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click the picture of our 2002 ~ 2004 lineup to play a brief audio history of The Cannanes
( 2.5MB mp3) |
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Frances Gibson, Stewart Anderson, Stephen O'Neil, Jim Woff and (seated) Andrew Coffey
[March 2001]
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Gyy Blackman, Frances, Stewart and Stephen New York Uni 2001
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Fran,
Explosion & Stephen
Brooklyn
June '99
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Fran, Stewart & Stephen
Brighton June '99
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Stephen
& Fran NY May '99
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For
forthcoming band activities
go
to News
or Gigs
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The
Complete discography of The Cannanes
go
to DISCOGRAPHY
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The
illustrated CD releases of The Cannanes (with
some reviews)
go
to CD's
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The
illustrated Vinyl release of The Cannanes
go
to Vinyl
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The
full 50,000+ word illustrated history of The Cannanes
go
to History
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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'.
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The Cannanes
with Steward Sydney - April 2001
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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)
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L - R Fran, Andy, Stephen
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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

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