

So how long do we have to wait for the new album?

“It’s going to be a while yet, we’re still in the preliminary stages. We don’t have a name for it yet, that will come after, once we hear the full sound. We think it’s really different, really unique. An important album. We’ll be playing lots of new songs at our upcoming shows but we’re really just taking our time with the album.”

What about partying? Does that require as much forethought and planning? As much time to prepare?

“Man, they’re two different things. There’s always time for partying. Excuse me, I have business to attend to.” Adrian slips off his fur-lined robe and heads towards the pool, his ladies await.

Well lucky you. Due to the fact we are running very late this week after the double whammy Easter Long Weekend the Ed Let this week is going to be rather short.

Firstly let me make clear how much I hate Easter. What sort of a public holiday is it when you can’t go to the pub? WHAT THE FUCK! I’m sorry but the whole reason to get a day off work is so you can get royally slaughtered a day earlier than you usually would. I know I can stock up the day before, which I do, but it’s never enough. Sober me never wants to let drunk me have the booze he wants, and when that happens drunk me gets back at sober me, usually by doing something stupid like stripping my stomach with DIY spirits made predominantly with oven cleaner and rotting fruit and veg.

Anyway, I could go on and on… and I will for just a sec. Jesus is a myth. The Easter Bunny raped the Duracell Bunny. Good Friday is the worst Friday of the year… but by now you’re probably tired of my idiotic rantings.

We’ve got quite a bit of goodness for you in this issue, including; The Drones, The Silversun Pickups, Young & Restless, Ron Peno from Died Pretty, The Basics and Little Red, not to mention my interview with the Oscar winning filmmakers of Mary & Max.

We also catch up with local spasmodic electro guru Spod, check in again with UK Beatbox freak Beardyman as well as showing all the best snaps from my liver raping experience on The Bacardi Express.

Also keep an eye out for me and my sexy crew as we’ll be running round the streets of Sydney in weeks to come with our video camera and Music Feeds TV T-shirts, visiting all the sexiest places the cities nooks and crannies have to offer up. Last week we dropped into Purple Sneakers where I was slapped till I was, well… purple, The High & Dry Fundraiser, Fait Accompli at The Hopetoun as well as watching those long haired and lively libidoed hipsters The Protectors smash up the stage and a few groupies for good measure.

Personally I feel as though a drunk Frenchman who’s eaten too much asparagus has urinated all up in my skull. All this work is getting to me so if you want to come help out in any way please get in contact via my email below.

If you don’t care, you’re a cunt and deserve to die choking on your mothers labia, in a nice way though. I’m a good person after all.

Mikey

Music Feeds Baby, It’s Spanish For Awesome!

When they hooked up, Motown records were unleashed, the Beatles were debated and American Soul music was mutually appreciated. Honda describes, “We thought ‘Yeah that’s our influence, early sixties, Beatles, classics,’ also Motown and American soul music. We wear the suits and have the melodies but we aren’t trying to be a sixties band. People have to classify us a band and they classify us as a retro band, I guess we’re inspired by that era but we’re not trying to be a sixties band.”

Little Red may need a delorean but for now they’ll have to settle for swell harmonies and old school rock ‘n’ roll which has earned them slots at all of the biggest festivals in Australia. Something that Honda says is as intimidating as it is exciting. “We started playing festivals last year and enjoyed it. We had to change the way we play, playing at small venues we are close to each other but at festivals the space is bigger. I have to make sure people can hear my drums and I have to make sure I can hear the other guys; it takes some time to learn. Otherwise you end up not hearing anything.”

What the band can hear is the sound of success, thumping loudly in their collective ears. Winning the Garage to V competition saw them play alongside Smashing Pumpkins at V Festival then they recorded their debut album, with a title about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the head. Honda explains, “Haha yes, it is called Listen to Little Red. Recording was good; we spent three days recording but only in two sessions. In first session, which took two weeks, we were in another studio but we didn’t like it, so we left and went to the Sound Park. Some songs from the first session made it to album, like Jackie Cooper we kept that on there, but the rest was finished at Sound Park and Martin St Studios in three days.”

Bursting out of this studio session was the deliciously sweet single, Coca Cola, which Triple J flogged and Underbelly the TV show whacked (scuse the pun) on the official soundtrack which all brought the band a new legion of fans. “Yeah it has been received well, maybe not as well as Beyonce or Coldplay but you know, still happy. It’s infectious. Makes you want to get up and dance! That’s what it is about, well that and Coke,” says Honda. Despite the song being a marketing dream the band has yet to be approached by Coca Cola Amatil who are presumably too busy counting their squillions. “They really should call us, it’s like a match made in heaven. All I can say is that they haven’t sued us for using the name, which is good enough.”

