F.Y.P

From the Torrance suburb of Los Angeles emerged the high-energy, irreverent punk outfit F.Y.P, also known as Five Year Plan, whose guiding force was Todd Congelliere. He penned the bulk of the material and remained the sole steady presence amid an ever-shifting lineup. The group issued two standout albums, Dance My Dunce and Toilet Kids Bread, yet every release holds merit; Congelliere’s fiercely personal, chaotic brand of geek-infused punk resonated deeply among dedicated listeners. Alongside his associate Hal Badal he sustained the respected independent outlet Recess Records, home to the Dwarves, the Criminals, the Crumbs, and the complete F.Y.P catalog. Sporting thrift-store attire reminiscent of a Greyhound station, Congelliere produced a string of sharp, enduring punk compositions.

Prior to his immersion in the scene, Congelliere had pursued professional skateboarding and first encountered punk through fellow skaters. A sponsorship deal supplied the funds for a four-track recorder, guitar, and a Fisher Price drum machine purchased at Toys R Us, yielding the band’s raw early-’90s efforts My Neighbors Is Stoopid, Finish Your Popcorn, and Guido, Where Are You?, noted chiefly for their whimsical titles. He later assembled a full band and delivered the celebrated second album Dance My Dunce in 1994; their debut, Incomplete Crap, had simply compiled earlier 7-inch singles. That record featured the tracks “Vacation Bible School,” a cover of the Toy Dolls’ “My Girlfriend’s Dad’s a Vicar,” the pointed “It’s Not My Fault You Like Air Supply,” and “Kids That Play Dead,” an homage to harsh parenting. Drummer Sean Cole came aboard in 1995 and, rotating among instruments, stayed longer than any member besides Congelliere.

On Toilet Kids Bread, produced by Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves, the band tightened its aggressive outbursts into concise, hook-laden songs. In the period separating the subsequent releases My Man Grumpy and Toys That Kill, bassist and Recess mainstay Joe Ciauri took his own life by leaping from a 150-foot cliff in San Pedro. Although F.Y.P eventually resumed activity, the tragedy combined with repeated audience demands for Dance My Dunce material precipitated exhaustion. Congelliere and Cole therefore adopted the name of their most recent album—mirroring the Descendents’ transformation into All—and launched Toys That Kill in 2000, a project whose sound remained closely aligned with that of F.Y.P.