((Tristeza)) Band Profile and Upcoming Chicago Concerts - Oh My Rockness

One of my favorite instrumental bands of all time is back! Well, sort of. The Tristeza of 2005 is minus founding member Jimmy Lavelle. It seems Jimmy's too busy conquering the world (and playing Radio City Music Hall!) under The Album Leaf moniker. Good for him... but it's also good that the other members of Tristeza decided to give it a whirl again. They were just getting started.

I first got into Tristeza back in 1999 when I heard them described as "emo without the vocals." I thought that description fit where I was at the time so I picked up Spine and Sensory which haunts me to this day.

Tristeza is Spanish for "saddnes" and it's the perfect name for a close-to-perfect band. The melodies these guys come up with are so sublime they certainly can be tear inducing. Like Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky, this is music that just makes you feel something.

Who knows what the subtraction of Lavelle will mean for this band. But Tristeza was always more than just one guy. As long as they keep the new-age stuff in check (it crept in a tad too much on their second album Dream Signals in Full Circles) then they should be just fine.
Published August 31, 2006
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