Tristen is by no means new to BestNewBands.com. I spoke with her last October, and we discussed the impending release of her debut album Charlatans at the Garden Gate (for the full BestNewBands.com exclusive interview, please click here). Her song “Baby Drugs” ranked #5 on our list of Top Ten Songs of 2010, and we even gave a copy of her Eager For Your Love 7″ away to a fan in December. The 7″ is now available on her website for free download here. But last night I actually saw the Nashville singer live at The Echo for the very first time, curious as to her performance after so enjoying her recorded music. She came onstage dressed in black, and that coupled with her old school country vibe made me think instantly of Johhny Cash. But the set was much more modern and groove-driven than I would have thought, and I was reminded more of k.d. Lang and Melissa Etheridge‘s blend of roots rock and country with plenty of pop thrown in. Here’s her music video for “Matchstick Muder“, an indie-flavored alt-country tune with a darkly humorous theme:

Album cover for Charlatans at the Garden Gate

I was partiuclarly intrigued by the timbre of Tristen‘s voice: there’s something about her voice that’s difficult to categorize and place, made harder by the fact that it changes so quickly. There’s a very youthful sound to her voice, but she can also sound mature and world-weary. She moved easily between irreverent and dead serious, daring the crowd to guess her mood. She began the first song in an almost subdued fashion, only to gradually increase the intensity of her delivery until ending on the last note with a scream. The crowd went crazy, and when she asked the audience how they were doing, there was a resounding chorus of “Vocals up!”. Tristen heartily agreed before admitting “I’m not in Kansas anymore…but I like it!” In addition to her unusual and engaging voice, Tristen‘s songwriting skills really shone last night. Her lyrics mirrored her unwillingness to be categorized as anything other than a strong songwriter who could pen songs for any emotion or genre, and there was absolute silence when she played a duet with her guitarist. People in the audience were really listening to the words, not just carelessly taking in the performance. Her lyrics were introspective but still memorable, and the chorus of every song was like a glimmering jewel swathed in layers of carefully arranged burlap.

Her band consisted of a drummer, female bassist and backup singer, and electric guitarist with whom she traded guitar and ukulele duties with. The backup singer was phenomenal, and without her there would have been no trade off, call and answer, or harmony between the two female voices. I would even venture that the play between the two voices is just as much Tristen‘s signature as her song arrangement style and preference for big, obvious choruses. It does seem like she’s still trying on many styles before honing in on one or two and really making them her own. But I would wager that she’ll have it figured out after a year or two of touring, and in the meantime we’re just along for a very pleasant ride. Tristen’s debut album Charlatans at the Garden Gate is now available in digital form on  iTunes with a physical release on February 15th. Her next performance is this evening in San Fransisco at Rickshaw Stop, and she’ll be playing two more dates in California before moving on to Phoenix. For a complete list of tour dates and ticket prices, please visit her Myspace and Facebook pages.