Artist description Annie Johnson - Indie Rock. Annie Johnson has opened for such nationally known acts as Maria Muldaur, Shannon Curfman & Agents of Good Roots. In February 2003, Annie was voted Acoustic Artist of the Year by the readers of Ninevolt Magazine. In June of 2003, she & her band performed live on Sunrise on the Coast with Hunter Hughes. Songs from her CD Here We Are receive airplay on 93.7 FM the Coast in Norfolk, Virginia and 89.5 FM WHRO Public Radio, Norfolk Virginia. Her song No Doubt from her first CD Letters From L.A. is featured on MP3.com's Get Your Groove On - The Sexiest Songs on MP3.com, and she & her band were also featured by Women of MP3.com in the year 2000.

Music Style Indie, Alternative, Modern Rock, Jazzy Pop, Jazzy Folk, Pop Punk (Depends on the song!)

Musical Influences Nirvana, Hole, Heart, Led Zeppelin, Massive Attack, Monkees, Beatles, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, L7, Vyktoria Keating, Kate Bush, Pink Floyd, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Tina Turner, John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis

Similar Artists Tori Amos, Nirvana, Ani Defranco, Hole, Alice in Chains, Heart, Stevie Nicks, Led Zeppelin, Cowboy Junkies, Rickie Lee Jones, Joni Mitchell. This is what Annie's fans say!

Artist History Annie launched her solo career in 1998 after playing guitar and singing in hard rock bands for several years in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Inspired by a trip to L.A., Annie returned home and recorded her debut CD Letters From L.A., which immediately began to get airplay on local radio stations. Letters From L.A. was named Best Local CD of 1998 by tbe Daily Press. Reviews for her second and third CDs, Sybil and Here We Are, have also been great, and songs from all three CDs have received airplay on modern rock radio stations.

Albums Here We Are (2002), Sybil (2000), Letters From L.A. (1998)

Press Reviews From "Homegrown Talent by Sam McDonald from the Daily Press, Sunday December 1, 2002 - Annie Johnson - Here We Are - Newport News rocker Annie Johnson has never lacked ambition. Her previous discs tapped some of the top players and producers in the area with solid results. Those discs featured Johnson's softer acoustic side as well as her more raucous, electric material. "Here We Are" is a mixture of those elements - but with better results. Again, she employs top-notch performers and a skilled production team. Working at Windmark Studios in Virginia Beach, she's created a sound that's rich and full. In pure audio quality, Johnson's disc can match most anything heard on the radio. But the compositions are what make "Here We Are" a step forward for Johnson. Tunes including the brooding "Self-Medication" and the excellent "Green" reveal a new level of sophistication -- melodically and lyrically. The standout track "Jimmy Stewart" is about disillusionment and broken dreams, "Jimmy Stewart made you believe in angels," Johnson sings. "Jimmy Stewart made you believe in honest politicians. Now you feel you don't belong here." A big fan of 1970s rock bands like Heart and Aerosmith, Johnson has always combined some of the bombast of that era with the modern spunk of songwriters like Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette. On "Here We Are," the marriage sounds natural, even exciting. Grade A CD: Sybil (Shy Grrrl) By: Erik Deckers Artist: Annie Johnson CD: Sybil (Shy Grrrl) By: Erik Deckers Indie-Music.com Intro/general thoughts: I've been doing this writing gig long enough to wonder who was going to be my first repeat review, and as luck would have it, it's Annie Johnson the folk musician from Newport News, Virginia, who I had the privilege of reviewing when I first started this gig. I got her disc, and with deep anticipation, put her CD into my stereo. What I heard was not what I expected. On her debut CD, Letters from L.A. Johnson had created a Sixties sounding CD that was as reminiscent of The Doors as it was Kate Bush. But she floored me with her follow-up CD, Sybil. This album is a far cry from her more relaxed, almost folksy sounds that fans of her CD are familiar with. Johnson is plugged in, turned on, and kicks some serious ass -- we've gone from Joan Baez to Joan Jett, and truth be told, I really liked it. It's usually difficult for artists to switch between genres, let alone styles within their own genre, but Johnson actually manages to explore new musical arenas, and still keeps in touch with her old style. Type of Music: Modern Rock Hometown: Newport News, Virginia Notable: Terry Burrell joins Johnson on bass, and Andy Payne pounds out some serious beats throughout the whole album. She calls them, and her other musicians, some of the best in Hampton Roads. Highs: Right in the middle of the album, Johnson erupts into an angry burst of energy, complete with Joe Satriani-style screaming guitar -- she played it herself -- on Skinny Girl, before bringing it back down with Angel. Another high: Johnson's Letters was only 34 minutes, but she more than made up with it on Sybil, giving the listener over a solid hour of great music. Lows: I have no complaints with this CD whatsoever, which is pretty uncommon for me. And maybe I can make that my complaint: there is nothing wrong with this album, and I have nothing to nitpick. Favorite Lines: I couldn't tell you who Timothy is, but you have to feel sorry for him in Timothy Dreams. Timothy dreams of peace Instead of the chaos inside of him He can't calm down the shaking inside He can't push the pictures out of his mind & Timothy screams when Timothy dreams. Fans: If you like Alana Miles, Melissa Etheridge, or even Annie Johnson's first album, be sure to add Sybil to your collection. Foes: If you like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, or Celine Dion, don't even bother. Indie-Notes: CD cover and artwork is professionally done, and the photo is striking. The photo on the inside cover of the angel statue I assume is for the song by the same title. One of the few CD covers I've seen where the photos actually match up with the mood of the music. Summary: Lyrically and melodically, this whole album is a dark departure from the nearly-happy go lucky sounds of "Letters from L.A." but Johnson is just so good at what she does that the departure is more than forgiven, it's celebrated. However, it makes me wonder what she'll come up with next. I'm afraid I'm going to have to draw the line at a Sex Pistols cover album. . . Letters From L.A. Review: Written by Mike Connolly for the 2nd issue of ninevolt. This is the first release by Annie Johnson, on her own Shy Grrrl label. Although it was recorded at Virginia Beach's Daily Planet studios, the liner notes inferthat this was written during, or at least inspired by, a trip to the West Coast. It featuresnine outstanding laid-back slices of life, each one three to five minutes in length.Johnson has a great sense of phrasing and a talent for bringing an exact image to mindwith just a few choice words. This is prevalent throughout the album, but comes moststrongly on "Chameleon." All of her cuts showcase strong lyrics and acoustic guitar work,along with excellent supporting performances by her band.Stand out moments: the bluesy sax solo in "No Doubt" and the poetry in both"Chameleon" and "Lightning." Letters From L.A. is a good representation of her liveperformances, and its quality speaks well of Johnson's dedicati

Location Newport News, VA - USA

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