Tuesday, June 29, 2010

A Couple of More Reviews for the STAYED UP 7" by SHARK TOYS

INSOUND (STUFF WE LIKE / NEW BAND OF THE WEEK JUNE 8)
... GOOD TUNES. I could see the title track going on a mixtape 'cause that little organ riff is burrowing its way into my brain, and I'm a sucker for the jangle. Shark Toys, you've warmed my cold blooded heart. - John Koch
http://www.insound.com/stuffwelike/swl_ind.php?id=330

TERMINAL BOREDOM
(SPRING 2010)
... Driven by gal-n-guy dynamics (Daniel on guit/vox and Rina on keys/vox) and joined by various other musicians when needed (these recordings feature Greg Ashley on drums as well as on the mixing board, and I hear they have a 4-piece live line-up), it's intimate and simplistic pop with a post-punk cleanliness to it while maintaining some hooks as well. The keyboards are almost undetectable at times and the layering of other sounds (a cello or violin, multiple guitar/bass tracks, odd key jingles) make for some deceptively deep tracks. "Stayed Up" is cute garage-pop about listening to records and love, "Library" has a jolly UK-DIY feel to it, "What To Do" recalls desperate art-punk moves and "Rainfall" is quirky Flying Nun inflected indie pop. I got a lot more out of Shark Toys than I expected, as they exhibit more character than other bands of this ilk. Band name reminds me of Tronics and so do the sounds at brief moments. Scum stats: 500 copies, first 100 with hand-numbered gold sleeve.(RK)
(Felter Skelter // myspace.com/felterskelterrecords)
http://www.terminal-boredom.com/reviews26.html

THE FINEST KISS (JUNE 2010)
Shark Toys are from SoCal but remind me of the Intelligence albeit a much less blown-out Intelligence and one that grew up on Shrimper Records instead of Wire the Urinals and Cabaret Voltaire. Their first single came out earlier this year on Felter Skelter and it contains a song to live your life by…Stayed up all night and I listened to records…Yeah, I kinda know about that.
http://finestkiss.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/another-pop-overload-this-one-goes-to-11/

SS RECORDS
Debut release of Southern California duo (now 4 piece), featuring Gris Gris/Mirrors Greg Ashley on drums and as producer. It is very obvious that Shark Toys has listened to a lot of Messethitics comps and especially the Tronics, and it really shows in their sound. And that is fine by me, as they do a mighty fine job of it. Match them up with Wounded Lion and Christmas Island and you've got a SoCal DIY revival. - Scott Soriano

Monday, May 17, 2010

X (Australia) / A-Frames @ Five Star Bar on May 25

I will be DJ'ing the X (from Australia's) first ever Los Angeles show at the Five Star Bar in downtown on May 25. Also playing are the A-Frames, who have not playing in LA in ages, as well as Lamps and my good buds, Rough Kids. This show will rule and may sell out, don't miss it!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

10% off of Shark Toys 7" at Insound.

Shark Toys Stayed Up 7" available now at Insound. Purchase now with the discount code of "sharktoys10" and receive 10% of the already low price of $4.80+shipping. Offer expires May 22nd.

The 7" is also available through K Records, S-S Records, Florida's Dying, and in Europe through Bachelor Records.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Shark Toys in Top Ten at KDVS

KDVS (based in Sacramento, CA) is one of our favorite radio stations in the United States, and home to such great shows as Art for Spastics and Phoning It In. They seem to like us too as they placed us in their top 10 most played albums for last week!

