Our page was looking a bit busy, so we have pasted all of our press qoutes into one blog and just left a selection on the page!
The following nice things have been said...
"The same can be said for
The Little Kicks (****), an
Aberdeen quartet who inject some energy into the night by upping the
pace while keeping their focus on classic pop hooks. Their
radio-friendly style sounds like a more innocent take on The Strokes on
One More Time, or a more pensive Franz Ferdinand on We Came Alive,
proving that old fashioned guitar pop is alive and well." THE SKINNY - MAY 2009
"The Little Kicks are next on and immediately demonstrate how well
rehearsed they are with the tightness of their set, ratcheting up the
energy levels with their heavier beats and faster paced tunes. Lead
singer Steven Milne cuts an imposing dash on stage, all six feet of him
with shaggy black hair, his band exhibiting the kind of style that's
instantly accessible to an audience which likes its rock music
palatable and its bands uncomplicated. It’s impossible to fault The
Little Kicks really, whether you actually like their style or not. And,
while it’s easy to compare them to other more famous bands, combined
with the accomplished nature of all their songs and performance, The
Little Kicks’ togetherness and professionalism – they’re all incredibly
friendly and easy-going and spend the time before the club’s doors open
getting all their merch ready – is sufficient to convince even the
hardiest cynic that they’ve got what it takes to be just as successful
in their own right. Oh yes, it wouldn’t be too big a surprise if The
Little Kicks all become rock stars in the not too distant. - GIG REVIEW
- LIMBO EDINBURGH - March 2009"
ARMED with a set of memorable tunes, frontman Steven Milne and
co have become real local favourites and, from the moment they ring out
the delicate introduction of opener Let Me Down, they have the crowd
firmly on their side.
Their sound is a potent brand of power pop — imagine Nick Lowe with a
Jeff Buckley fixation — so upbeat numbers like One More Time and Golden
Cage are hard to resist.
Faves tonight are the Beatles-y Don’t Give Up So Easily — a highlight
of 2007’s debut EP — and a belting Chances We’ve Had. On the strength
of this, it won’t be long before Little Kicks are getting big licks
from the music industry headhunters.
NEWS OF THE WORLD, Feb 2009
"...In other news, The Little Kicks appear to be having a bit
of a Cliff Richard moment over on the stage. Crooning “It’s such a
shame that we don’t talk anymore”, tonight’s downsized version of the
band (two gents, two acoustic guitars) churn out song after song which
seem to be predominantly based on love and loss. The two lads look
genuinely surprised at every appreciative noise from the audience,
which is sweet in itself. Confusingly, their MySpace page boasts the
headline ‘Upbeat disco-rock’, which is possibly the complete antithesis
of tonight’s performance. Not that this is entirely a bad thing. The
vocal harmonies and fragile melodies are charming and honest, with a
particularly lovely cover of My Morning Jacket’s ‘Golden’." - IS THIS
MUSIC - MAGAZINE REVIEW - OCT 2008
"...Despite facing sound problems on-stage early on their set is
another winner; the jangly guitars and pounding rhythms, reminiscent at
times of a less electronic New Order, the vocals perhaps what Chris
Martin would sound like if he wasn’t so wimpy and had a more rocking
band behind him. If there is any justice then The Little Kicks shall be
massive."
SUPPORTING HOT CLUB DE PARIS - ONLINE REVIEW - THE FLY -October 2008
".....What would probably destroy a lot of indie bands,
however, proves rather fruitful for this duo. Stripped bare, Milne’s
gripping voice is given the attention it deserves. Strong and
believable and accompanied by gently picked melodies and clever
interchanging rhythms, his lonesome vocal is perfectly understated.
‘Why can’t we play nice for the sake of it?’ he asks on their newest
offering. The inability to hide behind heavy beats and whining
electrics reveals that these boys do play nicely with a set as warm as
their aforementioned cardies. Their well-crafted pop songs and pretty
laments can clearly be dressed up or down.
It takes a moment to feel the impact of The Little Kicks. They don’t
come out full throttle from the offset but they definitely register
after a few tracks, or a few kicks. As the room gradually fills with
people it seems a shame that Milne can’t keep his promise to play a
song for everyone there. The boys from Aberdeen, the Granite City,
certainly have picked up their little sparkle. Hopefully it won’t be
long before someone takes a chance on this unsigned gem." - IS THIS
MUSIC? ONLINE REVIEW - GLASGOW BARFLY - SUPPORTING THE WAVE PICTURES -
August 2008
"The final group tonight are The Little Kicks, a group from
Aberdeen who have already been lauded by many critics and they do not
disappoint. Despite appearing reticent, Steven Milne is a real talent
who walks around the stage with a confidence that belies his bashful
manner when speaking to the audience. The group deserve the adulation
they have been receiving with their songs reminiscent of The
Stranglers; straight to the point and bursting with attitude; a perfect
way to close the night." - T-BREAK REVIEW - May 2008
"..Finally, in Aberdeen, The Little Kicks
(www.myspace.com/thelittlekicks), with their
gloriously catchy, indie/pop masterpieces, start the
year as they mean to go on. The band have supported
a who’s who of exciting bands in the past, including
Editors, Maximo Park, The Sunshine Underground, Jamie
T, The Kooks, The Maccabees, Foals, and it’s the same
again for 2008. They have an upcoming slot
supporting former Test Icicles star Devonte “Dev”
Hynes with his new project Lightspeed Champion. On
top of being one of the most likely contenders to
clinch a deal this year, The Little Kicks also run
their own popular club night, the Dirty Hearts Club
(www.myspace.com/dirtyheartsclubsnafu) weekly in
Aberdeen’ Snafu, which recently celebrated it’s 2nd
birthday with Selkirk’ finest, Frightened Rabbit.
