After studying operatic vocal performance at Boston Conservatory in the 1980’s, Xanna made a name for herself in her hometown’s alternative music scene. That name, according to the Boston Herald, was “The Country Queen of Boston.” In 1994, she logically moved her award-winning act to Austin, Texas, where she performed for a decade, and like many Austin musicians, stumbled into its film scene, appearing in Office Space, A Slipping Down Life, and other indie films. Booking music for a women’s music series and Austin’s Gay Pride celebrations for three years led to her proudest accomplishment: the creation and co-production of South By Southwest’s first ever all-gay music showcase in 2001 at Rainbow Cattle Company, Austin’s largest gay venue. Xanna and her wife of 14 years, Ann L. Brown, a Network Editor at CNN, relocated to Atlanta in 2003, where Xanna found new career opportunities teaching voice lessons to local rappers and writing the Lab Results music column for Labrys, Atlanta’s lesbian magazine. Lured out of performing retirement by booker Bruce Wells, her new acoustic act debuted at Blake's On The Park on May 1, 2008, as part of his Southern Exposure GLBT music series. Her next show is July 4th at the Atlanta Midtown location of Front Page News as part of Southern Exposure's Gay Pride Music Festival.
BOSTON HERALD: "The Country Queen of Boston" //
GIRLS-WORLD 2000: "The Grande Dame of Austin Music" //
AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN: "Austin's Underground Country Queen" // "Miss Xanna Don't does. Sing great, that is." / "rousing" / "unique country sound" / "...fiery twang vibe that has won fans over from Emo's to Cibolo Creek Country Club to gay pride rallies." //
AMERICAN AIRLINES AMERICAN WAY: "Miss Xanna Don't is hard to miss. She has beautiful eyes and white porcelain skin. But what really makes her stand out, aside from her stilleto heels, is her black beehive hairdo, a foot to a foot and half high 'depending on the weather.'" / "Judge was looking for the fabled 'Texas big-hair look'...Miss Xanna was perfect."//
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS: "Though it may take awhile for her to be crowned the country queen of Texas, Miss Xanna appears to be well on her way to becoming at least a princess. She certainly has taste and style...and has hair that will make my mother-in-law jealous. What's not to love?" / "a powerful singer who also knows how to say something through her songs" / "Patsy Cline fronting Rev. Horton Heat" / "magnificent beehive hairdo" / "a natural honky-tonk singer" / "...you'll not want to miss the fiery alternative/honky tonk of Xanna Don't and her band." / "Xanna's hair is awesome, her voice as crying as it gets, her song selection - original and cover - nothing short of inspired." / "for everyone who's interested in the twang of Edge City honky-tonk" / "country music that would make most Nashville denizens blanch" / "huge head of hair and a voice to match" / "Miss Don't, whose hair is about all enough to make the Tower of the Americas nervous, can belt out tunes ala Patsy Cline while the band drives songs with a distinct punk edge. In short, Don't & the Wanted are big fun." / "honky-tonk princess" / "big hair and voice" //
1994 and 1997 South By Southwest Showcasing Artist // 2000 Indiegrrl SXSW Showcasing Artist // 2001 South By Southwest Showcase Producer //
'ZINE: How I spent six years of my life in the underground and finally...found myself...I think. Book By Pagan Kennedy, p.128, "I hoped heads would turn as I entered the club, people would whisper, fans would crowd me. This is what happens (sort of) when I go to Primal Plunge events, because (if I may flatter myself) I'm a wacky Allston character almost on the scale of Xanna Don't." //
THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE: Best of 1996 / "In a town where country singers are as common as cell phones and tech jobs, female country singers may begin and end with [Susanna] Van Tassel and Miss Xanna Don't." / "You wonder if Patsy's getting jealous in hillbilly heaven." / "Beehives never looked so good." / "the best head of hair in town, hands down" / "go for the hair but stay for the sweet as strychnine ballads aimed straight at your heart" / "Don't twists classic barroom country with gender-bending muscle reminiscent of k.d.lang, and then some." / "None of the recent compilations of local 'new country' bands have seen fit to include Miss Xanna Don't, which likely means she's doing something really offbeat and therefore really worth watching." //
