Until Sharon Jones came around I was at a complete loss why there weren't folks still making music from the 50's and 60's. There's plenty of people who bite on styles from the 70's and 80's so why not from an era where the music actually sounded better? I figured it just wasn't being made but I refuse to believe that anymore - I think I was just never fortunate enough to hear it.
Thankfully I now know a woman named Catherine who introduced me to a little band named Little Joy. Then again, this is a group that might have made a relatively big splash either way thanks to the fact that they are have Fabrizio Moretti (of the Strokes) on drums (and several other instruments). Then again, this isn't the type of album that would likely make its way onto the radio, so who knows.
Little Joy's new S/T titled album does have some strong influences on its sleeve. There are the 50's sounds ("How To Hang A Warhol" and "Brand New Start"), snogs reminiscent of a more relaxed Strokes (the Kids In The Hallish "Keep Me In Mind") and, thanks to sometimes singer Binki Shapiro, adorable indie rock, Juno soundtrack simplicity ("Unattainable" and "Don't Watch Me Dancing"). It's also not just any one of these things or a rip off of any one of them - this is a pretty original album.
That being said it is original in the same way that the Strokes were when they released "Is This It". The music is similar to other bands so it is not entirely unique in any way but they are managing to do something special to it, make it unique in a way that hasn't been done before. These folks were custom-designed to be thrown on a mix tape for a special someone, you'll probably have a hard time not putting half the album on it though.