The night features a mixture of local, touring,
up-and-coming bands and DJs. Bands that have
performed at DHC include some of the hottest bands in
the country, with names like Hot Chip, The View and
Errors all having graced the DHC stage." - MUSIC NEWS ARTICLE Feb 2008
"Steven Milne is the busiest man in Aberdeen; frontman of The
Little Kicks, Barfly promoter, Adventures In Stereo DJ and founder of
the weekly Dirty Hearts Club. Oh and he plays solo shows every other
week it seems. Not that anyone is complaining as the audience packs
down the front to hear what could be the cities best songwriter. Even
stripped down to an acoustic guitar and Steven’s voice, Little Kicks
songs like Don’t Give Up So Easily and One More Time sound powerful and
like the hits they should be. The set comes to a close with a cover of
New Order’s Temptation which works wonderfully acoustically and we are
reminded why we can’t wait for The Little Kicks to return to the live
stage next month."IS THIS MUSIC? ONLINE REVIEW - SUPPORTING LIGHTSPEED
CHAMPION - Feb 2008
"....Speaking of finding fame, why it continues to elude fellow locals
The Little Kicks is beyond me. Aberdeen's perennial support band,
fronted by ever-popular DJ Steven Milne are in fine form tonight
despite apparent monitor problems and extra backing from a fire alarm
which everyone ignores. Tonight's set brings, amongst others, a song
that sounds like Echo and the Bunnymen on sherbet and a fantastic
closer based around a warming synth that pits early Pulp against even
earlier Marc Bolan. It's surely only a matter of time before someone
takes a chance and signs them." CULTURE DELUXE - culturedeluxe.com -
December 2007
"Having trekked all the way from Aberdeen to Glasgow on a drizzly
Tuesday, only to play to a largely empty venue, The Little Kicks might
have been wondering why they bothered. To their credit, it didn't stop
them putting in a fine turn, their fragrant indie vignettes revealing
them to be steeped in alluring melodies and worthy of bigger crowds."
THE SCOTSMAN - Oran Mor Glasgow Review - September 2007
“If anyone has the songs and ability to be a breakout act from this
night then the most likely are The Little Kicks. The Aberdeen based
four-piece have a songwriting maturity that belies their years, and
their set is over all too quickly. ‘Don’t Give up so Easily’ is the
standout song. Push old ladies on Zimmer frames out of the way to get
to see this lot next time they’re in your town.” - ARTROCKER MAGAZINE
//May 2007
"It’s an interesting fact that ‘The Little Kicks’ was the title of the
138th episode of Seinfeld, the one where Elaine embarrassed herself by
dancing at an office party. Whether the band of the same name are aware
of this or not is another matter entirely, but their Smiths-influenced,
Franz-style art-pop is certainly eminently danceable. ‘Who Do You
Love?’ provides the emotional highpoint, but from the first chords of
‘Don’t Give Up So Easily’ it’s clear that this band are here to stay.
Having supported the likes of The Rakes, Editors and Morning Runner
over the past couple of years, the Aberdeen four-piece are sounding
bright, bouncy and well-polished. If only they’d been able to think of
a better title. **** (4/5 stars) - EP3 review 2007 - IS THIS MUSIC?
MAGAZINE
“Despite claiming to be influenced by Radiohead, The Little Kicks still
manage to make upbeat disco-rock. Lead singers Steven’s voice does
emcompass Thom Yorke’s drawl, but he’s got a bit of Richard Ashcroft
and Luke Pritchard to him too. Mixed with Smiths-like melodies it’s
pretty fresh-sounding stuff. And their talents don’t end there; after a
support slot on the Rakes’ 2006 tour, the Aberdeen boys even found time
to run teir own club night, the Dirty Hearts Club, which runs in
Aberdeen, every Thursday from 10pm.” - NME//May 2007
Winner of The Lee Jeans Scottish heat for the best unsigned bands inthe UK
Winner of a Radio 1 demo Derby
Radio 1 Live Session with Vic Galloway [www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/vicgalloway]
XFM band of the week April 2007
[www.xfm.co.uk]
Selected from around 2000 bands to play at T in The Park 2007 [www.tinthepark.com]
To add to this success The Little Kicks have shared the stage with:
Foals,
Maximo Park, Editors, The Kooks, The Mystery Jets, The Sunshine
Underground, Brakes, Maccabees, Frightened Rabbit, Errors, Ed Harcourt,
Electric Soft Parade, The Rakes, Electric Soft Parade, Lightspeed
Champion, The Rumblestrips, Jamie T. to name a few...
Aswell as playing LIVE the band DJ at and run “The Dirty Hearts Club”,
A night put on in Aberdeen every Thursday which has received rave
reviews and seen acts like The View, The Rumble Strips, Frightened
rabbit and MSTRKRFT play. www.myspace.com/dirtyheartsclubsnafu