Paula Frazer is an American singer-songwriter. She grew up in
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
and
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
and moved to San Francisco in 1981. Her music is frequently described as melancholic
alternative country, but with an eclectic mix of folk, blues and pop, among other genres. She first came to notice by fronting the band
Tarnation in the 1990s and has appeared on recordings and in concert with many bands and solo artists including
Cornershop
Cornershop are a British indie rock band best known for their single "Brimful of Asha", originally released in 1997 and, in a remixed version, topping the UK chart in 1998. The band was formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh (singe ...
,
Sean Lennon
is an American–British musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The ...
,
Frightwig,
Tindersticks
Tindersticks are an English alternative rock band formed in Nottingham in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples embarked on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006 and more permanently the following year. Th ...
,
the Czars, and
Handsome Boy Modeling School
Handsome Boy Modeling School is an American collaborative project between hip hop producers Dan the Automator ( Gorillaz, Dr. Octagon, Deltron 3030) and Prince Paul (Stetsasonic, De La Soul, Gravediggaz). The collaboration originally lasted ...
.
Before forming Tarnation, Frazer played with numerous SF bands, such as Cloiter, Virginia Dare, Frightwig,
Trial
In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal ...
, and Pleasant Day. Tarnation MK1 featured Brandan Kearney, owner of the SF NufSed label. Kearney didn't stay in the band for long, but he gave Frazer the chance to release Tarnation's debut. That first Tarnation record was called ''I'll Give You Something To Cry About'', and initially appeared in an edition of only 1,000 copies. In 1995, 4AD released ''Gentle Creatures'', an album featuring several songs off the previous album.
Warn Defever (
His Name Is Alive
His Name Is Alive is an American experimental rock band/project from Livonia, Michigan. After several self-released cassettes, they debuted on 4AD Records in 1990, starting a long run at the label. Throughout the band's long history, leader Warre ...
) helped in the production. ''Mirador'' appeared in 1997. One year later, Frazer dropped the Tarnation name and continued as a solo artist. In 2006 Frazer revived the Tarnation name and released her seventh record, ''Now It's Time'' in March 2007 under the name of Paula Frazer and Tarnation.
Frazer is also a professional
weaver. She was one of the temporary vocalists of
Faith No More sometime in between 1983 and 1984. At the time the band only played shows, and often asked new people to step in. The band's bassist,
Billy Gould
William David Gould (born April 24, 1963 in Los Angeles, California) is an American musician and producer. He is best known as the bassist of Faith No More.
Biography Early years
Billy said he is of Hungarian descent from his father's side.
...
, claims to have recorded material of all shows played during that era.
Discography
As ''Tarnation''
* ''I'll Give You Something To Cry About'' (1993; Nuf Sed Records)
* ''
Gentle Creatures'' (1995;
4AD Records
4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name "Axis" (after the Hendrix album) by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD af ...
)
* ''
Mirador'' (1997;
Reprise
In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repe ...
/
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
)
As ''Paula Frazer''
* ''Indoor Universe'' (2001;
Birdman Records)
* ''A Place Where I Know'' (2003;
Birdman Records)
* ''Leave the Sad Things Behind'' (2005;
Birdman Records)
As ''Paula Frazer and Tarnation''
*''Now It's Time'' (2007;
Birdman Records)
*''In Some Time (EP)'' (2014; MRG Recordings)
*''What Is And Was'' (2017; New High Recordings)
References
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Review of Indoor Universeat Dusted Magazine
Paula Frazer Myspace pageSkystone Myspace pageMRG RecordingsNew High Recordings profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frazer, Paula
1963 births
American alternative country singers
American blues guitarists
American country singer-songwriters
American country guitarists
American women country singers
American women singer-songwriters
American folk guitarists
American rock guitarists
Living people
20th-century American guitarists
Birdman Records artists
20th-century American women guitarists
21st-century American women