Indie rock trio 87 and the Toys officially release their new EP, The Smile Room. Imagine The B-52s crossed with Pixies and Talking Heads, and you’ll have an inkling of 87 and the Toys’ sound. The phrase ‘officially releases’ refers to the band readying the EP to drop last year. Once they realized how long vinyl was going to take, they decided to hold off. Yet it hit streaming services before they could figure out how to pull it. Made up of Hana Irie (vocals, drums), who is of full Japanese heritage, Patrick (vocals, guitar), who is half-Japanese, and Dave Skidmore (bass), 87 and the Toys formed in NorCal. The band’s name has its provenance in Hana’s name. In Japan, certain numbers relate to certain syllables, with HA NA being 87, which was lengthened to 87 and the Toys. Encompassing six tr...