The CANNANES (in a nutshell)

The Cannanes have been described as 'the world's most indie band' but despite never having a manager, agent or signing a recording deal they have toured the world, produced numerous recordings, and been recognised internationally as one of Australia's best known bands. Even Kurt Cobain listed the Cannanes as a band he liked in his journal. Back in Australia they received high rotation airplay on national radio station JJJ for their latest CD Trouble seemed so far away, (released on the Slabco label (Los Angeles) and Lamingtone (Aust). In February 2006 they completed a five date tour of Japan + continue to tour and play regularly in Australia. In May & June of 2008 they completed a 15 date tour of the US and Mexico, headlining the 2008 NYC Pop Fest, as well as spending two weeks recording in Manhattan. While they were touring the documentary Short Poppy Syndrome, about the band, had it's World Premiere at the Light Bulb Festival in the UK. Presently the band is preparing for many new releases + national and overseas touring in 2009 to commemorate twenty years of live performances.

Current lineup {for more details on current lineup click HERE} L-R ~ G Roy, Frances Gibson, Penny McBride, Bon King, James Dutton and Stephen O'Neil

Previous recordings have been financed by established labels in the USA & the UK and their nine CD/LP's 'Caveat Emptor', 'Witchety Pole', 'Short Poppy Syndrome', 'A Love Affair With Nature', 'The Cannanes', 'Arty Barbecue', 'Living The Dream', 'Communicating At An Unknown Rate' and 'Trouble seemed so far away' as well as a whole bunch of increasingly collectable CD/EP's + 7'' & 12'' releases.

Since the Cannanes' first release 'Bored Angry and Jealous' was named Single of the Year by UK music magazine NME in late 1986, the band has attracted an ever expanding international following. Based in Sydney Australia the band has had a lengthy recording career and toured extensively in Australia and completed six tours of the USA. They've played at The Knitting Factory and Maxwells in New York and as far afield as Nashville, Tennessee and Olympia. While in Chicago two members of the band recorded a number of songs with punk legend Mark Perry under the watchful eye of Steve Albini. The 1998 tour took them to Japan for the first time, and in 1999 they completed their 1st World Tour with shows in England, Scotland, Germany, Holland, U.S., Canada & Japan. A definite highlight of this tour was the honour of playing at the 3rd Yoyo festival held in Olympia (Washington State). 2000 - 2001 saw two more US tours (East then West) and a swag of new releases including the exceptionally well received 'Communicating at an unknown rate'.

The Cannanes with Steward Sydney - April 2001

Many releases have achieved widespread airplay, particularly on US College Radio hitting number one on numerous charts as well as appearances in CMJs' top 100. They have rated extensive mentions in SPIN Alternative Record Guide, Trouser Press Guide to 90's Rock, Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave, The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and in 1997 co-published with Woozy magazine their own autobiography 'Baby Take a Bow' in the UK.

Over the years the band has also contributed to literally dozens of compilation projects released in many different countries. Those they are most proud of are 'Fortune Cookie Prize' (which raised more than US$ 15,000 for Sasha Bruce Youthworks (a Washington DC homeless refuge) and more recently 'Indie Aid Abroad: A Little Help for East Timor' (which raised over AUD$3000 all of which went to aid projects).

Recent recordings have included collaborations with New York based loop wizard Explosion Robinson and from Leeds England Stewart Anderson (aka Steward) among others. A 3" CD has just been released by New York DJ Douglas Wolk (WFMU), two new full length CDs nearing completion Nobody Loves An Albatross and This Is What It Sounds Like, a 'Best of so far' Pillars for posterity and other projects far too numerous to mention here.

CURRENT LINEUP:

Stephen "Hairy" O'Neil [guitar]
Frances Sputnik Gibson [vocals, keyboard, flute]
Richard "Bon" King [drums, percussion, vocals]
Penny McBride [trumpet, vocals]
Gavin "Gus" Butler [bass]
and when available: Greg Wadley [synth] and / or James Dutton [guitar]
For Individual Bios + photos of the current members go to Presskit_photos and History Part 1

For more information on The Cannanes (than you can shake a stick at!) use the navigation at top of page to take you through our 50,000+ word History section. For any other questions / suggestions: feel free to email us at cannanes@cannanes.com or call us on (03) 5441 3007 (within Australia) or 011 61 3 5441 3007 (from outside Australia)

Some Favourite Quotes

"The Cannanes saved me from a lifetime of seeking approval off others. "
Houseboy for Faster Louder Apr 2005

