Tetes De Bois
Avanti Pop

Tetes De Bois are a Roman band formed in 1992. They are not very well-known; some might remember them with Paolo Rossi at Sanremo '07 or in a performance at the last edition of the May Day Concert in Piazza S. Giovanni.

"Avanti Pop" is their latest effort and is one of the most interesting Italian works of 2007. It is an album born from a journey in a 1956 FIAT van, across the factories, steel mills, and tomato fields of Italy. It is certainly a "committed" album with its main themes being work, exploitation of workers, and the life of factory laborers. The songs on the album are not all original pieces by the band, but many are reinterpretations of other pieces or texts by other authors enriched with original music.

The lead track is "La Leva", a song by Paolo Pietrangeli that opens with the sound of the trumpet, a defining element of Tetes De Bois' sound. The piece narrates how work interferes with the life of a factory worker. This song was also featured in the show "FIATo Sul Collo" by Ulderico Pesce, in which the group's singer, Andrea Satta, participated. Following "La Leva" is "Avanti Pop" which represents the album's manifesto song. Catchy and engaging, with a simple and memorable chorus ("Avanti Pop, alla riscoop, bandiera Rock, bandiera Rock"). One of the most beautiful moments on the album is undoubtedly "Rocco e i Suoi Fratelli", with lyrics by Rocco Scotellaro, a Lucanian poet. "Noi siamo i deboli degli anni lontani, noi siamo i figli dei padri ridotti in catene" recites the text. Another gem is "Sa Mundana Cummedia", a track with Pop sounds, entirely sung in Sardinian. It is taken from the "Mundana Cummedia" by Sardinian miner Salvatore Poddighe, who hanged himself after religious authorities denied him permission to republish the work, seizing all his copies.

Another track, "La Zolfara" ("Fire the mine first, half an hour's gain, I don't care if I risk, if blood then stains. Prepare the coffin, sulfur miner,"), deals with mines and miners. Following that is a piece ("Il Mio Corpo") never before recorded, written by Giorgio Gaber and reworked by Tetes De Bois, dominated by the skillful sampling of bassist Carlo Amato. "Il Camionista" consists of a poem by an anonymous truck driver about truck drivers and the kilometers they cover with their trucks, interpreted by Gianni Mura accompanied by Tetes De Bois and the sounds of a highway. "626" (extracted from "La Ballata Dell'Invalido" by Gianni D'Elia) deals with the delicate issue of workplace accidents. Musically it is a completely electronic piece, very dark, obsessive, and hypnotic.

To close the album, there is a fun cover of "Quarantaquattro Gatti", (presented as a protest song) which features the voice of Petra Magoni, followed by a live recording of "Proposta", sung together with Paolo Rossi and I Giganti.

In conclusion, "Avanti Pop" turns out to be a well-crafted and well-arranged work. An album that deals with situations, problems, and heavy topics without becoming boring, yet manages to be pleasant and unique.