Tele Novella, House Of Souls

  I found it! I found it! Months ago, I thought I lost this CD House Of Souls. I have been a fan of Natalie Ribbons since her days with Agent Ribbons, her band before Tele Novella. I got a history of losing shit from them for some reason. I lost a whole lot of CD's once and it included On Time Travel And Romance from Agent Ribbons. That really did fuck with me. A lot of music that I could not get back was gone and among them this one from Ms Natalie. Then her band came back and so I bought from them this coveted CD. And they autographed it with a message to not lose it this time.
  So now Tele Novella come to Red Line Tap. Its my first time there. My friends Killer Moon played as well. And so I bought House Of Souls from the great Natalie Grace who is friends with Natalie Ribbons. Ms Grace was running the merch table. I don't think I had House Of Souls for two weeks before I lost it. Anyway so now I have it and I am all into it. I recall listening to it when driving home from their September 30th gig in Chicago and was feeling indifferent as I listened, not feeling one way or the other yet glad that I had it in my hands. Misplacing it for a few months and suddenly finding it certainly cured that indifference. The first time I saw Tele Novella was at Schubas and at the time they had available the EP Cosmic Dial Tone and its brilliant. You become familiar with an artist's work and with that work they create a world, a mini universe that increases with detail with each puzzle piece. They make the whole more complete. With Tele Novella I am taken back to the 60's, the same period first presented to me by Agent Ribbons.
  And this hmm world is just contained first in just two full albums and an EP. Ok and all the videos on Youtube. So if you are a fan, that's a just a pocket universe. You want it to expand. And it did with the six track EP. I love every song. And now, that universe expands still more with House Of Souls. Natalie has this signature sound that reminds me of Mad Men, or an other-worldly modern period, slightly more beautiful and if so also very dangerous and dark. And I'm saying I really like it. I don't think its even a deliberate effort to sound a certain way. It's just her language. Jason Chronos plays bass guitar. Mat Simon plays the drums. And Sarah La Puerta plays the Casio Tone. Tele Novella are sweet ambassadors of a slight otherworld. Carpathia got me with that opening lines, clear and so the words hit with a fuller immediate impression... "..burned, it won't catch fire". Makes me look for my fucking passport. Even the names kind of take you somewhere. Sacramento is not just the name of this song. Its where Natalie Ribbons started her band, I think. Its a track Uma Thurman and John Travolta could have had an extra dance to in Pulp Fiction. Its just It has a natural rhythm. All of Natalie Ribbons...or Natalie Gordon's music is visual. And those pictures seem right for a Wes Anderson, Tarantino film. I'm not the only one to bring these names to better describe Tele Novella. And her voice is so calm and confident.   There is a lot to take in from House. I've read that Natalie describes her music as melodic macabre-pop. And hmm, ...yeah. And she is a songwriter to watch. I've gone on what you see when you hear Tele Novella. There is something to listen to what she says, in a voice that is not urgent yet still.... These pictures are from when I saw them at Schubas, I was late for their set for 30th September 2016. But I got to talk to them. I recall they were sweet. I bought the CD and their shirt and took home a poster that hung on the wall. They autographed the CD. And now I can enjoy in full that experience because I found the mother fucker and I can listen to it. I can wear the shirt without that sting of having it lost.
Zig