"Now the bands bittersweet jangle comes with a cosmic hue"

Review of Trouble CD in Rolling Stone Feb 2003

"the Cannanes latest album Trouble Seemed so far Away is one of the definitive musical highlights of 2002"
Meeshell Ho for Ozmusic project Nov 2002

"the Cannanes can melt your heart with moonlit symphonies more comforting than orchids and chenille"
Portland Mercury 26/7/01

"Their attraction undoubtedly lies in their Australian identity, which often evokes the same mythmaking as Brisbane's Go Betweens."
David Olivetti Rolling Stone April 2001

"... a dream-pop manifesto, but has anyone ever woken up from a dream as gorgeous as "You Name It"?"
Greil Marcus SALON 18/12/00

''Australia's secret pride, and the most casual indie-pop band Anywhere''
VILLAGE VOICE October '00

''They have inspired more groups world-wide than you and I have had hot dinners''
Shane O'Donohue INPRESS June '00

''The Cannanes are, without a doubt, Australia's best-kept musical secret.''
SF WEEKLY July '99

''gorgeous barbed pop songs that sound deceptively smooth until you listen to the lyrics - 'castigations of dim friends, clueless ex-lovers and technologically fostered isolation'. It's like biting into a chocolate fudge cake and finding it filled with tongue-blistering chilli''
Joanna Fag in BACK:BEAT June/July '99

''Each of this record's eleven tunes has a melody warm enough to melt an iceberg and catchy enough to hook a school of haddock with one cast.''
Bill Myer (reviewing Arty Barbecue) in INK BLOT '98

''It all adds up to another essential release from one of the most criminally taken-for-granted bands of our time.''
J Neo Marvin reviewing Arty Barbecue in PUNCTURE 42 July '98

''they've pre-empted every major music trend of the past decade (ok, so they missed the boat on the manchester thing...) AND done it with more guts and honour than anything that followed''
(h.) in c.e Xmas '97

''The fluid Australian combo is willfully amateurish and occasionally a bit too cute for its own good, but the utterly unpretentious purity of the band's output is hard to deny.''
dss in TROUSER PRESS GUIDE TO 90's ROCK 5th ed.'97

''I'm, getting tired of telling folks over and over again how the Cannanes' unlikely lyrics, quick-shuffle strumming, offhandedly-original vocal melodies, and general endless-shoebox-of-pop makes them Exhibit A among bands whose parlor-pop portable simplicity hasn't prevented them from making very good music for a very long thyme.''
Steve B in POPWATCH No.8 December '96

''I feel compelled to go out and gather their rather extensive back catalogue. if only someone would give me a list!''
Geoff Towner (reviewing 'The Cannanes' CD) in DRUM MEDIA September '96

''to describe The Cannanes for you, in a single image, would be this - James Joyce in exile from his beloved homeland writing Ulysses on scraps of newspaper.''
Richard Vogt in OTS August '96

''Plaintive music about the limits of dreams, the Cannanes are a Ken Loach movie for your ears''
Ann Powers VILLAGE VOICE March '96

''You'd be an idiot to miss this rare chance to see the Cannanes, a group that practically embodies the essence of truly independent truly personal music.''
Richard Salty TIME OFF 23/11/94

''you'd be hard pressed to find prettier songs than 'Perfect Light' and 'Chosen One.''
Matt Hickey ALTERNATIVE PRESS Oct. '94

''tonight I was reminded what good pop songs should sound like''
Guy Blackman (live review) in SALTY & DELICIOUS Aug. '94

'International Pop Conquorors'
Lauren Z IN PRESS 15/6/94

''The Cannanes will always be one of my favourite bands. Like, I never remember the fact , but each time I hear them I just think, 'F***, I love this band''
Sarah Kestle (reviewing 'Witchety Pole') MELODY MAKER 18/9/93

''They are a bit quirky, a bit pop, a bit reflective, and a bit jolly, but they are all class''
Michael Olliffe (live review) OTS 17/8/93

''Cannanes music, lies in the stylistic lucky-dip somewhere between the Stooges & the Carpenters''
Kylie Burtland HONI SOIT 13/10/92

''The Last Of The Great Shamblers''
Everett True MELODY MAKER 8/10/88

''The Cannanes are pranksters of pop who poke their jests at everyone including themselves''
Steven Cadbury RAM 21/1/88

''Kings of the do it now''
Simon Reynolds NME 3/1/87

''sound that is TIMELESS''
The Legend NME 1987 11/4/87