Video premiere: The Blank Tapes, ‘Paradise’

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blanktapes
The Blank Tapes

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Blank Tapes, and while the band has been through many lineup configurations, its one constant has been the prolific stoney sunshine of Matt Adams’ breezy lounge psychedelia. This June 29, a new album “Candy” comes out on cool, limited-edition lathe-cut vinyl via PIAPTK Recordings. It appears to be the Blank Tapes’ 23rd official release, counting LPs, EPs and 7-inches, following last year’s “Wobbly Rock” EP, a compendium of tunes called “Collection 2003-2017” and 2016’s “Ojos Rojos.” “Candy” was produced by Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats in Portland, Ore. The songs focus on outward and inward paradise, dreaming, driving a Cadillac convertible and, tenderly, lost love.

As for “Paradise,” the album’s lead track, Adams says, “I wrote this song in Silver Lake a few years back. The L.A. scenery set the mood for the lyrics with Will Halsey of Sugar Candy Mountain later recording the drums in Highland Park and Veronica Bianqui recording her vocals in Echo Park.” Joanna Keane Lopez shot the video near Joshua Tree, where Adams resides, and the footage was then handed over for “tripping out the visuals” to Bob Mustachio of Austin, Texas, known to be the projection mastermind associated with Levitation Fest and the Black Angels.

||| Watch: “Paradise”

||| Live: The Blank Tapes album release show is July 12 at The Hi-Hat with Space Babies, Litronix & DJ Dream Phases. Tickets