Tele Novella Plays an Enchanting Show in Denver
october 28, 2024 - denver, colorado
Out of Lockhart, Texas, Natalie Ribbons and Jason Chronis spin charming vintage tunes under the moniker ‘Tele Novella’. The pair describe their music as “coin-operated medieval country songs through a 1950s western lens.” Ribbons’ voice sounds as if it’s traveled through a phonograph to get to you. Flourishes of harps, bells, wooden guiros, and even a rotary phone decorate their heart-felt ballads with a quirky flair. The couple maintain an adorably quaint aesthetic for all visual aspects of the project. In costume as a “Vampire Cowgirl” and her victim, a mermaid and a sailor in “Heard-Hearted Way”, or more abstract characters in “Eggs in One Basket”, it’s clear the duo are just as intentional when creating their music videos as they are with the music itself. Consistency in filmography and styling solidifies Tele Novella as a stand-alone artistic universe.
The band looks and sounds exactly like what you’d expect from musicians who double as a vintage store curator and a rare vinyl collector. But the initial formation of the project wasn’t as intentional as their output implies. In a recent interview, Ribbons recounted the abrupt end to her previous band, Agent Ribbons, spurred by a car-crash that left her counterpart with a broken arm and unable to play. She found herself with 4 months to come up with brand new material for an upcoming South by Southwest gig that was too important to miss. In that short period, she got with Chronis and his band at the time, Belaire, and put together a set of new original music for the show. The performance was well received, and the duo continued to pursue this new endeavor that became what Tele Novella is today.
Photo of Tele Novella by Alice Loayza.
While its origins were largely accidental, the band quickly honed in on their vision for the project. After a period of uncertainty, they felt their sound was too clean and imposed a limitation on themselves—from then on, they’d record their music entirely on an 8-track cassette recorder. As a result, their latest two albums (Merlynn Belle and Poet’s Tooth released via the label Kill Rock Stars) convey a sound that’s lost in time. Listening to these records feels as if they were unearthed from a gem-covered treasure box. Untouched for decades, they immerse you in a distant world.
On Monday, Tele Novella arrived in Denver to perform the first of a ten show run in support of La Luz on their News of the Universe tour. At the intimate Marquis Theater, Ribbons and Chronis took to the stage with their band and kicked the night off with “Broomhorse” from their latest album, Poet’s Tooth. An anthem for the artist, Ribbons’ lyrics serve as a pep-talk, “Before you go throwing in the towel / Let’s try singing louder than our stomach’s can growl.” Likely drawn from their own experiences as a band over the past decade, it was cathartic to hear this one live as they are continue to grow and reach a wider audience.
Also from Poet’s Tooth, the band performed the popular “Funeral”. As Tele Novella is aware, many fans have come to discover them from this downhearted cowboy breakup ballad. Ribbons’ poignant delivery of her poetry was touching: “Oh, you're not tied up / Here comes the train / The tracks feel safe because you know 'em / You cannot stop the whistle from blowin' / And if you stay, it's gonna hurt much worse / You'll still be left behind.” The fable-like story telling in her lyricism creates a depth wherein each relisten can unlock new meaning. A glowing example of this is the album’s title track. Ribbons launched into “Poet’s Tooth” with an accusation: “You broke off my poet’s tooth / While I was sleeping,” she sang over minimal guitar chords. As she delved into a world of castles, spiders, candelabras and incantations, more instruments joined in until the sound matched the magical chaos of the story. They went on to perform“Changeless Kingdom” and “Eggs in One Basket” from Poet’s Tooth, and “One Little Pearl” and “Paper Crown" from Merlynn Belle.
Throughout the set, Ribbons and Chronis picked up various little instruments to accent the music with. At one point Chronis held up a string of bells and made sure to jingle them above each of his bandmates, as if to bless them with good luck. Later on, Ribbons dinged a chrome instrument that fittingly resembled a fairy wand. Outside at the merch table I asked her what it was. “It’s called a garden weasel,” she told me, “we found it at Home Depot.” Her answer made perfect sense for the band who finds magic in the ordinary.
Catch Tele Novella on tour with La Luz through November 9th, and listen to their latest record, Poet’s Tooth, below.
