23 February 2016

Any Anxiety?



I'm going to blame this mess on my friend Jonder. We're always passing music back & forth as we have similar likes & both are always on the look-out for something good. He was sharing some Little Axe live sets with me & another friend had recently asked me about Jeb Loy Nichols. Knowing the J & Ø mutual love of all things On-U Sound, I shared Long Time Traveller with Jonder.

He wrote back & said: "Thanks again for Jeb Loy Nichols.  He has an interesting story that weaves in and out of On U history, just like Little Annie (Anxiety) Bandez.  Either one of them would make a good topic for your blog (hint), but I'm not the man to write them!"

Well, Jeb Loy surely is an interesting character but much of his music is in the 'folk' vein. I am not an educated follower of that particular genre, so doubted that I was "the man to write" it, either. I do have a fondness in my soul for all things Little Annie (it might stem from youthful pilfering of a friend's older brother's Playboys & Little Annie Fanny, who knows). So I thought I liked Jonder's idea & might tackle the project. Well, what I had got myself into was more than I had imagined (if I were the man). I’m blaming it on Jonder...yeah, that's the ticket.



Little Annie Anxiety Bandez has been at this musick thing since the late 70s when she first took the stage as an under-age (16) teenager at Max's Kansas City, fronting her atonal, savage dance-rhythmed band Annie & the Asexuals. If you want to find out the true story, Annie has chronicled it in her book, You Can't Sing the Blues While Drinking Milk. I rather just let her music speak for itself, which is a gargantuan undertaking in itself. So without further bullshit, let's hit it…

As I already stated, Annie's musical career started with Annie & the Asexuals. Here's a track of theirs from Here We Go, Sterile SR08, release date 1985 (this is a benefit album for the UK Miners' Strike - also appearing on the album are Bourbonese Qualk, Nocturnal Emissions, The Hafler Trio, & Lustmord).



After meeting Steve Ignorant from the band Crass, Annie visited the UK for two weeks that turned into more than ten years. She began working with Penny Rimbaud & Crass, touring extensively as a solo artist & in collaboration with other musicians. Here, with Penny Rimbaud, is a single from Crass Records, ahead of its time for a bunch of punks in 1981. Annie Anxiety does eerie vocals & spoken word over various background noise / broken tape loops.


Annie Anxiety – Barbed Wire Halo 7”, Crass 321984/3, 1981.

Side A –

Side B –


After some time in London, Annie went on team up with Adrian Sherwood at On-U Sound to become their premiere multi-media artist & post-modern cabaret queen, including the recording of three solo LPs Soul Possession, Short & Sweet, & Jackamo & many singles & remixes.

Soul Possession features On-U Sound members as well as artists from Crass with whom Annie toured. It was produced by Adrian Sherwood. This record was never released on On-U Sound. Although all copies have the On-U number ON-U LP29 on the back of the sleeve it is clearly officially only a Corpus Christi release.

Soul Possession: Annie Anxiety – vocals; Martin Frederix – guitar; Kishi Yamamoto - Prophet piano, Chinese harp, & drums; Derek Birkett – bass; Adrian ‘Prisoner’ Sherwood – drums; Penny Rimbaud – drums; Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah – percussion with
Eve Libertine -  additional vocals.


Annie Anxiety - Soul Possession, Corpus Christi Christ It's 10, 1984.
all decryption codes in comments

Side One –

Closet Love 
Third Gear
Turkey Girl
Burnt Offering

Side Two –

To Know Evil
Sad Shadows
Viet Not Mine, El Salvador Yours
Waiting for the Fun


The album Jackamo was initially intended to be titled Giacomo & possibly before that My Life in the Shed Out Back. As an On-U Sound release, it never materialized. The tracks were produced & mixed by Adrian Sherwood & Kishi Yamamoto. The CD contains two tracks not on the LP ("Down by the Station" & "Rise (Dub)"). In 1996 the German label Echo Beach re-issued it as the Echo Beach Serious Classics (Echo Beach EB003) in a metal box with three new remixes which are added as bonus tracks here.

Jackamo is: Annie Anxiety – vocals & sound effects; Martin Frederix – guitar; Kishi Yamamoto - keyboards, rhythm tracks, & sounds; Ian Hill – accordion & piano; Doug Wimbish – bass; & Bonjo Lyabinghi Noah – percussion with Skip McDonald doing the remixing.


Annie Anxiety Bandez – Jackamo, One Little Indian TPLP 4, 1987.

