Telarañas y Telaperros are a talented young indie band originally from Atlanta, Georgia who are now based in Dallas, Texas. According to their bio, their influences lie with Joy Division, Silvio Rodriguez and old Spanish Literature. In fact their band’s name comes from a line in the popular Pablo Neruda poem, Testamento de Otono. That alone should tell you that they see things, hear things and think about things differently than most.
A semi-finalist in the annual Burger King contest, “Tu Cuidad, Tu Musica”, Telarañas y Telaperros are quickly making their rise in the indie Latino world beyond just Dallas. With their current EP, Preludio, the band gives a small taste of the indie brilliance that is to come later this fall when they release a full album. As the title suggests, it is indeed a “prelude” of what is to come.
Preludio begins with “Sea Sick”, an Indie en Español track about being betrayed or cheated on by a loved one. The melancholy vocal stylings, the upbeat bass line and crunchy indie guitar create an interesting combination. Latin Inide enthusiasts will hear close similarities to Chile’s RH+ or even Dignan from McAllen, Texas. On Preludios’s only English track,”2:40”, there is this calm and dreamy air to Mariel’s (vocals/keys) powerful voice. She holds her notes well without any bravado, while pouring the emotion of loneliness into listener’s ears.
On the EP’s only instrumental track, “Neumatico 1”, the heavy base line provides the track’s soul while the piano adds a touch of class that the spacey synthesized sounds alone couldn’t provide. It is one notch away from being taken off the indie shelf and categorized as dance music with its new wave sensibilities. Listeners will want to dance and nod their heads. If they only added lyrics and vocals to “Neumtico 1”, they would have an almost perfect song. If Telarañas y Telaperros pick up where Preludio left off, using both vocalists, their next album will be a tastemaker favorite.