Blank Tapes, The – “Hwy 9” – [Vow Records]

humana   11/8/2014   A Library, CD

This music is just what the doctor ordered. Matt Adams is The Blank Tapes, and although he has other people sitting in for some of the songs, he is the main player and vocalist on this CD. His website describes the music as “psychedelic cartoon”, and you can definitely see why. It is reminiscent of The Grateful Dead, and it is largely upbeat, jaunty, punchy, feel-good music with tambourine, kazoo, and so many other instruments. There are 40 tracks, all of them great, and relatively short. He’s based out of San Francisco and Los Angeles, as the Hwy. 9 album title might indicate. I dare you to listen to this and not feel better afterward.