Tracklist –

As I Lie In Your Arms
Bastinado
Chasing the Dragon down Broadway
Jackamo
Jack Yo Mama
One Mourning (for Marvin Gaye)
Rise
Hier Encore

CD bonus tracks (TPLP4CD) –

Down by the Station
Rise (Dub)

Echo Beach remix tracks (Echo Beach EB003)

Hier Encore (96 remix)
Rise Dub (96 remix)
As I Lie in Your Arms (96 remix)


Short & Sweet was produced by Adrian Sherwood. It features: Annie Anxiety – vocals; David Harrow – programming; Skip McDonald – guitar; Doug Wimbish – bass; & Somay Akpan – percussion.


Little Annie - Short & Sweet, On-U Sound ON-ULP60, 1992.

Side One –

Watch the World Go Bye
Bless Those (Little Annie's Prayer)
Going for Gold
I Think of You
I Think of You Dub

Side Two –

Give it to Me
You, the Night, & the Music
Little Man
Prisoner of Paradise
Everything & More

bonus track 1 – If Cain Were Able (ON-U CD16/dl only)

bonus track 2 - Watch the World Go Bye in Dub (from Short, Sweet, & Dread, Restless 72797, 1995)


In Dread with Little Annie EP was produced by Little Annie, Richard Norris, Dave Curtis, & Keith LeBlanc. Tracks were mixed by Adrian Sherwood & Skip McDonald. 


Little Annie - In Dread with Little Annie (Four Pieces of Heart at 33rpm)
On-U Sound ON-UDP30, 1994.

Side A -

10 Killer Hurtz More (remix)
Miss the Light

Side B –

This Town
Le Manger Hereux


Here are some individual tracks with Annie & other members of the On-U family.

I featured The Missing Brazilians – Warzone on NSS previously. It was recorded at the same time as Soul Possession. The Missing Brazillians was a one-off album project led by Adrian Sherwood (listed as The Prisoner). Annie was mistakenly identified as Annia Anxiety.


Missing Brazilians – Warzone, On-U Sound ON-ULP34, 1984.



Keith LeBlanc is a key part of the On-U Soundsystem, Fats Comet, Tackhead & Dub Syndicate. He has performed on numerous Annie releases.


Keith LeBlanc - Stranger Than Fiction, Nettwerk W2-30032, 1989.



Pay it All Back is an ongoing series of releases from the On-U Sound label, collecting various artists from the roster, often with exclusive tracks (like this one).


Various - Pay It All Back Vol. 5, On-U Sound 0075, 1995.



During this same time period, Little Annie Anxiety Bandez was a much sought-after artist who also recorded with The Wolfgang Press, Current 93, Coil, Nurse With Wound, Finitribe, & Collapsed Lung (to name but a few).

"The Mystical Body" was originally released in 1984. Annie is listed as being a member of Current 93, however, her voice is only audible on these tracks. At this time, she was performing with both Current 93 & Nurse With Wound, but her vocals are not audible on any (official) Nurse With Wound release.


Current 93 - Nature Unveiled, LAYLAH LAY4, 1984.




Side b of Gyllensköld, Geijerstam & Friends - Live at Bar Maldoror was later included on the Nurse With Wound CD release of the same name, however, side b, where Annie can clearly be heard, is not included on the CD issue.

Personnel listed (on both releases) are: Steven Stapleton; Ruby Wallis; John Balance; Annie Anxiety; Chris Wallis; David Tibet; Diana Rogerson; Knori; & Tim o' the violin.



Gyllensköld, Geijerstam & Friends - Live at Bar Maldoror, Mi Mort 3, 1985.



Devastate to Liberate was originally released by David Tibet's Yangki label, later issued on cassette by Steven Stapleton's United Dairies label. Annie is one of a dozen artists & bands featured on the compilation.


Various – Devastate to Liberate, Yangki YANGKI1, 1985.




On these songs, Annie Teams up with Finitribe. The avowed vegetarian terrorists band Finitribe formed in the early 80s. Members included Chris Connelly, David Miller, Philip Pinsky, Simon McGlynn, Thomas McGregor, & John Vick although membership went through many changes until by 1989 the group was down to a trio of David Miller, Philip Pinsky, & John Vick. Annie lends vox.



Finitribe - Noise, Lust & Fun, One Little Indian TPLP 21 CD, 1989.

07 - Fluke



Sleazy Listening features the song "Waltzer", an Annie tune taken from an earlier Finitribe recording session. By the time of its release, Finitribe was only David Miller & Philip Pinsky.

Finitribe - Sleazy Listening, Infectious Records INFECT43LP, 1998.

Side A – 05 - Waltzer



Annie performs on two linked songs on The Wolfgang Press release Queer.

