Tag: Noelle Tannen and the Filthy No-Nos

New Audio by William Ruben Helms

With the release of last year’s Noelle and The Filthy No-Nos, the New York-born, New Orleans-based singer/songwriter and keyboardist  Noelle Tannen quickly developed a reputation for a unique approach to singer/songwriter soul that draws from old school soul, neo-soul, jazz, blues, indie rock and gospel. “Proof,” Tannen’s latest single continues in a similar vein as her previously released work: effortlessly soulful material centered around her self-assured and sultry vocals and an arrangement featuring shimmering blasts of keys, a sinuous bass line, shuffling jazz-like drumming, gorgeous horn arrangement and an infectious, radio friendly hook — within an expansive song structure in which you’ll hear temp changes and key changes throughout. Arguably, this track may be the most straightforward song in their growing profile; but paired with a powerful and uplifting message.

As Tannen explained to Live for Live Music, “”Proof’ is a song about the constant struggle many women face of having to Prove ourselves and work extra hard just for people to take us seriously,” Tannen shares. “It’s about how exhausting that struggle can be. However, the song is supposed to portray a motivational message. Let’s keep on working hard, but while doing so, not to forget about the beauty of life and the earnestness in creation. Let’s not allow the haters to get in the way! We got this ladies.”

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Return to Primal Nature with Noelle Tannen and the Filthy No Nos

“Skin,” the first single off the band’s forthcoming, self-titled, full-length debut, slated for an October 14 release consists of a complex, almost maximalist arrangement that includes key changes, a slow-burning psych jazz intro and coda and ethereal harmonies,followed by a sultry, jazz-leaning section a wild salsa-leaning bridge, complete with call and response vocals, and Cowie’s swaggering and strutting solo. And it’s held together by Tannen’s ridiculously expressive vocals — which manage to be jazzy, soulful, coquettish and mischievous within a turn of a phrase, and her dexterous keyboard work. As Tannen explained in an email “Harmonically, and arrangement wise, while writing this song I really didn’t want to settle for anything. It was all about finding and exploring every possibility. Lyrically the song is about femininity and life and death. Its kind of about how I feel like as a woman in our society everyone is constantly trying to protect you; we are often looked at as the vessel of life and in many ways we are. However, a lot of women live a life with this underlying tone of over protection (Some face it more than others.)”

As Tannen continued, the song and the accompanying video directed and produced by Matthew Speno are both about breaking free from that sense of over-protecting.
“Visually we wanted to tie this concept into different living parts of nature. That’s why we start on solid earth, move to water and the finish with fire. Earth and water are matter and fire is a release of the energy inside those elements,” Tannen explains. Interestingly, the video manages to suggest a primal return to nature as being completely freeing with its characters free of social restraint or concern about appearances.