Gadfly Records is proud to announce the release of "The Goodbyes Have All Been Taken. Hello," the new release Deanna Varagona. Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Deanna Varagona cuts a wide swath with this collection that ranges from folk to twang, and she shines on each track.


Deanna Varagona has put in years as a member of Nashville's eclectic orchestra, Lambchop, the sweet country swing of Paul Burch & the WPA Ballclub, and the sidekick siren of Chris Mills.  She has been seen sitting in on Baritone Sax or sweet harmonies with the likes of  Yo La Tengo, John Wesley Harding, Neutral Milk Hotel and the Silos.

Deanna creates a sparse yet dynamic backdrop to highlight her poetic lyrics reminiscent of early Etta James passion and Bessie Smith's wiles.  She lays her southern soul bare with a passion born in the Appalachian Mountains but bred in a world of a punk rock youth.  From the school of Hazel Dickens, The Replacements and Bob Dylan, she tells a tale sometimes strewn with imagery, sometimes naked, with a voice both powerful and sweet.

On her debut 7" released on Star Star Stereo Recordings, she collaborates with Griffin Rodriguez (Bablicon). The pair tackle the nine instruments in Griffin's dad's basement and bring us a glimpse of the musician's work shed. The B-side, "Secrets For Dusty," finds Deanna alone with her acoustic in a haunting blues that grapples with a secret too hard to keep hidden.

On "Tangled Messages," her first full-length CD, Deanna serves up what CMJ calls "an intimate and sweetly Southern-fried debut solo effort." From the sadly sweet "Goodbye Kiss" (a mandolin-tinged duet with Chris Mills), to the haunting "Take My Shovel," she brandishes both her instrumental acumen--playing seven different instruments on the album--and her emotive vocals, which lean toward the subtle, rather than the showy. With a little help from Charles Kim (Pinetop Seven), Julian Koster (Neutral Milk Hotel) and others, Deanna fashions an album that is at once moving, intricate, and sincere.  Deanna currently resides in Chicago and has performed to enthusiastic crowds at SXSW, NXNE and has shared bills with Vic Chestnut, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Richard Buckner, The Lonesome Organist and others. She hopes to have her follow-up to "Tangled Messages" out of the gate by mid-2002.