Music Style Post-punk pop/new wave with a touch of roots rock.

Musical Influences Suburban Lawns, Pixies, Blondie, Talking Heads

Artist History The PLAYTHINGS began as a three-piece in 1996, in Lawrence, KS. For the next four years the group toured Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Their first release of 1999, "The White/Pink/Yellow EP" (it featured three different colored covers) was met with rave reviews all over the region and was a Top Ten Pick on KCHZ in Kansas City. Founding members Tim Brown and Jenny Hart relocated The PLAYTHINGS to Austin, TX in August of '99, bringing along guitarist Kenny Gall, and teaming up with Austin native, Matt Patterson, formerly of Jet Jaguar. Their latest release, "DEMO MODE", made the Austin Chronicle's TOP TEN TEXAS PLATTERS of 2000. They continue to record at the Sweat Box in Austin (see TEXAS MUSIC Magazine), and will be appearing at SXSW with the inimitable HARVEY SID FISHER for the second year in a row. Reviews at http://www.synapsis.net and http://www.onthatnote.com

Group Members Tim Brown: Guitar, lead vocals Jenny Hart: Bass, vocals Kenny Gall: Guitar, vocals Matt Patterson: Drums, vocals

Albums DEMO MODE

Press Reviews DEMO MODE reviewed by Nick Spacek 1/01 on www.synapsis.net Four out of Five starsThe last time I reviewed The Playthings, (The Black & White EP,) I said that I wanted more, dammit. Finally, they've delivered. Having relocated from Lawrence to Austin, the band seems to have pulled together even tighter than before and with DEMO MODE, they deliver a five song EP that does a fabulous job of doing pop-rock-punk-new wave without seeming a kitchsy mish-mash. The second offering from The Playthings now features Matt Patterson, formerly of Fear and Whiskey on drums (interestingly enough, Matt playing drums, and Kenny playing guitar is a switch from their old bands). His drumwork does a great job of bringing a bit more focus to the band. The songs are all incredibly tight, catchy pieces of work, and while being incredibly diverse, still work as an album. "Dumpster Diver" is a rockabilly meets new wave number that pumps along with a herky-jerky guitar rhythm to make you pogo your little heart out, while "Avon Nova" is a tribute to Paulina Porizcova (wife of the Cars? Ric Ocasek) with a pounding bassbeat. "The Masses Are Asses(ed)" is totally new wave and catchy as hell. All in all, this album is a killer continuation of their previous EP...put them together and you have a great full-length album. If the Playthings can continue to put out regularly great EPs like this every year and a half, I will take that over a half-crap album any day.Record ReviewsBY GREG BEETS for the AUSTIN CHRONICLENovember 24, 2000:The PlaythingsDemo ModeTwenty years ago today, every major label had a stable of reliable, quirk-laden bands with one foot steeped in New Wave and the other planted on the terra firma of radio readiness. For every act like the Knack who hit one out of the park, you had umpteen other bands like Paul Collins' Beat, the Kings, the Producers, and the Pop who never realized chart success. The Playthings lift several defining elements from this lost pantheon of power-pop while adding scruffed-up punkisms borne of their own miscreant playfulness. "You Don't Like Me" jumps with a Ramones power chord coupled with a frug-worthy surf-bop beat. "Dumpster Diver" maintains that high-energy vibe before veering off into a disconcerting, herky-jerk chorus. Reagan-era keyboards boost the skinny-tie quotient considerably on "The Masses Are Asses(ed)," and "Try It You'll Like It," the latter driven by the obvious-yet-convincing assertion that "fucking is good." Unlike the more artful New Wave revisionists, Austin's Playthings aren't afraid to jump around and spill beer on your new Italian shoes. Instead of flaunting down-from-the-attic kitsch as some misbegotten retro-fashion statement, they dig deep for lost hooks with all the unbridled enthusiasm power-pop itself engenders. That's what I like about them.[*] [*] [*] out of four

Location Austin, TX - USA

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