Band of Annuals (Salt Lake City is a long ways from whiskeytown…)
…but it sounds closer than ever with the sublimely sepia ebb of Band of Annuals and their sleepy, country-inflected male/female harmonies. A Christmas gift from a friend out in SLC, their album Let Me Live (2007) is one of my favorite new discoveries. If you love Whiskeytown like I do, this can help fill in some of the cracks and gaps in your heart since the Caitlin Cary/Ryan Adams project parted ways in 1999.
Band of Annuals (not to be confused with The Annuals from North Carolina) been selling out venues lately with their fantastic live show, and I would love to bring them to Denver. There’s a strong and unwavering purity to Jay Henderson’s voice, blending perfectly with the gorgeously honest timbre of Jeremi Hanson (who reminds me some of Gillian Welch).
I have listened to this particular cut, off their Live Warehouse EP, about a dozen times on repeat today. The snowflakes twirl quietly outside my house, and I am spending all day curled inside with this music warming the walls of my house, the harmonica echoing through the rooms. “Love is tough for me these days…”
Something True (live Warehouse EP version) – Band of Annuals
They also have a new self-titled EP from the end of last year, with a full-length in the works for ’09.
[top photo credit Aaron Ruff, taken at Amnesia on Valencia in San Francisco, October 2007]
Name: Heather Browne
These guys are great! I don’t think I ever got around to actually posting it, but you can grab their September Hi-Dive show here:
http://www.theflatresponse.com/audio/2008/09/Band%20of%20Annuals%20-%202008-09-10%20-%20Hi-Dive,%20Denver,%20CO/
Lance — January 25, 2009 @ 7:09 pm
…aaaand i just got to hear jay henderson perform this song all honey-slow and sublime, in a solo show in salt lake city tonight via phone call. it was the most beautiful thing of my year so far. i’m going to bed happy (and kinda sad, because man, this is a sad song).
browneheather — January 26, 2009 @ 12:26 am
That’s a beautiful song! I’m a sucker for harmonies like these… Ha, funny I was just listening to some Whiskeytown yesterday and thinking how much I love and miss this band… so Band of Annuals is a good discovery indeed. Thanks Heather, and cheers from France
Severine — January 26, 2009 @ 5:08 am
Wow, that’s great. My song of the day over on Tumblr: http://davehyndman.tumblr.com/post/73225792/bandofannuals
And just bought their “Let Me Live” album from iTunes.
Dave Hyndman — January 26, 2009 @ 7:15 am
Hey Heather,
Do you know where we can purchase the live warehouse EP? I can only find it streaming.
J — January 26, 2009 @ 8:26 am
Hey J – I don’t know, nope. I can only find it streaming too. I am told that they used to sell the live EP at their shows before they had any studio albums made.
browneheather — January 26, 2009 @ 10:02 am
Great find Heather, thank you! I too have been missing Whiskeytown and have been keeping my toes and fingers crossed that someday they’ll reunite.
They have plenty of full tracks over at last.fm to stream. If I had heard their songs on the radio, I would have thought that it was Ryan himself singing.
Phil — January 26, 2009 @ 1:24 pm
I’m loving them! I want to buy every album of theirs. They have found a new fan. Thanks for this.
Liz — January 27, 2009 @ 11:51 am
I am very proud to hear this, being from SLC.
Have you ever written about Caitlin Cary and Thad Cockrell’s album of duets, “Begonias”? That’s an under-appreciated classic of such harmonies. It’s better than either of them solo and, unsurprisingly, Thad’s a little more generous in sharing the space than was Ryan A.
Pete — February 1, 2009 @ 10:44 am
Love these guys, they are fabu on songs like “The Devil Said RSVP.” Go SLC!
zh — February 3, 2009 @ 9:42 pm
BOA actually played the meadowlark back in early december (12/5 i think). it was a last minute show for them i believe, but amazing…well attended. they are very nice for the ears aren’t they?
ben — February 4, 2009 @ 12:31 pm
I love brent!
Mr. Ferrari — May 29, 2010 @ 7:59 pm