Leave The Sad Things Behind is Paula Frazer’s third solo and second studio record since ending her legendary band Tarnation. Frazer’s angelic vocals and masterful songwriting are framed by an all-star band — Scott Hirsch, James Kim and Tom Heyman (Court And Spark); Oranger keyboardist Patrick Main; former Kronos Quartet cellist Joan Jeanrenaud; and other San Francisco luminaries including members of Mother Hips and American Music Club. Old-tyme sounds, symphonic wonderment, and dark layers are all exposed on Leave The Sad Things Behind. And there is still a definite Ennio Morricone influence, as well as nods to Scott Walker. Frazer sang in her preacher father’s choir as a young girl in Arkansas. She moved out to San Francisco where she played in many bands, the most famous being Tarnation which was signed by 4AD. She has played with the likes of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and The Tindersticks, both of whom share a penchant for rich soundtracks framing classic songs of warmth and sadness.
CD $13.00
10/04/2005
***Paula Frazer is the former lead vocalist of the critically acclaimed Bay Area band Tarnation. Tarnation's releases on Warner/Reprise and 4AD showed Paula to be a singing/songwriting force to be reckoned with - her rich voice radiates beauty. Occupying the space between Patsy Cline and the Cocteau Twins, Paula takes her country-infused influences to wonderfully dark extremes. Some have called her music "country gothic" but Birdman's Lord David Katznelson just calls it "excellent." Indoor Universe is Paula's first solo effort and it is unquestionably her finest work to date. Her heavenly voice has never sounded better and the dreamy expansiveness of her music never more vibrant. Paula Frazer grew up in Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia, and Eureka Springs, Arkansas, singing in the church choir where her father was minister and her mother played piano (it was her mother who taught Paula piano, bought her first guitar when she was nine years old, and introduced her to the music of Billie Holiday, Patsy Cline, George Gershwin, Roy Orbison and the pop music of the '60s and '70s, all of which have remained big influences on her singing and songwriting). As a teenager, Paula sang with jazz groups in Arkansas, performing standards and some of her own songs. She moved to San Francisco in 1981 and since then has sung, played bass and guitar with various local bands such as Frightwig, Pleasant Day, Trial, Cloiter, Virginia Dare, and an Eastern European women's choir in Berkeley called Savina which performed mostly Bulgarian choir songs...
CD $12.00
04/24/2001