Teethe Remains Distinctive While Evolving the Dallas Music Ethos on Magic of the Sale

After a few years of EPs and single releases, Denton-based slowcore band Teethe expands on its sonic journey with the release of its second album, Magic of the Sale. The 14-track album sees the band flex its songwriting and genre-bending muscles to tell stories of falling on hard times, guilt, and an aching nostalgia for bygone relationships.

Weaving together dreampop guitars, progressive synths and the airy vocals associated with shoegaze, Teethe crafts a sound that feels uniquely born of a place like Denton where musicians aren’t bound by genre and creative experimentation is frequently rewarded. Contributing to the sound is the fact that all four band members were independently involved in the Denton music scene, exploring their own interests and sonic identities at house shows before coming together to form Teethe.

The band has become a well-known and well-loved name in the Dallas area, headlining venues like the Granada and now embarking on a national tour with a stop at a staple of the Denton music community, Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio.

This album stays true to the sounds crafted on their first album back in 2020, only infused with the maturity that five years of tinkering and experimenting affords a band. The band’s previous self-titled album was a more raw, less produced endeavor that's familiar to fans of house-show bands. Still, a distinct sound was being formed that has only grown with the band and is now on full display in this most recent album.

Tracks like the opener “Tires & Bookmarks” craft an ethereal, soothing atmosphere, while others, such as “Holy Water,” focus on a more rock-heavy approach with distorted guitars and purposeful dissonance. The band even incorporates a touch of its Texas roots with some featured steel guitar on a few of the songs.

While the stories told on each track are intricate — albeit at times slightly esoteric and cryptic (yet not so cryptic that listeners feel alienated or on the outside) — the vocals tend to take a backseat on many of the album's songs. The song “Iron Wine” treats the vocals as another instrument, with the lyrics sprinkled in behind the driving guitars.
The album’s title track incorporates steady shoegaze guitars with singer Madeline Dowd’s delicate vocals, reminiscent of Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star or Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice. The song builds from simple guitar and drums into a grand combination of synths, backing guitars, and driving percussion that swells with the addition of contributing vocals from the rest of the band.

“Anywhere” tells a simple story with the singer repeating the lyrics “just gotta get out of here.” Whether a physical or mental “somewhere,” the song invokes feelings of longing and a desire for change. The song is stylistically simple as well, serving the theme of the track well. One of the more rock-heavy songs on the album, “Holy Water,” juxtaposes a harsh sound with themes of hope and looking to something better in times of darkness. As the vocals blend in with the instruments, a yin and yang dichotomy is formed, finding a tether when things seem uncertain.

On “China Day,” the band takes a slower, more stripped-down approach than on the rest of the album. An unembellished song, the lyrics speak of an identity being broken as the singer tries to put them back together, the shattered pieces strewn across the floor, untouched. The instrumentation takes a back seat on this track to leave room for some of the more powerful lyrics on the album.

“Ammo” and “Funny” see Teethe incorporate a steel guitar into the mix, perhaps a nod to their Texas roots. While not an instrument often found in shoegaze or slowcore music, the simple and sparing use of the steel guitar adds another layer of depth and blending of genres that has become commonplace in much of the band’s music.

The album closes with the only instrumental song, “Matching Durags.” At just under two minutes, it’s the shortest song on the album, as well. Ambient sounds, instruments played back in reverse, 15 seconds of silence and the distinct lack of vocals make the track stand out among an album full of songs that generally carry a similar tone. The song differs from the album completely, leaving us to wonder if this is yet another layer added to the expansive sound of Teethe, or if we can look forward to something wholly new in the future.

This album is tight. 14 songs, 45 minutes, each track feels purposeful and intentionally placed within the album itself. There are feelings of unease, of fond and not-so-fond memories, and most importantly, of hope. On Magic of the Sale, Teethe continues to grow and explore as a band. It’s the kind of constant exploration and change that keeps Dallas audiences coming back to local bands like Teethe. The Dallas sound is anything but homogenous; it’s a living being that matures, morphs and is constantly looking for ways to improve. In that sense, Teethe has created an album that does a great job of exemplifying the Dallas music ethos.

Teethe's fall and winter tour is next month. feeble little horse, Momma, Aunt Katrina and Winter will provide support on selected stops.

See tour dates below and listen to the album on all streaming platforms.

09/05 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar

09/06 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon

09/07 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop

09/09 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall

09/10 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza

09/12 - Boise, ID @ Shrine Basement

09/13 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court

09/14 - Denver, CO @ Globe Hall

09/27 - New York, NY @ Knockdown Center

10/16 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall

10/17 - Austin, TX @ 29th Street Ballroom

10/18 - Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves

10/31 - Brussels, BE @ Les Nuits Botanique

11/01 - Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling

11/03 - Cologne, DE @ MTC

11/05 - Paris, FR @ Pitchfork Music Festival

11/08 - London, UK @ Pitchfork Music Festival

11/10 - Bristol, UK @ Thekla

11/11 - London, UK @ Moth Club

11/12 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club

11/14 - Glasgow, UK @ Nice ‘n’ Sleazy

11/15 - Manchester, UK @ YES

12/01 - Nashville, TN @ drkmttr

12/02 - Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5

12/03 - Raleigh, NC @ Kings

12/04 - Washington, DC @ DC9

12/05 - Philadelphia, PA @ Warehouse on Watts

12/07 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall

12/09 - Toronto, ON @ The Drake

12/10 - Lakewood, OH @ Mahalls

12/11 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups

12/12 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern

12/13 - Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray Arcade

12/14 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry

12/16 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Resonant Head