Archers of Loaf

I love the '90s. I often long for them. A time when everything seemed simpler. Maybe not really, but certainly in the world of indie rock. Things didn't need to be so dressed up; they could just be what they were.

Clearly, the early/mid '90s were one of my favorite times for music... all my riot grrrls, indie poppers, and great emo. I just wish I had some sort of time portal because, as hip a five-year-old as I was, I some how didn't make it to any Tiger Trap shows. I also rediscovered my love for indie rock from the era this summer.

I was going through a particular phase with Archers of Loaf while in London, when a review of Oxford Collapse came up on Dusted:

"Oxford Collapse is a throwback – to a time when indie rock didn't involve harps and trumpets, to a time when indie rock performers were smart people but not necessarily very good musicians, to a time when you could write pop songs that people liked and yet not really have any idea, yourself, why they worked. Oxford Collapse doesn't sound like any one band in particular, but they do sound like the sort of band that might have been popular in the 1990s, only to disappear in the new millennium, as if the Y2K bug had snarfed them or something. Think Archers of Loaf, or Boyracer (who are actually still around), or Superchunk. You could go back further – to Husker Du, or Mission of Burma, or occasionally even the Clean – but you don't really have to. If you were in college radio in the 1990s, Oxford Collapse will be wholly familiar."

While I don't particularly care about Oxford Collapse, this pretty much summed up my thoughts. Indie rock could just be simple; it didn't have to glam itself up. It was straight forward but great.



Archers of Loaf fit perfectly into this category. On Icky Mettle, they churn out some serious hits. They have the perfect balance of wit & angst and what Alexandra called "semi-ironic sincere longing." "Wrong" is probably my favorite example. It and this whole album are definitely '90s indie classics.



Out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Archers of Loaf formed in 1991 and released Icky Mettle as their first full length in 1994 on Alias. They released a few more albums before calling it quits in 1998. Alias also released a live album in 2000.

Archers of Loaf- Icky Mettle

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I saw Daniel Striped Tiger last night at the Middle East (upstairs). Luckily they were on first and started promptly, so I could attend to my busy social life afterwards. Solid set- their first all together since April. Free DJ tickets are the best. Hopefully going to see the New Monuments, Heathen Shame, & others at Nom D'Artiste tonight.

I kind of wanted my first post back at school to be something ripped from vinyl, but I haven't had the time yet to figure out how to do that (luckily the regular preamp part functions though). Moving up to the sixth floor with no elevator is not the most enjoyable thing.

I'll be back on air (that's why this blog started although it kind of took on a life of its own) some time next week.