Shiny Toy Guns: "Frozen Oceans" (live)

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I'm generally mixed on Shiny Toy Guns, the L.A.-based alternative-rock-punk-techno band that, so far, has released two studio albums with two different lead singers, the Grammy-nominated We Are Pilots (2006, with Carah Faye Charnow) and the rather disappointing Season of Poison (2008, with Sisely Treasure).

There's a lot to like on both albums, especially the first (notably "You Are the One," "Don't Cry Out," "Starts With One," and "Chemistry of a Car Crash"), but STG are wildly inconsistent and generally all over the place, as if they lack a firm sense of who they are and what kind of music they want to make. So there's an awful lot of mediocrity there, and worse -- like the very popular "Le Disko" off the 2009 remix album Girls Le Disko (though their version of "Major Tom" is actually quite good).

On the other hand, there's nothing much wrong with diversity, and the second album contains some excellent moments, too, especially the great opening to the first track, "When Did This Storm Begin?" "Turned to Real Life" is also good, but it is "Frozen Oceans," the album's concluding track, that is by far the best the band has ever done.

The song, at just under five minutes long, harkens back to the great classic rock songs of the past with its sweeping vocals, atmospheric synths and effects, and driving bass and drums propelling it forward to an orgasmic conclusion. And yet it's decidedly contemporary, not classic, with the guitar, though present, not the dominant instrument. I would even go so far as to suggest that the build-up towards the end is reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Echoes," which I count among the greatest songs ever. No, "Frozen Oceans" isn't that good, of course, and I don't mean to overstate the comparison, but it's what strikes me every time I hear it.

Alright, enough hype. Let's just say I really like the song. I highly recommend the album version, and I would actually love to hear a longer, more epic version, but here is STG performing it live in Norfolk, Virginia on November 29, 2008. The sound is good but not great, and it comes across a bit flat in places, so you can't quite make out its depth, but it's the best I could find.

As a bonus, I'm also posting a live performance of the rather retro "You Are the One." The official video of that song is here, another good live performance here. I like Sisely quite a bit, but Carah is pretty awesome (and a bit like Metric's Emily Haines, which, to me, is a high compliment, given how amazing Emily is). Just try to take your eyes off her. (Watch for the first release from her new band Versant. You can see them cover ABBA's "S.O.S." here.)

Enjoy.