Thoughts on Shows by Julie Stoller Photographic Evidence by Chris March The Scene: The Middle East - 4/27/12 w/ Pipe + Hundred Visions At the risk of seeming over-sentimental, I have to say I feel honored to have been at this rare and special family reunion. Archers of Loaf’s two-night-stand at The Middle East was one of just a few U.S. stops this year, and they brought along long-time friends Pipe, who also haven’t been around in quite some time. The crackling excitement in the room added to the magic. The last time Archers of Loaf were ...

Crooked Fingers’ Breaks in the Armor was one of my favorite records released last year — Eric Bachmann’s best since Red Devil Dawn, I’d argue. If you pre-ordered the album through the Merge store, you also got a bonus download … Continue reading →

Previously hitting the road last summer for the reissue of Icky Mettle, Eric Bachmann found some time to regroup the Archers of Loaf for a new round of tour dates in support of the Merge Records reissue of Vee Vee. Covering classics like “Web In Front,” “Harnessed In Slums,” and “Audiowhore” Archers mixed up their setlist [...]

You’d think with his involvement in the recent reunion of Archers of Loaf that Eric Bachmann might set aside his long-running solo project for a while. But no, the ever-prolific songwriter, performer, and producer is actually intertwining his current tour with the iconic 90′s indie rock pioneers with that of his own band, Crooked Fingers. Read more...

Crooked Fingers have mellowed considerably with age, as Eric Bachmann has cooled down from his Archers of Loaf days. The ... Read the full article at http://www.prefixmag.com/media/crooked-fingers/our-new-favorite-video/61695/

Our friend and yours, Eric Bachmann , released his latest Crooked Fingers album last year--it's called Breaks In The Armor , and it's worth a listen. You may have seen a couple of the live-on-the-rooftop videos we shot last summer as Undercover bonus tracks (if not, they're here and here ), and now we've got the world premiere of the music video for "Our New Favorite." In a beautiful convergence of serendipitous kismet, Picture Show Films--the same team that shoots our Undercover (and Pop Pilgrims , and One Track Mind )--ended up making this video for Crooked Fingers. Enjoy!

Just about every comment I've read on the passing of 2011 boiled down to "good riddance". Not too shocking, since the internet was built for complaining after all (also - more than a few friends really were struggling), but I'm both surprised and very grateful to state that mine wasn't all that bad. I'd hazard to say it was actually pretty good, all things considered. After the personal hell that was my own 2010, things really had nowhere to go but up, and so up they went. Way up, at times. Mostly having to do with music ...

Hear Eric Bachmann's band perform poetic, introspective folk-rock songs from Breaks in the Armor.

In retrospect it was a mistake to ask Eric Bachmann his favourite colour. He and his band have been stuck on the M5 all afternoon, and from the moment we meet, it’s clear that incremental boredom is yet to disperse. He fixes me with a steely, disdainful glare and leaves my ill-judged enquiry to prop up the tension. Ice ages pass. “Black,” he eventually replies, with as much disdain as can feasibly be fit into one syllable. Suddenly, the ice cracks and he breaks my gaze, grinning to himself. Eric Bachmann doesn’t like to give much away. * * * Archers ...

The 2011 Album Buyers Guide Stuff You Should Try, From A-Z Welcome! You have just found one of the most exhaustive and well-considered lists of quality, new music available from 2011. Ultimately, this A-Z shopping list is a reflection of our own personal tastes. (There might appear to be some prominent omissions from this list - but this is our list here at RSL, and we stand firmly by these selections.. Of course, this being said, we did squabble this year over things... As it turned out, we just couldn't come to any agreement regarding the top two or three ...

It’s starting to look like people recall the ‘90s pretty well. Call it nostalgia, call it remembrance, just plain call it copyism if you will – either way, there seems to be a hot mess of bands reactivating pre-millennial American indie rock. Some of them are even pretty good at it. Take London’s own Brown Derby, for instance. They specialise in perky powerpop that’s more than slightly reminiscent of Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr. and a slew of others whose records are currently listed on eBay for hair-raising sums. But man, there are worse jams to take your cues from ...

