Eric Bachmann - No Recover (Merge, 2018)

Eric Bachmann
No Recover
Merge
2018

Rating: 8 starry eyed clerks out of 10

The latest release by former Archers of Loaf frontman Eric Bachmann, “No Recover,” feels like a natural continuation of his excellent self-titled record from 2016.  That was my favorite album to come out that year and I still listen to it all the time, if we’re keeping score at home.  “No Recover” is missing the strong “doo wop-esque” female backing vocals that were heavily featured in 2016, instead opting this time for more subtle collaboration via his former bandmate/frequent collaborator/current wife Liz Durrett (backing vocals) and for the first time since Archers of Loaf ended, Eric Johnson (guitar). 

(That reminds me, I could really go for another Archers of Loaf reunion tour right about now…maybe they will get back together for Merge 30 next year.  While we’re making a wish list, lets also get reunions from Polvo and Breadwinner and Erectus Monotone and get Matt Suggs to come out of retirement or wherever the hell it is he's hiding.)

Anyways, back to “No Recover” – it’s just goddamn fantastic.  Bachmann’s output is stripped down and simple without being simplistic, catchy without being cloying.  Sure, I’m coming at this as a fanboy who loves every goddamn thing this man touches, but even within that framework I’m telling you this is an exceptional collection of Bachmann’s work.  Opener “Jaded Lover, Shady Drifter” sounds like a long lost Kris Kristofferson song.  “Daylight” is a masterclass in layered fingerpicking and Bachmann’s not-used-nearly-enough falsetto (or at least what I think is meant to be a falsetto, from a man with a voice as deep as his).  “Murmuration Song” is the highlight of the album, probably the most upbeat number and one that sounds like it would fit in nicely on the first “Crooked Fingers” album (that's a huge compliment in my book, that record is perfection).  And that’s just the first three songs - I could do this for every track on “No Recover” if pressed, but I think you get the idea. 

This won’t be my favorite record of 2018, but that has more to do with the quality of this year than anything negative about “No Recover.”  It will most definitely finish high on my list though, another excellent addition to the musical landscape from Eric Bachmann.  

Eric Bachmann - Eric Bachmann (Merge, 2016)

Eric Bachmann
Eric Bachmann
Merge
2016

Rating: 8.5 pink highlighters out of 10

I'm sure the "why" has been explained somewhere, but Crooked Fingers is no more, and now Eric Bachmann is just recording under his own name.  He's released recordings under his name before, and everyone knows Crooked Fingers was really just Bachmann solo anyways, but if he felt the need to jump through this hoop to keep going as an artist, who am I to argue.  I'm just glad he's still making music and I've got a new record to listen to...and a really, really damn good new record at that.  The second track "Mercy" is one of the best songs he's ever written, and certainly the closest he's ever come to producing music that would be confused with a sixties girl group.  there's actually quite a bit of backing female vocals ("Dreaming" and "Seperation Fright" are a couple of other outstanding examples, and there are more), which adds a nice extra layer you don't usually get with his sound.  I could see some (stupid) people being turned off of this slight turn, but Bachmann's deep voice still dominates - there is no changing that.  I feel pretty good saying this will be one of my favorite records of the year...then again, I can often say that about any music Eric Bachmann releases. 

Archers of Loaf - Curse of the Loaf - Live at Cat's Cradle (ARRA, 2015)

Archers of Loaf
Curse of the Loaf - Live at Cat's Cradle
ARRA
2015

Rating: vs. the Greatest of All Time

As a self-professed superfan of the Archers of Loaf, the only thing that could possibly keep me from loving this is if the live recording was bad.  It's not.  I've seen them a good half-dozen times since their reformation, including one of the nights when this was recorded (August 19-20, 2011) if I remember correctly, and they give me that same excitement that they did when I saw them for the first time more than twenty years ago.  No, a live recording isn't quite as good as the live experience, but it's still a damn fine representation of what is so great about this band. 

Archers of Loaf - The Results After the Loaf's Revenge 7'' (Merge, 1994)

Archers of Loaf
The Results After the Loaf's Revenge 7''
Merge
1994

Rating: 9 carpenter fathers out of 10

Two great songs by one of the godfathers of nineties indie rock (and one of my all-time favorite bands), Archers of Loaf.  Neither "What Did You Expect?" or "Ethel Merman" are album tracks, but both are featured on their compilation "The Speed of Cattle."  "What Did You Expect?" is one of their best songs and was a live show staple, not sure why it never got put on one of their regular records.  

Note: basically this exact same seven inch with a different cover was also released by Alias, who put out all of their full-lengths.  Not sure which one came first, not going to research it, don't really care.  

Archers of Loaf / Monsterland - Inside Dave's Garage - Volume 3 (Radiopaque, 1994)

Archers of Loaf / Monsterland
Inside Dave's Garage - Volume 3
Radiopaque
1994

Rating: 7 sensitive tinklings out of 10

Archers of Loaf have side A on this split, recorded for and/or at some DC public radio station.  They play a weird, shimmery version of "Telepathic Traffic" where the volume of the guitar seems to vacillate from one speaker to the next for large chunks of the song.  I thought something was wrong the first time I heard it.  The B side is Monsterland, a band I never knew anything about but this song is...fine.  Typical indie rock of the era. 

