All to often, bands these days are going into the studio and abandoning the live take. What gives guys? Sure production methods have allowed you to put together songs piece-by-piece as tracks are doctored to be perfect, but just cause these things can be done, doesn’t mean you should do them. This week’s artist of the week has embraced the concept of the live take. Getting all the guys into the room and having a band act like a band. This produces a full rich sound that can’t be faked. This week’s ARTIST OF THE WEEK: Toy Soldiers. Let’s dive into them and their debut album The Maybe Boys
Toy soldiers formed in Philadelphia in 2007 as a duo with Ron Gallo (Guitar/ Vocals) and Mike Ballard (Drums). The two started out recording joke songs in a house basement, but then found they had a chemistry together. They took that chemistry to the stages they started playing local live shows. Gallo later wanted to expand the sound and he began collecting together the best student musicians in town to try and get a recording together. They had access to a college recording studio and jumped on the chance to make a record.  Gallo piece-mealed the first recordings together bringing people in as needed. All told there were 12 different musicians involved, the full band didn’t get together in the same room until their very first live performance. After a few shows the band decided to take their show on tour. That’s when things started to fall apart.
Scheduling a tour with 12 people is damn near impossible, especially when more than half of your members have scholastic obligations. The 12 piece quickly broke down to a 6. The day before they left it became 4. When the two
was over, only 3 remained. After watching what he had created crumble around him, it’s not surprising that Gallo wanted to call it quits. Who wouldn’t?
In the months that followed the disbanding, Gallo immersed himself into the blues rock of the 60’s and 70’s. He quickly fell down the rabbit hole of blues following the influences of The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin to the country influenced Delta Blues and folk of the 30’s and 40’s. As he delved deeper, the music he was discovering began to heavily influence his own work. In late 2009 he met up with fellow PA musicians Dom Billett (Drums), Matt Kelly (Guitar), Luke Leidy (Piano), and Bill McCloskey (Bass). According to Gallo, things immediately clicked. Toy Soldiers was back on track.
With the newest incarnation of Toy Soldiers Gallo was no longer the sole writer for the group. According to Gallo, this was a turning point for the band. Each song became a collaborative effort. These collaborations are really something special. Recorded after meeting Dr. Dog producer Bill Moriarty. Moriarty got the best out of this band and I can’t wait to hear what comes next. I’ve been listening to this record for a while now and I’ve grown attached to it in a way that I haven’t been to an album in quite a while. The record has soul. It encapsulates all that makes up a sweaty club show. I highly recommend checking it out. Support these boys so we can get more tunes like these. The last thing the world needs is more poppy gloss. I’ll take the down and dirty blues any day.
Big Hugs,
Kelly
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