Paula Frazer

All Music Guide:

There aren't many American singers possessed of a fine country twang who are actually from the Deep South, and who would specifically name Australian Nick Cave as the main influence on their work. But such is the case for the talented Paula Frazer, who far from being any sort of clone also brings the same wide range of influences to bear on her own work, from punk and blues to cabaret and gospel, for her own striking musical visions. Raised in both Georgia and Arkansas, her musical influences readily came from both parents. She sang in the church choir, where her father was a preacher, while her mother taught her piano and introduced her to music from George Gershwin and Billie Holiday to the contemporary music of the 1960s and 1970s. After various youthful experiences in local bands, Frazer moved in 1981 to San Francisco to seek her wider fortune.

While initially bopping around in a variety of bands, including a stint with the undeservedly obscure Frightwig, Frazer's big break came with Tarnation, a band that admittedly was essentially Frazer through and through. The initial lineup recorded two albums, coming to wider attention thanks to the excellent Gentle Creatures, appearing in 1995. Earlier that year, however, the other three members departed to pursue their own work, leaving Frazer to assemble an initial touring lineup that, after a further change on bass, became the unit that recorded the band's last album, Mirador. After various touring appearances, including dates in Europe with her hero, Cave & the Bad Seeds, Frazer found herself once again without a band.

Having already made a name for herself on other projects, most notably a striking collaboration with the Anglo-Indian act Cornershop on their When I Was Born for the 7th Time album, Frazer decided in 1998 to drop the Tarnation name in favor of her own. She again assembled a backing group drawn on Bay Area musicians, with her inspired choices being vocalist/keyboardist Patrick Main, Sister Double Happiness veteran Jeff Palmer on bass, and Oranger member Jim Lindsay handling the drums. The result, with the further assistance of drummer Matt Torrey and a variety of guests, was Indoor Universe, appearing in 2001 -- her solo "debut," but more accurately the next in a series of excellent releases. 2003's retrospective A Place Where I Know gathered four-track versions of songs from both her Tarnation and solo albums; two years later she returned with a new album, Leave the Sad Things Behind. 2007's Now It's Time was credited to Paula Frazer and Tarnation, and continued in the same vein as her solo work and output with the group.

Wikipedia:

Paula Frazer is an American singer-songwriter. She grew up in Georgia and Arkansas 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, Sean Lennon, Frightwig, Tindersticks, the Czars, and Handsome Boy Modeling School. She currently records for Birdman Records.

Before forming Tarnation, Frazer played with numerous SF bands, such as Cloiter, Virginia Dare, Frightwig, Trial, 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) 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.

Currently she performs in the San Francisco based psychedelic folk/rock trio Skystone, composed of her, guitarist/vocalist Brock Galland, and drummer Royce Seader. Most recently she has been writing and performing with singer/guitarist Jesse Jackson under the name Jesse and Paula.

Frazer is also a professional weaver. She was one of the temporary vocalist 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, states to have recorded material of all shows played in the era.