Annie (From Norway)

Annie is obsessed with the shortness that is common among pop princesses. She stood next to me on tippy toes after all. And she recently made sure to mention Kylie's height when talking about her, in very fond terms too.

Has she not seen Kylie's new video?

I see HMV now have Anniemal for £5.99, which is pretty good considering they formerly priced at £17 or something ridiculous like that.

Here's the Dannii-dissing Annie piece from the Manchester Evening News that I mentioned above, written by Gary Ryan:

Feature: Annie

Glittery, poptastic starlet Annie first Vogue-d her way onto the British scene with THE pop record of last year, Chewing Gum – penned by the “Long Live The New Synth!” duo of Richard X and Hannah Robinson, responsible for Rachel Stevens’ Some Girls. “I really liked her song,” says Annie. “But I think that it had more to do with Richard X than Rachel Stevens.”

Now we at Planetpop aren’t saying that Mother Nature has left an IOU note where Rachel’s personality should be (no, we’re IMPLYING it), but imagine a track as good as Some Girls fronted by somebody that doesn’t have the dead, remorseless eyes of a shark. That dream is realised with Chewing Gum, which has the girl power (feel free to make the V-for-victory sign now, readers) message of chewing up boys and spitting them out, featuring the insouciant lyric: “I don’t wanna settle down, I just wanna have fun/I don’t wanna settle down, I just wanna chew gum.”

It’s the best thing involving both pop and confectionary ever – at least until oldie Madonna records a Cadbury’s Flake commercial (“Chocolate as crumbly as…my body!”)

In her native Norway, Annie’s already a household name – and is followed by a retinue of fans. “Some guy used to write to me all the time”, she says. “He said he and his wife got together because of the song, Chewing Gum. Which I thought was a bit weird, because it’s all about promiscuity. I had to change my number a few months ago when I started getting all these sleazy messages on my phone.” The flaxon-haired Madonna-lover is faced with the daily occurrence of having twelve-year old girls scream at her in the street.

Somehow you can’t imagine Norway’s last export, World Idol Goblin Kurt Nielson causing children to scream uncontrollably. Unless they’re wielding flaming torches or he’s holding up a sign saying: “I’M YOUR REAL DAD”.

But then Annie’s an altogether different proposition. “There’s a shame in saying you like pop music”, she concedes. “But my album is a bit more challenging than what else is around. There’s so much boring music around – I’m the Britney Spears you can admit you enjoy.”

Despite her buoyant sunny dance-pop, Annie’s life hasn’t been all DoubleMint ’n’ double drops. Her tremendous debut album – called Anniemal – was recorded in the wake of severe personal tragedy. In 1999, she hooked up with a young producer, Tore Andreas Kroknes who was making inventive, cutting-edge electronic dance tracks under the name Erot. A leading light in Bergen’s thriving music scene (which spawned the Kings Of Convenience and Royksopp), he became her boyfriend, and together they penned the Madonna Everybody-sampling party anthem, The Greatest Hit. Tragically, at the peak of his powers, Tore was struck down with a rare heart complaint.

“Tore had a heart defect that he was born with. He went into hospital, and I was just visiting him every day for about a year.”

He passed away, with Annie at his bedside, aged 23.

“After he died, I didn’t want to do anything; I was so depressed. I stayed at home, away from everybody, just existing in my own world. After a while, I knew I had to go back to music; I knew that I had to finish the album. I wasn’t going to be beaten. Plus, I knew that Tore would be p***d off with me if I threw it all away.”

Eventually, she recruited Finnish producer Timo Kaukolampi of Op:l B*****ds and Royksopp (who’ve famously spurred offers to work with the lines of The Pet Shop Boys and Britney) to complete the album. There was a shadow cast over the recording sessions. “Sometimes when I was in the studio, I’d be there thinking what would Tore do?” she recalls. “Would he be happy with these drums? Would he do this differently? But I think deep down, he’d love it.”

The pop version of the Angel of Gabriel, Richard X, of course, completed the jigsaw. Aside from Chewing Gum, he contributes another track, Me Plus One to Anniemal.

“I’ve DJ-ed with so many of his tracks (at her own night, Pop ‘Til You Drop, a “pun on the Ramones song.”). He phoned me about two years ago and asked if I’d sing on his debut album. I ended up doing the vocals for one of his tracks…actually, I wasn’t singing but talking over the phone! But it turned out to be a great song. I love all the bootleg stuff he did as Girls On Top.”

As Annie prepares to unleash second single, the ace Heartbeat on these shores, she’s already “full of ideas” for album nummer to. Plus, she makes a rare appearance in Mcr on Tuesday when she supports LCD Soundsystem at their Academy gig. Really, there should be on-the-spot Asbos for those not attending.

So finally, Annie Lilia Berge Strand – to use her full name – who would you least like to be trapped in a lift with?

“Oh, there are so many pop people I dislike…give me 10 minutes, and I could reel off a list. Wait, it would have to be Dannii Minogue! I hate her. EVERYTHING about her.”

Annie supports LCD Soundsystem, Tuesday, the Academy. Heartbeat is released on February 21. Anniemal (679) is out in March.

annie is such a rockist

Gary lived down the corridor from me in halls and he's a decent enough writer and person, but still:

Now we at Planetpop aren’t saying that Mother Nature has left an IOU note where Rachel’s personality should be (no, we’re IMPLYING it), but imagine a track as good as Some Girls fronted by somebody that doesn’t have the dead, remorseless eyes of a shark. That dream is realised with Chewing Gum

Gaz, old buddy, FUCK OFF.

