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Anny Celsi: Bio

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 PhillipsLittle 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.

Past Gigs

EUROPEAN TOUR – Feb/March 2011
with Nelson Bragg

The Stables, Boskoop, NL
with Roland Wolff

Tavern de Waag,  Haarlem, NL
with Roland Wolff

Hasenschaukel, Hamburg, DE
with Roland Wolff

Mojo Soulfood Café, Osnabrück, DE
with Roland Wolff

Vestzaktheater – Enschede, NL
with Roland Wolff

Chapter One, Cavan, IE
with Duncan Maitland & The Wags

Harrison’s, Dundalk, IE
with Duncan Maitland

The Cherry Tree, Dublin, IE
with Duncan Maitland

The Bay, Glasgow, UK

with Duncan Maitland, The Wellgreen & Neil Sturgeon

Argyll Hotel, Ullapool, UK

Musicker Café, Rothesay, Bute, UK

The Robin Hood Pub, Nottingham, UK

with Richard Snow

The Beehive, Swindon, UK
with Duncan Maitland

The Horse & Groom, Brighton, UK
with Duncan Maitland

Terrace Cred House Concerts, Brighton, UK
with Duncan Maitland

The Jenny Lind Inn, Hastings, UK
with Duncan Maitland

The Green Note, London, UK

with Duncan Maitland

EUROPEAN TOUR – April 2010
with Nelson Bragg

Q-Bus, Leiden, NL
with Roland Wolff
also: Steve Noonan

Toogenblik, Haren/Brussels, BE
with Roland Wolff

Vestzaktheater, Enschede, NL
with Roland Wolff

What’s Cookin’ at The Sheep’s Walk – Leytonstone, London, England
also: Viper Central

The Jenny Lind Inn, Hastings, East Sussex, England

U.K. TOUR - JULY 2009
with Nelson Bragg

The Cluny, Newcastle
with The Fast Camels

 
The 13th Note, Glasgow
With Daniel Wylie & the Wellgreen

Studio 2 at Parr street, Liverpool
With  Richard Snow & Night Parade

The Musician Pub, Leicester
With Richard Snow & The Inlaws


The Robin Hood Pub, Sherwood, Nottingham

With Richard Snow & The Inlaws

 
The Beehive, Swindon
With Nico Wouters

 
The Jenny Lind Inn, Hastings, East Sussex
With Lol Brunning

The Hanbury Club, Brighton
With The
Brighton Beach Boys & Paul Steel

The Luminaire, London
With Paul Steel & The See See

Bar Babaloo, Puerto de Sa
nta Maria, Spain

VARIOUS GREAT SHOWS:

the crystal corner, madison, wi
with steve forbert

the beatnik cafe, joshua tree, ca
with amy rigby

the cactus cafe, austin, tx
with duane jarvis & stephen bruton

anderson fair, houston, tx
with tish hinojosa

McCabe's, santa monica, ca
with tish hinojosa

the lizard lounge, cambridge, ma
with peter mulvey

The coffee Gallery, Altadena, ca
with Claudia Russell

Desert Nights at The Standard, Hollywood, CA
with nelson bragg & marc carroll

FESTIVALS:

sxsw music festival, austin, tx
nxnw music festival, portland, or
the bite of oregon, portland, or
lmnop festival, new orleans, la
groovefest, cedar city, ut

LOS ANGELES VENUES:

The grand ole Echo
Spaceland
the cinema bar
Kulak's woodshed
club lingerie
brennan's
old towne pub

pappy & Harriet's pioneertown palace, pioneertown, ca