The Blank Tapes: “Sun’s Too Bright”
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If you’re the type that likes to go rooting around old record store bins full of musty, exotic vinyl, you’d be hard-pressed to be disappointed if you found something at all like The Blank Tapes. The only difference is that The Blank Tapes are most assuredly a contemporary group. But they have a sound and aesthetic that recalls the heady days of jangly guitars and big, fuzzy and buzzy psychedelia.
Calling The Blank Tapes a “group” is a little misleading though. While he employs a rotating bunch musicians to fill out the sound from time to time, The Blank Tapes really is just one fella: Matt Adams. The 31-year-old California native (he splits his time between LA and the Bay Area) is a multi-instrumentalist with a penchant for vintage gear. Along with his (still growing) collection of old guitars, organs, pianos, percussion and effects, Adams (almost entirely on his own) recorded a large bit of Blank Tapes’ material on analog four- and eight-track recorders–hence the band’s name.
If you need more proof of Adam’s retro streak, today’s song of the day is the title track to a cassette-only release The Blank Tapes put out back in May called Sun’s Too Bright. The tune is a pounding, psych driver with flavors of Lee Hazlewood in Adams’ low, languid voice. There’s also some nice, discordant, Byrds-y guitar stabs in there to keep you on your toes. It’s a song (and a record) that’d fit in perfect with your vintage vinyl collection.
At the moment Adams is working on full-length called Vacations which is tentatively slated for an early 2013 release, but you don’t have to wait that long. The Blank Tapes are playing tonight at the Frontier Bar along with Austin’s Agent Ribbons.
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