Always have a special place in my heart for Riot Grrrl, lady rockers, queens of noise, songstresses, alpha female kinda thing. Suzi Quatro, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Wendy O. Williams, Kate Bush, Chrissie Hynde, Debbie Harry, Siouxsie Sioux, PJ Harvey, St. Vincent, Carla Bruni, Aldous Harding, Isabella Manfredi, and couples more.
The one that I’m totally crazy about at the moment is the British goth-rock guitar virtuoso: Anna Calvi. She’s been noted also for her powerful, wide-ranging operatic contralto voice and sometimes androgynous stage appearance. Her accolades include three Mercury Prize nominations, one Brit Award nomination, and a European Border Breakers Award.
Her eponymous debut album (2011), followed by One Breath (2013), EP Strange Weather (2014), and third full-length Hunter (2018) met with great critical acclaim and earning her consecutive Mercury Prize nominations for Album of the Year.
Calvi has been described by Q as “the prodigious wash of sound that recall Ennio Morricone, Duane Eddy, even Jimi Hendrix in its fulidity.”
Her musical style is a combination of dark, romantic, and atmospheric pop; she often uses high levels of reverb while playing guitar. She has said that the powers of lust are an inspiration, and her performances are deliberately sexually charged.
Calvi has cited Nina Simone, Maria Callas, the rock of Jimi Hendrix, The Smiths and the Rolling Stones, the blues of Captain Beefheart, the stage performances of David Bowie, Nick Cave, and Scott Walker as well as classical composers Messiaen, Ravel and Debussy as among her influences.
Calvi has also spoken of the influence of the films of Gus Van Sant, Wong Kar-Wai, and David Lynch on her music. She admires “people that make beautiful films where the cinematography tells the story”, and tried to do the same in her work.
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Featured image via NME