MUSIC CITY TEXAS: "very impressive" //
TEXAS TRIANGLE [Austin/Houston]: "The former Country Queen of Boston has built quite a following here. Check her out and find out why." / "pushing the limits of country music" / "mixes punk with Patsy Cline and her classically trained voice with a rockabilly sensibility" / "outstanding" // FAG RAG [Austin, Dallas & San Antonio]: BEST OF 1996. / "This girl can really get your attention, so don't miss her." / "...a classically trained singer who belts out rockabilly 'til you can't sit!" // DIRTYWATER.COM: "Miss Xanna Don't did much, from 1988 to 1993, to bring country music back to a Boston rock audience."//
BOSTON GLOBE: "[one of] Boston's most respected musical minds" / "Her role in introducing country-rock to the local scene cannot be underestimated." / "a Patsy Cline heart with a punk rock attitude" / Top 10 Records of 1991 / "country diva" / "heck of a voice" / "strong impact" / "she's got the voice and the beehive" / "bright, winsome" / "one gets the real thing" / "Miss Xanna Don't as Mary Magdalene will rip your heart out." / "soaring" / "convincing" / "jaw dropping" / "Xanna Don't scores as Mary" // EAST COAST ROCKER: "Her voice is splendid, soothing, and melodic; her music is uplifting, sincere and country. Yes, country." / "powerful" / "intriguing" / "a very cool country act" // BOSTON ROCK: "Aqua Net goddess of the midnight hour" / "great, spirited vocal performances" / [S]he is a self-made starlet, a diva with spurs, a cowboy queen. // BOSTON PHOENIX: "star quality" / "golden throated" / "country diva" / "a mighty voice and a sincere feel for the music" / BOSTON PHOENIX READERS' POLL Nominee '89, '90, '91, '92, '93, Winner Best Country Act '90--"And the Best National Country Act was again won by k.d. lang, at this point still pure country and semicloseted. Not the case with our Best Local Country Act, Miss Xanna Don't, currently raising hell and eyebrows in Austin."//
BOSTON MUSIC AWARDS Nominee '89, '90, '91, '92, '93 // THE FINE PRINT: "The Susan Lucci of The Boston Music Awards" // THE NOISE: "Boston rock's girl-next-door" / "cowboy diva" / "beautiful voice" / Voted Female Personality of The Year '89, Nominated Best Vocals '90, '91, '92 and Winner Best Female Vocalist '93. // STUFF MAGAZINE: "Her voluminous voice sounds built for country." / "an inspiration" // BAY WINDOWS: "deserves a yee-haw!" // P.S. NORTH SHORE [pre-teen newsletter]: "Miss Don't wails like a contralto banshee!" // THE LOWELL SUN: "bouncy and enthusiastic originals with the emphasis on original" / "open sincere performing style--a far cry from the sequins and banality of other country women" // THE TAB: "diva-esque" / "compelling voice" // METRONOME: "Don't has proved herself both indomitable and resilient." / "refreshing" / "great stuff" / "an eye opener" / "inimitable" / "You've got to love this gal." // NO DEPRESSION: "...buy this single."... // YOUR ROOTS ARE SHOWING: "legendary diva-with-spurs-cowboy-queen" //
NMI NOUVEAU MUSICAL ET INTERACTIF (France) (translation): "...'97 South By Southwest was a sold out Saturday evening show with performers such as the extraordinary and attractive Miss Xanna Don't & The Wanted from Austin." / "...flaunts herself in a hair-style from the 18th century." / "a mix of bluegrass and Hillbilly swing" / "...a member of a fascinating trio of friends including Candye Kane and her pianist, Sue Palmer" / "We will be hearing from Miss Xanna in the months to come..." //
ROCK'N'REEL (Great Britain): "gutsy vocal performance" //
AUSTIN CITYSEARCH.COM 1998: "The only thing's that certain is "Death & Texas." This song sums up the cheeky appeal of Miss Xanna Don't & the Wanted. Featuring Xanna's ethereal vocals in a "devil went down to Georgia" style competition with the lead guitar, it was included on the Triggerfish compilation CD "L'Austin, Space." A staple in Austin's alt punk scene with her mile-high hair and heart-felt country crooning, Miss Don't bleeds every drop of emotion possible from her insightful original songs. Don't let the glam-trash image fool you, this little gal can effortlessly evoke the spirit of Roy Orbison with her long lonesome wail." LYCOS.COM: "Smart and sassy tunes from a woman who's been doing the alt-country thing for over a decade now." //
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