Tara Jane O'Neil
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Tara Jane O'Neil (born November 22, 1972) (surname sometimes written as "ONeil"; sometimes credited as TJO) is an American
multi-instrumentalist A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays two or more musical instruments, often but not exclusively at a professional level of proficiency. Also known as woodwind doubler, doubling, the practice allows greater ensemble flexibility and mor ...
,
songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...
, audio recording engineer, and visual artist based out of
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,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, United States.


Biography

O'Neil is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, audio engineer and visual artist. She creates melodic and experimental music under her own name and in collaboration with friends. Her recordings and live performances range from solo singing to noise improvisations. TJO has composed and performed music and sound for films, theater, and dance performances, and written large and small ensemble experimental architectures. O'Neil began her music career as the bass guitarist and vocalist for the influential Louisville, Kentucky post-rock group Rodan. After their breakup in 1994, she moved to New York, where she joined
Retsin Retsin was an American indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock mus ...
, Ida Retsin Family (a collaboration between Retsin and Ida), The Sonora Pine, and The Naysayer. She released her first solo record in 2000. O'Neil is also a notable visual artist. Her work has been exhibited in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
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,
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
,
Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
,
Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
, and Portland, among other places. Her artwork has appeared on her own solo record covers, on the record covers of many other groups (Retsin, Ida, The Naysayer,
Castanets Castanets, also known as ''clackers'' or ''palillos'', are a percussion instrument ( idiophonic), used in Spanish, Calé, Moorish, Ottoman, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Sephardic, Portuguese, Filipino, Brazilian, and Swiss music. In ancient ...
, etc.), in poetry books by Cynthia Nelson (''Raven Days'' and ''The Kentucky Rules'') and Maggie Nelson (the cover of ''Something Bright, Then Holes''), in the magazines ''
Punk Planet ''Punk Planet'' was a 16,000 print run punk zine, based in Chicago, Illinois, that focused most of its energy on looking at punk subculture rather than punk as simply another genre of music to which teenagers listen. In addition to covering m ...
'', ''
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'', ''
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'', '' Venus Zine'', ''Copper Press'', and various international publications. ''Who Takes a Feather'', a book of her drawings and paintings, was published in 2004 by Tokyo-based Map Press. In 2007, ''Wings. Strings. Meridians. A Blighted Bestiary'' was published by Yeti Publications, including an album of live recordings, four-track demos, and outtakes. O'Neil starred in the 1994 indie film '' Half-Cocked'' as herself, credited as "Rhonda" although her character has also been referred to as "Tara."


Partial discography


Solo


Albums

*''Peregrine'' (2000, Quarterstick Records) *''In the Sun Lines'' (2001, Quarterstick Records) *''TJO TKO'' (2002, Mr. Lady Records) *''You Sound, Reflect'' (2004, Quarterstick Records) *''In Circles'' (2006, Quarterstick Records) *''A Ways Away'' (2009,
K Records K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent mu ...
) *''Where Shine New Lights'' (2014, Kranky) *''Tara Jane O'Neil'' (2017, Gnomonsong Records) *''The Cool Cloud of Okayness'' (2024, Orindal Records)


EPs

*''The Joy Of...'' (2002, Acuarela Discos
pain Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging Stimulus (physiology), stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sense, sensory and emotional experience associated with, or res ...
*''Who Takes a Feather'' companion release 3" CD-EP (2003, Map Press apan *''Vanishing Point'' (2004, self-released digital download; original score for the Naomi Izuka play ''At the Vanishing Point'') *''Tracer'' (2005, Compass Tone apan *''A Raveling'' (2005, Acuarela Discos
pain Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging Stimulus (physiology), stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sense, sensory and emotional experience associated with, or res ...
*''After a Dark Seven'' (2006, self-released CD-R) *''Light Up Screen'' (2006, self-released digital download; collection of short film scores) *''Live and Covered'' EP (2008, self-released CD-R; European tour EP)


Singles

*"Tie a Ribbon" / "Another Sunday Saint" / "If Your Youth Is Green" (aka Troubleman Solo Singles Series #6) 7" single (2000, Troubleman Unlimited Records) *"April 3, 2009" (2009, self-released digital download; live adaptation of the song "The Drowning Electric")


Compilation albums

*''Bones'' (2004, Preservation ustralia (compilation of demos, alternate versions, outtakes, and songs from singles) *''Marrow'' (2004, self-released CD-R) (most songs also appear on ''Bones''; features hand-painted and numbered covers) *''To Trace a Raveling'' EP (2006, Mississippi Records) (12" vinyl release; combines the ''Tracer'' and ''A Raveling'' EPs) *''Wings. Strings. Meridians.'' companion release CD (2007, Yeti Publications) (compilation of home recordings, live tracks, and film scores)


Collaborations

*''Music for a Meteor Shower'' (with Daniel Littleton) (2002, Tiger Style Records) *''Tara Jane O'Neil and Nikaido Kazumi'' (with Nikaido Kazumi) (2011,
K Records K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent mu ...
) *''Medusa Smack/100 Gongs for Arieto'' (with Eleh) (2015, Important Records)


References


External links


Official website

K Records artist page



Would You Believe It? Tara Jane O'Neil Covers Cher
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneil, Tara Jane 1972 births Living people Guitarists from Oregon American multi-instrumentalists Quarterstick Records artists 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American guitarists Kranky (record label) artists