Annie (From Norway)

Xenomania are past it. If Brian Higgins is Trevor Horn, then Gabriela Climi is his Seal.

Gabriella Cilmi's album isn't the usual Xenomania business, but it's a good one and has at least 2 excellent songs.

I'll agree that the latest Xenomania rock-ier direction has been a bit dull, but I think they still have a lot to offer. Well, they better have, considering they're working with the Pet Shop Boys and all that.

To me, the stuff we've heard from Annie so far is more than enough proof that Xenomania are still on top of their game.

everytime the boyfriend puts her on, i ask what it is.

This is retarded. Literally, this could be a perfect summer soundtrack.

I'm seeing suddenly how it could work for Autumn though.

Annie's music has always felt really chilly to me, it has something to do with the flimsiness of her voice. Eye dee kay though, give it to Rachel Stevens and I'd be screaming "put it out now so I can have it in August!" and her voice is almost as flimsy as Annie's so it could very well be just my association of Annie with Scandinavia in general.

Xenomania are past it. If Brian Higgins is Trevor Horn, then Gabriela Climi is his Seal.

Awesome, we've got his Fundamental and his Seduction Of Claude Debussy to look forward to!

Ooh. A five-track promo of the album has leaked.

I really like "My Love is Better" - I wonder how it will sound with the Girls Aloud vocals stripped out though.

They'll probably just add extra layers of Annie to it and ask Miranda Cooper to join in. It'll be fine.

Poor Moonbaby, always a bridesmaid etc.

Hah. Yeah, but in her defense she is one of the best female songwriters out there.

"Loco" is still my favorite!

I don't know how many people know about this blog but it looks pretty essential for Xenomania fans.

So... "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me" has been released.

How badly will it flop?

?!

How badly will it flop?

BADLY. I think it's currently #90-something in the midweeks.

There's already a heated debate at Popjustice on the reasons it's flopping: "Not being good enough", "Bad promotion", etc. LOL

I don't care if it commercially flops. It's a very good song.

It's a very good song.

I predict the whole Don't Stop (album/singles) combo will be a major flop, though. And not for the reasons people are thinking.

major commercial flop that is.

Why do you think it will flop commercially?

(I don't disagree, by the way, but I probably think it will fail for "the reasons people are thinking").

It's not even in the top 75 yet? Eek.

I actually want her to do well. I don't usually care about chart placement, not even with my favourite artists, but I like this woman. This was actually the first song I've downloaded "legally". And I don't even like it that much. I mean, the ring-a-ding-a-ding part cracks me up every time, but "Chewing Gum" is 10x times better than this.

I always have to lol at UKers discussing the commercial prospects of people like Annie and M.I.A. or Robyn, who are basically just hipster Internet phenomena in the US without a chance in hell at making any kind of chart.

I just want the album to be released. I keep fearing that for some reason (i.e. singles flopping badly) it might be shelved... Knock on wood, etc.

I never thought Annie's disc would do well commercially. Why would it? What I've heard is very catchy, but -- at least for the US market -- I think it lacks that bottom-heavy bass/drum sound (and a hip-hop edge, maybe) that's captured the public's imagination/dominates the pop charts.

The only way it'll be a hit in the UK is if someone either gives it a ubiquitous Ibiza remix or puts it on an advert. Especially the former - Wiley and Robyn have already shown that the way to make the British public actually listen to you is to whack girly rising trancey chords under your song.

yeah, Matt's right. the remixes simply aren't as good as they were for the first record so presumably (although I haven't been out for a while) it's not getting played in the clubs. Mylo did one for Chewing Gum, as did (I think) Rex The Dog for Me Plus One but there's no-one of any decent profile showing this album some love.

Isn't there still time? Album's not released for a while yet, no?

