Pop Press International:
Agent Ribbons Cassette Release Party
Posted by Bryan Parker

The bill at Frontier Bar Tuesday night offered several acts I’d been curious about for a while. Although Jason Chronis has been performing as JC & Co for a while now, I’ve somehow managed to never catch a set. The same goes for Agent Ribbons, who’ve undertaken several major American tours and have a few releases under their belts. Sandwiched in the middle was San Francisco’s Blank Tapes, fitting for a cassette release party, who are in the midst of a national tour.

The Blank Tapes reminded me of several bands at once, yet remained distinct. As a three piece who wrote simple pop songs (especially one about a beach party) and eschewed the traditional lineup by moving drummer Pearl Charles front and center and using only a floor tom and snare, the group reminded me just a bit of Beat Happening. However, this is pretty limited to their live energy, and the musical compositions of the band lean more toward my second reference point of the Elephant 6 Collective. In appeal and sound, the band reminds me of any number of bands from Olivia Tremor Control to Apples in Stereo. Their country edge sets them apart, though, and I’ll definitely be looking into this band further.
More review and photos HERE