{{short description|American singer-songwriter|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}} {{More footnotes|date=July 2010}} {{Infobox musical artist |image = |name = Paula Frazer |background = solo_singer |birth_name = |alias = |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|4|24|mf=y}} |death_date = |origin = [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Arkansas]] |instrument = Guitar, vocals |genre = {{Hlist|[[Alternative country]]<ref>{{cite web|first= Ned |last= Raggett |title= Paula Frazer Biography |work=AllMusic |access-date=2023-07-19|url= https://www.allmusic.com/artist/paula-frazer-mn0000032353 |quote=Moody alt-country singer/songwriter}}</ref>|[[post-punk]]<ref>{{cite web|first= Jason |last= Ankeny |title= Tarnation – Artist Biography |work=AllMusic |access-date=2023-07-19|url= https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tarnation-mn0000012768/biography |quote= Paula Frazer, a talented singer and songwriter who returned to roots music only after a successful foray into 1980s post-punk}}</ref>}} |occupation = |years_active = 1981&ndash;present |label =[[Reprise Records|Reprise]]/[[Warner Bros. Records]]<br>[[4AD Records]]<br>[[Birdman Records]]<br><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mrgrecordings.com/|title=Blog|website=www.mrgrecordings.com}}</ref> <ref>http://NewHighRecordings.com/</ref> |associated_acts = [[Tarnation (band)|Tarnation]], [[Frightwig]], [[Faith No More]] |website = }} '''Paula A. Frazer'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/903629639 |title=ALL THE TIME |website=ASCAP |publisher=American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers |access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref> (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 an eclectic mix of folk, blues and pop, among other genres.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.metason.net/artistinfo?name=Paula%20Frazer |title=Paula Frazer |website=ArtistInfo |access-date=June 24, 2024}}</ref> She first came to notice by fronting the band [[Tarnation (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]].

Before forming Tarnation, Frazer played with numerous SF bands, such as Cloiter, Virginia Dare, Frightwig, [[Trial (San Francisco Bay Area band)|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.

Frazer is also a professional [[Weaving|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. Frazer was asked due to her acquaintance with [[Roddy Bottum]].<ref name= "FNM">{{cite news |last=Hart |first=Ron |url= https://www.vice.com/en/article/faith-no-more-cares-a-lot/ |title=Faith No More Cares a Lot |work=[[Vice Media|Vice]] |date=September 16, 2016 |access-date=December 30, 2024}}</ref>

==Discography== '''As ''Tarnation''''' * ''I'll Give You Something To Cry About'' (1993; Nuf Sed Records) * ''[[Gentle Creatures]]'' (1995; [[4AD Records]]) * ''[[Mirador (Tarnation album)|Mirador]]'' (1997; [[Reprise Records|Reprise]]/[[Warner Bros. Records]])

'''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== {{Reflist}} * {{cite news |title=Paula Frazer weaves an intricate tapestry of musical styles and eras on her new CD |url= https://www.sfgate.com/music/article/The-Beauty-Of-Sad-Things-Paula-Frazer-weaves-2646777.php |publisher= SF Gate | first= Derk |last= Richardson |date= August 19, 2005 |access-date= October 12, 2006}} * {{cite news |title=Singer-songwriter Paula Frazer weaves gorgeous alt-country from ashes of Tarnation |url= https://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Music/Content?oid=73828 |publisher= Tucson Weekly | first= Gene |last= Armstrong |date= October 6, 2005 |accessdate= October 12, 2006}} * {{cite news |title=Frazer weaves beyond music Paula Frazer weaves spell beyond |url= https://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20051020/ai_n15803617 |publisher= Oakland Tribune | first= Tom |last= Lanham|date= October 20, 2005 |accessdate= October 19, 2006}} *{{cite news |title= Paula Frazer, Biography |url= {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p166602|pure_url=yes}} |publisher= Allmusic | first= Ned |last= Raaggett }} * {{cite news |title=Tarnation: What's with the who in Tarnation |url=http://copperpress.com/new/features/html/tarnation.html |publisher=The Daily Copper |first=E. J. |last=Iannelli |accessdate=March 9, 2007 |archive-date=July 7, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070707044735/http://copperpress.com/new/features/html/tarnation.html |url-status=dead }}

==External links== * [http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/973 Review of Indoor Universe] at Dusted Magazine * [http://www.myspace.com/paulafrazer/ Paula Frazer Myspace page] * [http://www.birdmanrecords.com/paulafrazer/index.html Paula Frazer page on Birdman Records] * [http://www.myspace.com/pfeifes Skystone Myspace page] * [https://www.mrgrecordings.com/ MRG Recordings] * [http://newhighrecordings.com/paula-frazer/ New High Recordings profile]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Frazer, Paula}} [[Category:1963 births]] [[Category:American alternative country singers]] [[Category:American country singer-songwriters]] [[Category:American country guitarists]] [[Category:American post-punk musicians]] [[Category:American women country singers]] [[Category:American women singer-songwriters]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century American guitarists]] [[Category:Birdman Records artists]] [[Category:20th-century American women guitarists]] [[Category:21st-century American women]]