Tele Novella

Emerging from Austin, Texas, during the mid-2010s, indie combo Tele Novella fused an array of sounds that drew upon the paisley underground pop of the 1980s, classic honky-tonk twang, and the psychedelic strands running through Brazil’s Tropicalia movement. Singer/songwriter Natalie Ribbons led the project, which delivered its first album, House of Souls, in 2016. Subsequent releases scaled back the arrangements while emphasizing Western textures, yet 2021’s Merlynn Belle and 2023’s Poet’s Tooth retained the same magnetic appeal.

The quartet took shape in 2013 when former Agent Ribbons guitarist/vocalist Ribbons—also known as Natalie Gordon—teamed with ex-Voxtrot bassist Jason Chronis, ex-Voxtrot drummer Matt Simon, and keyboardist Sarah La Puerta, all veterans of prior well-received indie outfits. Working rapidly, the musicians wove whimsical neo-psychedelic touches into concise, tuneful material and quickly began performing around town before heading out on national tours. Their first 7", Don't Be a Stranger, surfaced near the end of 2013; a year later came the Cosmic Dial Tone EP alongside a version of Bobby Fuller Four’s “Let Her Dance” that appeared on the Wes Anderson tribute album I Saved Latin!. Still, the 2016 full-length House of Souls most clearly revealed the range of Ribbons’ songwriting, its inventive melodic turns and unexpected hooks sitting comfortably within the group’s skillful production and stylistic mix.

Over time the lineup contracted to the central pair of Ribbons and Chronis, who shifted direction for the next Tele Novella record. Issued on Kill Rock Stars in February 2021, the self-described “medieval outsider country” album Merlynn Belle favored open, stripped-down sonics while preserving the group’s signature unpredictability. Danny Reisch, who had produced that set, returned to helm October 2023’s Poet’s Tooth, extending the same line of dusty, cinematic pop balladry.