Aaron Tanner
{{Short description|American musician and writer}}
{{Infobox artist
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Aaron Tanner
| alt = Aaron Tanner
| honorific_suffix =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1976}}
| birth_place = Evansville, Indiana, United States
| known_for = Graphic design
| notable_works = see Bibliography
| website = {{URL|www.aarontanner.com}}
}}
Aaron Tanner is an American graphic designer, author, archivist, and musician who creates coffee table books on underground bands and artists.{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=John |date=2023-11-06 |title=Backstage Pass |url=https://www.evansvilleliving.com/backstage-pass/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=Evansville Living Magazine |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Mykals |first=Kat|date=2022-11-30 |title=IN Artist Goes from Freelancer to Publisher of Coffee Table Books |url=https://womiowensboro.com/indiana-artist-aaron-tanner/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=WOMI Owensboro |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Shtreis |first=Irina |date=2022-02-03 |title=The Residents: A Sight For Sore Eyes Vol. 1 – book review |url=https://louderthanwar.com/the-residents-a-sight-for-sore-eyes-vol-1-by-aaron-tanner-book-review/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=Louder Than War |language=en-GB}}
Career
Aaron Tanner, who grew up in the Midwest, found inspiration in the everyday visuals around him, such as the logos on railroad cars, matchbook advertisements, and other regional imagery. His design experience soon gained him recognition within the underground music scene, ultimately leading to his role as Ween's resident designer in 2002, a position he has maintained for over two decades.{{Cite web |last=Hq |first=Tvd |date=2023-06-16 |title=TVD Radar: The Residents: A Sight for Sore Eyes Vol. 2 visual history book in stores 8/11 |url=https://www.thevinyldistrict.com/storefront/tvd-radar-the-residents-a-sight-for-sore-eyes-vol-2-visual-history-book-in-stores-8-11/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=The Vinyl District |language=en-US}}
While creating a book for Pixies in 2014, he realized that there are artists and bands whose works remained unpublished. He founded Melodic Virtue, an independent publisher "dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacies of underground bands through limited-run coffee table books,"{{Cite web |last=Burton-Jernigan |first=Rayonna |date=2024-03-06 |title=Q&A: Local man's publishing company highlights independent rock bands |url=https://www.aol.com/q-local-mans-publishing-company-101302110.html |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=www.aol.com |language=en-US}} and began archiving materials and publishing visual histories featuring rare and unseen photos, artwork and other items.{{Cite web |date=2019-03-13 |title=Butthole Surfers: What Does Regret Mean?: by Aaron Tanner |url=https://spectrumculture.com/2019/03/12/butthole-surfers-what-does-regret-mean-by-aaron-tanner-review/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=Spectrum Culture |language=en-US}} Since then, he has produced books on the following bands: The Residents, Butthole Surfers, Ministry, Face to Face, and Cardiacs.{{Cite news |last=Saldaña |first=Hector |title=Shocking: Butthole Surfers get a coffee table book |url=https://www.expressnews.com/entertainment/music-stage/article/Shocking-Butthole-Surfers-get-a-coffee-table-book-13825920.php |access-date=2024-01-14 |work=San Antonio Express-News |language=en}}
Tanner formed Stationary Odyssey with Brett Siler and released 4 albums before disbanding. Their last release was a split 7" single with Joey Santiago and David Lovering of the Pixies.{{Cite web |last=Weber |first=Trisha |date=2012-05-15 |title=For the Record |url=https://www.evansvilleliving.com/for-the-record-2/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=Evansville Living Magazine |language=en-US}}{{cite web|title=Stationary Odyssey split 7" with Pixies project|date=28 November 2011 |url=https://www.nuvo.net/music/local_music_profiles/stationary-odyssey-split-with-pixies-project/article_a83be315-f41b-5cc6-8e25-52900728da33.html|publisher=nuvo.net|accessdate=28 November 2011}} Since then, Tanner has founded the noise rock group Off-Ox{{cite web|title=Berserker IV Feature – Off-Ox|url=http://www.hipindetroit.com/2017/04/berserker-iv-feature-off-ox.html|publisher=hipindetroit.com|accessdate=12 April 2017}} and has recorded music with Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran),{{Cite web |last=Mykals |first=Kat |date=2024-02-08 |title=Indiana Man to Co-Release Cover of The Residents' 'Mahogany Wood' |url=https://103gbfrocks.com/star-stunted-mahogany-wood/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=103GBF |language=en}} Rob Crow (Pinback), Roy Mayorga (Ministry), and Zach Hill{{Cite web |date=2021-12-15 |title=New 'visual history' book celebrates 50 years of the Residents! Sneak peek and exclusive premiere! |url=https://dangerousminds.net/comments/new_visual_history_book_celebrates_50_years_of_the_residents_sneak_peek_and |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=DangerousMinds}} and Spencer Seim (Hella).{{Cite web |last=HUNTER |first=NIKK |date=2018-11-22 |title=FOCUS // A history of Rob Crow's many (many) musical projects |url=https://feckingbahamas.com/focus-a-history-of-rob-crows-many-many-musical-projects |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Fecking Bahamas |language=en-US}}
