toys that kill
“Out of the ashes of F.Y.P comes a band that's as melodically inviting and complex as Dillinger Four. Words and presentation are rock solid tough melodi-punk with kick ass choruses and production, as well as words that occupy the middle ground between 8th grade poetry and Bad Religion's excessive verbiage. In other words, they're heartfelt without being trite in either direction, and have the musical chops to back it all up!"-Jesse Lucious
"Toys That Kill succeed where so many bands fail. They have actually managed to put together an updated take on the classic punk sound: buzzsaw guitars, hook filled choruses, appropriate tempo changes, and those snot filled vocal stylings we all love so much. The recording is damn near amazing, and the TTK boys have even managed to add even more fullness and depth to their album with some hilarious sample work tossed into a portion of the songs." ryan augusta/punk fix
"Toys That Kill play with the same fury and intensity that made the first punk bands of the seventies so cool and exciting. Toys That Kill are one of the best really loud bands we've heard in quite some time. This album is hard-driving, crazy, frenetic, and MIND BLOWING."baby sue
"Thank satan, allah...jah! WE FINALLY GOT A NEW BAND THAT ROCKS! how do they rock you ask? well, they remind me of the clash, rftc, and a little taste of jawbreaker without horkin' any riffs." alan velasco/thrasher magazine
TOYS THAT KILL - "Control the Sun" LP
It's impossible to talk about TOYS THAT KILL without mentioning FYP. To avoid dragging it out and becoming tedious like so many other bands have become before them, FYP were deconstructed and Sent to the great band graveyard in the sky, only to be mutated and resurrected as TOYS THAT KILL, all without losing a beat. More mature and introspective, yet maintaining the goofy humor and dropping only a little of their spastic energy, I think I even prefer this band to its forerunner, and that's no easy task. Keeping things fresh is the hardest job for any long-running band, and Control the Sun manages to do this, continuing where The Citizen Abortion continued where FYP left off. The mangled playground songs and biting wit are still there, and have become mixed with a more cynical social commentary, all played to the same infectious tunes and solid punk rock that won't quit til it moves your ass. I've always found something almost tragic under all the bile and calamitous angst of FYP and TOYS THAT KILL, and this is evident on this record. Todd and Sean are superb songwriters-this may be the most underrated outfit in punk rock today. The album is rounded off with the trademark Recess artwork and great packaging, making this as essential as anything that has come before it. Buy! MRR (AD)
Toys That Kill Control the Sun (Recess) by Ewan Wadharmi
Yes, yes, yes, No, not yes, but hell yeah! Snotty, retro-punk that feels good when you strap it on like a holster. There's a smartass melodic bend and catchy phrasing that barely runs ahead of steamroller bass lines. Old school fans of The Adicts will be sold right away. Or if you're new to the game, The Briefs work nicely. Of the two vocalists, the preferable one dances decrepit through "White Lies" and "Runnin The Front." Singer Two starts to sound like a monosyllabic Dave Grohl spewing bile on "No One," but rages nicely when the catchy but confoundingly unlisted title track kicks in. With lyrics like "They labeled you like defective wheels/they labeled Ronstadt a silicon crystal/that makes sense to me," Toys That Kill put a defensively humorous spin on suicide, procreation, and murder with marvelous, fragmented thoughts. They adopt a Catholic stance on birth-control for pets, just to be difficult. Cleverness extends to the newspaper liner notes embellished with true (?) stories and hilarious blatant fabrications. Lollipop Magazine
TOYS THAT KILL : flys 7"
