Sun Jul 13, 2008 - THERE'S JUST A FEW ANDY TANAS SOUTHERN GOTHIC TOUR 2007 T-SHIRTS LEFT. Welcome to the world of Andy and all that implies. So much to do as an Andy...so little time! Big heads up...y'all need to check out my MySpace site at Andy's MySpace Kinda says it all huh? If you want to download songs or buy the CD...check out ITunes Napster Rhapsody Andy CD Baby Emusic Walmart Search "Andy Tanas" You can also buy it right above this section on the site... We've got a bunch of new dates. Check them out in the "gigs" section or Andy's MySpace
Be patient bcause I know something is about to happen. Could be something big,
not so big, astounding or it could be gas. Who knows? Oh yea, my divorce was final on 6/25 and I've noticed Teresa being sweeter than usual. Is this a hint of things to come?
I got an email a while back from David Dawson in Australia about the passing of Chris
Gaffney from The Hacienda Brothers on 4/17. I've mentioned on here about how amazing Chris and the band was. This hits me hard because I just co-headlined with them back in October in Wisconsin. Chris and I sat and talked until about four in the morning about everything from his stint in Vietnam to Dave Alvin to life in OC. We hit it off and stayed in touch by email and MySpace a little here and there. He was going to put in a good word for me with this agent at Mongrel Music in CA. He was so complimentary on my voice and acoustic playing and tone. It means so much when it comes from a trusted source. God, he was amazing and a true purist at what he did. I was mesmerized by him and the band that night.
He was at The Old Town School of Folk the next night and I was doing a
workshop there. We talked again briefly and he was still flattering me. I told him that I wanted to make an effort to stay in touch with him.
Such a shame too because there's just not that many people in the biz you want to get close to.
Many thoughts and prayers to him and his family.
Chris Gaffney Obituary
I'm making a very concerted effort to update the site more often, but betwen writing the book, working on new songs for the upcoming CD, spending time with my Teresa and being an Andy, there just hasn't been enough time. Ok, that's a lousy excuse, but it's the only one I have. Actually, I love spending time with Teresa more than updating websites, but she's a great priority for the obvious reasons. I had the honor of playing at my Crossway Church recently and had a great time. I've been doing a little gigging at Pearl's Oyster House and Taylor
Grocery, but nothing like last year. I am getting some emails about other dates
so keep checking back.
I'm gonna get back to life as an Andy. God bless ya and see y'all soon. Andy
From The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN - September, 1997
“Andy Tanas, in dyed blond hair and the remnants of eye makeup, sat in his hotel room on a 1984 night. A member of Krokus, he'd been on stage sweating in a pair of tight leather pants while playing heavy metal on his bass.
“I'm playing these old Carl Perkins songs like Boppin' the Blues” he said. “And I look in the mirror across from the bed and I'm thinking “Who is this guy sitting here?'”
What do you do when you're raised in a musical Mecca like Memphis where the best music has always come from mixing one style of music to another? Memphis has always rebelled against conventional ideas when it comes to art. So here's a guy that loves Don Gibson and Johnny Cash as much as The Who and Humble Pie. You know what…it just might work!
For Andy, "Songs From The New South" came from an idea going back to the mid seventies that Country music could be executed with a hard-edged classic/hard rock feel.
Two EP's, a few bands and tons of demos later Andy had a song on Hayden's Ferry's "Jukebox Cantina" compilation called You Gotta Love Her. It received some good reviews and a little airplay. He started noticing that Nashville was trying to do the same thing by mixing rock and country but a much more watered down version. Having roots in both worlds this inspired SFTNS to start production in June of 1998. It was finished four years to the day in 2002. You'll find the subject matter more diverse. The production more in your face and the sonic quality transparent and honest. Kind of like the early Pretenders records.
What you're about to hear is a very unique and different addition to neo-rockin country. It has a Memphis sensibility, an apart from Nashville approach and more curves than a World Series game.
I am so blessed when you look at the people who worked on it with me. Like Cody Dickinson of The North Mississippi All Stars, Robert Barnett from Big Ass Truck, founding member of Bonepony, Bryan Ward and Gretchen Priest of Ceili Rain.
Valli Kugler, Miss Tennessee 2002, Polish children's book writer Lilliana and my own step-daughter Rachel Sherman sang back-up vocals. Kyle Jones, who has toured with Sting. played djimbe. Local Memphis legend Roy Brewer played some amazing fiddle. Pedal steel player Bruce Wandmayer has worked with Vince Gill, Charlie Daniels, Pam Tillis, Kathy Mattea, Foster and Lloyd, Graham Nash & the Bellamy Brothers.
Then toss in co-production and engineering from Voytek Kochanek who's worked with Ozzy, Steve Vai, Peter Frampton and The Tractors and you've got more sonic blasts than a missile training site. All in all it's pure cross-genre heaven. But don't take my word for it. You decide for yourself.
