Anomie Belle
Encyclopedia
Anomie Belle (born Toby Campbell 7 August 1980) is an American
musician and activist. Originally a classical violinist and songwriter from Portland
, Anomie began performing and recording her own music as a child. She has since worked as a musician and producer in Madrid, Glasgow, Amsterdam, New York, Buenos Aires, and London before moving to Seattle
in 2006. Anomie Belle is also active as a film composer.
Anomie Belle is noted for provocative vocals/lyrics set to complex, often down-tempo, beats and layers of herself on strings, electric guitars, and synths. Haunting melodies and experimental soundscapes transport listeners through the crowded nature of their modern minds and urban spaces. Her material also grapples with issues ranging from suburban alienation, consumerism, human spirituality and sexuality. Anomie Belle is also known for her contempt for consumerism
and her involvement in the Culture Jamming
, Artivism and Anti-consumerism
social movements. Her works commonly critique greed, oppression, mass media, corporate power, inequality, and alienation. Anomie Belle is also openly queer
.
tour with Little Dragon
and Manuok
in 2008. Sleeping Patterns garnered further commercial success after the song How Can I Be Sure appeared in the Xbox 360
game Alan Wake
, as well as episodes of United States of Tara and Jersey Shore (TV series)
.
Anomie Belle toured extensively in 2009, first with The Album Leaf
and then with legendary UK trip-hopper Tricky
in the US and Canada. The original live band featured two additional female vocalists doing harmonies, with Belle at the lead performing all instrumentation and live programming by looping herself. Live drums were added when Erik "Quick Hits" Otteson joined prior to the tour with Tricky
. Later that same year, Anomie Belle added former Matt Pond PA
cellist Dana Feder to the live band before touring with renowned film composer Gustavo Santaolalla
's band Bajofondo
.
In 2010 Anomie Belle would again join The Album Leaf
, as well as Sea Wolf
, for several dates on the West Coast
. In addition to performing her own music, she also joined The Album Leaf
for their entire set, forming the Anomie Belle String Quartet with her band mates.
Anomie Belle's second album, The Crush released on September 13, 2011 and includes collaborations with Mr. Lif
and Jon Auer
of The Posies’
. Anomie Belle followed-up The Crush with the Inky Drips and Machine EPs, featuring members of the Sneaker Pimps
, Mr. Lif
, Big Spider's Back and several remixes. Trespassers William
lead vocalist Anna-Lynne Williams
has been featured as both a live and recorded guest vocalist. Hip Hop
artist Mr. Lif
and Anomie Belle have often collaborated on stage during their respective performances.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician and activist. Originally a classical violinist and songwriter from Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Anomie began performing and recording her own music as a child. She has since worked as a musician and producer in Madrid, Glasgow, Amsterdam, New York, Buenos Aires, and London before moving to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
in 2006. Anomie Belle is also active as a film composer.
Anomie Belle is noted for provocative vocals/lyrics set to complex, often down-tempo, beats and layers of herself on strings, electric guitars, and synths. Haunting melodies and experimental soundscapes transport listeners through the crowded nature of their modern minds and urban spaces. Her material also grapples with issues ranging from suburban alienation, consumerism, human spirituality and sexuality. Anomie Belle is also known for her contempt for consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
and her involvement in the Culture Jamming
Culture jamming
Culture jamming, coined in 1984, denotes a tactic used by many anti-consumerist social movements to disrupt or subvert mainstream cultural institutions, including corporate advertising. Guerrilla semiotics and night discourse are sometimes used synonymously with the term culture jamming.Culture...
, Artivism and Anti-consumerism
Anti-consumerism
Anti-consumerism refers to the socio-political movement against the equating of personal happiness with consumption and the purchase of material possessions...
social movements. Her works commonly critique greed, oppression, mass media, corporate power, inequality, and alienation. Anomie Belle is also openly queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
.
History
Anomie Belle released her debut album Sleeping Patterns in November 2008. In support of her debut release, Anomie Belle embarked on a West CoastWest Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
tour with Little Dragon
Little Dragon
Little Dragon are a Swedish electronic band, formed in Gothenburg in 1996. It consists of Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano and her close high school friends Erik Bodin , Fredrik Källgren Wallin and Håkan Wirenstrand .Little Dragon's first release was the double A-side 7" single...
and Manuok
Manuok
Manuok is an American solo musical project founded in San Diego, California in 2004 by Scott Mercado. Scott Mercado is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He was born in Montrose, Scotland and currently resides in San Diego, California. He is currently a member of...
in 2008. Sleeping Patterns garnered further commercial success after the song How Can I Be Sure appeared in the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
game Alan Wake
Alan Wake
Alan Wake is a story-driven action game in the psychological thriller genre, developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios, released for the Xbox 360 video game console in 2010...
, as well as episodes of United States of Tara and Jersey Shore (TV series)
Jersey Shore (TV series)
Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...
.
