Toy City’s latest single, “Dinosaur,” is a unique and compelling song that brings together a variety of influences and elements to create a truly memorable listening experience. At its core, the track is driven by a pulsing, insistent beat that draws the listener in and never lets go.
One of the most striking aspects of “Dinosaur” is the use of sampled music in the intro and outro. This recording, made by lyricist Paul Burke, captures the vibrant and energetic spirit of Rara music, a genre that has deep roots in the country’s history and culture. By incorporating this music into the song, Toy City adds an extra layer of richness and complexity to the overall sound. Lyrically, “Dinosaur” is a thoughtful and introspective track that explores themes of perseverance, determination, and the power of music to connect people across borders and boundaries. The opening verse, which speaks of always following the Rara music, sets the tone for the rest of the song and hints at the deeper meaning that lies beneath the surface.
As the song progresses, this band’s lyrics become increasingly poetic and evocative, painting vivid pictures of a world in turmoil but also full of hope and possibility. Throughout it all, the music of “Dinosaur” remains the driving force behind the song’s power and impact. With its driving beat, swirling guitars, and subtle electronic flourishes, the track builds to a powerful climax that leaves a lasting impression on the listener.
Overall, “Dinosaur” is a bold and ambitious song that showcases Toy City’s talent and creativity in full force. By bringing together diverse influences and sounds, the band has created a truly unique and memorable track that is sure to resonate with audiences around the world.
LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:
ABOUT THE BAND:
When the pandemic struck in 2020, film production ceased in LA, and the NY art scene froze. From the surreal and dark landscape of pandemic lockdown, filmmaker Paul Burke and sculptor Steve Shaheen pivoted back to songwriting. Toy City is the exciting new release from these two friends who met performing in the alt rock scene of Pixies-era Boston during the mid-90s.
The songwriting pair worked remotely, creating the majority of songs without ever playing a single note in the same room. Recording in a basement studio in San Francisco, Burke would pen the songs and lay down guitars, vocals, drums and piano. Those tracks were shared with Shaheen in Brooklyn, who composed a myriad of bass and midi tracks to mold the lush and strange sonic landscape that defines the record. The unsung hero of this narrative is John Russell, a talented multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer based in Brooklyn (and bassist for the band Kal Marks), who mixed and produced the tracks in his home studio with Shaheen. Altogether, they have created a 9-song LP that feels immediate, energetic, and real.
The album is driven by a sense of urgency and uncertainty, with catchy melodies subverted by dark introspection. The soaring guitars and propulsive drums of “Dinosaur”, the LP’s second song, create a backdrop for Burke’s lyrics questioning the feeling of irrelevance as one moves through adulthood. “Mountains” marches to persistent rhythms of bass, guitar and piano that underpin lyrical images of a journey with no clear destination. Later on the album, “Margherita Regina” strikes a more deliberate pace, with shimmering guitars and the feeling of being right in the room as Burke incants his petition to the holder of a historical record.
The album also presents a range of sonic and lyric experimentation, with Shaheen employing his bass as a multi-instrumental tool shaped by an array of effects, sometimes layering in a dozen or more tracks that feel like undefinable hybrids of guitar, synth, horn and strings. The album contains two uncommon visions of common covers (The Sound of Music’s “Do Re Mi” and John Lennon’s “Imagine”), a William Carlos William poem set to music (“Figure 5”), the recitation of Elmer’s Glue instructions (“Glue-All”), and a repurposing of Neorealist Italian film titles (“Bicycle Thief”). Their remote and off-the-cuff process comes through in Burke and Shaheen’s songcrafting, resulting in a work that feels decidedly fresh, unmanicured and authentic.
Even as Toy City is releasing this first record, things are only just beginning for the band, with plans already in the works for North American tour dates, as well as a second LP to be recorded live in a studio in upstate NY.
