Anna Calvi

  • London, England
    hometown
  • Rock
    genre
  • 2005
    started
  • Bio
    full story
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About Anna Calvi


Hailed as "the best thing since Patti Smith" by Brian Eno, as well as being included on the BBC's Sound of 2011 list, the hype surrounding London-born Anna Calvi came to fruition during late 2010. Gaining critical acclaim among music journalists, Calvi drew comparisons with the passionate and brooding musicianship of the likes of Nick Cave and Polly Jean Harvey. The dense and rich musical influences that inhabit Calvi's world are broad and distinctive strokes of sultry flamenco, smoke-filled blues, and seductive goth pop/rock. Adding to this tapestry of influences, Calvi has claimed to have been inspired by the films of David Lynch, Gus Van Sant, and Wong Kar Wai; the cinematic element to her music contributes a mysterious and unyielding undercurrent to her work.

At the age of 17 and after eschewing art school in favor of a music degree, Calvi began to learn her trade and started to assemble musical partnerships. In 2006, she met percussionist and harmonium player Mally Harpaz and later recruited drummer Daniel Maiden-Wood. The release of her debut single, "Jezebel," in the fall of 2010 was an electric cover version of the Edith Piaf standard. The young Calvi soon captured the attention of Domino Records' boss Lawrence Bell after a glowing reference from former Coral guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones, who had witnessed one of Calvi's gigs in Manchester. Bell quickly signed her to his label. Ryder-Jones was not the only celebrity admirer of Calvi's, an acquaintance with the aforementioned Brian Eno similarly urged him to listen to this emerging talent. After hearing Calvi's raw and unplugged performances on The Attic Sessions (the early demos that she recorded on an 8-track in her parent's attic), the distinguished producer soon became her mentor and unofficial cheerleader.

Calvi entered Black Box studio in France with the much-lauded producer Rob Ellis to record her self-titled debut album in 2010. Using vintage analog equipment, Calvi created a velvet Wall of Sound that justified the hype in the buildup to its 2011 release. ~ Aneet Nijjar, Rovi

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Music

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  • Suzanne and I
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    Suzanne and I
  • Desire
    anna-calvi
    Video
    Desire
  • Blackout
    anna-calvi
    Video
    Blackout
  • 42191757
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    • Desire
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/3/5/1/1/5/358351153.mp3
    • No More Words
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/4/1/4/3/9/358093414.mp3
    • Love Won't Be Leaving
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/8/3/5/0/7/358070538.mp3
    • Blackout
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/5/7/8/3/8/358383875.mp3
    • Rider To The Sea
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/2/9/8/8/4/358748892.mp3
    • Suzanne and I
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/3/8/0/2/9/358092083.mp3

Photos

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  • Anna Calvi
    Paul Bergen, Redferns
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    Pascal Le Segretain, Getty
  • Anna Calvi
    Marc Broussely, Redferns
  • Anna Calvi

News

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  • Anna Calvi
    Anna Calvi Cancels UK Tour
    Paste
    York, N.Y. @ Mercury Lounge 10 - Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Grasslands Gallery 11 - Toronto, Ontario @ Wrongbar (Canada Music Week) 12 - Montreal, Quebec @ Caba...
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  • Anna Calvi
    Photos: Anna Calvi
    www.pitchfork.com
    Anna Calvi performed a sold-out show at the Locomotiv Club in Bologna, Italy, this weekend, featuring selections from her recent self-titled debut. Ou...
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  • Anna Calvi
    Artist to Watch: Anna Calvi Combines Dark Romance and Virtuosic Guitar Skills
    www.rollingstone.com
    Calvi says. "You know, not just a random collection of songs. A journey from start to finish." Famous Fans: Calvi's unique sound has won her some infl...
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  • Anna Calvi
    Anna Calvi Tours, Releases Video
    www.pitchfork.com
    awfully glamorous. Anna Calvi: 03-27 Luxembourg Ville, Luxembourg - L'Atelier 03-29 Metz, France - La Chapelle 03-30 Dijon, France - La Vapeur 04-01 R...
    Read More
  • Anna Calvi
    Anna Calvi - "Wolf Like Me" (TV On The Radio Cover) (Stereogum Premiere)
    stereogum.com
    The British wailer Anna Calvi, whose self-titled debut album has already turned up on a few year-end best-of lists, has lately been doing an unhinged ...
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  • Anna Calvi
    Anna Calvi: 'Morning Light' (Live On La Blogotheque) (Video) | Prefix
    www.prefixmag.com
    Tweet "Morning Light" was the penultimate track on Anna Calvi's eponymous debut album, which has been given the Takeaway Show treatment by La Blogothe...
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Tour Dates

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  • Nov 16 Saturday
    Los Angeles, CA, US Royce Hall, UCLA
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Discography

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  • Anna Calvi (2011)
    Anna Calvi
    Anna Calvi (2011)
    Domino
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