Tristeza

Good band names can be hard to come by. Budding groups have to conjure up something catchy and unique that nails their sound exactly. For instance, there's San Diego-based indie Tristeza, whose moniker sticks in your brainpan but also describes the emotional makeup behind a bulk of its songs (the...

By Benjamin Leatherman

January 20, 2005

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Good band names can be hard to come by. Budding groups have to conjure up something catchy and unique that nails their sound exactly. For instance, there's San Diego-based indie Tristeza, whose moniker sticks in your brainpan but also describes the emotional makeup behind a bulk of its songs (the word is Spanish for "sadness"). This all-star quintet has gained quite a following with a number of CDs and seven-inch singles filled with melancholy instrumental melodies that are a sans-lyrics fusion of ethereal electronica, groovy guitar and subtle backbeats. In songs like the mysteriously eerie and airy "RMS 2000," Stephen Swesey's keyboards come to the forefront, punctuated by the haunting, echoing guitar work of Jimmy LaValle (who's also behind The Album Leaf), Christopher Sprague, and bassist Luis Hermosillo. The resulting mixture provides moody music fit for a pity party or lovelorn letter-writing. But before you start reaching for some Percocet and a pen and paper, upbeat guitar work on songs like "Golden Hill" and "Are We People" radiates a more energetic and hopeful sound, which should help turn some frowns upside down.

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Benjamin Leatherman is a staff writer for Phoenix New Times where he focuses primarily on arts, culture, music, and nightlife. He began writing for New Times in 2003 and joined the staff full-time in 2005. Prior to that, he contributed to magazines such as Tips & Tricks and The Wrestler. Benjamin has earned multiple awards from the Arizona Press Club including an award for sports enterprise reporting in 2009 and an award for statewide arts reporting in 2014. He holds a bachelor’s of arts in journalism from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Contact: Benjamin Leatherman

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