Tele Novella

This Tele Novella show, long anticipated was not going to be one of those that got away. I've been a fan of Natalie since her days with Agent Ribbons. And now here she is at Schubas with her new band Tele Novella with members of Voxtrot, Belaire. Naturally, I wanna go to this. Ami plays before. Its exactly what a Tuesday night needs. I saved money from the Convergence that I couldn't go to anyway for this. For some reason I always feel cheered up when my ipod plays an Agent Ribbons track on random. As I listen to the released 6 track TN CD I took home, I get the same welcomed familiar feeling, a good mood just around the corner. She represents to me a welcomed alternate route to snarling anger and aggression, and since when do I go for the angry, butchy shit anyway. Tele Novella disarm with clever sweetness, and a bright and sunny...ness.  This is I think the first thing since missing all of Convergence the weekend before.  The state of mind was to be on that, taking inventory of what I missed. The rare bands along with great local acts and friends ......all goth, all weekend long......, and I'm thinking about it as I park relatively easy. I know this is all sweet first world whining and all that, but what problem isn't. . I'm going to what I chose to go, what I saved money for, and its against a Tuesday after that missing weekend. I just fucking need this, and shut the fuck up.

Parking around Schuba's is not so bad on a Tuesday night. Belmont parking becomes an inconvenient truth the further east you go especially on weekends. This Tuesday night can claim Ami Saraiya, Tele Novella, and good parking!  I apologize for going on about that last bit, but without it you can miss the show, so close and so far. I make it to some of Ami's set. I am a fan of hers as well.  I find it safe to say this....what attracted me to Natalie's music in Agent Ribbons carries over in her work in Tele Novella. There are signatures that go well beyond just recognizing her voice. Its how she puts words together, Ami is just like this for me and its difficult to explain, but its a signature of Natalie that I've come to like. I see it here with Tele Novella. I feel like I just took the lazy way of describing them. Its my extremely subjective, New Critic, Expressionist mind putting a reason for the constellations. Its how I begin to identify what I see in the brief span of one gig.. For me she seamlessly drifts into this vague period state, like in Hair of the dog, Trouble in paradise. I hear the 60's inspired, smart-sounding, urban tracks. Hmm, the 60's at least as I can recall. Even before seeing her perform, I see the vibrant colors that suggest a 60's vibe and all this before really listening to lyrics. For Agent Ribbons she has these songs that capture for me the style of old Mexican folk songs. In the new Tele Novella Ep the feel-vibe captured is 60's. As far as I can see/construct a Natalie Ribbons written track can suggest a world or time/place different slightly enough from ones own, the way a Wes Anderson suggests that larger weirder world. Nat's has included a Mexican cantina in her Agent Ribbon days. Still this is about what we have now with Tele Novella.

 Of course this could all be absolute fucking bullshit. I understand that this is all a construct that best explains the experience to myself. And I'm only identifying one person in a collective process.....it's just....do you know how long this would be. I'm trying to end it here. Every track that I heard live I could not wait to do so again on the way back home. I'm glad to have a CD to hold. This whole fucking rant is just to ponder the experience, write it down, and perhaps get a person that reads this to look the band up. Of special note to me was seeing Natalie Grace in the audience. This was  in part a crowd that seemed familiar with the bands.   Of course there are massive differences between Nat's work now and way back when, with different bandmates. All I can string together is in a continuum, from all the gigs I can catch.
Zig

Moritat

  So Moritat will play Burlington with Panda Riot Friday 2 May. And I want to go.....and no I do not think I have written enough about them.  They have a fan in me in common. I like it when this happens.  Panda Riot identifiably is shoe gaze/dream pop and enjoys the support of a loosely woven like-minded community. That does not always translate to a massive audience every time. In fact I always notice how they introduce themselves to each audience as new.  They play've played the Bottle countless times and.....oh shit this was about.........The avant rock Moritat plows its path without a similar support network. Yet this band deserves attention. Its just harder to write about them, at least for me. Have to explain what I mean with "avant rock". I guess for me it means this band has a strong rock identity and with the jam session flexibility that barely suggests jazz. For me, when it comes to Moritat, the avant part reminds me of jazz......hmmm what I could humbly identify as such. All the internal notes that this band rang in my head have their origin with jazz. Remember how Yellow House reminded me of the Peanuts theme song.....jazz...at least for me. Then somewhere along the road I mentioned trip hop.....and whats in there?....jazz. I don't think they would self identify as jazz, nor would I but that's the note that puts a lot of smaller things together when I think of them. I'm glad they are to perform a set with the Pandas because presumably it could expose Moritat to a potential audience. Here's the up side to not having a community behind you. There is no burden that holds you to sound a certain way. And there is no need to prove your way out of it.

With Moritat that means they are free to define what avant rock means for themselves before the term can possibly take a life of its own and eventually tell you how to dress.....its too late for me anyway. I already dress in black.
Zig