Archers of Loaf - The Loaf's Revenge 7'' (Alias, 1993)

Archers of Loaf
The Loaf's Revenge 7''
Alias
1993

Rating: 10 gum ladders out of 10

I'm guessing when most people think about Archers of Loaf, the first thing into their head is probably "Web in Front."  To call it one of the anthems of the local scene would be an understatement.  In my opinion, it's one of the best songs ever written.  I've literally heard it thousands and thousands of times over the last twenty years, and I still get as giddy as a teenager every time I hear those first few notes of the track.  It is musical perfection. 

That song along with lesser-known track "Bathroom" make up side A of this record, with "Tatyana" the sole inhabitant of side B.  All the songs can also be found on the comp "The Speed of Cattle" and "Web in Front" is also on the band's debut "Icky Mettle." 

Small 23 & Pipe - Split 7'' (Matt Label, 1992)

Small 23 & Pipe
Split 7''
Matt Label
1992

Rating: 10 free love out of 10

Musically I'm not sure the combination of Small 23 and Pipe makes much sense, but knowing they shared members certainly clears things up.  This record was from very early in the careers of both bands, and both tracks are among the best the band ever released.  Small perform "Chuck's Buzz" here, also available on the "Cakes" EP.  Note - lead vocals on this track are by Eric Bachmann, just before he left the band to form Archers of Loaf.  The Pipe track "Submariner" was also on their "Ball Peen" EP.  Ripping fuckin' song, like everything else they ever released. 

Crooked Fingers - Broken Man 7'' (Red Pig, 1999)

Crooked Fingers
Broken Man 7''
Red Pig
1999

Rating: 9.5 Italian greyhounds out of 10

This was the first release by Eric Bachmann under the name Crooked Fingers that was released after the break-up of Archers of Loaf.  That was an incredibly sad time for me, but I soon came to love Crooked Fingers almost as much as the Archers. It was sorta tough at the time to see Bachmann take this rootsier route after the indie punk fervor of his past, but now these tunes feel like second nature to me.  "Broken Man," also found on the first Crooked Fingers record, is still one of the best songs Bachmann has ever recorded.  The other side, "Red Devil Dawn," is only found here despite him also putting out a full-length record by the same name.  Kind of odd, good song though.

Archers of Loaf - Vocal Shrapnel 7'' (Alias, 1996)

Archers of Loaf
Vocal Shrapnel 7''
Alias
1996

Rating: 9 hatched eggs out of 10

Archers of Loaf are damn near perfection...I'm not sure what more I can say about them really.  I definitely remember buying this one when it came out as I tried to buy anything the Archers released in any format.  Side a is the fantastic title track, also found on "All the Nation's Airports."  The other side is "Density," which unlike most of their non-album tracks is not also on the "Speed of Cattle" compilation. It's a great, catchy song and a real shame it was never made more easily listenable. 

Small 23 - Noodles 7'' (Matt / Landspeed, 1993)

Small 23
Noodles 7''
Matt / Landspeed
1993

Rating: 9.5 Spanish flies out of 10

Another lost local classic from Small 23 - the title track is one of the band's all-time best songs, this version sounding just a hair different from the version also available on their full-length "True Zero Hook."  The flip, "Wet Cement," is a track that is only available here as far as I know and features Eric Bachmann on guitar - I can only assume the band recorded this before he left Small and started Archers of Loaf.   On burgundy red vinyl! 

Archers of Loaf - Classic Rock Is for Pussies 7'' (Esther, 1995)

Archers of Loaf
Classic Rock Is for Pussies 7''
Esther
1995

Rating: 10+ scuzzy drunkards out of 10

Archers of Loaf, if not my very favorite band of all time, are at least top three.  Both songs on this seven inch, "Mutes in the Steeple" and "Smokin' Pot in the Hot City" are also available on their singles compilation "The Speed of Cattle," but that doesn't mean I'm not going to purchase every single thing I ever see the band's name on.  Plus the versions on the compilation sound slightly different - according to the liner notes, they were recorded as part of a John Peel session.  I'm not sure where the seven inch versions came from, but they definitely sound dirtier.  "Mutes" is a favorite of mine regardless of format. 

Small - Makes Me High 7'' (Matt Label, 1991)

Small
Makes Me High 7''
Matt Label
1991

Rating: 7 pink petals out of 10

Small (or Small 23 as they would later be known) were a staple of the Triangle music scene but never got the acclaim the big three did - Archers of Loaf, Polvo, and Superchunk.  It always felt they were just outside that group in both listenership and press.  It also doesn't help their legacy that the label they were on, Alias, has gone under.  This was their first release I believe, back when Eric Bachmann of Archers of Loaf was one of the guitarists and vocalists.  He only occasionally took lead though, and the music was a little janglier in a Replacements sort of way so you'd really never confuse the two bands.  The title track is an early staple of the band and well regarded by me, and the b-side tracks "Nasty Little Chick" and "Somebody Owes Me Money" are a little rough as the group is still finding their sound, but still worth checking out if you're a fan.  I've got a few more of their singles so you'll be hearing more from these guys. 

Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle (Reissue) (Merge, 2011)

Archers of Loaf 

Icky Mettle (Reissue)

Merge

2011

Rating: 10 poop euphemisms out of 10

Wait, so Merge reissued one of the greatest indie rock albums of all time (Icky Mettle) by one of my very very favorite bands of all time (Archers of Loaf)...um, I think we knew what this rating was going to be before I even typed the first letter, so let's not waste each others time.  

The download also comes with an album of bonus material, also remastered - their "Vs. the Greatest of All Time" EP, the best material they ever released, and a bunch of their singles (aka a large chunk of their "Speed of Cattle" compilation).  So not only is this re-release awesome, it's a LOT of awesome.