As musical pioneers of Arizona’s sound, the Blankz may just well be the first punk rock band whose origins lie in an incredible saga of self-discovery. Consisting of members Tommy Blank (vocals), Jaime Blank (guitars), Nikki Blank (synthesizers), Andy Blank (bass), and Johnny Blank (drum), the Blankz take no shorts in putting together some of the best punk music that cultural misfits will find structurally appeasing. Legend has it that the idea of the band first began as a recording project between Tommy Blank (Slope Records founder Thomas Lopez) and Jaime Blank (esteemed garage/punk musician and archivist, Jaime Paul Lamb). They enlisted the expertise of three additional band members who took up the pseudonym Blank.
The Blankz’s first song White Baby is about Tommy Blank’s search for identity after being raised in an adoptive Mexican household as a white child. While Tommy’s adoptive parents built a loving household for him to enjoy, the complexities of an American society where race is seemingly the nationwide religion put this young diehard in a zoo for the curious. Adopted children have many questions about their past and biological families that hauntingly continue into adulthood.
White Baby successfully captures the mood of some of the issues surrounding life as an adopted human being, and specifically Tommy Blank’s search for meaning and truth while growing up in a multicultural household. Given our present political climate, White Baby is definitely a controversial topic as much as it is inspiring. The song’s energy is very bright and somewhat refreshing. Perhaps, this flare of symphonic determination is the end results of a mirror that Tommy has painted for himself in order to get past the song’s theme. White Baby’s instrumentation is memorable and inviting. The tune’s guitar-heavy riffs and erratic synths, coupled by Tommy’s voice, make White Baby an easy-to-follow gem that walks back to its treasure chest.
Instead of releasing a full-length album at this time, the Blankz have decided to release several 7-inch singles over the next few months. White Baby is one of these lead singles and is backed by the tune Sissy Glue. As another heavy-hitting song, Sissy Clue captures the musical inventiveness of The Blankz. Sissy Glue comes with a theme of a character named Jimmy, who enjoys getting high on glue. The song has a lighthearted side, which makes its presentation extremely enjoyable. Sissy Glue is impressive in its song structure and pulsate rhythms that ride the essence of both punk rock and new wave music to the core.In the end, the Blankz rocked the house!
