By Christian Simac, Contributing Writer
Recess Records is the household name within the microcosm of San Pedro punk.
First we were given the legendary Minutemen, who put San Pedro on the punk music map, and brought along neighboring acts like Saccharine Trust, Black Flag and the Descendents. All of them contributed to the foundation of early American hardcore and local punk.
The first punk bands that spewed from the South Bay and Los Angeles comprised an eclectic selection. As they flourished, faded or broke up over time, their influence was evident in the cyclical waves of new bands that emerged to replace them, outfits formed by youth who grew up listening to them.
Recess Records, spearheaded by a young Torrance skater named Todd Congelliere, sprouted in the South Bay a decade after the foundation of Pedro and South Bay punk. Congelliere, who eventually developed into a cover-boy quality professional skater for Liberty Skateboards, discovered punk music through the sport and both became his consuming interests.
Congelliere founded Recess Records in the late 1980s after putting out a few tapes of his band, F.Y.P. (Five Year Plan). The group’s original 7-inch vinyl debut, entitled Extra Credit, is the record that made the label official.
Recess Records soon solidified its place in the Pedro and South Bay punk scene, putting out countless records, setting up events around San Pedro, and truly representing the state of San Pedro punk.
Congelliere eventually left Torrance for San Pedro. He continues to enhance local life with gestures of admiration and hospitality — shows for children, art exhibitions, social events, reissues of the essential records of South Bay punk history — all bearing the wit and fun of his unmistakable personal style.
Recess has more than 200 official releases on its resume, from vinyl records to cassette tapes, featuring bands from San Pedro and throughout the country. That number of releases on a DIY label can be quite a tedious milestone to achieve but Todd made it happen, all while playing in five bands and now being a family man. Occasionally, he still gives a boost to smaller bands by releasing their work on Recess to help get their name out.
Apart from running Recess Records, Congelliere’s many bands are mainstays in Pedro punk. His first band with his close friend Sean Cole, F.Y.P. (Five Year Plan), started it all. The band lasted more than a decade and took Congelliere and the band across the United States and touring through other continents. Next came Toys That Kill, which had the same lineup of musicians as F.Y.P., and remains one of Congelliere’s main focuses to this day. Toys That Kill are a pure representation of what San Pedro punk represents: DIY, humility, and absolute fun. Toys That Kill shows are abundant in Pedro and Long Beach and are a guaranteed good time.
What’s most interesting about Toys That Kill is the band’s fans. Since Pedro is such a small town and its punk scene is so communal and niche, shows often bring out three generations of fans. Older fans from F.Y.P. days will be present and hanging out with Congelliere and other venerable bands, who have been around from the early days of Pedro punk and are still going to shows and supporting the scene decades later. Next you will have those in their mid-20s, who grew up listening to Toys That Kill as teens or may be playing in bands involved in the current scene in Pedro or Long Beach. Finally, you will have the youngest generation of millennial teens, whether still in high school or just graduated. They bring energy to the shows and are the future of punk. Seeing a variety of fans having a blast together adds a warming and welcoming element to the shows.
Congelliere plays in such other notable bands as Underground Railroad, Candyland, Stoned at Heart and Clown Sounds, all appreciated by dedicated fans, all holding significant positions on the Recess Records discography. Congelliere also manages to record records. Each band is its own animal, with its own unique sound and aesthetic, never bleeding into any blatant similarities with one another, which is quite the accomplishment for Congelliere and his bandmates.
As for the current state of Recess Records and Congelliere’s sonic endeavors, Toys That Kill has just completed a summer tour and has been playing some shows around Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pomona and San Pedro. Congelliere has been making an effort to get more shows for all-ages in San Pedro, preferable to trying to catch them sneaking into the decorated Harold’s Bar. He has a pop-up distribution outlet in Pedro, which sells all records in the Recess catalog, band merch and other Recess knick-knacks.
Recess has put out countless bands and organized countless shows to help support the punk community. Congelliere recently spoke about the start of the label, his personal life, and what he has planned for Recess Records.
Christian Simac: How did you get into punk and DIY?
Todd Congelliere: Pretty much through skateboarding. I had a ramp in my yard and the locals would bring over Black Flag, Minor Threat, 7 Seconds tapes to listen to while we skated. At first, I thought it was just good to skate too — aggressive. I didn’t realize that it was just knocking on the door to a whole, wide world.
CS: When and why did you start Recess Records?
TC: 1990 was the first vinyl release. I did tapes starting in ’87 or ’88. I had some extra money for turning skate tricks and bought a Tascam 4-track recorder. First tape I made was songs specifically for one of my teachers, who was really fucking with me. I would record the songs one night and put the tapes on his desk, when he wasn’t looking, the next morning. I called it 5-Year Plan (F.Y.P), due to him trying to fail me and take another year. I never understood it. If he didn’t like me then why was he trying to get me to stay another year? Anyways, some of those songs spilled into the first 7-inch (F.Y.P-Extra Credit 7-inch — Recess Records No. 1). So, short answer: I started my record label out of spite.
CS: What’s it like balancing between stoned at heart, Toys that Kill and Underground Railroad to Candyland?
TC: Right now I’m only doing Toys That Kill and Clown Sounds. There was a point where we were all doing 5 bands and it is super fun but it complicates things sometimes.
CS: What do you think about the status of the punk scene in Pedro right now or South Bay-Long Beach?
TC: Well I’m glad I live in Pedro and so close to Long Beach. Southern California is littered with donkey basketball scenes. There are so many pockets in So Cal that focus on everything but the music. Jim’s Spot in Long Beach and any show in Pedro have a music only vibe. LA proper is where everyone is going to super-make-it and they don’t listen when you talk to them, they just wait to talk.
CS: I understand you have a child. Has your child shown any interest in punk?
TC: Olive’s three-and-a-half right now. I played her Ramones’ Rocket to Russia before she was 1 and she smiled and bopped her head. She cracks up when I lip sync to the Cows’ Hitting The Wall. She also puts on only blue jeans and dances around like Iggy Pop. I think she finds it interesting.
CS: What keeps you motivated to continue playing music and running your label?
TC: I feel like I’ll never run out of supply when it comes to music. Having an outlet like this is so valuable. I always thought it was just us being dumb and pissing people we didn’t like off. Which, yeah, it might still be some of that. But it’s much more that I can’t even grasp. There are some tangibles though. It’s one of my favorite feelings to come up with a new song. It’s really not good if you hit a dry spell. I always try to learn a new instrument or dig up something you never heard. It really is ‘The Gift that Keeps on Giving.’ That sticker was right! And, you think about all in the past that made this road. You think of Buddy Guy and Joe Strummer at the same time. It’s pretty nuts. Not to get all drama-rama but I truly believe I’d be dead without this. In my opinion, it’s the only absolutely true and proven religion we’ve ever had.
Toys That Kill are going strong and are constantly playing in Pedro or surroundings areas. Follow Recess Records on Facebook and Instagram and check out Congelliere’s latest projects.