Thoughts & Video by Julie Stoller Photos by Chris March Crooked Fingers at T.T. the Bear's Cambridge, MA - 11/6/11 A NIGHT FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS - Many indie rockers, when looking for a breath of fresh air away from their main band, will gravitate towards folk-informed singer songwriting, and rootsy alt-country. It’s a yearning for something stripped-down, more personal and self-contained, simple and emotionally direct. It’s a desire to get back to basics, and to find that connection with traditional storytelling and down-home comfort food for the spirit. Elder statesmen such as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, and Steve Earle light the way. But few can really pull it off, to ingest and then transform those influences into their own voice. Eric Bachmann is such an artist, and at the risk of coming off as corny, I felt like I was in the presence of a really old soul at T.T. the Bear’s Place. Crooked Fingers - Typhoon Despite how emotionally invested Bachmann obviously is with Crooked Fingers, one senses some ambivalence in his casual demeanor, which gives off a slight sense of resigned sadness: Bachmann: “Sometimes I think I picked the wrong dream, you know? Fucked everything up - ruined my life. Audience: “ohhh” Bachmann: "No, that’s alright, I’ve dealt with it, man” Audience member: “You’ve made mine better!” Bachmann: “Thanks a lot… asshole.” [collective laughter] Bachmann: “Nah, that’s cool. That’s good for you, man.” Would he rather be back teaching in Taipei , or just somewhere else in a different skin? - I for one am glad he’s not. The last time Crooked Fingers were here in town (also at TT’s, about a year ago), the show consisted only of Eric on acoustic guitar and Liz Durrett alternating between drums and electric, with a rather cryptic backdrop of video projections and an abysmal sound. This time, the projector was gone and in its place, a full band that perfectly fleshed out Bachmann’s warm guitar picking and his deeply affecting vocals. Durrett lent her soft angelic voice and sounded wonderful against Bachmann's baritone, sharing the lead on Dignity & Shame’s “Sleep All Summer.” Matt Nelson (guitar, bass, Moog) and Jeremy Wheatley (drums) provided just the right touches of accompaniment, always adding to the flavor and mood of the songs, but never overbearing. The sound… was perfect. RSL STREAMING PHOTO ALBUM They performed a satisfying mix of old and new, though the focus was clearly on the new album, from which they showcased six songs. Their music wrapped around us like a comfy old coat. Especially lovely was “Heavy Hours,” with its somber funeral march percussion and soft harmonies, and “Your Apocalypse,” with its gently rolling rhythm. Heartbreaking and heartwarming gems were plucked from their back catalog, including two from Bachmann’s brilliant solo album " To The Races ," which served to elegantly bookend the main set. The show began with Bachmann on solo acoustic guitar for an emotional reading of “Carrboro Woman,” deftly capturing the hearts of every person in the place from the very start. For their encore, there was a stunning version of the shiver-inducing “Man O’ War,” with Bachmann again on acoustic guitar and Durrett and Wheatley on exquisite backing vocals. The evening was a nice balance of country-flavored, rocking numbers and mournful ballads, old and new. Two especially poignant moments were from their debut album – the breathtaking “ Crowned in Chrome ,” with Bachmann’s gliding vocals sending chills down the spine; and the beautiful, noble and terribly sad “ New Drink for the Old Drunk. ” He may experience moments of uncertainty in his life, but I have none whatsoever about Eric Bachmann and Crooked Fingers. I want to see them again - and often. Crooked Fingers Album Review / Web / Facebook / Twitter

Me and Crooked Fingers go back a ways, but probably not far enough. I first heard ‘Big Darkness’, off Red Devil Dawn, driving home late one night about 4 years ago. I ended up really liking that record, and it’s 2008 follow-up, Dignity and Shame. (Unbeknownst to me that Eric Bachmann also headed up the [ Continue Reading » ]

I think my favorite is when you take off your socks after a long work day. It. Feels. Great. And that’s when you slip into your comfortable cottons, ready to watch BriWilly on the evening news and eat your Hamburger Helper. We all have our favorite comfortable things. Eric Bachmann’s voice comforts me. It is [...]

Crooked Fingers / Strand of Oaks Mississippi Studios; Portland, OR [11-19-2011] by Gabe Vodicka on 12-02-2011 I had seen Tim Showalter perform as Strand of Oaks not three months ago ; all by his lonesome, he’d managed to create something singular and revelatory. This time, he’d come armed with a full band, or almost full; no drummer, instead a machine whose volume sometimes threatened to overtake that of the three men on stage. There were instances, however, where it felt very much like a rock show. Showalter’s visage is one of stoner metal glory daze, and the music approached ...