Top 10:
1. Dum Dum Girls - "I Will Be" (Sub Pop)
2. Enumclaw - "Opening of the Dawn" (Honeymoon Music)
3. Slippery Slopes - "Sad Tugs" (Florida's Dying)
4. Beach House - "Teen Dream" (Sub Pop)
5. Uzi Rash - "Fuck the Pope Lite" (The Church & the Commune)
6. Shark Toys - "Stayed Up" (Felter Skelter)
7. Unnatural Helpers - "Sunshine/Pretty Girls" (Hardly Art)
8. Sam Goldberg - "Current" (Weird Forest)
9. John Bellows - "Clean Your Clock" (Moniker)
10. Terrible Twos - "Lemon Session Singles Club #3" (Lemon Session)

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Impose Magazine Review of Shark Toys 7"

"We end on a high note this week with Californian troupe Shark Toys' 4-song Stayed Up EP on the upstart Felter Skelter Records. Produced by Greg Ashley at The Creamery, there's a rambunctious, ramshackle exuberance in the Toys' brand of pop - it's deceptively simple and comes smeared with bubbling psych undertones and hints of '80s UK synth-wave. Of the four songs here, "Library" may very well be the best in show; a certifiable slacker anthem built upon an insistent strum and eerie keyboard patterns. Elsewhere, second standout "What to Do" is a prime slice of rumbling anti-pop with a deadpan vocal harrumph and sunburst melodies fighting through layers of skittering guitar grit. Probably best to go and git you some at the label's site before they disappear forever into the murky waters from whence they came." - Jason Jackowiak (Impose Magazine)

Read the entire article here:
http://www.imposemagazine.com/features/native-cats-florida-shark-toys

Sunday, February 28, 2010

So Tough So Cute Mixtape

The awesome London/Sweden musicblog/DJ night, So Tough So Cute, has included the title track of Shark Toys' debut 7" for their new e-mixtape. It also includes a bunch of other bands we love (Fresh and Onlys, Christmas Island, Times New Viking, Tronics, Chain and the Gang, etc.) and I recommend you download it right now!

http://sotoughsocute.blogspot.com/2010/02/mixtape-let-me-tell-you-about-punk-rock.html

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Shark Toys at Noise Pop

Shark Toys are playing their first show since the release of the 7" at Benders Bar in San Francisco for a free happy hour show for Noise Pop on February 25th. Going to be awesome!

(from ASCAP's facebook)

ASCAP is uniting the 101, with our awesome Noise Pop Happy Hour show!

5pm: Shark Toys (LA) http://www.myspace.com/sharktoys

6pm: The Old-Fashioned Way (SF) http://www.myspace.com/oldfashionedway

7pm: Social Studies (SF) http://www.myspace.com/socialstudies101

this show is FREEEEE and 21+. Invite your pals! There will be drink specials, and some fun, free ASCAP swag. And who doesn't like that?

Friday, February 12, 2010

Shark Toys 7"

All pre-orders have been shipped. There are a limited number of gold sleeves left, order now.

Shark Toys 7" Out Now!

Felter Skelter Records (FSR001)
Shark Toys 7" Stayed Up EP

A-Side:
Stayed Up
Library

B-Side:
What to Do
Rainfall

About Shark Toys:
Shark Toys are a Southern California based band that began in the bedroom of Danny (vocals, guitar) and Rina (keys, guitar) in the summer of 2008. The band initially recorded only on single-track cassette tape and as a two piece but have since expanded to a four-piece. In January '09 enlisted the help of Greg Ashley (Gris Gris, Mirrors, Dutchess and the Duke) who played drums on and produced their debut EP (this record!). Since their inception they have toured the West Coast once and have shared the stage with Mika Miko, Crocodiles, Gris Gris, Calvin Johnson, Ty Segall, Fresh & Onlys, the Spits, Silver Apples, the Homosexuals, and others, and they played at the 2009 Part Time Punks Festival with the Raincoats, Section 25, Abe Vigoda, and others. Shark Toys are playing in San Francisco for the Noise Pop festival later this month and plan to tour the US and hopefully Europe this coming summer and fall.
www.myspace.com/sharktoys


Photobucket


500 pressed / 100 gold hand #'d sleeves

$6 ppd in US
$8 ppd elsewhere

Paypal to dharma_bum_dan@yahoo.com

Email felterskelterrecords@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Contact/Demos

We love to hear bands. We don't have much of a budget right now but we would love to hear your band if you want to share it with us, and who knows... Send inquiries to felterskelterrecords@yahoo.com, with the subject line reading "DEMOS"