Anders Parker
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Biography
Anders Parker is a modest man who lives in Burlington, Vermont and works as a musician. People who are into American songwriters know him as the frontman of Varnaline. That band enjoyed the support of so many enthusiastic reviews and high-profile fans (most recently Steve Earle, who released the last Varnaline record on his own boutique label ESquared/ Artemis) that it became a widely held consensus that they were underrated. Which was impossible, though not the fault of the listening public, who actually really do have a bit of an ear, sort of.
Parker grew up on an old farm in New York’s Hudson Valley, amid apple orchards, strip malls, and liberal arts colleges, listening to The Beatles, Bob Dylan and ABBA. Later, his interest flowed to R.E.M., The Replacements, Husker Du, The Smiths, etc. … “Anyone who can write a song,” as he once put it, had a fan in Anders Parker. During his twenties, he moved to Portland, OR, bought a four-track and entered the lofty ranks of real-deal troubadours. 1996’s Man of Sin (an Anders Parker solo album released under the name Varnaline) introduced Parker’s knack for new chord structures that feel lived in, and lyrics that delicately illustrate our world’s myriad variations on the sadly beautiful and beautifully sad.
The next year Varnaline became a band, as Anders’ brother John Parker got on board as bassist. Drummer Jud Ehrbar, an old friend of both Parkers, joined on the condition that Anders help out with Ehrbar’s other band, Space Needle. 1997 saw the release of Varnaline’s self-titled sophomore effort, the acclaimed second Space Needle album The Moray Eels Eat the Space Needle and the acoustic Varnaline EP A Shot and a Beer.
Parker grew up on an old farm in New York’s Hudson Valley, amid apple orchards, strip malls, and liberal arts colleges, listening to The Beatles, Bob Dylan and ABBA. Later, his interest flowed to R.E.M., The Replacements, Husker Du, The Smiths, etc. … “Anyone who can write a song,” as he once put it, had a fan in Anders Parker. During his twenties, he moved to Portland, OR, bought a four-track and entered the lofty ranks of real-deal troubadours. 1996’s Man of Sin (an Anders Parker solo album released under the name Varnaline) introduced Parker’s knack for new chord structures that feel lived in, and lyrics that delicately illustrate our world’s myriad variations on the sadly beautiful and beautifully sad.
The next year Varnaline became a band, as Anders’ brother John Parker got on board as bassist. Drummer Jud Ehrbar, an old friend of both Parkers, joined on the condition that Anders help out with Ehrbar’s other band, Space Needle. 1997 saw the release of Varnaline’s self-titled sophomore effort, the acclaimed second Space Needle album The Moray Eels Eat the Space Needle and the acoustic Varnaline EP A Shot and a Beer.
Top Tracks
Top Albums
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Tell It To The Dust
1,864 listeners12 tracks
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Anders Parker
678 listeners12 tracks
Released:
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Cross Latitudes
183 listeners10 tracks
Released:
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Skyscraper Crow
374 listeners20 tracks
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GregCano
Very good singer. And his compositions in the New Multitudes album are amazing and probably the best on the whole thing. Makes me want to check out his music.
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eveldo
The title track off of Tell it to the Dust is very good. Everything else is good...but I don't think he'll do record anything better. Which is fine.
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patrick-knight
Always fantastic.
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dpollard
new s/t is amazing - love it!
