With the release of Little Black Dress and Other Stories in 2006, Anny Celsi evoked comparisons to artists like Aimee Mann, Lucinda Williams, Suzanne Vega and Jackie DeShannon – all songwriters distinguished by a literary voice that is every bit as vital to the listener as her singing voice. Little Black Dress established Anny internationally as an artist worthy of a second listen. That second listen arrived in 2010 with the release of Tangle-Free World, produced by Nelson Bragg, whose regular gig is percussionist/vocalist for The Brian Wilson Band (he appears on Brian’s Smile and That Lucky Old Sun albums). Power-pop fans will also know Nelson from his work with Stew/The Negro Problem, The Now People, The Quarter After, The Red Button and more.
Continuing in the pop-noir vein of Little Black Dress, Tangle-Free World retains Anny's unique "beatnik cool" feel while expanding her musical landscape, with influences ranging from Jimmy Webb and Lee Hazlewood to The Byrds, Dusty Springfield and Burt Bacharach. Musical contributors include 60’s chanteuse Evie Sands, Phil Parlapiano (John Prine, Rod Stewart), Carl Byron (Michelle Shocked, Jim Lauderdale), the late Amy Farris (Peter Case, Kelly Willis, Dave Alvin), and members of The Brian Wilson Band.
Intimate and incisive, blending Brill Building hooks with a storyteller’s eye for detail, Anny’s live shows bring wit, soul and energy to the traditionally mellow singer/songwriter format. In three self-promoted tours of Europe, she has established a loyal following, headlining a “rolling thunder revue” that has showcased many of the U.K’s best-loved songwriters, including Daniel Wylie, Duncan Maitland and Paul Steel. She has appeared at Austin’s SxSW Music Festival, International Pop Overthrow (Los Angeles), NxNW Music Festival and The Bite of Portland, New Orleans’ LMNOP Festival and Utah’s Groovefest. In 2004 she shared the stage with the late Duane Jarvis at The Blue Highways Festival in Utrecht, Holland. She has opened shows for Steve Forbert, Tish Hinojosa, Stephen Bruton and Amy Rigby.
Anny’s song ‘Twas Her Hunger Brought Me Down, based on the Theodore Dreiser novel Sister Carrie, was selected for inclusion on "Chapter One: Songs Inspired by Literature," a compilation CD which also featured tracks by Aimee Mann, Suzanne Vega and Bruce Springsteen. It was also covered by Sugarhill recording artist Grey Delisle on her album Homewrecker. Last year, Anny’s song Now You Can Hurt Me was picked up by Tyler Perry for his film Why Did I Get Married Too?
In 2004, Anny was nominated for an L.A. Weekly Music Award for Best Rock/Pop Songwriter/Composer, along with Kristen Hirsch, Joe Henry and Grant Lee Phillips. Little Black Dress landed on ‘best-of’ lists at WXXE (Syracuse, NY), KTRU (Houston), LA Weekly and Entertainment Today, and Tangle-Free World was singled out by the legendary Al Kooper in his ‘Cream of the Crop’ listing in the Boston Herald.