The Little Ones grow up

It's been roughly a year since the Little Ones emerged out of thin air, with nothing but wide blinding smiles, a knack for kinetic performances and a batch of irresistibly catchy songs from their Sing Song EP.

Within a matter of weeks, the band's tunes, particularly the infectious "Lovers Who Uncover" and "Cha Cha Cha", had appeared on seemingly every blog in existence. Soon there was a triumphant Monday night residency at the Echo, a successful national tour, a deal with Astralwerks and a trip overseas to support Boy Least Likely To. Not bad for a band that no one had heard of six months previous.

Wednesday night at the Troubadour, the hometown heroes returned victorious, getting the toes of the jaded westside crowd tapping, revealing a continued musical evolution but retaining the same undeniable charisma and joy that won them a fan base in the first place.

Mixing in the familiar favorites from the EP with a spate of new songs from their upcoming full-length debut, The Little Ones bring a sense of fun to their live performances almost unmatched in indie rock. Lead singer Ed Reyes and his bassist brother Brian can't wipe the giddy looks off their faces, as though they still can't believe how fast success happened.

But it isn't all that surprising. Those songs on the EP were pure pop gems perfect for the early rush of summer, when the record took off. Seeing the band live, their surprisingly large and anthemic sound expands, swallowing the air with ADD keyboard riffs, light frothy drums and bright golden electric guitar chords. Unleashing overwhelming levels of energy and enthusiasm, The Little Ones can Play, especially for a pop band, stretching out their earlier songs' arrangements with sleek, fluid electronics, yet always remaining tight and in control. After a year of practice and maturation, it's clear that these Little Ones are all grown up, ready to go out and play with the big kids.

Listen to the Little Ones at Myspace (including new unreleased track "Face the Facts")

Sea Wolf, Alex Church of Irving's folky side project, played an impressive opening set of songs backed by a violinist, a tambourine-shaking bassist and a keyboardist. Church's gentle electric notes had a warm, pleasant vibe, more restrained but no less fun than the music of his other band. After a brief tour of the Northwest supporting the Silversun Pickups, he'll be returning home to LA to play what might be the best local show of the Spring: an April 26th ExPlex date also featuring The Parson Red Heads, The Watson Twins and Earlimart.

Listen to Sea Wolf's Myspace

Photo of The Little Ones By Dan Nieman

Comments

[Raul]

The Little Ones just keep getting better and better. When I first saw them at the Echo with the Submarines they were energetic but a bit sloppy. They improved vastly during their month at Spaceland, culminating in one of the most joyous shows I've seen, complete with a vibrant cover of "Cecilia." At the Troubadour they were as confident as I've seen them. I can't wait for the LP.

[Jono]

your amazing. i saw u in birmingham nem topman tour 2007 it was the bomb dig xxx