Natalie Gordon formed Austin’s Tele Novella early last year after she and Agent Ribbons partner Lauren Hess put their band on hold. She recruited Jason Chronis and Matt Simon (two-thirds of Belaire, and former members of Voxtrot) into the fold, and keyboardist Sarah Gautier rounds out the quartet. Together, the group crafts ’60s-indebted pop that’s sweet-sounding but a little dark. This DNA comes to bear on their recent cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Stephanie Says,” which is included on the new compilation I Saved Latin! A Tribute To Wes Anderson.
Like many of their ’60s forbears, Tele Novella’s medium is the 7″ single, where the canvas is just two songs. On the A-side of their new single, the group easily captures attention with the moody atmosphere of “Trouble In Paradise.” The group’s biggest strength is frontwoman Natalie Gordon, who’s able to convey her excellent lyrics with a dangerous lilt in her voice. “I’ve come from the wilder side / bringing trouble to paradise,” she sings on the chorus, elongating the last syllable like the Biblical serpent. It’s chilling but also alluring, perfectly illustrating the yin and yang of a perfect pop song. And to get the full experience, you can nab the vinyl exclusively through American Laundromat Records.
You have two chances to catch Tele Novella this week: Wednesday at the Mohawk and Friday at Cheer Up Charlie’s.
