The four members of Chicago Toys are actually neither from Chicago nor toys. They are from Santiago, Chile, and have recently made their latest tracks free to download.
If it weren’t for the Spanish lyrics, the casual listener hearing their reverb-filled guitars, energetic drumming, and dreamy vocals for the first time might think Chicago Toys are a British shoegaze band from the 1990s.
These jolly-looking Chileans also seem fond of fisheye cameras — another “90s classic — and their sound is often reminiscent of Sonic Youth or the Pixies. They are living evidence that the aforementioned decade of music history, when rose-colored glasses were groovy, is making a strong comeback, along with bucket hats and crazy haircuts.