The Wolfgang Press – Queer, 4AD CAD1011, 1991.




Coil’s Love's Secret Domain was originally released by Torso in Europe & WaxTrax! in North America. Both editions were long out of print, but Torso re-issued it in 2013. Annie appears on track 3.

 
Coil - Love's Secret Domain, Wax Trax! Records WAXCD7143, 1991.




Collapsed Lung enlisted Annie for their pop/rap release Jackpot Goalie. Collapsed Lung were: Jim Burke, Steve Harcourt, Anthony Chapman, & Jonny Dawe. Anthony Chapman now records as DJ Scissorkicks. The other three are in the band Junior Blanks.

Collapsed Lung - Jackpot Goalie, Deceptive Records BLUFF015, 1995.




At this time various tracks by various variations of Annie's nom de musique appeared on various compilations

F/Ear This (A Collection of Unheard Music, Unwritten Words, & Unseen Images Inspired by Fear) is a compilation arranged by music journalist & magazine editor Marco Pandin, who now operates Stella Nera out of Italy. Stella Nera is an autonomous anarchistic record label which has existed under different guises since the early 80s. Earlier incarnations included Rockgarage Records (which evolved out of the Italian fanzine by the same name that Marco wrote for & edited), Catfood Press, P.E.A.C.E., Divergo, & art as hammer until Pandin settled with Stella Nera in the 2000s.

"It Was July" features Annie – lyrics & vocals with Cecilia Dobner on piano.

Various - F/Ear This, P.E.A.C.E. Cat. No 4/5, 1987



Interiors is a collection of tracks from John Everall's Sentrax label. It includes contributions by Panasonic's Mika Vainio, Drew McDowell's Screwtape, Mick Harris, & Coil's ELpH as well as this spoken word track that was later expanded (with music added) for the CoH - Vox Tinnitus release (which I’m posting next).

Various – Interiors, Invisible INV7001, 1998.




CoH (pronounced "son") is the musical project of Russian electronic musical artist Ivan Pavlov. As well as Annie, Peter Christopherson of Coil appears on this release.

CoH - Vox Tinnitus 2 x 7" 45s, Raster-Noton Raster-Static STATIC1, 1999.




After about 1995, Annie took a hiatus from music to teach herself painting. She put in long hours learning her Art. Her primary musical efforts during this period usually involved her friend Kid Congo Powers.

Kid Congo Powers formed a new project The Legally Jammin' with Christian Jendrieko & Khan Oral. The 2003 album The Legally Jammin' was voted by Mojo #1 Dance Album of the Year.


Side A –
Bleach
Take it from Me
Samsara
2nd Avenue Blues

Side B –
Backtrack Jack
No Angels
Well?
Chicken Delight

& then there was the remixed.


Side A –
Bleach (Illegally Club mixed)

Side B –
Bleach (Illegally Rock mixed)
Blacktrack Jack (Illegally Cramp mixed)


Kid Congo Powers & the Pink Monkey Birds – Philosophy & Underwear,
Trans Solar SOL029LP, 2005.

Side B – 02 – The Weather The War



It was during this same period that Annie met the late actor Bill Rice. The two became close friends & appeared together many times in numerous plays & theater pieces at Café La MaMa's, PS 122 & Dixon Place (doing works by writer, performer, & choreographer George Stamos, playwrights Charles Alcroft & (the late…d. 2010) Jim Neu whose play Alone Together was the couples last play together as Bill passed a few month after the end of its run in January 2007.

By 2006, Annie returned to music renewed, featuring a more chanson-centric piano / string section style.

"Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future."  Oscar Wilde 1854-1900

Her first released came about with the help of Antony Hegarty (of Antony & the Johnsons fame).

Little Annie – Songs from the Coal Mine Canary, Durtro DURTRO/JNANA1967, 2006.

Tracklist –

Freddy & Me
Derma
Lullaby
The Good Ship Nasty Queen
Absynthtee-ism
If I Were a Man
Diamonds Made of Glassine
Strange Love
Sit on Down
End is Near



Much of  her recent work has primarily found her teamed with pianist Paul Wallfisch (of the band Botanica) releasing 2008s When Good Things Happen to Bad Pianos covers album & 2010s Genderful. In 2013 Little Annie teamed up with Baby Dee, a renowned performance artist & musician hirself. Annie's latest, titled Trace ( with Ryan Driver, Opal/ Onyx, & Paul Wallfisch) has been pre-released in download format for the supporters of her Pledge campaign. The release date is imminent. Since all these releases are readily available & currently purchasable, I will only showcase a few select tracks.

