But mainly, it's the result of the New Orleans duo's unique stamp on the sound of underground punk: Honeywell, often in a leather vest, howls with a pack-a-day voice over racing, lo-fi guitar, while RJ Santos, always sporting a dapper suit and tie, plays pedal steel. It's garage punk with an old-school country twang; as their personality seeps through the sound like dye, it takes on the color of music's sepia-toned past and technicolor present.
Their three guitarists are The Movielife/I Am The Avalanche vocalist Vinnie Caruana, Jim Carroll ( American Nightmare, Angel Du$t, The Hope Conspiracy, Suicide File), and Brian Audley ( Incendiary); Christopher Todd ( Common Sage, ex- Sannhet) is on drums; and the lineup is rounded out by two people who are better known as tattoo artists than musicians: Henbo Henning and Justin Weatherholtz (both of the Good Luck NYC tattoo shop) handle lead vocals and bass, respectively.
Toys That Kill, one of the many beloved, long-running bands led by cult DIY punk hero Todd Congelliere, will release their first full-length album in a decade next year. It's called Triple Sabotage, and first single "Backwash Me The Antidote" finds Toys That Kill doing what they do best, churning out raw, revved-up garage punk with sweet melodies wrapped in steel wool.