Ryan is a wild-child wolf who struggles with a severe drug addiction. The narrative follows his cousin, a responsible pug named Dave, who steps in to send Ryan to detox to save his life.The Universe: While Ryan stars in his own standalone video, his character lives in the broader "Crooked City Universe" built by the band.The Connection to (S) KiDS: The band went on to create a full-length, animated punk-rock musical film called (S) KiDS. While the main plot of (S) KiDS focuses on human punk teenagers (like Scotty, Craig, and Billy) fighting their corrupt principal, it is fully tied into the same animated punk culture and universe as Ryan's story.

Key Facts About DaveThe Contrast: The song's opening lyrics immediately establish their core difference: "Ryan and Dave are rabble rousin', teenage cousins / Difference is Dave has an off switch, and Ryan doesn't."His Life: Twenty years after their wild teenage days, Dave lives a stable, "rank-and-6file" lifestyle. He is married to a woman named Jamie and they have children together.The Ultimatum: When a homeless, broke, and heavily addicted Ryan calls Dave begging for cash, Dave refuses to enable him. Instead, Dave offers a life-saving deal: he will fund Ryan's recovery, but only if he agrees to go straight into detox.The Real Story: According to the band, "Ryan & Dave" is actually a true story. In real life, the song is based on two cousins named Kyle and Dave. The band changed Kyle's name to Ryan in the track to protect his privacy.

The Character: He is an anthropomorphic, fast-talking horse often compared by fans to BoJack Horseman.The Lore: Alfred stars in multiple music videos, including "Berlin," where he plays a military deserter who falls in love. His backstory expands in the track "101," which features his 101-year-old father, Manfred.The Universe: Alongside Jamesyboy and Lubo, Alfred is one of the anchors of the band's connected narrative world, serving as a focal character in their animated indie TV pilot, Crooked City

In the lore of the indie rock band Rare Americans, Lubo is a hidden character—depicted as a small animated owl with paint pens.The Challenge: The band famously hid Lubo the Owl in their animated music video for the song "Hullabaloo".The Reward: In May 2020, they hosted a viral giveaway challenge where 916 fans successfully spotted him to win custom merch.Lubo the owl shares his name with Lubo Ivan, the band's real-life founding lead guitarist who parted ways with the group in late 2022. Lubo Ivan also inspired the human character named "Lubo," a tragic boxer featured in their popular "Gas Mask" animated music video.