Toygrace

Rank #134 Roma, RM, IT Rock / Pop / Progressive

50% of sales go to the charity Keep a Child Alive.

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About

Members: Ema. Laura.

Sounds Like: The-Gathering, The Gathering (Anneke Years), Blondie, Alanis Morissette, Porcupine Tree

Bio: Toygrace formed in Rome, Italy, in summer 2009, from the encouter of Ema and Laura. The project was born without a pre-arranged intention of following a genre or a trend. Ema just started, at 32, to compose some music that he felt for the first time to be his "real" expression, not caring at all ... See Full Bio

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Status

: RT @RokkusRadio: We’re followin’ @t0ygrace ‘cause their song, “Great!” is Featured on #Rokkus Radio until 6/9/2013. http://t.co/wHU36tALRE

Press

“Una boccata d'aria fresca, tanto per far respirare pensieri troppo cupi e pesanti. Questa l'impressione che mi ha suscitato l'ascolto di "Average Songs" nella sua completezza. Si avvertono per l'appunto momenti di distensione, ma anche di riflessione, e non sempre calma. Bello, variegato, curato e a suo modo originale e maturo. In molte parti ricordano certe brani dei Massive Attack, in altre pare che un guru come Battiato ci abbia messo lo zampino, in altre ancora vengono fuori delle influenze latin... insomma, c'è davvero un po' di tutto presente, ma con gusto. [...] La voce di Laura cuce un ordito sublime nella terza traccia, Satine Stone, la mia preferita. I Toygrace danno vita in queste 8 tracce di Average Songs a un progetto interessante e pronto ad essere immesso in un mercato come quello inglese, per esempio, o americano. [...] In quello italiano potrebbero rovinarsi. E sarebbe un peccato viste la qualità, soprattutto la qualità delle idee. ”

— Undergroundzine

“This album is mis-titled. Rewiewers' bins brim with releases readily charatcterized amongst perhaps 50 subgenre categories, naturally compared to more established acts. And then there're those like this Rome outfit, that sure aren't avant-garde, but aren't "anything", exactly, either. Led by sensuous-voiced Laura Ferri Ricchi and grandiose pianist Emanuele Parlati, they at best exist in an undiscovered plane/plain between the canyons of '00s commercial indie rock and '70s commercial proggy rock, with synthetizers sometimes swamping over Ricchi's Jesus Christ Superstar-accented style. I'm thinking a lighter Styx on something like "Magnet Love", though they also enjoy Joni Mitchell/Cranberries/Yvonne Elliman/Melanie vibes, in light jazz bed like Weather Channel forecasts. The paradox: there's nothing "average" about this highly stylized stuff. As they sing, "Music is broader than you".”

— Jack Rabid, Toygrace - Average Songs

“Il fusion rock dei Toygrace, ricco di contaminazioni jazz, alternative, prog e dream pop, è volutamente "a impatto zero". E, se questo trasmette efficacemente una leggerezza melodica che, nei momenti più accentuati, è il principale punto di forza degli otto pezzi, dall'altra parte limita le possibilità della band, che quando cerca di alzare il volume non appare convintissima. La ricerca di ritornelli catchy ma mai banali è, il più delle volte, fruttuosa - chiaro, l'obiettivo non è la ricantabilità estrema, che significherebbe muoversi su territori molto più convenzionalmente pop; quello che si può dire è che la cultura musicale che traspare non è mai invasiva a discapito della componente più immediatamente melodica. E, in territori fusion, non è un risultato da poco. ”

— "Zarathustra", Toygrace - Average Songs

“Toygrace est un groupe qui nous vient d’Italie et qui se structure autour de deux membres principaux : Emanuele dit « Ema » Parlati, un multi-instrumentiste sévissant ici aux claviers et à la guitare, et Laura Ferri Ricchi, une chanteuse à la voix angélique. Le groupe s’est formé en 2009 et sort donc son premier album « Average Songs » fin 2011. L’album commence d’une manière assez déconcertante sur une intro à la limite de l’électro au niveau du son de basse grave au possible et agrémenté de distorsion ainsi que d’un son de batterie assez synthétique, mais le refrain effectue une cassure et revient sur une mélodie plus progressive suivit d’un petit solo de guitare à la fin du morceau. Et l’entièreté de l’album est dans cette optique : on voyage au sein d’une même chanson à travers différents styles complètement opposés sans même s’en rendre compte.”

— StevenAkerfeldt, Toygrace - Average Songs

“Toygrace es un dúo oriundo de Roma, Italia, formado por Laura Ferri Ricchi en voz, y el timón del proyecto todo, el tecladista Emanuele Parlati, quienes con la ayuda de sesionistas varios dan forma a este “Average songs”. Totalmente autoproducido, el disco muestra ocho temas propios en los que muestran un pop de buena factura con ramalazos rock, prevaleciendo los climas oscuros e intimistas, y en los que hay un buen lugar para la experimentación. En los estribillos es donde aparece lo más agresivo de la banda, pero todo dentro de un marco de tranquilidad y mesura, donde la banda hace gala de una correcta instrumentación y composición. [...] Habitualmente este tipo de bandas orientadas hacia lo alternativo no tardan en encontrar un sello que los edite, y de seguro esto será lo que ocurrirá con Toygrace, a medida que les siga siendo posible plasmar en la música todas sus ideas e influencias. Me gustó, chequeenlo.”