Little Annie & Paul Wallfisch - When Good Things Happen to Bad Pianos,
Durtro/Jnana 1966, 2008.



Little Annie & Paul Wallfisch – Genderful, Southern Records 28160, 2010.



Little Annie & Baby Dee – State of Grace, Tin Angel Records TAR033LP, 2012




Here is a live version of  "Dear John" from the upcoming Trace. Recorded live at Dortmund November 2, 2013.


Little Annie – Dear John



Following are a variety of songs revealing just a few more of the myriad faces/phases of Miss Little Annie, chanteuse.

Little Annie - Diamonds Made of Glass 12" EP, Streamline STREAMLINE1021, 2001.
(with cover art by Annie)




Blue Light Fever is the musical project of UK-based electronic musician Matt Preston.

Blue Light Fever – Blue Light Fever, S:alt Records SALTCD007, 2002.

03 - Toytown



These 3xCD sets were given to all audience members (500) at the three day Brainwaves Festival in November, 2006 (the 10th annual). There is no printing on the packaging whatsoever. The cover was intended for autographs. The sleeve is blank without any tracklisting or other details printed on it.

Various – Brainwaves, Brainwashed Recordings BRAIN012, 2006.




Here Annie fronts the band Larsen.

Larsen - La Fever Lit, Important Records IMPREC221, 2008

06 - Flower
08 - T-Song



As the title so apply relates, this CD is made up of interpretations of Scott Walker tunes inspired by the must-see flick 30 Century Man.

Various – Scott Walker - 30 Century Man (Music Inspired by the Film)
Lakeshore Records LKS339672, 2009.



Little Annie & Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo – Blue Xmas EP
Tourette Records tourette028, 2011. 
(another cover art by Annie Bandez)

Side B – 01 – Blue Moon




& ending up back at On-U Sound.

Various – Trevor Jackson Presents: Science Fiction Dancehall Classics 3xLP,
On-U Sound ONULP129. 2015.




… one last item, a live version of Lullaby recorded February 3, 2007 at Museo Serralves, Portugal. Take the time to listen to Annie's rambling intro, it is very revealing.


Enjiety,




30 comments:

  1. You did it! Brilliant! You might have noticed that a couple of those live Little Axe shows feature versions of "Bless Those".

    The overlap between Crass and On-U is fascinating. Little Annie, Flux of Pink Indians, Tackhead live in 1986:

    http://killyourpetpuppy.co.uk/news/flux-annie-anxiety-tackhead-sound-system-dv-ar-kane-u-l-u-281186/

    I wonder if the Warzone LP is named after the anarcho-punk Warzone Centre in Belfast:

    http://www.uncarved.org/music/apunk/autcent.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It would never have if not for you. Thanks for the really interesting links. Don't have a clue about the Warzone/Missing Braz thing...plenty of Warzones all over the world.

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    2. True enough! The linked article says that Warzone in Belfast had "a 16 track recording studio, a rehearsal room for bands, a vegetarian cafe, an art workshop, a bookshop, a meeting hall and a venue for gigs which has a capacity of about 200" and hosted shows by Crass, Conflict, Flux, the Mob, Coil, etc. Annie Anxiety brought Wattie from the Exploited to the Warzone Autonomy Center to show him that, "according to her, we can all get along with each other and fight the struggle in harmonious relations" -- a noble idea quickly belied by the "Crass Clone Society" members who jumped Wattie in the toilets.

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  2. amazing post, thanks so much.

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  3. Thanx for an amazing post on a very versatile talent. Any chance of posting Keith LeBlanc's albums in the future?

    ReplyDelete
  4. The decryption link of the "self-titled" is the same with the "Jackamo". Can you please check. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Sorry about that. It was late & my mind was mightily fried. Fixed now.

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  5. Thanks. Same key for jackamo and self titled.

    ReplyDelete
  6. New MEGA decryption codes
    Soul Possession
    rWyivoKntAtKGtTY02TMn8xAX07vHbU6qwlIo9kw-PM
    Jackamo
    2ry1TW4PkgV6v7yW_gwcSuLaS95iiX4rqT4S1GBrMtQ
    Short & Sweet
    2XzoVAAE-ovyY2X2OsQWFTPG4h_atB4ZuuMC6MBDeaE
    In Dread
    Hgz2i5xTdBjTIpRiWa6JvLk8HTVnPEg7d7BRAL-iAlU
    Self-titled
    CzUPeudb7tm1EIYyLCDob0A4BhVlPMOrYrnHRgn6wWw
    Mixed Up
    e_XhvtmjoZVyjl6HmFWTBj4sy6wu3MVhUyhYYGfKROk
    Coal Mine
    gYVaRtdGuTOnAPVwBJxBroyVjUesPWYo_uDMp57U4fw

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  7. Somehow Annie never caught my attention at the time. With such a comprehensive and positive posting, I can no longer ignore her. I look forward at long last to hearing her music, Many thanks!