(My thing here is that Rach has a lot more to do/do with the success of 'Some Girls' as a song than she did with 'Sweet Dreams'. RX gave her a role, Rach executed it PERFECTLY. Haters need to get over themselves)

This, though: Somehow you can’t imagine Norway’s last export, World Idol Goblin Kurt Nielson causing children to scream uncontrollably. Unless they’re wielding flaming torches or he’s holding up a sign saying: “I’M YOUR REAL DAD”.

The latter is possible if he's covering Richard X and Tiga.

But anyway, do I really need to trot out the TS: Neon Nights vs Anniemal again?

yeah, 'some girls' totally plays to rachel s's strengths, i can't imagine annie doing it better.

Unfortunately Rachel Stevens has no strengths. "Some Girls" must be the most overrated single of the decade thus far.

'Negotiate With Love' is really rather lovely

Woah, Gary Ryan really is a shitty writer.

"Negotiate With Love" has no release, it's just a load of foreplay with no penetration.

Can't stand her. She can't sing and is about as sexy as Bernie Clifton without his ostrich.

insightful, for all the wrong reasons

The wrong reasons are always the right ones.

it's just the idea that Bernie Clifton is somehow sexier WITH the ostrich that i can't fathom...

dom you old grouch. i th0ught that was a fun article.

Fun is overrated.

Gary is also 6'7 and works out so he can successfully scrap with Manc muggers and piscesboi.

'Negotiate With Love' is a dlightful little ditty - a lot like 'Wake Me Up' without relying on its "witty" lyrics and rock riff to coast it along. Solo Rachel's increasingly resembling a League without Phil O's vocals (she may yet do an electro ballad that scales the heights of 'One Man In My Heart').

For a moment I misread that first line as "Gary is 67" which would make sense in a creepy Ross Trueman Pop Gossip kind of way.

It doesn't matter. He has the height of a pre-teen girl and the physical capabilities of Steve Mannion.

I was about to say, Gary's certainly no brawler. I do think he's a good pop writer though, what don't you like about his piece, Dom?

and i will kick any pre-teen girl's ass for real

Yes, you probably would, wouldn't you?

The first time I met Stevem he put me in a headlock and paraded me around the nightclub we were in, laughing loudly and slapping my face. So yeah he probably would kick a pre-teen girl's ass wouldn't he? The big shit.

A bit of a favour don't spose anyone knows how many copies of the album she's sold in the UK?

I heard she's on Vice now? Fuck! I think I'm still the only person in Vancouver to have written about her, and that was three months ago. World = FAGGOT.

If you play the Royksopp remix of "Heartbeat" on 45 instead of 33 it sounds like an ace and insane piece of 'ardkore!

Does anyone have the Phones Remix of "Heartbeat" yet?

Wow, I was about to nominate Annie as "next European artist most likely to be on Vice in the US" but I never thought it'd be true.

Does anybody else thinks that "Me Plus One" sounds a bit like "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama.

Apparently, "Me Plus One" is about Geri Halliwell.

And apparently, "Me + 1" is going to be the next single. YAY!

From the 679 newsletter:

"Annie is just about to embark on her Scandinavian tour and will soon be stateside where she has just been signed to Atlantic Records. Soon for the thousands of fans on her website will be an exclusive download of Always Too Late remixed by Y£$ of Lady Sovereign and M.I.A production fame."

Her top 10 chart over on her website is very ILM too.

Can anyone YSI the Phones mix of Heartbeat? Gmail perhaps. Point to a blog still hosting it? Deperado here. Contemplating buying it for 12bucks at Amazon for one stinking mix!

It was recently posted here: The thread for requesting and offering mp3s to be gmailed, yousendited etc. (previously: 'The thread for gmail offers and requests')

at last :

http://www.ireallylovemusic.co.uk/q_and_a.htm

not got many responses back .. but hey ..

I guess Vice isn't putting the album out anymore, which I figured had something to do with Annie getting a more lucrative offer. But I saw this article, which says that (I guess) Vice ultimately passed on her?
The talk of the "Vice" brand is pretty funny:

"But despite all the good intentions, Vice does have one major obstacle in its attempts to sign artists: it’s part of the Vice empire. The problems of working with that group’s identity became clear when Shore wanted to court the Norwegian pop princess Annie.

“We love the Annie record. But this is a tough one, because I do feel like Vice Records is not just about music. It’s also all the different Vice entities, and for what Vice sort of means to people, having that incredibly cute Norwegian pop singer doesn’t really fit the mold, no matter how great she is.”"

AKA "Annie hurts our street cred" ?

Dude, Annie is ghetto as fuck.
Vice's loss.

I read that as them covering for their loss but who knows.

how did the album do in the end? did it get top 20? anywhere?

In Norway it did

it's not even out yet in the US.

It seems Annie isn't DJing at the 'Dedbeat' ESG/Superpitcher/Jake Fairley event at Koko next Saturday after all.

no, she definitely isn't.

Which is a shame, but it would only have been the icing on the cake.

"It seems Annie isn't DJing at the 'Dedbeat' ESG/Superpitcher/Jake Fairley event at Koko next Saturday after all. "

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Why not? I just bought my tickets (not that it won't be ace anyway).

I don't think I'm going anyway.

I noticed she had quietly slipped off the listings, went to her website and saw she was booked for somewhere else. I emailed Dedbeat asking for running times and also ask why they only gave me a provisional schedule but no reasons for Annie cancelling.

For what it's worth, they told me ESG are due on at 1am, with the Kompakt guys on afterwards.