CD REVIEWS
by Sam McDonald for the Daily Press, Friday, August 17, 2007
Another notable local release comes from rocker Annie Johnson, a Newport News native who has been making original music independently for years.
"Black and Blue" is her best work yet, an artful, accomplished recording that delivers snarling hard rock (the title tune), right along with delicate, moody acoustic songs such as "Beer and Cigarettes" and "Summer."
A bit of world music crops up, too, on tunes including the instrumental "Anoushka."
"I've spent a lot of time listening to music from India, Spain, Russia, and Egypt," Johnson wrote. "I've also gotten to see Anoushka Shankar perform live twice and was so moved by her music that I titled a song for her."
The CD features some of Johnson's best lyrics. She's found a way to convey deep emotion with a few graceful strokes. "Let It Go" and "Damned If I Do" are effective because they say so much with so little.
It's great to hear Johnson continue her artistic growth.
ANNIE’S WORLD by Bill Bass
Annie Johnson’s new CD, Black and Blue, is now out and includes songs Johnson wrote between 2001 and 2006. I previewed a number of the tracks. Among my favorites are the opening track, "What I Want," which is very reminiscent of Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. It is a rocker and a great introduction to the CD. But the disc also explores other musical styles. Among the surprises is the track, "Anoushka," which explores world music.
Guitarist/singer Annie Johnson is something of a legend on the Peninsula. Seems like she's been bringing blues-rock to Newport News for almost two decades.
On Black and Blue's opening track, "What I Want," Johnson comes out swinging with a big 70's sounding guitar ala Joan Jett and Nancy Wilson from Heart. She quickly shifts gears on the slow burning atmospheric "Let It Go" and largely rides the acoustic, singer/songwriter horse the rest of the way through the 11-song album to highlight her vocal and writing talents. Joni Mitchell would be proud.
Best tracks: "What I Want," "Let It Go," and "Summer."
"During the last few years I’ve listened to a lot of music from Europe and the Far East," said Johnson in a letter. "I also got to see Anoushka Shankar perform live twice at the American Theatre in Phoebus. She’s an amazing musician, and I was so inspired by her that I titled a song on the CD for her."
Written by Jeff Maisey for Portfolio Weekly 3/11/08
From "Homegrown Talent"
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.
by Sam McDonald
the DAILY PRESS, Sunday December 1, 2002
Annie Johnson - Here We Are
Grade A
HERE WE ARE
Reviewed by Bear
Volume X Issue V of the PAGANET
July 2003
Indie (Industrial & Electronic Pop) Rock performer and fellow Pagan, Annie Johnson has done Virginia proud with her recent album (2002), “Here We Are.”
A native of Huntington, West Virginia, and later spouse to a military man prone to lots of reassignments to new duty stations, Annie has lived all over the US and even in England for a while. Later abandoning her commitments to being an Air Force wife, she dove into her first love, music. Playing guitar since age 12 and later enhancing her skills with more classical training, Annie is pretty much self-taught (with a little help, by her own admission from listening to Heart’s “Dreamboat Annie”). She even managed to earn a BA in English while playing and singing – certainly no simple feat – and moved to the Hampton Roads area to stay in 1993.
Surprised by her recent successes, Annie admits to being initially so nervous on stage that she barely managed to control her shaking hands enough to play guitar. Not into joining the superstardom world of musical divas, Annie is quite content doing Open Mic Nights and seeing familiar faces in the audience, or as she puts it, “hanging out with kindred souls.”
Married to bass player J. Morales (who, when he first joined the group was unable to play bass!), Annie is also supported by the additional talents of the Annie Johnson Band (formed in 1999): Thom Singleton, who joins Annie on guitar and vocals; Chuck Freeman on drums and vocals; and of course Morales, who has now learned to hold his own playing bass.
Voted Best Acoustic/Folk Artist of the Year (2002) for Hampton Roads, VA by readers of Ninevolt Magazine, Annie has appeared at a number of local Southeastern Virginia’s popular nightspots and has a bevy of additional contest awards to back up her contributions to her genre. She has accompanied such groups as Costy L, Toast, Everville, Garden II, Lost Again, the Rockinghams & Undertow. Presenting a vocal range reminiscent of Joplin, Collins, and Baez, Annie adds a special trill that softens her messages via a hint of innocence as opposed of the overt bitterness of many 60’s balladeers.