    -Brian

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  8. Thanks for pulling all these scattered tracks together. Much appreciated.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment. Although I tried to be relatively thorough, there are still glaring gaps in the above narrative. Little Annie is certainly a deep spirit.

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  9. Major! Pleased to see the missing links of Little Annie. Thanks.

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    Replies
    1. My pleasure. & special props for the Java Java. Most appreciated

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  10. Thanks for this. Much of her stuff is out of print and hard to find. My OCD compels me to point out a few glitches- Sugarbowl is truncated, just like the Brainwashed teaser. Lefrak City Limits is a different (presumably Larsen) song. And the Heeman mix of Diamonds seems wrong- muddy and not like the (truncated unfortunately) version Brainwashed had on their site.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous OCD,

      Thanks for your input. The version of "Sugarbowl" that I have is no good so I eliminated that release until I get a better rip. I posted a live version of "Lefrak City Limits" (the one I rpped was from Larsen's La Fever Lit) from a Cologne show. I re-ripped "Diamonds Made of Glass" (hope it doesn't seem muddy). Let me know.

      Delete
  11. OCD back. Thanks for the re-rip. That one sounds like the snippet I had- nice to have the whole thing. For reference, there is a version of Lefrak on youtube that says it's from La Fever Lit here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcz717ha6u0
    I came across another video that identifies the brainwaves track as 'Sister Stelazine's Lament'
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neDMmg4buwk

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  12. Great post, many thanks. I loved Collapsed Lung back in the day- strange that Jim Burke is now cabaret turn Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer. He's actually pretty good. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._B_The_Gentleman_Rhymer

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  13. thanks for posting all this AnnieAnxiety stuff! I lost my copy of Jackamo years ago so now I can play it repeatedly again. And so much of her back catalogue to explore. I'm just discovering your blog...so maybe I'll see more African Head Charge and Simon Fisher turner stuff too. Thanks again!!

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  14. Great blog. I love Annie's work but this is a chance to hear much more of it. Could you possibly repost the key for Little Annie & the Legally Jammin'? Thank you, David

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    Replies
    1. In my 2/24/16 comment entitled New MEGA decryption codes, under Mixed Up is the decryption code for the Legal Jammin' 12" Ep

      e_XhvtmjoZVyjl6HmFWTBj4sy6wu3MVhUyhYYGfKROk

      Thanks for the comment. We love Annie!

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    2. Well, just call me "Late to My Own Funeral". Although The Lion of Judah Hath Prevaled & all the great mixes (Adrian, Little Axe, Congo Natty, et. al) gets regularly spun here at the Casa de Nada, I just didn't make the connection. Thank you so much for the musick you make & your intersetin this humble blog.

      Guess I shoulda checked your profile sooner, duh.

      Delete
  15. great job as always-

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  16. Greeting NØ your brilliant Sherwood mix post bring me back in memory one of the album call =Justice League Of Zion (Feat.Bim Sherman) ...is any chance to post it?...On-U-Sound is another great Dub school-a must for any for any fans.
    By the way all d best bro....and thanks for keeping high the dub vibes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you look here for my response. Keep on Dubbin'

      The Justice League of Zion - Discoverers, Century Records CENTURY1900CD, 1993.

      Many Sharks in the Harbour
      Sharks (Dub)
      Power of Confusion
      Confusion (Dub)
      Beyond the Barrier
      Barrier (Dub)
      Hallelujah
      Hallelujah (Dub)
      Fight for Survival
      Survival (Dub)
      Madness
      Madness (Dub)
      Troubled Waters
      Troubled (Dub)
      Panic
      Panic (Dub)
      The Key to the Door
      Winey Winey (adapted)
      Winey (Dub)

      https://mega.nz/file/39lwWApJ#CqhUibQBP7HpaNdbokY1FK61Ir4ts26rDCHT31pufe0

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    2. NØ whaaah you made my evening on my night shift ,where im sitting alone ,no one around to border....now imagine the rest....I ve lost that album probably in the same vallet during my early 2000 tuesday evening sound system mix.... Sincerely grateful to you bro....Stay blessed bro.

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    3. Always glad to share anything that I have, especially with you, brother. Fresh reggae/Dub for the night shift, all right.

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