— Javier Salaverry, Toygrace - "Average Songs"

“'It's Not Easy To Be Me' mellows it in with a laid back groove that, it could be said, is typical of many European female fronted bands; some elements of funk and euro pop rule the roost of the opening track but it definitely has some potential, with a little more work and a bit more oomph into the power of the guitar. First single/videoclip 'Great' is well structured but once again needs a bigger sound. The piano-led 'Satine Stone', again, keeps the album in secondary gear although it does possess some nice musical passages, as expressed on the following number 'Me, You', a joint male/female vocal effort that musically splices together Eurovision, prog and euro pop amongst other influences, even verging on the theatrical elements of music. [...]”

— Rob Watkins, Toygrace, 'Average Songs'

“'It’s Not Easy To Be Me’ goes the opening title of this Italian act’s debut. Not that I’d accuse them ever of kidding, their beautiful front woman’s fiery but awesomely harmonic pipes steal nearly the full glory from everything else great about these eight numbers. Songs that swing between the silky indie pop feel of Catatonia and the angst-plated girl -fronted grunge attack of Skunk Anansie in equally divided proportions mean that ‘Great’, ‘Satine Stone’, ‘Magnet Love’, ‘Music’ and ‘Funny Game’ have no single home for their market to sit in and at least the aforementioned two will be clawing hard over their product. Cool, acoustic electric balance on the string front still does its part to stop restless fingers aiming towards the ‘skip’, although that would only be likely if this wasn’t your cup of tea to begin with. With my remarkably more balanced taste in rock n’ roll sounds nowadays, I’d safely say it is. ”

— Dave Attrill, Toygrace - Average Songs (2011)

““Average Songs” sounds like…“What’s going on here?”… You can’t put it into a specific genre. The songs are mood-styled and the compositions sound properly balanced with very few ups and downs. The instruments are very well performed and all musical arrangements fit perfectly [...] Toygrace founder and band’s leader Ema Parlati played as an extreme metal keyboardist for a death metal band called “Defunctis”, but you’re not going to listen any of that playing style on the “Average Songs” album. [...] This album clearly reflects the unique way this sophisticated piano composer feels music to express the everyday living sentiments. Toygrace music provides a mix of positive energy and calmness while listening. It is all mainly focused in trying to find the right balance in our lives."”

— Adriana Rubio, Average Songs Rewiew

"As often as I feel a music video forces one to have a preconceived image of a song, sometimes the blending of the audio and the visual are so complimentary that I actually love the combination. A good case for this stance would be by Toygrace. This group from Rome has created a music video that will make you instantly like them, and the soundtrack has a musical end section which is truly great and worth waiting to hear. The video is entitled “Great!” from their new album “Average Songs.” It’s quite moving, ingenious, and if it doesn’t make you smile at some point you might want to check your pulse."

— Christopher Levine, Toygrace @ Eclectiblogs

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Updates
Mar 13, 2012
While promoting our debut studio LP, we're not at rest! We're going to perform a... [more]

New Youtube video entry!
Feb 6, 2012
We posted a "making of" video from the recording sessions of "Average Songs". Ch... [more]

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Great!

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Space Oddity (…

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Di Giada e di …

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Videos

Little Teddy comes home in Toygrace's "GREAT!" 1st video

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Shows

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Wed
Apr 17

Atlantico
Roma, IT | 12:00am
Atlantico
Roma, IT
Wed Apr 17 12:00am
- Show Details
- Tickets
Details

Toygrace live @ Musiche Festival 2013 all'Atlantico Live in Via dell'Oceano Atlantico 271. Free entrance - ingresso gratuito.
2012
Jul 6

Radio Seagull
Harlingen, NL | 6:00pm
Radio Seagull
Harlingen, NL
Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Details

1602am and Online – Friday June 15th / July 6th 2012 - 6-8am (GMT) Online only - Friday June 15th/July 6th 2011 - 6-8pm (GMT) New Talent is broadcast from the Lightship Jenny Baynton in it's Harbour in Holland. Radio Seagull is the only remaining Lightship, that broadcasts. Radio Seagull is on air on 1602am across Holland, Norway, the North Sea and East coast of the UK. Also www.radioseagull.com
2012
Jun 26

Riviera FM Radio
Torquay, UK | 9:00pm
Riviera FM Radio
Torquay, UK
Tue Jun 26, 2012 9:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
2012
Jun 15

Radio Seagull
Harlingen, NL | 6:00pm
Radio Seagull
Harlingen, NL
Fri Jun 15, 2012 6:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Details

1602am and Online – Friday June 15th / July 6th 2012 - 6-8am (GMT) Online only - Friday June 15th/July 6th 2011 - 6-8pm (GMT) New Talent is broadcast from the Lightship Jenny Baynton in it's Harbour in Holland. Radio Seagull is the only remaining Lightship, that broadcasts. Radio Seagull is on air on 1602am across Holland, Norway, the North Sea and East coast of the UK. Also www.radioseagull.com
2012
May 4

Krystal Radio
Basildon, UK | 8:00pm
Krystal Radio
Basildon, UK
Fri May 04, 2012 8:00pm
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- Tickets

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John Starr
We're pleased to let you know that your song "Great!” is moving into Featured Rotation on 3rd Stone starting tomorrow, 5/27/2013. Thanks for submitting music to Rokkus R...
Joe Compagna
Awesome!