All accomplished musicians, AJB alchemically synthesizes warm and pleasing tapestries, which produce an end result worthy of addition to all CD collectors who appreciate sincere talent. AJB’s albums & singles are available from Amazon.com as well as Fantasy, where she has also performed (Newport News, see ad in this issue of PNN), as well as other locations listed on their website. Ranging from folk (“Anything Goes”) to blues (“Green”), from psych to punk to contemporary rock (“Jump Right In”), AJB leaves little room for vanilla flavored music.
For those of you local to Hampton Roads, Virginia, you can see the AJB at such places as the Hampton Block Party (Aug. 2) & Goodfellas (Sept. 20) in Hampton, VA.
from Ninevolt issue #41
It's tempting to compare Annie Johnson with Suzanne Vega and Tori Amos. All three have strong lyrical stories on top of even stronger melodies. But that's unfair because Johnson is a powerful and unique songwriter and performer in her own right.
"Trust You," the lead track, has Johnson waiting to be betrayed at any minute ("Lover, enemy always look the same to me.") You can feel the paranoia by the end of the cut. "Reminiscing" starts with a jazzy, bluesy sax (courtesy of Eddie Williams) followed by Johnson in her best torch singer voice -- something a little different than we're used to, but nicely done. Williams contributes to several tracks on the second half of the disc.
Although most of this disc is dark and introspective, "Skinny Girl" is by far the most forceful and disturbing. And memorable. ("They didn't get her drunk enough/She still remembers!!")
Pick this up at local stores or at one of Johnson's shows.
posted May 8, 2000
June 28, 2000 - Review by Mike Connolly
CD: SYBIL
Artist: Annie Johnson
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
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."
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."
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. . .
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.
Hometown: Newport New, 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." 
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.
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.
FROM INDIE MUSE April 2001
From Estrogen Music
Songstress/musician Annie Johnson sent me a humble, polite, and to-the-point e-mail about getting her music on my (almost-inactive) MP3.COM station. "When you have a few minutes free," she says, "please check out one or two of my songs. They range from rock to pop to smooth jazz. 'No Doubt' and 'Angel' and 'Thirsty' may be the ones that would best fit your 1% station. Thanks!" After giving them a listen at http://www.mp3.com/anniejohnson I concluded they deserved far more than just getting plunked down on my moribund playlist, so I decided to tell all of YOU folks about her instead! There is so much drivel, dreck, and detritus in the online music world that it is always a great delight (and often a surprise) to find quality material done with taste, style -- and talent! Check this lady out; you can send me a 'thank you' any time.
Wednesday, April 26, 2000
Rating: THREE AND A HALF STARS
Letters From L.A.
Annie Johnson
April 21, 2000
Reviewer: Karen
Inspired by a trip to Los Angeles, Annie Johnson has compiled a CD of acid/jazz/rock/hybrid textures. Letters From L.A. offers intelligent lyrics, the odd experimental vocal effect, and lots of sumptuous upright bass. Annie is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, keyboards, blues harp and some haunting flute solos in addition to her cool and confident vocals. Standouts are 'No Doubt', which has a laid back groove and a sax solo that hints of Pink Floyd influence. 'Thirsty' is another strong favorite, with a chilling cool texture highlighted with yummy distorted electric guitar that gives a dirty raw edge
(and a bit of rock feel), and vocals that flirt in and out of the background. The whole effect of the song creates a sparse mysteriousness, which makes you feel like you entered an ancient temple in the middle of a forgotten tropical rainforest (or, as Annie's lyrics would dictate a frozen desert). The simple and beautiful ballad 'Nothing to Lose' holds more promise than is explored in its present production... it would be interesting to see this attacked again on a future recording. Annie's intelligent lyrics shine especially on songs like 'Lightening', where the simple arrangement and production allows her vocals greater intimacy in the mix. In all, Letters From L.A. is skillfully woven with cool textures and maturely executed ideas. Annie seems to have many creative ideas and we look forward to her next offering.
More on this artist - Buy this CD!
From Indie-music.com
If you're a fan of the hippie bands from the late Sixties and early Seventies, and/or a fan of female vocalists like Annie Lenox, Kate Bush, and Sinead O'Connor, you'll love Annie Johnson's "Letters from L.A."
Even though Johnson is a Virginia singer-songwriter, "Letters from L.A." was written after she spent eight months living and playing gigs on the Los Angeles coffee house circuit.
Other reviewers have mentioned Johnson's jazz stylings, pointing to the work of her bass player, Terry Burrell, and Steven Rayburn on saxophone. They also hold up other female singer-songwriters like Ani DiFranco and Alana Davis. But I think these reviewers missed the mark.
