Premiere: The Enchanting Allure of Dani Bell & The Tarantist's "The End"

The dictionary defines “tarantist” as a mania characterized by the uncontrollable impulse to dance, and though I’m sure so many writers have begun their reviews of Dani Bell and The Tarantist with this little nugget, it’s worth repeating as one dives into this band’s intoxicating music. Enchanting and provocative, the band’s new song “The End” pulses with haunting sitar work and the desire for emotional and physical release.

Catching flies upon the wall
Mirrored eyes they seem to follow
My every move every move towards you
Reaching arms they grab for all
The only man who wants to fall
Is a hanging man
Who wants to know the truth

Stream: “The End” – Dani Bell & The Tarantist

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Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “The End,” the latest single off from Dani Bell and The Tarantist’s upcoming sophomore album, Wide Eyed (out January 18, 2019 via The Redwoods Music). The San Diego rock band consisting of Dani Bell, lyricist and percussionist Alfred Howard, guitarist Austin Burns, keyboardist Ian Owen, bassist Aaron Hook and drummer Dylan Joans, Dani Bell and the Tarantist deliver an eclectic ecstasy of rock in an era that needs it badly.

Tarantism, per the band, was “a phenomenon during the Italian Renaissance of psychological hysteria attributed to the bite of a tarantula spider. Those bitten would experience a short period of extreme apathy, followed by prolonged bout of unrestrained dancing ecstasy, which would temporarily remit the illness. A tarantist is any person given to this compulsive dancing in the presence of live music.”

With its arresting melodies and introspective lyrics, “The End” faithfully captures the band’s dedication to making music that moves us. Howard and Bell prove themselves an exceptional lyricist/musician pairing in a song that guides listeners through troubled minds, toward calmer pastures.

Wide Eyed - Dani Bell and The Tarantist — Wide Eyed – Dani Bell and The Tarantist

And I wish that
This would end
And I wish you well
I’d make amends
And I’m trying to ignore
How you condescend
And I wish that
This would end

In addition to Bell’s arresting vocals, it’s the sitar that reigns supreme on this song. “While visiting Al Howard (lyricist) one day I heard his roommate, Tim McNalley, practicing sitar, and promptly asked if he would play on the track,” Bell tells Atwood Magazine.

Who ever heard of a rock song containing both a sitar base and an electric guitar solo? “The End” is truly something special on a record that promises to challenge, entice, and enthrall its listeners. Stream Dani Bell and The Tarantist’s new single exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and stay tuned for more from the Southern California rockers as they prepare to release Wide Eyed on January 18!

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