{"title":"Archers Of Loaf","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArchers of Loaf is an American rock band from North Carolina formed in 1991. The group disbanded in 1998 and Eric Bachmann went on to pursue a solo career, while Matt Gentling supported Superchunk (also from North Carolina) during one of their tours among other things. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe group reformed in 2011 and played a number of concerts and made a television appearance. In a 2018 interview with Eric Bachmann, he said all of the members of Archers of Loaf are on board with the idea of reforming and making a new record, saying \"Oh yeah, everybody wants to do it — I just have to write the songs.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"icky-mettle","title":"Icky Mettle","description":"\u003cp\u003eNo single trend in 1990s indie rock can be traced back to Archers of Loaf. They weren't quite \"lo-fi,\" they weren't quite \"slackers,\" their guitars weren't quite \"noisy\" and their drums weren't quite \"mathy.\" Eric Bachmann's vocals were gritty and visceral, but his lyrics were oblique and cerebral. Archers of Loafthrived on subtle contradictions, on purposeful vagaries, on tentative gestures delivered with utmost conviction. They released increasingly adventurous records for five years, and broke up with minimal drama or fanfare. This perfectly captures the energy of the band's early days, from their slapdash first singles to the scrappybrilliance of Icky Mettle itself to the more honed recordings that followed. Released on the heels of some well-received singles and a buzzed-about performance at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York, \u003ci\u003eIcky Mettle\u003c\/i\u003e was a hotly anticipated debut. To say it starts on a strong note would be an understatement; opener \u003ci\u003eWeb in Front\u003c\/i\u003e is quite simply among the finest indie rock songs everwritten. That a song whose lyrics are all but impossible to parse literally comes off as so immediate and relatable speaks both to Bachmann's skill with words-as-sounds, and to his bandmates' ability to put force and nuance behind his voice. Much of the credit here belongs to guitarist Eric Johnson, whose melodic and fluttery guitar parts seem to hammer the very emotional notes that Bachmann's words intentionally skirt. The second disc compiles the excellent \u003ci\u003eVs. the Greatest of All Time \u003c\/i\u003eEP and the early singles that were previously included on the \u003ci\u003eSpeed of Cattle \u003c\/i\u003ecompilation. The five songs from \u003ci\u003eVs. the Greatest of All Time\u003c\/i\u003e hint at the more spacious and muscular sound that the band would cultivate on their sophomore LP, \u003ci\u003eVee Vee\u003c\/i\u003e, while early 7\" versions of \u003ci\u003eWrong\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWeb in Front\u003c\/i\u003e are disjointed and flaccid previews of their album counterparts. Uncertainty has never sounded so much like a rallying cry.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Merge Records","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50446348616011,"sku":"342486","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50446348157259,"sku":"342485","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/8188efc3-ceab-45e5-b6cb-8b84d6ed51f1_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727058112"},{"product_id":"vee-vee","title":"Vee Vee","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginally released in 1995; refreshed here with reworked cover art by Jay Ryan and liner notes by Eric Miller (of Magnet Magazine). The first full-length produced by Bob Weston, \u003ci\u003eVee Vee\u003c\/i\u003e was a slight departure from the previous bombastic noisepop that characterized Archers of Loaf’s previous work, and it proved that the band wasn’t just a flash in the pan. The album became their best-selling album to date and landed them on the covers of most fanzines and at the top of college radio charts across the country. \u003ci\u003eHarnessed in Slums\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eGreatest of All Time \u003c\/i\u003ebecame anthems of the underground and led to successful tours with the Flaming Lips and Weezer. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Merge Records","offers":[{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50491392721227,"sku":"348592","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/db426769-019d-49ae-97b4-bf8c2be9ecf4_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727686190"},{"product_id":"reason-in-decline-3","title":"Reason in Decline","description":"\u003cp\u003eArchers of Loaf's origins begin in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1991 with Eric Bachmann (vocals\/guitar), Eric Johnson (guitar), Matt Gentling (bass) and Mark Price (drums) rising through the underground with their edgy sound featuring elements of punk and rock. In 1998, after the release of four studio albums, several EPs and numerous singles, the band departed and went their separate ways. Over two decades later, Archers of Loaf reemerged with new music, a single titled ‘’Raleigh Days,'' signaling their comeback. Now approaching almost 25 years later, they're cementing their return with their new album, Reason in Decline.