Ruckus Live: Annuals

The Empty Bottle
November 10, 2006
(Click on pictures to enlarge.)

I first heard of Annuals through Pitchfork's Infinite Mixtape, but, admittedly, my intrigue was peaked when Chris Walker Versus had me review their single, Brother, for his Four Track Fridays featurette. While writing the review and listening to the song on repeat, I officially decided that I needed to go see Annuals play a show... I was definitely craving some sort of crazy, spaced out, jam session; which seems like the logical live interpretation for Brother, if you ask me. Apparently, not so much. (Sorry, just needed to drop the "...Not So Much" at least once in my blog before it's totally dead.)

Nevertheless, while Annuals may not really "jam out" live, there's still plenty going on musically. The band members are seemingly all over the place as they play musical chairs--swapping instruments and percussion details around--enabling them to match Adam Baker's amazing song arraignments with perfect accuracy. And, as if the sonic pictures painted upon your ears weren't enough, everyone also drinks A LOT before the show; always a bonus. Previously, I compared them to Animal Collective, but after hearing more of their 2006 album, Be He Me, it's clear that their influences come from a place much further south than Brooklyn. So, to sum things up: Show, good. Album, good. You should probably go watch them play, drink a few whiskeys, and buy their CD... Sounds like a winning evening.















Conclusion

The Good:

• Adam Baker's amazing "Kelso-Vest."

The Bad:

• Disease ridden, graffiti infested, bathroom (with no handles on the doors), PBR in the bottle, and the first time the Camel Cigarette Girls found me in Chicago all adds up to a Double Downesque experience... Which actually made me a little bit homesick. *tear*

The Ugly:

• Dancing with Death's cruel temptress. (AKA: Trying to resist the urge to piss on the light switch that's mockingly located a mere six inches above the urinal.) PS: Does anyone know if that'd actually electrocute you?