Eric Bachmann

Back in the mid-90’s my friends and I had an outgoing debate over which band was better: Archers of Loaf or Pavement. It went without saying that one of these two bands was the best indie rock band in America. The problem was, which one? It was a debate where I often found myself fighting solo for the Archers against my friends wielding the mighty sword that Slanted and Enchanted brought with it. When it came down to it, my argument rested on one principle: the Archers of Loaf just rocked harder. You can't argue that point - it's FACT.

As I look back on this epic battle (the notion that one could only truly love one of these two bands has long been abandoned) I think that the allure of Archers of Loaf was so much more than “they rocked harder”. Why did they rock harder? They rocked harder because Mark Price was a kickass drummer who kept time often behind an insane arrangement of dueling guitars and white noise. They rocked because Matt Gentling became the most active bass player of his generation – rocking bass chords while being the response to Eric Bachmann’s call. They rocked because Eric Johnson played lead guitar like a mad scientist who discovered some new musical language. But most of all, they rocked because of Eric Bachmann’s vocal shrapnel.

After the demise of the Archers, Bachmann moved on to the more folk-influenced indie rock of Crooked Fingers. Now, after a year of living out of his car in the Pacific Northwest, Bachmann returns with a solo effort To The Races. The songs are simple and gourgeous, often just Bachman, his nylon-stringed acoustic and sparse orchestral arrangements. No longer singing about shady A&R men or audio whores, Bachmann's evolution as a singer/songwriter has allowed the listener greater access into his mind.

Eric Bachmann
Lonesome Warrior (mp3)
Carrboro Woman (mp3)


Crooked Fingers
Under Pressure (mp3)
Call To Love (mp3)


Archers of Loaf
Wrong (mp3)