"The Blonde" "Cigarettes out the Window" and a Review of TV Girl Live

Photographed by Michael Tringale

On April 21st, 2023, I was at the Coachella Valley Music Festival In Indio, California. I heard TV Girl would be performing at the Sonora venue, and so, like everyone else at the festival, I showed up 10 minutes before the set. When I arrived, I was surprised to see the line wrapping around two other tents. My friends and I waited it out but were disappointed when we only heard the last song and decided that we must see the band when they returned to Massachusetts later in the year. On October 10th, I attended the TV Girl concert at Roadrunner in Boston, Massachusetts. TV Girl is an American Indie Pop band based in Los Angeles, California. The band's music can only be described as moody indie with fusions of hip-hop sampling and pop. TV Girl's vulnerable lyrics and groovy instrumentals are one of a kind that makes them recognizable almost instantly. In 2014 the band released their first commercial release French Exit which became the staple sound for the band. The members of the band include Brad Petering(Vocals, Electric Guitar), Jason Wyman(Drums), Jordana Nye(Bass, Electric Guitar), and Wyatt Harmon(Keyboard). In this concert review, I will share my thoughts about my two favorite songs and reflect on the performance.

TV Girl Performed an hour-and-a-half-long setlist with fan favorites, deep cuts, and new music. However, If I had to pick two songs that stood out to me, they would be “The Blonde” and “Cigarettes out the Window”. “The Blonde” was released in 2014 off TV Girl's debut studio album French Exit. The lyrics in the song reference the beauty standards of women in society and talk about how blonde women will always be a standard for women to idolize."The Blonde" explains the stereotype of the blonde and that depth is the cost of beauty. The duality of the lyrics makes the song interesting since the instrumental is very light. According to Genius, “(being blonde), you must automatically be a certain way. It means that if you are beautiful and blonde, you cannot have depth.” The song form is Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus. The song emits this Lofi ambiance because of the D#m chord throughout the song. The other three chords used in the song are B, A, and E. There is constant harmony throughout the entire song. TV Girl uses harmony to their advantage in most of their songs to create atmosphere and has layers of vocal tracks sung in different registers to make the song more dynamic. "The Blonde" has a mid-level range of pitches that do not register as high-end or low-end. The rhythm comes from the fast-moving synth through the Chorus, the tambourine that hits the same time as the snare, and the sleigh bells during the Chorus. The Melody in the Verse is consistent and builds to the Chorus. The Melody in the Chorus is catchy and more dynamic in sound compared to the Verses. The Chorus ends with a sung Melody unaccompanied by lyrics tying it Melodically back into the Verse. The dynamics of the song are consistent. The use of airy synths makes the timbre by making it more moody. The texture of the record is homophonic. There is one main Melody, and the rest of the instruments accompany and add depth. These elements combined make the song catchy and compulsive to the listener who is hearing "The Blonde" for the first time.

“Cigarettes out the Window” by TV Girl is a track released off of the band's succeeding album French Exit which would be Who Really Cares. The lyrical content of this song is deep. The song talks about a girl named Liddy who likes to smoke cigarettes but can never seem to quit, even if she wants to. The meaning behind the song is that love can be addicting like a cigarette and that people can depend on indefinite love. According to Genius “the love they have was never meant to be forever, and come from an addictive, dependent and unhealthy need to be with one another. They are both like cigarettes.” The form of the song is Intro, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Outro. The is in the key of C. However, the same Lofi ambiance captured in “The Blonde” was used in this track. The chords used in the song are A minor, E minor, C major, and G major. Harmony is used again on the vocals throughout the song in higher and lower registers. The pitches used on this track are more dynamic comparatively in the Verse and the Chorus. The Chorus is higher pitched than the Verse, and because of this, the Chorus is more energetic and exciting. The rhythm of the track comes from the tambourine throughout the whole song, the clap and snare alternation, and the snare roll used in the Chorus and leading into the Chorus. The Melody in the Verse is stripped back, consistent, building, and moody. This monotone Melody in the Verse allows TV Girl to use the Chorus Melody to experiment. For example, In “The Blonde” the band sings a catchy Melody towards the end of the Chorus that lacks lyrics. The dynamics are more altering on this track yet still consistent in form. The Verse has a very medium level, while the Chorus is significantly louder and punchy. The use of synths and pianos became a staple of the band's sound and contributed massively to the timbre/tone of the moody songs. The texture is homophonic and has one Melody accompanied by the other instruments. The elements combined make for a catchy, groovy, and intriguing record with deeper lyrical content behind the instrumental.

The live performance itself was very entertaining. All the musicians sounded great and played with the most heart they could. Brad Petering's crowd control and connection were incredible. Interaction between the crowd and the band made the experience enjoyable for everyone attending. The band was also accompanied by two gospel singers who were also dancers. I thought this live touch was a great addition to the performance as it added something different to the songs that were not on the studio recordings. The stage setup was minimal but effective, and the lighting was fitting for the moody atmosphere the band creates in their songs. I really enjoyed seeing TV Girl live and would definitely see them again the next time they come to Boston, Massachusetts.