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Telfauna left to right: Tyler Rauman, Katherine Peacock, Adam Waito, Ian Goodman

Telefauna

Telefauna is a little band. They have short recordings, and they play little shows in tiny venues. But their music, what they hold cupped in their hands to show, is anything but little. They have big fatso beats with giant warping synths and huge reggaeton thumps. They shout lyrics that remind me of Beck, Pavement, and Prince, from beneath blankets of drums, organs, and handclaps. They play completely unabashedly, like The Unicorns did, and they make moments with their music, like Michael damn Jackson did, or any of the giant pop masters. They are positively memorable, and memorably positive, and they certainly deserve the niche in Montreal music they’ve carved out with spoons.

Telefauna enjoys a success unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Montreal. In 2005 they released a 4-song EP after two great appearances at The Pop Montreal International Music Festival. Everybody loved it. Everybody wanted more.

left to right: Ian Goodman, Adam Waito, Tyler Rauman, Katherine Peacock

Flash forward two years to May 2007, and Telefauna finally release more songs. But this time, it’s even less. A daring 2-song “Summer EP” that is, naturally, wall-to-wall gold (I’ve included both songs, in their “radio edits” here). I would never describe Telefauna as having “missed their chance” or over the proverbial hill, never, in fact quite the opposite. They’ve managed, without anyone really noticing, to remain in a sort of suspended “up and coming” status. They’ve proved they’re perfectly calm and confident with their talent, and they don’t need no damn LP to do the talking. And power to them, it’s really only stuffy traditionalists like me that even care about this kind of thing. Let them release singles for the rest of their career. That way, each song on their decade-long album can get the attention it deserves. All the synthy waves and humpty-hump beats can get their due, and Adam Waito’s wryly unassuming lyrics can be fully appreciated for their clever beauty.

left to right: Adam Waito, Katherine Peacock, Tyler Rauman, Ian Goodman

Telefauna have their next Pop Montreal appearance in October at My Hero Gallery, a special little loft that’s filled with love. They’re anticipating that they’ll heat the hell out of that place (Telesauna?) so bring shorts, because summer might just have a flashback that night.

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