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vinyl Me Please","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50496163610955,"sku":"2224998","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_59702539_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727717693"},{"product_id":"raleigh-days-street-fighting-man","title":"Raleigh Days \/ Street Fighting Man","description":"\u003cp\u003eRaleigh Days is the first new material in 20 years from indie rock icon Archers of Loaf, with a cover of \u003ci\u003eStreet Fighting Man\u003c\/i\u003e originally recorded by The Rolling Stones, on the B-side. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Merge Records","offers":[{"title":"Black | 7\"","offer_id":50498652832075,"sku":"1088793","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/8f8291ca-9ee6-46a3-bef6-fa006e44b240_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727752314"},{"product_id":"reason-in-decline","title":"Reason in Decline","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs sculpted shards of guitar tumbling, tolling, squalling shower the jittery bounce of a piano on opener “Human,” it’s obvious that \u003ci\u003eReason in Decline\u003c\/i\u003e, Archers of Loaf’s first album in 24 years, is more than a nostalgic, low-impact reboot. When they emerged from North Carolina’s ’90s indie-punk incubator, the Archers’ hurtling, sly, gloriously dissonant roar was a mythologized touchstone of slacker-era refusal. But this, the distilled shudder of “Human” (as in “It’s hard to be human \/ When only death can set you free”), is an entirely different noise. In fact, it’s a startling revelation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn short, this is not your father’s Archers of Loaf, even if you’re a father now who was a fan then. (If that’s the case, congrats on surviving the Plague and getting to hear this fearlessly poignant record, you alt-geezer!) Otherwise, thank your youthful fucking lucky stars, kids! Enjoy \u003ci\u003eReason in Decline\u003c\/i\u003e with fresh ears and do as the Archers have been doing: Stay humble, stay informed, express yourself creatively, and try not to lose your goddamned mind while the polar ice caps melt. Peace.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Merge Records","offers":[{"title":"White | LP","offer_id":50510412415307,"sku":"1160698","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50510412742987,"sku":"1160697","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50510411497803,"sku":"1160696","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/84392d26-d3ed-4bb8-a885-041a79212919_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727874193"},{"product_id":"talking-over-talk-cruel-reminder","title":"Talking Over Talk \/ Cruel Reminder","description":"\u003cp\u003e2 brand new tracks by Archers of Loaf. 7” black vinyl in foldover jacket limited to 750 copies worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom Eric Bachmann: \"Thank you for taking the time to listen to our new 7” single. Of all the songs Archers of Loaf have written and recorded over the last 28 years, “Talking Over Talk” ranks 26th (out of around 75, give or take a few) in overall relative quality. It’s no rock epic like “Wrong” or “Harnessed in Slums,” but it’s no snooze fest like “After the Last Laugh” or “Death in the Park,” either. If you’re a fan already, you’ll probably allow it into the lexicon with mild enthusiasm. If you’re new to the Archers, however, you probably won’t make it through the first minute or so, which is understandable because there are so many other sounds to enjoy during your short time here. “Cruel Reminder,” the B-side, comes in at a modest yet impressive 25th place barely edging out “Talking Over Talk” for the victory. I’d be lying if I told you that applying a “B-side” status to “Cruel Reminder” didn’t result in some pretty awkward conversations. Not to point fingers or place blame, but a lot of internal politics and backstabbing dictate what receives A status or B status in this world. A shame, I think. Especially when you consider that the majority of our songs haven’t received any status at all.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Merge Records","offers":[{"title":"Black | 7\"","offer_id":50511900868939,"sku":"1096531","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/0960d34b-e047-425b-bdfb-c19911ac54e4_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727895408"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_1cf286c3_thumbnail_4096_1d7ff997-fa84-4952-9d83-9658c439c3a8.jpg?v=1727058084","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/archers-of-loaf.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}