Achievements
His work has been added to the libraries and permanent collections of the Smithsonian, The Museum of Modern Art, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and The Punk Rock Museum. Butthole Surfers: What Does Regret Mean? was named LA Weekly’s Book of the Month in 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.laweekly.com/book-of-the-month-butthole-surfers-what-does-regret-mean/|title=Book of the Month: Butthole Surfers: What Does Regret Mean? – LA Weekly|publisher=laweekly.com}}
Bibliography
- Pixies: A Visual History, Volume 1 (Madtempest, 2014){{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Gerrod |date=2017-12-01 |title=SPILL BOOKS: AARON TANNER – FACE TO FACE: 25 YEARS OF SOCAL PUNK, THE VISUAL HISTORY |url=https://spillmagazine.com/spill-books-aaron-tanner-face-face-25-years-socal-punk-visual-history/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=The Spill Magazine |language=en-US}}
- Face to Face: 25 Years of SoCal Punk (Melodic Virtue, 2017){{Cite web |date=2018-01-03 |title=This punk band turned 25 years of music into a 200-page coffee table book |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2018/01/03/this-punk-band-turned-25-years-of-music-into-a-200-page-coffee-table-book/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=Orange County Register |language=en-US}}
- Butthole Surfers: What Does Regret Mean? (Melodic Virtue, 2019){{Cite web |title=The Quietus {{!}} Features {{!}} Books {{!}} I Am Reality: Butthole Surfers In Coffee Table Book Shocker |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/26201-what-does-regret-mean-butthole-surfers-book |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=The Quietus |date=17 March 2019 |language=en-us}}
- Ministry: Prescripture (Melodic Virtue, 2019){{Cite web |last=Blabbermouth |date=2019-10-29 |title=MINISTRY's AL JOURGENSEN Announces In-Store Signing Of 'Ministry: Prescripture' Alongside Author AARON TANNER |url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ministrys-al-jourgensen-announces-in-store-signing-of-ministry-prescripture-alongside-author-aaron-tanner/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET |language=en}}
- Lil Bub: The Earth Years (Melodic Virtue, 2021){{Cite web |title=Lil BUB: The Earth Years Book and Music Project to Feature Jack Black, El-P, Thurston Moore |url=https://www.spin.com/2021/03/lil-bub-the-earth-years-book-and-music-project-to-feature-jack-black-el-p-thurston-moore/}}
- The Residents: A Sight for Sore Eyes, Vol. 1 (Melodic Virtue, 2022){{Cite web |date=2022-01-10 |title=The Residents' New Book Illustrates 50 Years of Art-Rock Weirdness |url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907873/the-residents-new-book-illustrates-50-years-of-art-rock-weirdness |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=KQED |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=staff |first=Treble |date=2023-06-15 |title=New The Residents book, A Sight for Sore Eyes Vol. 2 due this summer |url=https://www.treblezine.com/new-the-residents-book-a-sight-for-sore-eyes-vol-2-due-this-summer/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=Treble |language=en-US}}
- The Residents: A Sight for Sore Eyes, Vol. 2 (Melodic Virtue, 2023){{Cite web |last=Illezca |first=Damian |date=2023-07-18 |title=Rockaxis {{!}} preparan-libro-de-the-residents—a-sight-for-sore-eyes-vol—2- |url=https://www.rockaxis.com/vanguardia/noticia/40644/preparan-libro-de-the-residents-a-sight-for-sore-eyes-vol-2-/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=Rockaxis |language=en}}
- Joan of Arc: A Window & A Mirror (Joyful Noise Recordings, 2024)
- Cardiacs: A Big Book and a Band and the Whole World Window (Melodic Virtue, 2025){{Cite web |last=Ewing |first=Jerry |date=2024-10-02 |title=Fully authorised visual history of Cardiacs to be published |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/fully-authorised-visual-history-of-cardiacs-to-be-published |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=Louder |language=en}}
Discography
{{See also|Stationary Odyssey#Discography}}
With Byre
- Here in Dead Lights (May 15, 2018, Joyful Noise Recordings)
With Off-Ox
- Best Best Western (September 2, 2016, Au Fox Records)
- Tender Titan (August 17, 2018, Au Fox Records){{Cite web |last=Doyle |first=Abbey |title=15 things to do in Evansville area this weekend |url=https://www.courierpress.com/story/news/local/2018/08/15/15-things-do-evansville-area-weekend-dinosaur-discovery-oak-ridge-boys-civic-theatre-mock-orange/994592002/ |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=Courier & Press |language=en-US}}
With Star Stunted
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://aarontanner.com Official website]
- [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/butthole-surfers-new-book-gibby-haynes-763780/ Rolling Stone: Interview with Gibby Haynes and Aaron Tanner]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanner, Aaron}}
Category:American graphic designers
Category:American writers about music
Category:American rock musicians
{{improve categories|date=May 2024}}