Anodyne- Anacelica 7”
Second post for today, ladies and gents. This one in particular may look unassuming from its white label, cover-less presentation, but contained within are two of the best DIY post-punk tracks I’ve heard in a second. This particular band hails from Alabama, and they appear to have only self-released this one single in 1985. Copies of this one can prove to be quite scarce, though maybe this post will help shed some light on this otherwise mysteriously obscure band who take their name from either a 19th century term for a painkilling breed of medicinal drugs or a term for something “inoffensive.” My guess is the reference refers to the former…
As for touchstones, you can expect some Three Imaginary Boys-esque post-punk (ie, a Buzzcocks sense of songwriting with darker overtones) though of course there might be a little bit of Bauhaus in the otherwise driving, monotone vocals. I’m reminded a bit of Here Today, a similarly influenced band who were from Baltimore. Either way, both tracks here have become favorites in recent months. Enjoy!
Anodyne- Anacelica 7”
1. Anacelica
2. The Sea
October 22, 2021 at 4:44 am
i love this band. I grew up in Mobile and they were absolutely mind blowing live.
The singer recently sent me a copy of this 7 inch. Thank you for spreading the love!
October 22, 2021 at 12:58 pm
Excited to hear this – TYVM!
November 2, 2021 at 2:56 am
Check the wild crowd at this xymox gig in buenos aires (by 2016!)
proof that good music lasts…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6-0NKwpZfc
December 19, 2021 at 7:04 am
I wonder who introduced you to this record…
The sad news for you is that your copy is missing the picture sleeve !
December 19, 2021 at 5:27 pm
Yes, thanks for telling me about this one. Too bad about the picture sleeve indeed, but I’m here for the music and for everyone having the chance to enjoy it!
December 25, 2021 at 4:25 am
Best end of the year to you Frankie.
Cheers
December 28, 2021 at 1:11 pm
Yes, it’s about the music. Thanks for sharing all these gems of your collection in so many years! Always looking forward to your next post!
June 20, 2022 at 5:21 am
I had a copy of this in the late Eighties (bought from a clothing store in Ybor City, of all places) that was burned up in a fire a few years ago. A couple of things:
1) They got some attention from a few labels back then. They even got a song played on American Bandstand! Problem is, they were the only American band at the time that sounded like this and no one knew what to do with them. I know this only because:!
2) They evolved into a different band with a different name (I can’t remember what it was), and they had an extensive YT channel about 15 years ago with lots and lots of live stuff and new music. Unfortunately, they also had a video of the aforementioned AB clip, so their whole channel vanished one day.
December 16, 2022 at 5:35 pm
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the extra info about the band – very informative indeed! Cool to hear they had some label courting and survived on for a few years afterwards. Hoping the channel re-appears one day, maybe this post will help bring the band out of the woodwork again!
June 11, 2024 at 9:17 pm
Here’s the youtube channel – thanks to your clues I was able to find it or some close approximation. Tons of Anodyne and Mob-Town Space Cadets (offshoot?) on there.
https://www.youtube.com/@harveywallbanger3