Anomie Belle toured extensively in 2009, first with The Album Leaf
The Album Leaf
The Album Leaf is an American solo musical project founded in San Diego, California in 1998 by Jimmy LaValle. He is known for his use of electronics, synthesizer and Rhodes piano...
and then with legendary UK trip-hopper Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
in the US and Canada. The original live band featured two additional female vocalists doing harmonies, with Belle at the lead performing all instrumentation and live programming by looping herself. Live drums were added when Erik "Quick Hits" Otteson joined prior to the tour with Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
. Later that same year, Anomie Belle added former Matt Pond PA
Matt Pond PA
Matt Pond PA is a New York based band formed in Philadelphia by singer-songwriter Matt Pond. They have released eight LPs and eight EPs since 1998....
cellist Dana Feder to the live band before touring with renowned film composer Gustavo Santaolalla
Gustavo Santaolalla
Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla is an Argentine musician, film composer and producer. He has won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score in two consecutive years, for Brokeback Mountain in 2005 and Babel in 2006.-Life and career:...
's band Bajofondo
Bajofondo
Bajofondo is a "Río de la Plata" based music band consisting of eight musicians from Argentina and Uruguay. The band, which refers to itself as a "collective of composers, singers and artists", was formerly called "Bajofondo Tango Club", but shortened the name to "Bajofondo" after they felt their...
.
In 2010 Anomie Belle would again join The Album Leaf
The Album Leaf
The Album Leaf is an American solo musical project founded in San Diego, California in 1998 by Jimmy LaValle. He is known for his use of electronics, synthesizer and Rhodes piano...
, as well as Sea Wolf
Sea Wolf (band)
Sea Wolf is a band led by Alex Brown Church, an indie folk musician based in Los Angeles, California. Church attended film school at NYU and was a founding member of a group called Irving in 1998...
, for several dates on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. In addition to performing her own music, she also joined The Album Leaf
The Album Leaf
The Album Leaf is an American solo musical project founded in San Diego, California in 1998 by Jimmy LaValle. He is known for his use of electronics, synthesizer and Rhodes piano...
for their entire set, forming the Anomie Belle String Quartet with her band mates.
Anomie Belle's second album, The Crush released on September 13, 2011 and includes collaborations with Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif is an American hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Often noted for his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on El-P's Definitive Jux label and one on Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises. Mr...
and Jon Auer
Jon Auer
Jonathan P. "Jon" Auer is an American musician who co-founded the power pop band The Posies, along with Ken Stringfellow. Auer and Stringfellow have also been a part of the rejuvenated Big Star....
of The Posies’
The Posies
The Posies are an alternative rock/power pop group. The band was formed in 1987 in Bellingham, Washington by primary songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. They are best known for their radio hits "Golden Blunders" , as well as "Dream All Day", "Solar Sister" and "Flavor of the Month"...
. Anomie Belle followed-up The Crush with the Inky Drips and Machine EPs, featuring members of the Sneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps were a British trip-hop band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1994. They are best known for their first album Becoming X and particularly the singles "6 Underground", "Spin Spin Sugar", and "Tesko Suicide" from the same album...
, Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif is an American hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Often noted for his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on El-P's Definitive Jux label and one on Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises. Mr...
, Big Spider's Back and several remixes. Trespassers William
Trespassers William
Trespassers William are an indie rock/dream pop band known for their ethereal music. Hailing from Southern California, they work and live in the Sodo/Capitol Hill area of Seattle, Washington. Their latest release is the 2009 EP, The Natural Order of Things. They are currently working on their...
lead vocalist Anna-Lynne Williams
Anna-Lynne Williams
Anna-Lynne Williams is the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist of Trespassers William, an indie rock band based out of Seattle, Washington....
has been featured as both a live and recorded guest vocalist. Hip Hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif is an American hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Often noted for his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on El-P's Definitive Jux label and one on Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises. Mr...
and Anomie Belle have often collaborated on stage during their respective performances.
Live band members
- Anomie Belle - Vocals, Violin, Guitar, Keyboards, Sampler, Instrumentation
- Keith Cushner - Bass
- Christopher Icasiano - Drums
- Dana Feder - Cello
Compilation appearances
- 2009 No Lip Vol. 3 (Mohawk Bomb Records)
- 2010 Alan Wake OST Limited Edition Soundtrack
TV, Film and Video Game uses
- "How Can I Be Sure" appeared on an episode of Jersey Shore (TV series)Jersey Shore (TV series)Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...
- "How Can I Be Sure" appeared on an episode of United States of Tara
- Anomie Belle scored the short film Dark Material
- "American View" appeared on an episode of Roadtrip NationRoadtrip NationRoadtrip Nation began in 2001 as an idea Mike , Nathan, Brian and Amanda, four friends fresh out of college, formed when they were not sure what to do with their lives...
- "February Sun" appeared on an episode of Jersey Shore (TV series)Jersey Shore (TV series)Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...
- "How Can I Be Sure" appeared on Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
game Alan WakeAlan WakeAlan Wake is a story-driven action game in the psychological thriller genre, developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios, released for the Xbox 360 video game console in 2010... - "John Q Public" appeared on Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
game APB: All Points Bulletin - "Down" appeared in the independent film Jamie and Jessie Are Not Together