Annuals formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2004, although members Adam Baker (singer/songwriter), Kenny Florence (guitar) and Mike Robinson (bass) had been friends and bandmates since childhood. This six-piece musical collective is rounded out by Zack Oden (drums/guitar), Anna Spence (piano/synth), and Nick Radford (drums). At the time of the band's inception, Annuals featured no members over the age of 22.

Drawing their influences from such artists as Mike Patton, Radiohead, Bjork, and Aphex Twin, Annuals create a personal blend of rock, pop, folk, and sonic experimentation (including the use of a sampler). Ace Fu Records took note of the band’s dynamic, multi-layered sound, and Annuals signed to the label in 2005. The band had already released several offerings on their own Terpsikhore Records label, and debut album Be He Me was released by Ace Fun on October 17, 2006.

Be He Me
Ace Fu
10.17.2006

If you ever want to see a band on the rise – a band that's literally climbing the charts at the moment you watch them – then you can't do much better than this Annuals performance. We caught the band at Webster Hall, mere hours after Annuals' late-night TV debut on the Conan O'Brien show. The six fresh-faced musicians took the stage looking energetic, confident, and genuinely thankful for all their recent recognition. And although they played for nearly forty minutes, it only took one song to prove that such recognition was well-deserved.

Adam Baker is the captain of this ship, but his musical crew anchors Annuals' experimental pop sound. Kenny Florence busts out some surprisingly intricate guitar riffs, and Anna Spence creates otherwordly synth sounds while wearing a prom dress stolen from Molly Ringwald's closet circa 1985. Annuals is a young band, no doubt, but - as their name suggests, and as their performances prove - they're going to be around for years to come.

- Andrew Leahey

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