Crooked Fingers - Breaks In The Armor

While Archers Of Loaf are back in fits and starts, the primary focal point for all things Eric Bachmann since the new millennium has been Crooked Fingers. While the spartan beauty of the tracks has always remained consistent, the instrumentation and arrangement have always been in flux. Recent times have found Bachmann working with a female foil. Liz Durrett has filled that role in recent years and reprises it here, adding polish and shine to darkly inviting tracks like Black Candles and Your Apocalypse. There is bad dark and good dark, and I'd put Crooked Fingers in the latter camp. Hurt and loss are the bedrock of Breaks In The Armor but the womblike warmth of the music leaves things in much more of of a hopeful place, more 2am sober contemplative than 4am drunken self-flagellation.

Get Breaks In The Armor here from the good folk of Merge Records. Come for the studio version and maybe double down and get yourself the whole enchilada in acoustic demo form, too. Crooked Fingers info portal is here.

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Archers Of Loaf reunion and download !!?!

You know I'm distracted when I hear about Archers Of Loaf reunion show three weeks after it happens. As I understand it, said Yeoman of Loaf played an unannounced set opening for The Love Language on 1/15. Can't say I expected that, but you're not going to catch me arguing either.

Looking at the set list, it seems like it was a pretty good one. And did I mention there was a recording of it? Well, thanks to David pointing it out, now we both know. Even better, here's a link. Word is that there will be more shows this summer, so look out for an over-priced Brooklyn Waterfront nightmare show in the all-too-recent future.

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Crooked Fingers at PopMatters

Ladies and Gents:

If you are so inclined, peruse my review of the new(est) Crooked Fingers EP Reservoir Songs II over at the PopMatters web presence.

Here's a link.

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Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Canadian chanteuse Neko Case has settled on a farm in Vermont in recent years. As farms often do, this one had a barn that our Ms. C decided would be fun to fill with as many free pianos as they could get from Craigslist. They ended up with eight, six of which were patched into an impromptu piano orchestra that serves as the backbone to three of the Middle Cyclone tracks. 

There are 13 more tracks, fourteen if you count the half-hour of frog noises that closes the record. You'll be shocked to hear that the tracks are pretty wonderful. Nico's been on a Nilsson kick lately (Neko does Nilsson anyone?), so things are pretty lush production-wise. She covers Don't Forget Me, as well as the Sparks chestnut Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth, but her stuff is as solid as you might expect. The usual Neko cronies of Kelly Hogan and the Bloodshot Mafia add their flair to the proceedings, as do Garth Hudson and Howe Gelb. Middle Cyclone is not going to win over any new fans, but if you're not a fan already, you've got issues larger than I care to deal with. The Pharoahs (a collabo with the Good Bros. of the Sadies) is my favorite track, but make your own call about the high points here. Pick up Middle Cyclone here from your friends at Anti. Neko's fuzzy little piece of the web is here. See her on tour with Crooked Fingers.

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Crooked Fingers - Forfeit/Fortune deluxe edition

Eric Bachmann is one enormous enigma, literally and figuratively. You should remember him from his tenure fronting the exceedingly awesome Archers Of Loaf, a band that is increasing becoming the go-to carcass for unimaginative bands looking to rip off songs. Once Team AOL was formally scuttled post-Atlantic signing, most Bachmannophiles (myself included) were a little taken aback by his dropping his voice an octave and getting in touch with his inner Johnny Cash. Those first two NYC shows were real eye-openers. It wasn't until the close of the Brownies show where he debuted The Rotting Strip that things really started to make sense for me. I still wasn't totally on board, but it was hard to dispute that song's greatness and it definitely bode well for his new Waits-ian direction.

Eric debuted Crooked Fingers soon after on Athens, GA indie WARM, displaying a more adult direction driven by subtle electronics and nylon string work, with special guests drunken sorrow and depression. Could have been the relocation to Seattle, I guess. Bad luck and sorrow aside, the Crooked Fingers got better and better. The Red Devil Dawn soundtrack followed on Merge, as did the absolutely stellar Dignity and Shame. The last couple of years have found Eric releasing a solo record on Saddle Creek and living in a van outside of Seattle, hopefully of his own volition. The solo tour was ok, and featured the return of some old AOL favorites, but it really only whetted my appetite for the formal return of Crooked Fingers.

Wonderfully enough, the wait is over. Eric is releasing the newest Crooked Fingers on his own label though Constant Artist/Red Pig. Normally, I could see that meaning cost-cutting measures such as rudimentary packaging or shorter records but the deluxe pre-release comes in a great double gatefold with a bonus DVD. Musically, it appears that this will be a grower. The songs are decent, but even after the fifth or sixth spin, I'm still trying to figure out his intentions on some of the songs. There are female vocals and songs in Spanish to keep things interesting, but I'm waiting for the moment when the planets align for me and Forfeit/Fortune really clicks for me. I thought it might be the two shows earlier this week, but I dropped the ball, so it looks like its back to the stereo set for this old man. And to the store for you all. Buy Forfeit/Fortune here and check out for new tourdates here