Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

On sale Fri 8/17 @ 10am

Embracing every neutral genre of music, Shiny Toy Guns create enveloping, inviting soundscapes best described as future-forward rock. While they manipulate the latest technology with ease, theirs is not a quest to be hipper…Shiny Toy Guns are far more driven by the need to open doors and create new songs and sound that resonate through their listener’s minds long after the latest trends in music have faded away.


The band’s debut full-length We Are Pilots was created solely within the traditional elements of classic songwriting. Unforgettable vocal melodies abound, anchoring an emotional display that ranges from yearning sorrow to cool disdain. Touchpoints along the way bring the listener to a band on the run: you can feel the impact of the stories of thousands of people that they come in contact with them along the way instead of being reminded of a particular artist or genre. Shiny Toy Guns transcend their influences, composing something impossible to describe and even harder to ignore.


Shiny Toy Guns believe in the communal aspects of great music. If it was the ‘60s, they’d no doubt be living in San Francisco. But today, instead of squatting in some dirty rundown building, they’re united with their like-minded peers and fans via the Internet. They started posting on Myspace.com in 2004 and were one of the first bands to build up a loyal Web following. Since then, Shiny Toy Guns’ popularity has snowballed. On the band’s Myspace page, “Le Disko” via its multiple faces has been played well over 1,000,000 times and the song is rampantly driving radio play nationwide. Los Angeles mega-station KROQ 106.7 sent the song straight to #1 most requested; well before any labels were on paper. And the rest of We Are Pilots are equally strong. “Chemistry of a Car Crash” is a perfect blend of rock and electronics that incorporates desolate vocals, crafty guitars, churning riffs and warbling keyboards into a plea for romantic fulfillment. “Rainy Monday” is sparkling, splendorous pop drenched with melancholy vocals and “Shaken” starts in a soft, eerie haze, then bursts into a multi-textured rumination fueled with both desperation and contrition.