Through every living core, there tolls a chime

Annuals put on a great show, as always, at The Pour House in Raleigh (2/19/10). They played for a jam-packed crowd who Adam Baker graciously thanked between songs for choosing them over the Black Eyed Peas. Fergie or Annuals? Not a hard decision.

I can't say enough about this Raleigh band. I will go as far as to say they're one of the best groups to come out of the Triangle. Ever. Musical genius Baker has crafted a sound that's spontaneously cohesive and soothingly exhilarating. He intricately orchestrates an eclectic range of sound that provides new insight after each listen, whether it's the discovery of lyrical meaning, a subtle guitar riff, or a not-so-subtle farm animal noise.

The result is musical excellence that's unparalleled and unmatchable. Throw in a couple of light-up drums and you've got quite the live experience. Donzel Radford treated us to explosions of neon with every beat. Fun in a drum!

Their new EP, Sweet Sister, is scheduled to come out March 30th. I'm pretty excited about it, especially since they've returned to an independent label after briefly signing with a major label. You can download the fun, slightly electronic opener "Loxtep" here. It's a promising little taste, courtesy of Stereogum.

They played a lot from their last album Such Fun and some old favorites as well. I caught their amazing performance of "Brother":

Feels so good when he screams.

More pics from the night:

The lovely Anna Spence on keyboards.

Zack Oden playing an accordion!

Key component to any show=maracas.