Long Player - The District

From the District - (7/29/09)

When the long-playing record was introduced in the late 1940s, it drastically extended the capacity of mass-produced albums to over 10 times their previous length. This revolution was both a blessing and a curse, allowing those with more to say (Miles Davis? Beethoven?) ample room and forcing those with less to say (the Andrews Sisters? Frankie Laine?) to fill some space. But years later when the compact disc (twice the recording space of an LP) came to dominate the local Sam Goody, few felt obligated to fill all that acquired time. Bands like Guided By Voices and They Might Be Giants were certainly stretching the track limit, but rarely did they unleash as many fully-formed nuggets as can be found on the Blank Tapes’ 80-minute album Daydreams.

The Blank Tapes is primarily Bay Area mainstay Matt Adams aided by a coterie of souls subsisting on a diet of bioluminescence and driftwood kindling—part of that hippie invitingness lurking in the fog, welcoming anyone with a melodica and a functioning lung to the party. Daydreams opens with a tumbling “And Your Bird Can Sing”-like guitar rush fed through the history of Bay Area rock, from ranch-dwelling Neil Young to suburban Stephen Malkmus. Songs like “We Can Still Be Friends” and “It’s the Best” echo with spontaneity and a solid beat that can cause any driver to casually abuse his steering wheel, while the psychedelic craftsmanship of a song like “Smoke and Mirrors” brings out Adams’ talents as both arranger and songwriter.

Whenever Adams comes to town, he always makes the most of his gas money by hitting any stage that will let him sing a few songs. In just a little over a week, Adams will perform 10 shows within earshot of our murky ocean’s air, including a swing by Fourth Street’s most valuable bookstore, {open}. Bring a chair. Without the limits of recording technology holding him back, there’s no telling how much he may have to say.

WHITE NOISE PRESENTS THE BLANK TAPES WITH INDIANNA HALE {OPEN} 2226 E FOURTH ST LONG BEACH 90814 562.499.6736 THESTORYOFOPEN.COM THURS 8PM CALL FOR COVER

Long Player @ the District