Press Kit

Bio, reviews, discography and downloadable images.

LINKS:
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SHORT BIO:
Her style has been described as “beatnik cool,” “pop-noir,” and “slightlydelic pop jangle.” Combining Brill Building hooks with a songwriter’s eye for detail, Anny Celsi has earned comparisons with Aimee Mann, Jackie DeShannon, Suzanne Vega and Lucinda Williams.  Her live shows bring wit, soul and energy to the singer/songwriter format, proving that ‘girl-with-guitar’ has no limits. 

LONG BIO:

Her style has been described as “beatnik cool,” “pop-noir,” and “slightlydelic pop jangle,” and has evoked comparisons to artists like Aimee Mann, Lucinda Williams and Jackie DeShannon.  The LA Weekly recently cited her as “one of this city’s smartest and catchiest pop songwriters.”  Her album "Tangle-Free World" (2009), produced by Nelson Bragg of the Brian Wilson Band, showed influences ranging from Bacharach to The Bangles and back and was chosen by Al Kooper for his “Cream of the Crop” album list. Anny’s latest self-produced album, "January," once again combines Brill Building hooks with a storyteller's eye for detail.  

Born in Portland, Oregon, Anny spent her teens as an writer/performer with the renowned avante-garde Storefront Theatre.  After moving to Los Angeles, she co-founded the boy/girl rock band The Tearjerkers, where she honed her songwriting and harmony-singing chops before striking out as a solo artist.  In 2003 she began producing and releasing her music under her own Ragazza label.  After  her album "Little Black Dress & Other Stories" was discovered by the Dutch Roots Radio Ring, she began touring Europe and the UK regularly, joining forces with musicians in Germany, The Netherlands, England and Ireland to perform in concert halls, pubs, house concerts, backyard barns and comic shops. In 2017, she toured the U.K. for the seventh time, along with Nelson Bragg and Duncan Maitland, as the trio Celsi, Bragg & Maitland.

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 year-end ‘best-of’ lists at WXXE (Syracuse, NY), KTRU (Houston), LA Weekly and Entertainment Today. Artists she has been proud to open shows for include Steve Forbert, Tish Hinojosa, Amy Rigby, The Coal Porters, Stephen Bruton, Skip Heller, Randy Weeks, Marvin Etzioni and I See Hawks in LA.

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.  Other artists who have  recorded Anny's songs include Claudia Russell and Penny Jo Pullus.

After a decent stretch in Los Angeles, Anny has recently relocated to her native Pacific Northwest, and looks forward to collaborating with her many friends in the Portland music scene.

PRESS QUOTES:

"...one of this city's smartest and catchiest pop songwriters...contemplative lyrics and intimately affecting vocals" -- LA Weekly

Al Kooper's 'Cream of the Musical Crop' (Boston Herald)
"I'm a fan!" - Al Kooper

“The pop doesn’t get much smoother or cooler ...From the toe-tapping groove of “Au Revoir, My Darling” to the multi-layered beauty of “Kaleidoscope Heart” – Anny and her supporting cast of All-Stars deliver the hits in spades.  Chill out through the Summer doldrums with this nine-pack of goodness from the “Queen of Cool-Pop” -- SHOCKPOP!

“….it’s just the perfect music; all summery, sunshine pop with gorgeous harmonies abounding…this rootsy, pop-flavoured collection of self-penned songs is a genuine winner.” – Maverick Magazine

“…familiar styles -sunshine pop, country flavored rock -but done with a fresh approach and melodies that sound like instant hits.” – Cabin Essence

“Zelden straalt een album zo’n karakter uit. ‘January’ is een veelzijdig album dat ook heel wat Americana liefhebbers zal bekoren.” – Keys and Chords

"songs for which the phrase 'perfect pop song' was invented.” –- Rootstime

“Anny Celsi…has been churning out first-class handmade music with songs that run deep enough to appeal to the folk & roots crowd while the arrangements are a far cry from morose traditionalism.  With her mellifluous, well-tempered voice with a subtle hint of melancholia, Celsi draws us in while her poetic lyrics touch upon travel experiences, relationships and personal matters…an original artist with a unique sound.”  – Chill@Blue Rose

"The best album of the last five years!" - Terry Rawlings, author of "Who Killed Christopher Robin?"

“… Byrdsian jangle and exquisite psyche-pop harmonies perfect for a long car ride…Fans of classic sixties pop influences should pick this one up right away.” – Aaron Kupferberg, Powerpopaholic

"Think of Victoria Williams, Aimee Mann, Suzanne Vega and Sheryl Crow mixed together and you begin to get the picture...Anny is pretty much their equal as a songwriter."  -- Two Louies

 "...a beatnik-cool performer who veers from poppy, bouncy beats to jazzy piano bar riffs and sexy come-ons... she’s sensitive but no wimp and a fellow traveler to Aimee Mann and Sheryl Crow.  The “pop-noir” soundtrack of her solo debut, “Little Black Dress,” wears a veneer of L.A. Confidential style." -- Bob Ruggiero, Houston Press

DISCOGRAPHY:

She Walks In (Annyland) - Ragazza Music, 1996
Little Black Dress & Other Stories - Ragazza Music, 2003
Tangle-Free World - Ragazza Music, 2009
Hollywood Waltz/She Belongs to Me (2-song EP, with Nelson Bragg) - Ragazza Music, 2010
January - Ragazza Music, 2013
Tish & Anny (2-song EP, with Tish Hinojosa) - Ragazza Music, 2014
Anny Celsi Live - Ragazza Music, 2015
The Road to Glasglow (Celsi, Bragg & Maitland) - Steel Derrick Music, 2017
Kaleidoscope Heart: 12 Golden Hits (vinyl LP) - Ragazza Music, 2019

FILM & TV PLACEMENTS:

Once Upon a Time (ABC/Disney TV Series)
Madam Secretary (CBS TV Series)
Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?
Tyler Perry's Good Deeds
Delta On Air - Inflight Programming
Air Force One - Inflight Programming