There have been a number of off-the-wall artists over the years. Violent Femmes, the B-52’s and Neutral Milk Hotel have all had their own quirks.
Portland-based trio 87 & The Toys, might just be the most unconventional yet. Their new EP “Japanesy if you Pleasey” is a seven-track combo of Japanese and American culture, from the serious to the not-so serious.
The band comprises of Dave on stand-up bass and guitar, Patrick on rhythm guitar, and Hana, on the mini-drum kit, piano and vocals. With the latter hailing from Japan and Patrick having a Japanese mother, their lyrics often find eastern elements creeping into them (as the EP’s title would suggest!).
The opening track, “Georgia Governor Kemp”, is a goading track about the Republican’s attitude to COVID 19. The song remains lighthearted and the lyrics are even humorous, particular when referring to “corona cocktails”.
But the outlandish music doesn’t stop there. The next track sounds like a melancholy heart-breaker, until you realise it’s about having no more Bojack Horseman episodes left to binge-watch (to be fair, that is quite heartbreaking).
The EP’s eccentric climax hits with the song “All You Can Eat Sushi” – a fast-paced-sushi-saying marathon; seriously how can anyone say sushi that quickly? The song was written initially as a joke by Patrick when he was trying to convince Hana to go to such a restaurant, but it is now a crowd favourite.
My favourite track was “RAMEN”; the acoustic guitar on the tune plays like a little love song of its own. The lyrics tell the story of being hungry on a Saturday night: “I’m hoping that you’re free, I want you to eat ramen with me”. I would call it an unintentional love song between two lovers and an iconic Japanese dish.
And of course, let’s not forget the beautiful piano and vocals of the final song “LOVE”, which Hana sings in Japanese.
The band’s sound subscribes to the school of absolute musical purity – no filters nor overblown production techniques, but instead a commitment to artistic integrity.
With a punk rock ethic and DIY production in the vein of celebrated indie labels ‘K’ and ‘Kill Rock Stars’, the band’s new EP was recorded entirely on 8-track via a tiny Tascam recorder.
Having previously worked with the likes of John Vanderslice (whose studio has hosted the likes of Death Cab for Cutie; Magnetic Fields and Sleater-Kinney) and Elliot Smith archivist Larry Crane, 87 And The Toys are your favourite childhood stuffed-toy, punk rock band and mates down the pub rolled into one.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/87andthetoys
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/87band/
Website: https://87andthetoys.bandcamp.com/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/87andthetoys/sets/japanesy-if-you-pleasey
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3pv3LeeMHwQtauS4aPrxHX?si=kRlGaG0vTtGRXZL8YYoUsw
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChwi1ucmaeMWuWLkJTE6HMg
Check out the latest episode of The Quite Great Radio Show
Episode 3 of ‘Just Checking In’ is now out – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pNt2GF_LcA&t=197s