Posts Tagged ‘Songs Of Consumption’

TOY – ” Fun City “

Posted: December 19, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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As one of the most quintessentially ’80s-sounding bands, Soft Cell aren’t the easiest artist to cover. On their recent covers EP, “Songs of Consumption”, English psych outfit Toy decided to give it the old college try with the 1982 Soft Cell b-side “Fun City.” Frontman Tom Dougall’s layered vocals are far more ghostly than the earnest pop of Marc Almond. In Toy’s version, the keyboards are more robotic and twinkly than Soft Cell’s wonky new wave, plus the hopping guitar pulses are more pronounced. While the Soft Cell’s cut is more danceable, Toy’s version is far more icy, atmospheric and expansive and—dare I say—far superior to the original.

Following the announcement earlier this month of their forthcoming covers album ‘Songs Of Consumption’, Toy
have shared a further track ‘Down On The Street’, the classic Stooges track – here given a synth makeover – taken from the self-produced 8-song collection, released on November 15th via Tough Love Records.

The band have also announced a run of UK shows early next year as part of the Independent Venue Week 2020. These follow a couple of special shows next month.

Titled ‘Hollowed Out – A night of strange sighting and unhabitual ritual’, the shows will see them re-imagining songs from ‘Happy In The Hollow’, their fourth studio album released in January.

Taken from the album, Songs of Consumption, out 15th November.

TOY – ” Songs Of Consumption “

Posted: November 17, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Toy’s new record, “Songs of Consumption”, is an eight song collection of unique interpretations of songs that have directly inspired the band, and had some influence on their most recent record, the critically acclaimed Happy in the Hollow. Impressively, all eight songs were self-produced and recorded in home studios.

The idea was originally birthed when the band recorded four covers for the bonus 7″s that came with the Dinked and Rough Trade versions of the last album. 3 of those songs feature here alongside 5 new recordings completed last month, which comprise tracks by Stooges, Amanda Lear, Nico, The Troggs, Serge Gainsborough, Soft Cell, John Barry and Pet Shop Boys / Elvis / Willy Nelson (depending on how you know the song).

Another psych-rock gem of an album from Toy, one of the few remaining genre acts that haven’t faded into obscurity since the revival almost a decade ago? Well, not quite. What they warned us about with “Happy In The Hollow” – the track that preceded this long form – is now inescapable.

A band that have discovered a sharper, less forgiving edge wield this powerful, streamlined pop sword and do some real damage. The fact “Songs Of Consumption” is a covers album only makes the stylistic direction more pronounced. If you’ve heard the originals of tracks like the Stooges’ “Down On The Street” or the almost-unknown Nico bomb “Sixty/Forty” you appreciate what’s been done here even more. Respectively dancefloor electronica and exotic, dreamy soundscapes in those two cases. Reinventions by the reinvented.

TOY – ” Happy In The Hollow “

Posted: October 2, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Toy, who released Happy In The Hollow, their fourth, and by far most acclaimed album to date, in January of this year, have announced details of “Songs Of Consumption”, an 8-song collection of unique interpretations of tracks which have inspired the band.

Taking on a varied musical range from The Stooges via Amanda Lear to Soft Cell, the album, released on Friday 15th November 2019, will be available on LP, CD and digital formats. A hand-numbered edition of 300, 180gm seafoam green vinyl is available exclusively via Bandcamp and the Tough Love website.

Self-produced and recorded at home studios, the track listing of the album is as follows:

1.   Down On The Street
2.   Follow Me
3.   Sixty Forty
4.   Cousin Jane
5.   Fun City
6.   Lemon Incest
7.   Always On My Mind
8.   A Dolls House

Talking about the album, TOY said: “Songs of Consumption sonically is a continuation and development of the themes conceived on Happy In The Hollow and it will show people where we are going towards musically. The DIY approach was explored further utilising more of the electronic elements that we touched upon before. Drum machines, stripped down arrangements and rudimentary production give a primitive sound that we thought suited the choice of songs. Some of the songs have very big sounding production, so we wanted to experiment with them by going in a different direction.

Music is consumed voraciously now whereas these songs came from a time when the song was of the most important thing and that’s what was appreciated. Stripping them back to the essence of what they are was also something we wanted to explore. Also, we wanted to make a covers record with songs by people that influenced us in the past few years and it’s as much about the way they dealt with their ideas, and how they put themselves in uncomfortable situations in order to make something that in the end is simple. It’s a homage to the spirit of these people, that helped us to untangle ourselves from our inherent complicated nature and create a new space where we can exist.”

Additionally, having played a sold-out tour of the UK in February, including a mesmerising show at Village Underground in London, the band have announced a couple of very special shows at the end of the year.

Playing under the banner of ‘Hollowed Out – A night of strange sighting and unhabitual ritual’ the shows will see them re-imagining songs from Happy In The Hollow.