Thirteen

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

“Jangly” is a complimentary adjective in my music lexicon. It's a descriptor applied quite often to indie rock bands of the early '90s: think classic-era music from UK label 4AD. In the case of Texas trio Tribella, jangly serves as both a term of endearment as well as a nod to their forebearers. These darlings of the Austin music scene produce edgy ethereal power pop, showcased in fine form on their debut full-length album Thirteen.

Released on the heels of the six-song EP My Guest List, and following the band's 2009 U.S. tour, Tribella's Thirteen is an ambitious collection, featuring nine (highly) original songs and one remix. Tribella has three members: lyricist, guitarist and lead vocalist Sarah Glynn, bassist Rae Golding, and drummer/vocalist Dena Gerbrecht. They've kept good live company, sharing stages with such artists as San Antonio trio Girl in a Coma and music festival mainstay Sarah Bettens (K's Choice). The group dips its toes into pseudo-Britpop, indie rock, prog, shoegaze, and even math rock. The result is a gleaming multifaceted expanse, leaping joyously from rhythm to rhythm–often within the same song–while still achieving a constancy of sound that successfully unifies the album.

With lyrics like “Think of all the books you'll read/Now that you're rid of me,” the title track is wry bittersweet barb. Its sting hearkens back to the Lush song, “Ciao!” (featuring Jarvis Cocker of Pulp), in which a recently separated couple barrage each other with insults while wallowing in regret and denial. “Revolution Script” eloquently considers the socio-political impact of our actions, sans preachiness: “Look back with a rock in my hand/Throw it in the future/Hope it might land.”

Previously released EP lead track “My Guest List” also features prominently on Thirteen, both in its original form and as a tinkling, yet somewhat tepid, remix courtesy of Eric LeRoc. There's a sassy defiant charm to its chorus: “And all the world that matters/Will be on my guest list/And all my friends that matter/Will be on my guest list.” It seems to be at once mocking such a shallow mentality, while at the same time celebrating the truly important things in our own little microcosms by bestowing upon them the honor of VIP status.

For me, Tribella's sound is so familiar that it's difficult to critique. I just... like it. I delight in their use of irregular meters (highlighted with the title song, which is played in 13/8 time), their cynical-sweet lyrics, and most of all, Glynn and Gerbrecht's dense harmonies. If your heart doesn't beat to the rhythms of groups like Belly, Throwing Muses, Lush, or Metric, then Tribella might not be your cup of tea. Not everyone cottons to the complex flavors of genre-defying rock. But do me a favor: give it a teensy taste. Please? You never know. You just might like it.

Written by: M. Brianna Stallings, May 24th 2010

Gaudi (1987 Expanded Restoration)

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:26:00 +0000

By The Alan Parsons Project

Legacy Recordings

The Alan Parsons Project music can be defined as mainly rock. They create concept albums revolving around different ideas or people, such as Edgar Allan Poe, and for this particular concept album Antonio Gaudi served as the inspiration. Gaudi was a Spanish modernist architect whose buildings still stand as monuments of his genius. Among his very impressive work is La Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, which is considered his masterpiece even though it remains unfinished. Several musicians and singers contribute to the Project’s vision. It is for a very specific audience as the music varies.

This project was originally released in 1987 and you can definitely tell. It’s filled with power rock ballads, and not the timeless type of power rock. Traditionally, The Alan Parson’s Project has several artists contribute to the albums, not the album as a whole but to individual songs. The Gaudi project is no exception. This amalgam of talent can prove divisive and incoherent yet at the same time it works. As a whole the album does have too many styles but if taken individually, the songs are good within their own right.

The Gaudi project can be described mainly as power rock. Some tracks are instrumental but what’s consistent is the intensity that keeps building. The lyrics are a bit obvious, sticking to the main theme, Gaudi and his work La Sagrada Familia. In fact, the album begins and ends with an eight-minute instrumental track by the same title. None of them really seem to capture the magnitude and complexity of Gaudi’s work. The last song “Paseo de gracia” is perhaps the only one that obviously reflects their inspiration. It features an acoustic Spanish flamenco style that is reminiscent of their inspiration while remaining conceptual. As for the other tracks, they are all very different and the lyrics seem to take the idea in a more liberal sense.

The Alan Parsons Project’s Gaudi is an album that established fans probably will truly enjoy, but it might be a bit difficult for those not familiar to understand.

Written by: Jessica Sánchez, May 18th 2009