Showing posts with label Richard X. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Richard X. Show all posts

Saturday, June 20, 2020

CHOON OF THE DAY: "AMERICAN CARS" - Annie + Top 25 Greatest Annie Hits

Photo by Hildegunn Waerness

Hey synth-pop lovers, may I have your attention please? Annie is back!!! As reported by Pitchfork yesterday, our favourite Norwegian electro pop singer-songwriter and dj Anne Lilia Berge Strand is returning this Autumn with her 3rd full length album "Dark Hearts". Believe it or not, Annie is celebrating 2 decades of making music this year and following a number of EPs, collaborations and remixes she is finally ready to release a follow-up to her vibrantly eclectic collection of scandi-pop, the 2008 "Don't Stop". "Dark Hearts" is heralded by "American Cars" a 1980's-infused, cinematic and subtly Johnny Jewel-esque slice of elegant dream pop. The excitement around this most anticipated single inspired me to re-visit Annie's entire catalogue of tunes spanning across the past 20 years in search of the 25 I treasure the most. Enjoy this mini Annie-fest everyone!



Top 25 Greatest Annie Hits

25 "I Will Get On" (2002)



24 "Crazy For You" [with Designer Drugs] (2010)




23 "Heartbeat" (2004)



22 "The Wedding" (2005)



21 "Labyrinth (Club Mix)" [with Tuff City Kids] (2016)




20 "Ralph Macchio" (2013)




19 "Helpless Fool For Love" (2004)



18 "Don't Stop" (2008)




17 "Out of Reach" (2015)




16 "All Night" (2009)



15 "Marie Cherie" (2008)




14 "WorkX2" (2015)




13 "Follow Me" [with Ercola] (2007)




12 "Anniemal" (2004)



11 "Cara Mia" (2015)




10 "Back Together" (2013)



"I Don't Like Your Band" (2008)




"Chewing Gum" (2004)



"American Cars" (2020)



"Dadaday" (2015)




5 "Ferret Summer" (2009)



4 "Songs Remind Me Of You" (2009)



3 "The Greatest Hit" (2000)



2 "Anthonio" (2009)




1 "Invisible" (2013)



Tuesday, December 29, 2015

SHREM'S 2015 COUNTDOWN OF TOP 100 BEST TRACKS OF THE YEAR: part 5: 20-1

20 "Rewind" - Kelela
LABEL: Warp
FROM: US


19 "Night" - Janet Jackson
LABEL: Black Doll
FROM: US



18 "Deeper Shadows" - Jaakko Eino Kalevi
LABEL: Domino
FROM: Finland



17 "Dadaday" - Annie
LABEL: Pleasure Masters
FROM: Norway



16 "Koi" - Le1f
LABEL: Terrible
FROM: US



15 "Love Is Free" - Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique feat. Maluca
LABEL: Konichiwa
FROM: Sweden/Dominican Republic



14 "Stonemilker" - Björk
LABEL: One Little Indian
FROM: Iceland



13 "Lost U " - Rangleklods
LABEL: Tambourhinoceros
FROM: Denmark


12 "The Other Girl" - Sevdaliza
LABEL: self-released
FROM: Netherlands/Iran



11 "Ready Player One" - Jori Hulkkonen
LABEL: My Favorite Robot
FROM: Finland



10 "Don't Break My Heart" - Tiga
LABEL: Counter
FROM: Canada



9 "Number One" - GL
LABEL: Plastic World/Midnight Feature
FROM: Australia



8 "Unputdownable" - Róisín Murphy
LABEL: Play It Again Sam
FROM: Ireland



7 "Cara Mia" - Annie
LABEL: Pleasure Masters
FROM: Norway



6 "No Sleeep" - Janet Jackson
LABEL: Black Doll
FROM: US




5 "Holy Bubbles" - Zhala
LABEL: Konichiwa
FROM: Sweden



4 "Roses" - Abra
LABEL: Awful
FROM: US



3 "Do It Good" - Sísý Ey
LABEL: mr. intl
FROM: Iceland



2 "House Of Glass" - Róisín Murphy
LABEL: Play It Again Sam
FROM: Ireland



1 "Exploitation" - Róisín Murphy
LABEL: Play It Again Sam
FROM: Ireland



Sunday, October 11, 2015

SHREM'S BIGGIES BUT GOODIES BASKET: "DADADAY" /// "WORKX2" - Annie


Repeating the same mighty trick as back in 2013, Norway's best POP export Annie teams up with one of the most reliable European producers Richard X for a collection of songs that is already shaping up to be the EP of the year. The aptly titled "Endless Vacation" EP drops 16th October and aside the delightful summer gem "Cara Mia" it also includes the 90s house fuelled "WorkX2" and the delectably euro-trashy "Dadaday" (co-produced by Jim Eliot and Stefan Storm) - 2015's most shamelessly catchy song. Richard X and Annie prove yet again to be the indisputable force in the synth pop department and if "Out Of Reach" - the 4th and final track to be revealed from "Endless Vacation", matches the excellence of the rest of the songs, Annie might have that EP of the year title in the bag. Pop Royalty.

Get your copy of "Endless Vacation" on a limited edition CD (one of only 475!) HERE.

The impossibly clever artwork by PAOLSZI. Photo of Annie by Hildegunn Wærnes.





Tuesday, September 29, 2015

SHREM'S BIGGIES BUT GOODIES BASKET: "CARA MIA" - Annie


Anne Lilia Berge-Strand, better known simply as Annie, has collaborated with Richard X on many a Pop classic. The ageless hit "Chewing Gum", the anthemic "Songs Remind Me of You" or the entire "A&R EP" with the phenomenal "Invisible" or the ultra-catchy "Back Together" are just a few examples of their fruitful legacy. Pure Pop Perfection is what I like to call their joint efforts! Now Annie returns with "Cara Mia" an uplifting synth-pop gem dipped in Balearic synths heralding the arrival of the Norwegian singer's most anticipated "Endless Vacation" EP coming out 16 October via Pleasure Masters. Flawless again. Absolutely flawless.