Tarnation is an American

alternative country Alternative country (commonly abbreviated to alt-country; also known as alternative country rock, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative) is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that diffe ...

band formed by

Paula Frazer Paula A. Frazer (born April 24, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter. She grew up in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and Arkansas and moved to San Francisco in 1981. Her music is frequently described as melancholic alternative country, but with ...

in late 1992, primarily recording on the

4AD 4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name Axis Records by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD after the release of th ...

label.

History

Tarnation originally consisted of Frazer on vocals and guitar. In 1993, she was soon joined by Brandan Kearney on lap steel guitar and Brent Johnson on guitar and vocals. Next, musicians Michelle Cernuto, Lincoln Allen and Matt Sullivan joined the band. This lineup then recorded the album '' I'll Give You Something to Cry About!'' in 1993 on Nuf Sed Records (Kearney's label). Tarnation signed with 4AD Records and released '' Gentle Creatures'' in 1995. The album includes seven re-worked songs from ''I'll Give You Something to Cry About''Paula Frazer Band Discography
Last archived version from 27 September 2007) as well as new material. Cernuto, Allen and Sullivan left the band shortly after its release in September 1995. Frazer reformed Tarnation with a new lineup including Alex Oropeza on guitar, Bill Cuevas on bass and

lap steel guitar The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar or lap slide guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of pla ...

, and Joe Byrnes on drums. Jamie Meagan joined on bass in 1996, in time to take part in the recording sessions for the band's final album, '' Mirador''. The band split up after the release of ''Mirador'' in 1997. Frazer continues touring and recording under her own name and as Paula Frazer and Tarnation. Oropeza, Cuevas, and Byrnes continued with their own band, Broken Horse. Allen continues writing and recording music with the San Francisco – based band Scratchland.

Discography

* '' I'll Give You Something to Cry About!'' (album, Nuf Sed Records, 1993) * '' Gentle Creatures'' (album,

, 1995) * '' Mirador'' (album,

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 re ...

/ Warner Bros. Records (US & Canada), 1997) * '' Now It's Time'' (album,

Birdman Records Birdman Records is an independent record label based in South San Francisco, California, that was founded in 2000 by David Katznelson, former A&R vice president of Warner Bros. Records. History Birdman Records is the flagship label of the Bird ...

, 2007) * '' What Is and Was'' (album, New High Recordings, 2017)

References

External links

Tarnation on 4AD Web Site

Paula Frazer's Website
''(offline)'' {{Authority control American alternative country groups Gothic country groups Musical groups from San Francisco 4AD artists Reprise Records artists Musical groups established in 1992