Wiley and Robyn have already shown that the way to make the British public actually listen to you is to whack girly rising trancey chords under your song.

yeah - i have suspected for a while that this is why Robyn no longer uses interesting remixers like she once did (hello trentmoller remix !), but now uses generic trance shite.
or could it be that the good remixers are now charging over the odds making labels hold back and just throw tracks at generic payroll studio bods ?

same goes for this annie single. from the mailout :

"As well as 'Girlfriend' and my other track 'Danny, Danny', there are also loads of cool remixes available. There are mixes from the likes of Feel The Moog, Get Shakes, Deadly Weapons, Feadz, Timo and Soul Seekerz"

who ?

:: xpost ::

OMG FEEL THE MOOG!

i mean, yeah, who?

What I've heard is very catchy, but -- at least for the US market -- I think it lacks that bottom-heavy bass/drum sound (and a hip-hop edge, maybe) that's captured the public's imagination/dominates the pop charts.

Annie will never appeal to the same audiences that buy hip-hop/contemporary R&B. If she can crack the "80s nostalgia" market she may have a chance, particularly in album sales. Coldplay's audience (although I realise they are very musically different from Annie) consist mainly of people who grew up with synth dominated 80s pop, and their audience has certainly proved large enough.

For Annie to catch on in the US, she needs to either have the theme song for some semi-popular tv show or get one of her songs place in an iPod commercial. There's no room on MTV or radio for her unless interest gets sparked elsewhere first (and I don't mean your friend's blog).

Annie so obvs did not write that blog because the "Feel the Moog" remix is Richard fucking X's redo. Stupid Island.

Extensive touring is also a way to crack the US market, but I guess that is more sufficient for "rock" acts :)

Why are they making "I Know Your Girlfriend Hates Me" the big single instead of "Songs Remind Me of You" which is 10000x better?

There's a chance this album could be a hit because I can see it getting some crazy Pitchfork love and turning it into the Arcade Fire of 2008. Didn't they name "Heartbeat" their single of the year for 2004?

The problem with that is that Annie's completely changed her sound for this album. A lot of the album is Xenomania- but not amazing experimental Xenomania like "If You Go" (SEB) and "Biology" (GA), like standard melting-pot Xenomania (the less memorable tracks on Tangled Up). It's still good-to-great but it isn't going to appeal to the same crowd because it doesn't have that wispy/frail keening quality to it anymore. Think "My Love is Better" and not "Songs Remind Me of You" (which apparently dates way back and is therefore more related to Anniemal than to Don't Stop).

Am I the only person who's hearing the "amazing experimental" Xenomania side in "Loco"?

But yeah, I agree with you Keaney, Annie's definitely going for a more straightforward pop sound on Don't Stop. I don't see it as a problem though. I'm quite happy with it.

I was in the middle writing of a long detailed post on why I though Annie was never gonna "make it" commercially when my stupid computer crashed. Damn!

There's a chance this album could be a hit because I can see it getting some crazy Pitchfork love

Yeah but Anniemal also got some crazy Pitchfork love. Right? And it still flopped (kind of).

Does Pitchfork ever give anyone crazy love for two albums in a row?

I have a feeling Pitchfork aren't like this one as much anyway, precisely for the reasons Keaney is stating.

^aren't going to like

I can see the 6.3. I'd love to be proved wrong but I have a slightly sinking feeling. I don't know why, exactly, but I seriously think that the Annie album is going to be the first blood in what will lead to a Xenomania backlash (no I don't know what to make of Gabby Kill Me either so I'll just leave her out of it). Perhaps I am just the biggest pessimist of all time.

That said, haters to the LEFT because I like every song off the sampler and will be paying import prices to have this album sent to me in its week of release because I am a good little UK chart sheep, just like I did with all the other flop pop albums I've ever loved.

Xenomania backlash already in full-swing. "Tangled Up" is awful compared to the other GA records, the Gabby Kill Me record is pretty terrible (except "Don't Wanna Go To Bed Now" which is properly amazing) and while "My Love Is Better" sounds terrific it STILL is doing that fucking "write half a verse and sing it twice" thing that marred so much of Tangled Up.

"Bad Times" is the song I'm most keen to hear.