family and friends, whiskey, bob dylan, mistakes, neil young, gillian welch, torrey, california, david williams, kentucky, will oldham, warm tubes, tweed, tom petty, gram parsons, the road, emmylou harris, learning things the hard way, coffee, jim campilongo, the beatles, cigarettes, john prine, short affairs, johnny cash, django rhienhardt, court summons, heartache, silly ideals and silly dreams.
Sounds Like
Contribute to our van repair costs, we appreciate anything you can spare!
"That devastating combo of heartbreaking alt-country earnestness and perfect pop-hook craftsmanship is elusive, which makes the victory all the sweeter when a band in your own back yard nails it. Band Of Annuals are that band right now." (BF) City Weekly
Let Me Live is now in the ITUNES store, click
HERE
BAND OF ANNUALS EP:
Tracks 1, 2 and 3 were recorded live at Audio Space by Hyrum Summerhays and mixed by Jay Henderson. Track 1 is written by our friend David Williams and appears on his album "Summer." Track 4 was originally recorded and mixed by Scott Wiley during the January 2007 "Let Me Live" sessions and released on the Slowtrain Records compilation "Around The Bend." Track 5 was played live on-air at Tucson, Arizona's KXCI.Mastered by Ed Brooks at RFI/CD Mastering, Seattle WA. Package design by Sam Owens.
NO DEPRESSION review of the new EP (Oct. '08):
A five-song stopgap between their well-received 2007 album Let Me Live and follow-up long-player currently in the works, this EP is apparently only available at the Band Of Annuals' live shows. All the more reason to go see them: In addition to being one of the most promising alt-country bands working the national club circuit in recent years, they're also getting increasingly confident in the studio, as the three fresh cuts here attest.
The highlight is the leadoff track, "Echo", written by fellow Salt Lake City songwriter David Williams. It's notable in part for the degree to which Band Of Annuals kicks things up a notch from their typically more languorous pace and tempo; not surprisingly, they've been making this song a set-closer of late, as it carries that sort of dramatic drive, highlighted by singer Jay Henderson's cathartic shout near the end of the song. Equally as important – on this track and throughout – are the beguiling backing vocals of keyboardist Jeremi Hanson; her harmonizing is the kind of spark that can take a good song and turn it into magic. A secret weapon is the pedal-steel melodicism delivered by Brent Dreiling, who drifts dreamlike atmospheric accents over the bedrock foundation laid by guitarist Jamie Timm, bassist Trever Hadley and drummer Charlie Lewis.
Rounding out the EP are "Part III", a 2007 outtake that previously appeared on the Salt Lake compilation Around The Bend; and a live-radio (from Tucson) rendition of "Casey Jones", one of the standouts from the Let Me Live album. The later runs six and a half minutes, but it casts a spell that lingers considerably longer.
(Peter Blackstock, nodepression.com)
NO DEPRESSION FULL REVIEW of Seattle Tractor Tavern Show!!! (Feb. '08)
"...Band Of Annuals raised the bar immediately with its first song, "Blood On My Shirt". Front-and-center here is the male-female vocal interplay between frontman Jay Henderson and keyboardist Jeremi Hanson. Henderson sounds rather like Gerald Collier or Rocky Votolato (who you may well not know if you're not from Seattle, but just trust me that it's a good sound); the closest touchstone for Hanson is Karen Peris of the Innocence Mission. Together they come across a bit like the best of Mojave 3's work, with first-class backing from four quite congenial lads (electric guitarist Jamie Timm, bassist Trever Hadley, drummer Jordan Badger, and pedal steel guitarist Brent Dreiling) who appear to be in a bit of a beard-growing contest. (The lead guitarist seems struggling to keep pace, while the pedal steel player is comfortably in the lead, which seems as it should be.)
The band offered up an infectiously bluesy take on Dylan's "Leopard Skin Pill Box" hat just before closing their set with the anthemic "Don't Let Me Die" from their recent debut disc Let Me Live. Members of Or, The Whale joined them onstage for the finale, the two bands apparently having bonded the night before on a bill together in Portland. Band Of Annuals members Hadley and Timm leaned with their backs against each other at one point as Henderson and Hanson lifted yet another song to a triumphant melodic high; they were soaking in the glory of the moment, as well they should. A Saturday night, hundreds of miles from home, a packed audience, in the prime of life: If you play music, this is as good as it ever gets."
-- PETER BLACKSTOCK
Copyright c. 2008 by No Depression Inc. and/or Peter Blackstock
"...The alt. country album of the year has gone unnoticed seemingly, by everyone. With it’s minimalism approach leaving room for just about everyone to move on into the wide expanses of the recording and feel right at home it's the perfect to get lost with..."--IndieRockReviews.com
Bands that we have shared the stage with:Neko Case, Magnolia Electric Co., backing band for Daniel Johnston, The Minus 5, Pinback, Damian Jurado, Limbeck, The Mother Hips, Two Gallants, Cub Country, Ladyhawk, Pink Mountaintops, Vedera, Earlimart, David Dondero, Koufax, Eric Bachman, Cordero, Court and Spark, Brothers and Sisters, Deathray Davies, Mute Math, Palomino, Joshua James.
Also, check out what these people say....
"When we play my songs, we're gonna sound like The Beatles!" - Daniel Johnston
"I've got these records right alongside my collection of Johnny Cash and Drive-By Truckers releases on my bookshelf." -nowontour.com
"Think a little bit Clem Snide with a hint of Cat Power..." -nowontour.com
11 shows, 10 cities, 9 hookers, 8 if you only count live ones, 7 people crammed in a 6 passenger van, 5 band members, 4 calling birds, 2,200 miles traveled, 1 smelly band van. Join us!
Enjoyed you so much at the Arts Festival. Thanks so much all of you for signing my CD. I'm sure I'll catch you live again sometime. Really love your music.
Online Now!
