Ten-Year Itch

Ten-Year Itch is a weekly column focusing on a film or album at least 10 years old and deserving of a second look.

In the past decade, indie rock has penetrated the daily lives of most people.
Whether it be a Cadillac commercial or the newest romantic comedy, this genre of music once reserved for college dorm rooms is all over the place.

One of the forefathers of the genre, Archers of Loaf, never received the respect it deserved. While bands such as Pavement performed similar music and were

namedropped for years, Archers’ catalogue never seemed to come up. Perhaps this was because of the amped-up energy of the band’s music or the abrasive vocals of front man Eric Bachmann. Either way, the band should be mentioned in the same breath as Pavement.

The Chapel Hill, N.C., band’s debut album “Icky Mettle” clocks in at a bruising 38 minutes. The angular guitars and Bachmann’s rough voice is relentless throughout as the softer side found in the band’s later releases is absent.

The record is 13 tracks of lo-fi, hook-filled, near punk rock. The tempos rarely reach a Ramones level; this is unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll.

Bachmann is angry about relationships and those writing his band off as nothing more than some Sonic Youth clone. Lucky for listeners, Bachmann used all his vitriol to spawn a classic record.  

The sonic chemistry of the band is a huge drawing point, but it is Bachmann’s voice that sets the band apart from its contemporaries. There is nothing fey or twee about the band’s sound, and a vocalist with a clear, succinct voice would have doomed the band. Bachmann sounds as if he spent the night before drinking whiskey and chasing it with glass and cigarettes. It is a wonder he can still talk.

The album is a raucous one; the kind played at high school and college parties in movies that does not really depict what either is like. It sounds like those involved with its creation had the time of their lives recording, which comes ringing through while listening. These are good-time, bounce-off-the-wall jams, even if the lyrics are not all sunshine and flowers.

While Archers of Loaf expanded its sound on subsequent releases, its debut is the best starting point and album of the band’s career.
Luke McCormick can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 275