It is this happy go lucky attitude that makes Little Red so popular, their live shows are famously energetic and their music is as innocent as a milk parlor in the sixties.

But the band aren’t content to settle down just yet with a more explorative release planned for next year which Honda explains sees the band getting horny and strung out. “Hopefully we get a bigger budget so we can get some horns and a string section and change the sound. Not so much soul music any more, something a little different. Next time when we do recording we want to do a bit more production too, get involved in that side of things.”

The calendar will be busy baby with the band hoping to crack the lucrative international market in 2009 but before they jet set, catch them at The Espy on NYE and at the Big Day Out.

As they played the crowed were sent into a jumping, jiving and jitterbugging frenzy, while the bands dancing on drum sets and amps and rocking out together meant that there was never a dull moment on stage.

Swapping instruments and turns at singing lead vocals showed the musical diversity of the band members and made each song truly unique. At times the songs were fast paced and lively and the crowd were encouraged to sing along, while at other times the tracks were slow and mellow and the crowd were encouraged to slow dance together.

Although ‘Misty, I’ was clearly the favourite song of the evening, it was the energy filled finale, which saw a mini brass ensemble join the boys on stage, that stole the show.

The audience left swooning for more and as their album says, wanting to listen to Little Red.

If you happen to be vertically challenged, surely at gigs you are very good friends with the sight of the back of some guys head as opposed to the band that you paid good money to see – tip toeing to steal glimpses, some where along the line, listening became secondary to looking at shows.

But not at a Little Red one.

People filter out of last weeks Vampire Weekend support slot at the Metro, raving about the harmonies, the guitar tones, the whip crack drums. Sure the suits were cute and the smiles were mile-wide, but here was a band who had so expertly cultivated their sound that you just wanted to shut your eyes and let it wash all over you.

“The crowd at the Metro were awesome. People are starting to get to know the words to our songs, which is great. It is going to be brilliant hitting the road, we start touring in the middle of August through to the middle of September. We had a little bit of a break before this run of shows, just kicking around and writing some songs – which is always good, but I have kind of missed playing live. With the album out we will be playing a lot of the new material – which I love, because it means we can do longer sets as the headline act – and we’ve got enough material to have an encore.”  Quang Dinh, bass player for Melbourne’s Little Red chortles.

“When we were making ‘Listen To’ we were listening to stuff like Beach Boys and Sam Cook and Otis Reading and 60’S Pop bands like the Kinks and we just really dug that kind of 2 minute energetic real, raw and live music thing. Since then, we listen to a lot of Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson and the Strokes as well. Maybe on the next record that will come through.”

Little Red’s album ‘Listen to Little Red” was released on the bands own label Hooch Hound records – allowing them the freedom to record purely on their terms – “We needed to go indie because we change pretty quickly. We are genre jumpers. Who knows, we might go electro for the new album. We have a few disco numbers. I mean there is this whole indie electro thing that is happening at the moment – it is influencing I suppose. We have played a couple of the new songs at the last two shows and they turned out really good. It is not like disco like The Presets – but um… it is something different…”

“We are already planning the next record – recording is the most important thing for us because we have 3 song writers, we have plenty of songs lying around. It kind of sucks when we tour, that we have to play the old stuff, because we defiantly have an album or two of new material ready to go”

You should go and Listen to Little Red tour “Listen To Little Red” while you have the chance. They are playing their lovely sounds at the Annandale on the 22nd and 23rd of August, with “The Holidays” playing second fiddle. Having had the pleasure of seeing them tour over the festival season last year at Meredith, (which Quang concurs with my feelings towards her  “I reckon it is the best festival we have played, it is for the people and all those people having a great time at one stage. There is a real community type atmosphere. It is amazing.”) I can vouch that listening to them play, truly is a momentous event – So shame on you if you miss Listening to Little Red live..

Check out Little Red on these dates:

Wed 20 Oxford Tavern (Wollongong)
Thu 21 Cambridge Htl (Newcastle)
Fri 22 Annandale Htl (Syd)
Sat 23 Annandale Htl (Syd)

Their album “Listen To Little Red” is out now on Hooch Hound Records/Shock.

Check them out here http://www.myspace.com/littleredmusic