New Annuals EP: Sweet Sister

Much loved Raleigh band Annuals return on March 30th with the release of a new EP titled Sweet Sister. This will be the follow-up to their first two records, Be He Me and major label debut Such Fun.

Annuals Tour Dates and Widget

Here is something to play with while killing time waiting for the inauguration celebrations to begin tomorrow. Whoo!

Nothing like a fun little widget to spice things up on a boring Monday morning. The Annuals are booked on a solid tour with dates after the jump. We would love to see them at the Exit/In in Nashville, that's for damn sure. They will rock that venue.

1/20/09 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
1/21/09 - Iowa City, IA @ Maintenance Shop
1/22/09 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
1/23/09 - Cleveland, OH @ The Grog Shop
1/24/09 - Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo
1/25/09 - Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa
1/27/09 - Boston, MA @ Paradise
1/28/09 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
1/30/09 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
1/31/09 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
2/6/09 - Charlotte, NC @ The Visulite Theatre
2/7/09 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
2/8/09 - Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
2/10/09 - New Orleans, LA @ The Parish
2/11/09 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
2/12/09 - Houston, TX @ Walter’s on Washington
2/13/09 - Austin, TX @ The Parish
2/14/09 - Dallas, TX @ Pontiac Garage
2/17/09 - Phoenix. AZ @ Rhythm Room
2/18/09 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
2/19/09 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
2/21/09 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
2/23/09 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
2/24/09 - Vancouver, BC @ Pit Pub
2/25/09 - Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
2/27/09 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
2/28/09 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
3/02/09 - Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
3/03/09 - St. Louis, MO @ The Gargoyle
3/04/09 - Newport, KY @ South Gate House
3/06/09 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/IN
3/07/09 - The Earl @ Atlanta, GA

Thursday's Slew Of Videos

Featured:
PUNCHLINE "The Hit"
ANNUALS "Confessor"
JIMMY EAT WORLD "Beautiful Day (Yo Gabba Gabba)"

Today's On The Blog Reel features men in drag, men drawn as storybook characters, and men riding through clouds on puppies. Excited yet? First we bring you Pittsburgh pop-punkers Punchline (say that three times fast) and their raucous new video for their hit single, appropriately titled "The Hit." The video follows the band living out their 1990s cliche-sitcom fantasies, starring in their own show, whose opening credits look conspicuously like those of Full House. (The proof is in the font.) While there's no John Stamos as Uncle Jesse, there is bassist Chris Fafalios as Hank the Mechanic. Drummer PJ Caruso, above, moonlights as the chatty sister; a Stephanie Tanner, if you will.

We've also got the new one from Annuals, for "Confessor", which features drawing-versions of the actual band. You know, if they were traveling woods-guides and prison torturers living in a storybook that takes place during an ethereal version of the Spanish Inquisition. Lastly, we've got the most bewildering of all, a clip from today's episode of Yo Gabba Gabba on Nickelodeon featuring emo pioneers Jimmy Eat World. They're performing an original children's song, "Beautiful Day", and they're doing so on the backs of dogs and cats. Honestly, to describe it any further wouldn't do it justice.

Videos after the jump!

Punchline - The Hit from absolutepunk.net on Vimeo.

Punchline
"The Hit"
Just Say Yes
Modern Short Stories
Directed by Thom Glunt
via Vimeo



Annuals
"Confessor"
Such Fun
Canvasback Music
Directed by Daniel Auber
via Subterranean

Jimmy Eat World-Beautiful Day-Yo Gabba Gabba


Jimmy Eat World
"Beautiful Day" on Yo Gabba Gabba
via Myspace

New Annuals Album Art - MP3

Annuals - "Confessor" - mp3
Such Fun, the Annuals much anticipated follow-up to their debut Be He Me, drops October 7 on Sony's imprint Canvasback. Label veteran Steve Ralbovsky re-joined Columbia records in 2006 as VP of A&R to direct and oversee Canvasback Records. Since that time, Sony has been the source of an increasing number of indie-rock records. This year alone has seen releases from The Black Kids, Does It Offend You, Yeah? The Ting Tings, Adele and now the Annuals. While Ralbovsky did not specifically sign all these acts, his influence has clearly been felt throughout the Columbia family. Ralbovsky's previous A&R experience includes signing and developing the Strokes, Ray Lamontagne, Kings of Leon and My Morning Jacket. The man can pick 'em.

But as for the Annuals - Be He Me had an electronically tinged rather cold sound - their newer material has a warmer more organic feel. In interviews, the band lamented how long they worked on their debut, constantly layering vocal harmonies and instrumental sounds. The songs from Such Fun and their recently released Wet Zoo EP sound more stripped down, and yes, like they are having more fun. Special shout out to Frank Harkins who designed the cover and packaging for Such Fun. And if you're wondering - yeah, that's a Bob Ross painting.
Annuals tour dates after the jump...

10/08 - Spokane, WA - Service Station #
10/09 - Missoula, MT - The Other Side#
10/11 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre #
10/12 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown #
10/13 - Iowa City, IA - The Picador #
10/15 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre #
10/16 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall #
10/17 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre #
10/18 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall #
10/19 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre Center #
10/20 - Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop $
10/21 - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre
10/22 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
10/23 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
10/24 - Providence, RI - Lupo's at the Strand
10/25 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
10/26 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
10/28 - Richmond, VA - The National
10/29 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
10/30 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
10/31 - Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theatre
11/01 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
11/03 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution !
11/04 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues !
11/05 - Jacksonville, FL - Freebird Café !
11/07 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues !
11/08 - Houston, TX - House of Blues !
11/09 - Austin, TX - Waterloo Park (Fun Fun Fun Fest) !
11/10 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues !
11/12 - Santa Fe, NM - TBA
11/13 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre !
11/14 - San Diego, CA - Soma @
11/15 - Pomona, CA - Glass House @
11/16 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre @
11/18 - Sacramento, CA - Empire @
11/19 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's @

# w/ Themes
$ w/ with the New Year
! w/ 27
@ w/ Helms Alee

2008 Siren Music Festival Line Up

I'll definitely be hitting this up: Dodos, Stephen Malkmus, Annuals, Times New Viking... and it's free. I mean, come on, who doesn't love seeing a good show and then riding the Cyclone?

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Broken Social Scene, The Helio Sequence, Beach House, Times New Viking, Jaguar Love, The Dodos, Annuals, Film School, Parts & Labor, Dragons of Zynth, These are Powers, and more to come!

Saturday, July 19th Noon - 9:00pm Coney Island Brooklyn