我发现一个有趣的现象：文青多半喜「怀旧」。款式从巴布迪伦、披头四以至佩蒂史密斯不等。怪就怪在原来怀旧是有年份世代的，你说80年代如此精彩，就没听到几个文青讨论New Wave、Goth，充其量只是从Joy Division过渡到Post-Punk。你跟他们解说Krautrock，还不如奉送一个关键词如「The Horrors」，喜不喜欢、买不买单他们自会决定。 英伦乐队TOY也是怀旧、啃食德国酸泡菜(Krautrock)；搬出西德Krautrock先驱NEU!来当示范没有说服力，非得扯上The Horrors，才有话题。要说TOY与The Horrors过从甚密，还获得Rhys Webb(The Horrors贝斯手)力荐，简直就像孪生兄弟。另一门说法是TOY、The Horrors以及Fujiya & Miyagi都是Nu-Krautrock世代，可歌迷仍不识什么叫Nu-Krautrock，只知The Horrors、只闻Faris Badwan俊俏到不行；说穿了，究竟是什么心态在作祟？ TOY身上没有一丝「文青」的气息，倒像是60年代的「嬉皮」；从前乐队叫作Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong，有个俊俏又能唱歌的主唱Joe Lean，一首〈Lonely Boy〉掳获多少少男少女。后来Joe Lean索性不玩，跑去演戏，余下的三个臭皮匠招募来两名新成员(包括一名西班牙籍女鉴琴手Alejandra Diez)，以TOY重新开始。(去年也有Cajun Dance Party重组为Yuck的案例) 从Post-Punk转变为Krautrock(亦称作Motorik Beat)，The Horrors是幕后最大赞助者；同名大碟《TOY》里的歌曲〈The Reason Why〉早有〈Still Life〉作为模板。单曲〈Left Myself Behind〉、〈Motoring〉亦有NEU!、Primal Scream(早期)可供借镜，再加上英国评媒(如NME、Guardian)大力相挺，TOY又将谓为新晋乐队神话。但试想，若没有The Horrors这些附加价值，TOY的前景如何？看来只有待下一张专辑去验证TOY的真功夫。 TOY have announced details of their debut album release. The London band's self-titled record, which was recorded with Dan Carey (Hot Chip/Chairlift/The Kills) according to the Quietus, is set to come out on September 10 through Heavenly Recordings. The news comes two months after the five-piece - who are set to appear at a number of UK festivals this Summer - released their latest single 'Motoring'. Dates of TOY's forthcoming live dates are below, with the video for their debut single (also released on Heavenly) underneath that.