At this point it's hard not being a cheerleader for Toys That Kill. They've more than proved themselves with every release, having cracked an unsuspecting part of my brain like an egg. They now seem to have set up a pup tent in where ever the fuck music gets impressed in my gray matter, reserved just for them. Theyre wildly catchy. but in a way that's as odd as it's now comforting. It's like they're super secret fisherman re-inventing a hook, hunched over a microscope, tying the line with an intricate knot so it wont break and it's almost impossible to untie. But that probably does you little good. What's odd is how, at different times, I hear completely different influences, and those influences all seem like distant echoes instead of forever being the shadow of previous bands. Theyve got the Mediterranean ethereal feel of Savage Republic, but via the revving of a Buzzcocks motor. They cover Wire, but in the way I'd think Turbonegro would approach it. They could be called pop punk and you'd be right. but you'd be more wrong. See? Not much of a help. Get Control The Sun, The Citizen Abortion, and their split with the Fleshies if you don't already, then supplement your diet with this in a hurry, since its a limited release. Four songs. -Todd/ razorcake magazine (Asian Man)
Toys That Kill: "Control the Sun"
Ok, since I strayed into the land of hip-hop last week...I felt it was important to get back to my real roots! So, I decided to review the new one from Toys that Kill. And, this is a new one for Debbie; I'm at a fucking loss for words. Not because I have nothing to say, not because I'm struggling to fill up a page. It's quite the opposite. I'm so fucking overwhelmed with how amazing this album is that I'm simply flustered and having a hard time putting it down on the page. Toys that Kill are most of the band F.Y.P. who were punk rock mainstays, and always a favorite band of mine. Todd Congelliere fronts the vocals for most of the songs. He has a unique sing-songy style I've always really dug. I really can't compare his voice or singing style to any other singer, and that's about the highest compliment I think I could bestow upon a singer. His style is for the most part is laid back and melodic, but when he howls, he FUCKING HOWLS. He can scream well, and we just don't have enough screaming going on today. In general, I mean, I think each and every one of you should take the time today to scream at some point. It doesn't really matter what you scream at or to whom. Just make some fucking noise!! But back to the band, Todd is also a former pro-skater. (Not surprisingly) the band is from So-Cal. More specifically, San Pedro...a town known for being home to the punk band The Minuteman. Also, Mr. Charles Bukowski is buried in San Pedro in the same graveyard as former Minuteman front man D. Boone. Aside from his skating career and F.Y.P. his first band, Todd runs his own record label. Recess Records has been very successful and has released music by Blag Dahlia (front man and singer for the legendary punk rock band, The Dwarves). F.Y.P began to break apart with the suicide of their bassist Joe Ciauri (R.I.P). But these are some dudes that are dedicated to music and thus Toys That Kill was born. This is their second full-length record. Sean Cole sings a couple of songs on this album. In F.Y.P. he played drums, however in TTK, he plays guitar and sings. Also, the whole album has incredible backing vocals. This band is poppy without being wimpy. They are catchy without being cheesy or gimmicky. They are aggressive with a sense of humor. I have changed my mind about forty times as to which song on the album is my favorite. At this particular moment in time, it's "All Dog's Are He's and All Cats Are She's". Fuck, again, I don't even know what to say. I feel fucking lucky that I heard this album and I cannot stop listening to it. This album is fucking fucking fucking incredible, and is THE best new release I've heard this year. And the lyrics, the lyrics are always surprisingly political, comical, and melancholy at the same time. Throw in the fact that these guys are D.I.Y. to the core, especially with running their own record label, and I'd say that we have the poster band for Punk Rock. I could go on and on. But I will just say this. Buy this fucking record! It will blow your fucking mind. If it doesn't, write me, and I will have you killed immediately as you obviously have no taste whatsoever and I don't think we need you in the gene pool. There are a couple of places you can go to order this CD and read more about both Toys That Kill and F.Y.P. http://www.toysthatkill.com/toys%20pages/front.html is Toys official website. Also, check out Recess Records for their other releases, as well as many other kick-ass bands: http://www.recessrecords.com/pages/mailorder.html Damn, it's refreshing to hear a punk band that is still putting out the good stuff. Until next week, Stop, Rock, and Roll. Off the Charts: Punk's Not Dead
Homebase:
Label: Recess Records
For avails and/or offers, contact: Brian@WIREDtourbooking.com
