Toby Goodshank is up in this bitch!

Photograph by Crystal Madrilejos.

From Time Out New York, Issue 535:
Musicians who work receptionist jobs during the day are as common as corner bodegas. Ones who also self-release 16 CDs in five years, like Brooklyn's Toby Goodshank, aren't. Such a pace would seem destined to provide uneven results, but Goodshank's work is nothing if not remarkably consistent, and consistently good. His latest, Jyusangatsu, is no exception. Using an acoustic guitar complemented occasionally by an electric one and found noise, Goodshank works within a respectable range of folk-rock. A member of the indefinitely on-hiatus Moldy Peaches, his sound is warm and sincere without skidding into earnestness; on this album, the results are largely light and upbeat. "Holiday," an extremely well-executed Madonna cover, and "Susan B. Anthony–Sized," about the way-back-when of being in utero, lend the CD a celebratory feel, while "Palom & Porom," a duet with Diane Cluck, brings to mind the early-'90s collaborations between Dan Littleton (of Ida) and Jenny Toomey (of Tsunami). On other songs, Goodshank looks to his childhood for metaphors. In Jyusangatsu's opener, "Mossman," he tells the story of getting mugged in front of his apartment in Bushwick; to make sense of the crime's racial dynamic, Goodshank recalls the moment when he realized that archenemy action figures Mossman and Beastman were made from the exact same mold. While his previous album, 2004's Safe Harbour, proved Goodshank capable of nailing the nuances of love—particularly optimistic resignation—Jyusangatsu is full of songs like "Mossman," exercises in the musician's proprietary brand of quirky whimsy.—Kate Crane

Check out Toby's website for drawings and songs.