Starting with "On Sunset" and all the way through to "Letters," Johnson assembles a collage of styles and sounds reminiscent of The Doors, especially "Riders on the Storm" and "The End," as well as Eric Burdon and The Animals, and The Grateful Dead. Johnson also lists Anne and Nancy Wilson of Heart as one of her major influences, and it shows.
A lot of the songs on this CD were influenced by her experiences in L.A., and "On Sunset" encapsulates the entire Hollyweird experience, and sums up her feelings about the place:
Learned a lot I didn't know about California.
It's the screen in the storm drain of America.
Leaves me feeling more paranoid than patriotic.
Leaves me feeling shaky and more than a little neurotic.
Speaking of bassist Burrell, big thumbs up on his work on "Thirsty." He and sax guy Rayburn create a mood of an acid jazz band playing during a poetry slam on a hot summer evening, as you sit at a little table with a cold beer in one hand, and a Camel no-filter in the other. Needless to say, I played this track several times before moving on to the next one.
If I had one complaint about the entire album, it's that there aren't enough songs on it. The whole CD lasts for 34 and a half minutes, which means I'm hearing the same songs over and over again, as it repeats on my player. Normally this would be a problem if I didn't like the CD so much.
Annie Johnson
Letters From L.A.
By Erik Deckers 
Johnson is also a versatile musician. In addition to her sultry vocal sounds, she plays guitar, keyboards, blues harp (which sounds great on "On Sunset") and the flute. As someone who can only play a French Horn and his stereo, I'm suitably impressed by her range of skills and abilities.
Written by Sam McDonald for the 1/1/99 issue of the Daily Press.
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 infer that this was written during, or at least inspired by, a trip to the West Coast. It features nine 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 mind with just a few choice words. This is prevalent throughout the album, but comes most strongly 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." Songs From L.A. is a good representation of her live performances, and its quality speaks well of Johnson's dedication to her craft.
BEST LOCAL ALBUM.
"Letters From L.A." Annie Johnson.
This Newport News singer worked the coffeehouse circuit in Los Angeles for a few months. She didn't get famous, but her experiences provided her with a generous supply of material for songs. The mostly acoustic "Letters From L.A." was recorded with local jazz musicians. Their chops give extra weight to Johnson's unpretentious melodies and strong singing.
Written by Mike Connolly for the 2nd issue of ninevolt. 
For fans of Lewis McGehee, Suzanne Vega.
Written by Sam McDonald for the 10/23/98 issue of the Daily Press.
Newport News singer-songwriter Annie Johnson spent a few months inside the rough-and-tumble Los Angeles music scene, and she lived to tell--even sing--about it. Her new disc, "Letters From L.A.," is an ambitious album of acoustic alternative rock. It's packed with songs inspired by her experiences navigating the seedy streets of Hollywood.
Johnson got help from several hot local musicians: Terry Burrell, mainly a jazzer, played upright acoustic bass on the disc. Jeff Owens played drums. Steven Rayburn contributed sleek sax lines.
Burrell's acoustic bass--in particular--lends unusual texture to Johnson's compositions.
Johnson has been knocking around the Hampton Roads music scene for a few years now. But her eight months in California seem to have brought new focus to her style. Her singing voice on "Letters From L.A." mixes Alana Davis' pop soulfulness with a splash of Tori Amos-like eccentricity.
L.A.CONFIDENTIAL.
RITES & WRONGS REVIEW
A talent like this is about as rare as MTV actually showing music videos. She's amazing! Practically a "one man band," she mesmerizes anyone who hears her. She's been playing around the local circuit for the last few years winning contests with her acoustic guitar, as well as banging her head around in a few local bands. Now she's gone to L.A. Before she left, I was lucky enough to get a copy of Rites & Wrongs, and I'm SO glad I did! It's mellow, yet enchanting. It's the kind of stuff that makes me want to light candles when I play it, especially on a rainy night. Even the heavier stuff is hypnotic. Pretty soon everyone in Los Angeles will know Annie's name, and then I hope the whole country will!
Rites & Wrongs was a home-made demo, recorded on a 4-track Tascam Porta-Two tape machine. We've had it burned to CD, and the sound quality is pretty good considering the low-budgetness of it all. If you'd like a copy, send a check or money order for $5 to PO Box 1544, Newport News, VA 23601.
Written by Susan Rosen for Pulp Radio magazine. October 1997,
issue #26, Vol.III #10.