Aaron Tanner

American musician and writer

Aaron Tanner

Born| 1976 (age 48–49)

Evansville, Indiana, United States

Known for| Graphic design
Notable work| see Bibliography
Website| www.aarontanner.com

Aaron Tanner is an American graphic designer, author, archivist, and musician who creates coffee table books on underground bands and artists.[1][2][3]

## Career

[edit]

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.[4]

While creating a book for Pixies in 2014, he realized that there are artists and bands whose works remained unpublished.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,"[5] and began archiving materials and publishing visual histories featuring rare and unseen photos, artwork and other items.[1][2][6] Since then, he has produced books on the following bands: The Residents, Butthole Surfers, Ministry, Face to Face, and Cardiacs.[3][7]

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.[8][9] Since then, Tanner has founded the noise rock group Off-Ox[10] and has recorded music with Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran),[11] Rob Crow (Pinback),[11] Roy Mayorga (Ministry),[11] and Zach Hill[12] and Spencer Seim (Hella).[13]

## Achievements

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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.[1] Butthole Surfers: What Does Regret Mean? was named LA Weekly’s Book of the Month in 2019.[14]

## Bibliography

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* Pixies: A Visual History, Volume 1 (Madtempest, 2014)[15]
* Face to Face: 25 Years of SoCal Punk (Melodic Virtue, 2017)[16]
* Butthole Surfers: What Does Regret Mean? (Melodic Virtue, 2019)[17]
* Ministry: Prescripture (Melodic Virtue, 2019)[18]
* Lil Bub: The Earth Years (Melodic Virtue, 2021)[19]
* The Residents: A Sight for Sore Eyes, Vol. 1 (Melodic Virtue, 2022)[20][21]
* The Residents: A Sight for Sore Eyes, Vol. 2 (Melodic Virtue, 2023)[22]
* 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)[23]

## Discography

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See also: Stationary Odyssey § Discography

With Byre

* Here in Dead Lights (May 15, 2018, Joyful Noise Recordings)[13]

With Off-Ox

* Best Best Western (September 2, 2016, Au Fox Records)[10]
* Tender Titan (August 17, 2018, Au Fox Records)[24]

With Star Stunted

* Star Stunted Santa Dog (April 15, 2022, Melodic Virtue)[12]
* Star Stunted II Mahogany Wood (March 8, 2024, Melodic Virtue)[11]

## References

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1. ^ a b c Martin, John (2023-11-06). "Backstage Pass". Evansville Living Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
2. ^ a b Mykals, Kat (2022-11-30). "IN Artist Goes from Freelancer to Publisher of Coffee Table Books". WOMI Owensboro. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
3. ^ a b Shtreis, Irina (2022-02-03). "The Residents: A Sight For Sore Eyes Vol. 1 – book review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
4. ^ Hq, Tvd (2023-06-16). "TVD Radar: The Residents: A Sight for Sore Eyes Vol. 2 visual history book in stores 8/11". The Vinyl District. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
5. ^ Burton-Jernigan, Rayonna (2024-03-06). "Q&A: Local man's publishing company highlights independent rock bands". www.aol.com. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
6. ^ "Butthole Surfers: What Does Regret Mean?: by Aaron Tanner". Spectrum Culture. 2019-03-13. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
7. ^ Saldaña, Hector. "Shocking: Butthole Surfers get a coffee table book". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
8. ^ Weber, Trisha (2012-05-15). "For the Record". Evansville Living Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
9. ^ "Stationary Odyssey split 7" with Pixies project". nuvo.net. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
10. ^ a b "Berserker IV Feature – Off-Ox". hipindetroit.com. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
11. ^ a b c d Mykals, Kat (2024-02-08). "Indiana Man to Co-Release Cover of The Residents' 'Mahogany Wood'". 103GBF. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
12. ^ a b "New 'visual history' book celebrates 50 years of the Residents! Sneak peek and exclusive premiere!". DangerousMinds. 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
13. ^ a b HUNTER, NIKK (2018-11-22). "FOCUS // A history of Rob Crow's many (many) musical projects". Fecking Bahamas. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
14. ^ "Book of the Month: Butthole Surfers: What Does Regret Mean? – LA Weekly". laweekly.com.
15. ^ Harris, Gerrod (2017-12-01). "SPILL BOOKS: AARON TANNER – FACE TO FACE: 25 YEARS OF SOCAL PUNK, THE VISUAL HISTORY". The Spill Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
16. ^ "This punk band turned 25 years of music into a 200-page coffee table book". Orange County Register. 2018-01-03. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
17. ^ "The Quietus | Features | Books | I Am Reality: Butthole Surfers In Coffee Table Book Shocker". The Quietus. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
18. ^ Blabbermouth (2019-10-29). "MINISTRY's AL JOURGENSEN Announces In-Store Signing Of 'Ministry: Prescripture' Alongside Author AARON TANNER". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
19. ^ "Lil BUB: The Earth Years Book and Music Project to Feature Jack Black, El-P, Thurston Moore".
20. ^ "The Residents' New Book Illustrates 50 Years of Art-Rock Weirdness". KQED. 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
21. ^ staff, Treble (2023-06-15). "New The Residents book, A Sight for Sore Eyes Vol. 2 due this summer". Treble. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
22. ^ Illezca, Damian (2023-07-18). "Rockaxis | preparan-libro-de-the-residents—a-sight-for-sore-eyes-vol—2-". Rockaxis. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
23. ^ Ewing, Jerry (2024-10-02). "Fully authorised visual history of Cardiacs to be published". Louder. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
24. ^ Doyle, Abbey. "15 things to do in Evansville area this weekend". Courier & Press. Retrieved 2024-08-25.

## External links

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* Official website
* Rolling Stone: Interview with Gibby Haynes and Aaron Tanner

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