This summer, I had the chance to catch my first Girl in a Coma show. They're a San Antonio-based trio -- all young women -- comprised of sisters Nina (vocals/guitar) and Phanie (drums) Diaz with friend Jenn Alva (bass.) The mythology goes that Phanie and Jenn, long-time friends, had begun playing music together when kid-sister Nina made it known that she wanted in. She played them some of the songs that she'd written on the guitar. They were blown away by the maturity of her lyrics and the unique quality of her voice, and Girl in a Coma was born.
N. Diaz's voice reminds me of Sia, Teagan & Sarah, and Adele. There seems to be a lot of throaty girl singers on the music market right now. But there is an extra heartbreak quality in Diaz's voice that may come from living in the heat and wide-open loneliness that is Texas. Her voice has taken the pain of country music and married it to the force of punk speed and volume. Of course, the group's name is a gesture to The Smith's song, so the vulnerability in her voice can sonically be traced to Morrissey. It might sound a bit strange to comment on how wide N. Diaz opens her mouth, but control and volume are based in technique. Too few singers know that and rely on the mic to make up for what their voices lack. Not Ms. Diaz. She lets the volume out and keeps the notes in key by opening her mouth wide and using her tiny frame to get those notes past her teeth and all the way to the back of the room. This young woman has a solid voice.
The band as a whole plays chord based rock with occasional tones of power surf. If the audience is looking for masterful fret work, complicated drumming and intricate harmonies, Girl in a Coma isn't your band. But that's not to say that this band doesn't work hard to create the power of its sound, which serves as the pounding heartbeat for Ms. Diaz's lyrics and voice. It's straightforward pop punk with strong melodies and interesting bridges that change rhythms. Their songs are fast and short -- a la the Ramones -- and they switch up the melodies enough to keep the transitions engaging.
The show was presented in the auditorium of the National Mexican Art Museum. It's not a perfect music venue, but I saw the Taco Shop Poets there in 2002 and thought what I thought this time -- it works. The biggest challenge was the sound system. Static was noticeable on the quieter songs, and if the NMAM plans to keep presenting national level music groups, they're going to need to invest in a better sound system. A green room wouldn't hurt either. There was an awkward moment when the group was done with their set, knew they would come back for a quick encore, but didn't have anywhere to go out of the crowd's sight. So, they stood by the stairs for a minute -- where we all could see them -- and quickly came back on stage for the encore.
The 100 plus crowd included the requisite number of ear spacers, Chuck Taylors, tattoos and the one guy in the skirt (there's always one in every crowd) to designate it sufficiently "alternative." A nice change was present in the excitement of young Latinas seeing someone not-too-different from themselves up on the stage. The band's banter between songs was nonchalant and revealed their youth and approachability. Nervous at the beginning, they relaxed as the evening went on and were clearly sensitive to their impact on young women -- even girls -- in the audience. They wished 7-year-old Evelyn a Happy Birthday between songs. The three stayed afterward, and their table was crowded by those same young Latinas -- and others, of course -- wanting to get their autograph and take their photo.
The band is signed to Joan Jett's Blackheart Records. They just released their second album -- Trio B.C. -- which follows their debut effort -- Both Before I'm Gone. (One of my favorite songs and videos from that album is "Say.") Girl in a Coma is a band to follow.
