Toy Cars (band)

Toy Cars
Origin	Asbury Park, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Indie rock, rock
Years active	2014 (2014)–2020
Labels	Sniffling Indie Kids, Counter Intuitive Records
Members	Chris Beninato Matt Caponegro Matteo DeBenedetti Mike Linardi

Toy Cars was an American rock band from Asbury Park, New Jersey.

History

Toy Cars was a four-piece indie punk rock band from Asbury Park, New Jersey, that formed in 2014. Prior to Toy Cars, Chris Beninato and Matteo DeBenedetti played in the band Monterey, Caponegro played in Hodera, and Linardi played in Deal Casino. Their music is described as "middle ground between the New Brunswick basement dwelling punk rock they were born out of and emotionally exposed folk music," and they draw comparison to the music of Kevin Devine, early Brand New, Desaparecidos and Against Me!. Their first release was the song "Luck," which is described as "raspy, pop-punk eschewing vocals and understated, troubadour strumming," on 11 September 2014, followed the four-track EP Red Hands, on 28 September 2014. Toy Cars second EP, entitled Letters, was released on 11 August 2015.

Their third EP, entitled Sleeping Patterns, was released in September 2016 with Counter Intuitive Records and Sniffling Indie Kids. Toy Cars performed at the 2016 North Jersey Indie Rock Festival, and shortly after, with the Menzingers at Crosswoods in Garwood, New Jersey. Their debut album, the twelve-track Paint Brain, was self-released on 12 January 2018. A review by The Spill Magazine says that "Toy Cars brings the youthful exuberance of independence," adding the album "ventur[es] into the realms of spacious Americana-influenced indie [with] willingness to shed comparison to early-2000s-inspired New Jersey emo." The songs "Iron Me Out" and "Erie" were featured in the January 2018 editions of Alternative Press' Songs You Need to Hear.

Members

• Chris Beninato – bass
• Matt Caponegro – guitar and vocals
• Matteo DeBenedetti – vocals and guitar
• Mike Linardi – drums and vocals

Discography

Albums

• Paint Brain (2018)

EPs

• Red Hands (2014)
• Letters (2015)
• Sleeping Patterns (2016)
• EP 4 (2019)

Singles

• "Luck" (2014)
• "Trimming the Family Tree" (2015)
• "Remission" (2018)
• "Julian" (2019)

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Bodkin, Bill (19 January 2018), "Toy Cars on Having Paint, Ramen, and Touring on the Brain", The Pop Break, retrieved 20 March 2019
• Cajina, Carlos (2018), "Toy Cars Paint Brain", The Spill Magazine, retrieved 20 March 2019
• Dickman, Maggie (6 January 2018a), "10 Songs You Need to Hear This Week", Alternative Press, retrieved 20 March 2019
• Dickman, Maggie (13 January 2018b), "12 Songs You Need to Hear This Week", Alternative Press, retrieved 20 March 2019
• Gailbrath, Alex (2 September 2016), "Toy Cars have real regrets on their new song "Stone" – listen", Consequence of Sound, retrieved 20 March 2019
• Leak, Brian (12 September 2016), "Premiere: Toy Cars stream new EP, 'Sleeping Patterns'", Substream Magazine, retrieved 20 March 2019
• Makin, Bob (18 September 2016), "Jersey Jams", Courier News, retrieved 20 March 2019
• Mehalick, Mike (16 November 2014), "Listen To Belmar, NJ Based Duo Toy Cars' Debut Single "Luck", EP Drops 9/18", Speak Into My Good Eye, retrieved 20 March 2019
• Mehalick, Mike (2 August 2016), "Sniffling Indie Kids & Mint 400 Records Announce The North Jersey Indie Rock Festival", Speak Into My Good Eye, retrieved 20 March 2019
• Pirate! Staff (2016), "Toy Cars Sleeping Patterns", Pirate!, retrieved 20 March 2019
• Shrum, Tony (16 August 2016), "Toy Cars Announce 'Sleeping Patterns' EP", New Noise, retrieved 20 March 2019
• Stillman, Georgette (30 January 2018), "Local band Toy Cars bring alt-rock perfection with 'Paint Brain'", The Daily Targum, retrieved 20 March 2019