Brittany Anjou

Brittany Anjou is a New York City based musician, composer, pianist, vibraphonist, vocalist, lyricist, arranger, improviser, sound designer and multi-instrumentalist. As a pianist, she leads the Brittany Anjou Trio. She is the front-woman of feminist punk hardcore band Bi TYRANT. She is most notable for her work with The Shaggs and the Dot Wiggin Band,[1] of which she is the co-vocalist. She has been interviewed by several music journalists about performing the music of the Shaggs with Dot Wiggin.[2] She has created music under the monikers Brittany Larcenie, Brittany Larson Suck My Face, and Bi TYRANT.

Music

Anjou has composed music and sound design for theater, commercials, bands, artists, and has released several of her own instrumental albums using different electronic and acoustic instruments, including Vibraphonic Kyma X: Volume One, The October Sage Sessions, and Music for Jazz Orchestra. She founded the LARCENY Chamber Orchestra in 2013, which performed her arrangements for horns, strings, turntables, rhythm section and vocals of Portishead's Roseland NYC Live album for three consecutive annual concerts from 2013-2015 in celebration of the album, at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC.[3]

Enamiĝo Reciprokataj

Anjou composed a collection of acoustic piano trio jazz from 2003-2013, of which she recorded the majority of with the Brittany Anjou Trio, featuring bassist Greg Chudzik and drummer Nick Anderson. She recorded the remainder of these works with drummer Ben Perowsky and bassist Ari Folman-Cohen. This collection is entitled Enamiĝo Reciprokataj, a title in Esperanto meaning "Unrequited Love." In addition, Anjou arranged and recorded the Russian Dance movement of Igor Stravinsky's Petrouchka ballet, under the theme of unrequited love of which Petrouchka has for the ballerina.

Bi TYRANT

Bi TYRANT is a feminist hardcore band featuring death metal vocals. The band performs under stage names, known as Brittany Larcenie, drummer Laura Cromwell (Laura Crimewell), and guitarist Rich Bennett (Valerie Vetere) of the Friendly Bears. The band released their debut album, Bisexual Tyrant, on September 9, 2016, with songs about LGBT identity, women's rights, reproductive rights, and body positivity. The single "Fuck Donald Trump" became their #1 streaming track. The album received positive reviews during the 2016 election, noting the album to be "genius" and "sexually disturbing," and refreshing during times of stress of the 2016 presidential election.

Bi TYRANT's members also tour with Dot Wiggin in the Dot Wiggin Band, performing old and new Shaggs' repertoire. At the CD release party for Bisexual Tyrant at Le Poisson Rouge, they additionally performed a Tribute to the Shaggs, which was covered by Pitchfork,[4] Rolling Stone,[5] and Paste Magazine.[1] The tribute featured performances by Roddy Bottum (Faith No More) and Cynthia Sley (Bush Tetras).

Music for Theater and Dance

In 2016 Anjou composed music and sound design for In The Eruptive Mode: Hijacked Voices of the Arab Spring,[6] a series of six monologues written by Kuwaiti playwright and director Sulayman Al Bassam, performed by Syrian actress Hala Omran, and American actresses Catherine Gowl and Rebecca Hart. She performed the work live for grand piano, flute, vocals, echo delay pedal, and synthesizer, while stationed on a slanted diagonal platform built into a set mimicking an executioner's wall. The piece toured Kuwait, Lebanon, Tunisia and was received by French[7] and Arab audiences and press positively.[8] The piece "Nadia," inspired by Yezidi rights activist Nadia Murad, was broadcast on Lebanese TV.

In 2015 Anjou composed music, sound design and performed a live score to Sulayman Al Bassam's Petrol Station, a play about border politics and inheritance in the middle east. The production received support from NYU Gallatin and the Brooklyn Academy of Music and was performed at the Jerry A. Labowitz Theater at NYU Gallatin. The music used Ghanaian Xylophone, synths, organ, keyboards, and vocals.

In 2005 she performed a live score on vibraphone for Adele Myers and Dancers at the Merce Cunningham Dance Studio.

Works as sideman

Anjou appears on records by Ravens and Chimes, Elysian Fields, the Dot Wiggin Band, Duncan Malashock, David Bronson, Michael Eaton, Okkervil River, Doyle Bramhall II, Emanuel and the Fear, Mary Bragg, and Stick Against Stone.[9]

On vibraphone, Anjou is a regular member of the Michael Eaton Quintet, a modern jazz quintet lead by saxophonist Michael Eaton featuring pianist Brad Whiteley, bassist Daniel Ori, and drummer Shareef Taher.

References

  1. 1 2 "How to Solve a Riddle Like The Shaggs". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  2. ↑ Klein, Eric. "Dot Wiggin of the Shaggs is Back". Medium. Medium. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  3. ↑ Interview, LPR. "Brittany Anjou shares her thoughts on Portishead". LPR. LPR. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  4. ↑ Minsker, Evan (August 4, 2016). "The Shaggs' Philosophy of the World Reissue". Pitchfork. Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  5. ↑ Grow, Kory. "The Shaggs Reflect on Divisive "Philosophy of the World" Album". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  6. ↑ Theater, SABAB. "In The Eruptive Mode". Sabab. Sabab. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  7. ↑ David, Edgar. "Sulayman al-Bassam a le Theater dans le Sang". L'Orient Le Jour. L'Orient Le Jour. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  8. ↑ Abi Saab, Pierre (Tuesday May 10, 2016). "For Real In Art" (No. 2881). Al Ahkbar. Al Ahkbar. Retrieved 21 November 2016. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ↑ "Brittany Anjou Discography". Discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
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