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Monday, 20 January 2014

THE CANNANES


The original 1984 line-up of the band was Stephen O'Neil (vocals, guitar, trumpet), Annabel Bleach (vocals), Michelle Cannane (tambourine, recorder), Frances Gibson (bass), and David Nichols (drums). The band released their first single "Life / It's Hardly Worth It" in a limited edition of just 12 cassettes in 1985, followed the same year by a cassette album, 'The Cannanes Come Across with the Goods'. The band's first vinyl release was the 'Bored Angry & Jealous' EP in 1986, which was proclaimed "Single of this and any other week" by The Legend! writing in the NME. 

Annabel Bleach left in 1987; Susan Grigg joined briefly on violin, but she and Cannane left soon afterwards. The band underwent several line-up changes over the years: Randall Lee (ex-Ashtray Boy) was a member of the group in 1987-88 during which time they recorded their debut album, 'The African Man's Tomato' and two singles released simultaneously, "Cardboard / Woe" and " Weather / Stories''.

The Cannanes released their second album, 'A Love Affair With Nature' in 1989, on their own label (or rather on no label at all), with O'Neil and Gibson now sharing vocal duties. They toured the United States for the first time in 1991, recording the 'Caveat Emptor' album (USA release only) to coincide with it, although it was not released until 1993. Numerous other releases followed. Core additional members in the early 1990s included bassist/vocalists Gavin Butler (on the albums 'Arty Barbecue' and 'Short Poppy Syndrome') and Francesca Bussey (on a self-titled album and a long EP, 'Tiny Frown'). Nichols left in 1996 to form Driving Past with Gig Ryan, Andrew Withycombe and Mia Schoen; his immediate replacement was Ivor Moulds. O'Neil and Gibson remained constant members, returning in early 1998 with the 'It's a Fine Line Between Pleasure and Pain' EP, and an album, 'Living the Dream', later that year.

In the 2000s, the band continued play occasional shows in Australia as well as numerous overseas tours in Europe, Japan, The United States and Mexico. They also collaborated with electronica artist Explosion Robinson on the 'Felicity and Electro 2000' EPs and 'Trouble Seemed So Far Away' album, and also collaborated with Steward (aka Stewart Anderson of Boyracer) on the 'Communicating at an Unknown Rate' album and the 'Felicity' EP.

On 19 March 2013 a new EP 'Small Batch' was released in the United States, and on 16 April the 7 track the 'Small Batch Remixes' EP. In June the band returned to the United States as invited guests at the chickfactor zines' 21st Festival and recording dates in Brooklyn & Flagstaff, AZ. On 5 July a new album, 'Howling At All Hours' was released internationally on Melbourne-based label Chapter Music. This was followed by an East Coast Australian tour and the release of a single on new US label Emotional Response, before the year was out.

2015 saw a flurry of activity following the well received January 'Original Masters' re-issue of the 'Communicating at an Unknown Rat'e album including a West Coast U.S. tour as well as shows in New York and Berlin. In 2016 the band returned to Flagstaff to finish work on an as yet unreleased album as well as headlining the opening night of The San Francisco Pop Fest, and later in the year released and launched a 12” remastered Picture Disc version of their 2nd and to date most popular LP.

Members

David Nichols (drums, vocals), Stephen O'Neil (guitar, vocals, keyboard, trumpet), Frances Gibson (vocals, bass, keyboard, flute, synthesizer), Annabel Bleach (vocals), Michelle Cannane (tambourine, recorder), Ben Donaldson (drums), Randall Lee (vocals), Nick Kidd (bass, french horn), Gavin Roy Butler (bass, guitar), Ivor Mould (drums), Andrew Coffey (bass, guitar, vocals), Penny McBride (guitar, flugelhorn, maracas), Richard King (drums), Stewart Anderson (guitar, vocals, percussion), Explosion Robinson (keyboards), James Dutton (guitar, bass,), Greg Wadley (synthesizer, drums)




SINGLES
''Weather / Stories'' 1988 Distant Violins 
''Cardboard / Woe'' 1988 

EPs
'Bored Angry And Jealous' 1986 Distant Violins
'Pictures' 1993

ALBUMS
'The African Man's Tomato' 1987
'A Love Affair With Nature' 1989 
'Living The Dream' 2000 Chapter Music
'Trouble Seemed So Far Away' 2002 Lamingtone
'Howling At All Hours' 2013 Chapter Music




References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cannanes


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