Preview: Little Joy at The Independent [Music]

Much to our delight, L.A.’s Little Joy, a band who are casually referred to as a Strokes side project but are truly so much more, return to Austin tonight to help brighten up your Monday evening. They’ll be on hand to help break in our fair city's newest venue, the Independent at 501 Studios.

The L.A. trio, which features Los Hermanos' Rodrigo Amarante as Little Joy’s principal songwriter and lead singer, multi-instrumentalist Binki Shapiro, and Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti, played an exuberant and absolutely charming set of their breezy, MPB-inflected, Strokes-esque tunes at the Parish Room in November. Expect more of the same tonight, it should be a perfect early summer show augmented by the Independent’s intimate space.

One note, due to obligations to his day job with the Strokes, Moretti won’t be performing tonight. Don’t let that deter you, though—the other two-thirds of the group will be there in full voice, and they’re bringing a posse: a quartet of backing musicians will fill out the sound. Local songwriter Randy Reynold’s combo Leatherbag will warm up the stage with their take on roots rock and Americana.

Little Joy [MySpace]
Leatherbag [Official] [MySpace]