{"title":"Crooked Fingers","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCrooked Fingers\u003c\/strong\u003e is the solo project of singer\/guitarist Eric Bachmann. In the wake of the 1998 hiatus of his much-beloved previous band Archers of Loaf, Bachmann founded Crooked Fingers in early 2000. Since then, Crooked Fingers has morphed and evolved to include many band members and tours extensively. Bachmann is also an in-demand record producer and guest player in other touring bands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"crooked-fingers-reservoir-songs","title":"Crooked Fingers - Reservoir Songs","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCrooked Fingers\u003c\/b\u003e has put together a great collection of covers that fans of his powerful live performances will probably recognize with glee. Drawing from a diverse group of subjects and influences, Bachmann puts his own spin on classics from the likes of: Kris Kristofferson\/Johnny Cash (\"Sunday Morning Coming Down\"); Neil Diamond (\"Solitary Man\"); Prince (\"When U Were Mine\"); Bruce Springsteen (\"The River\"); and Queen\/David Bowie (\"Under Pressure\").\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739163619639,"sku":"MRG208digital","price":4.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/aeb377c551e6416f09e7b486553416a03c7ef6ea_c58ce21ca94950224ecd8ba52a50c31d85ece3dc_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785380186"},{"product_id":"crooked-fingers-breaks-in-the-armor-acoustic-demo-version","title":"Crooked Fingers - Breaks in the Armor (Acoustic Demo Version)","description":"\u003cp\u003eBeautiful stripped-down version of \u003cstrong\u003eCrooked Fingers\u003c\/strong\u003e' 2011 album \u003cem\u003eBreaks in the Armor\u003c\/em\u003e, recorded by Eric Bachmann and Liz Durrett.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739165651255,"sku":"MRG428digital-D","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/27433908a7491c0c8e11b8f88e70c470287a0fae_b7f547cef1777405743cdca4a893d46a4ea20e2d_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785380257"},{"product_id":"crooked-fingers-dignity-and-shame","title":"Crooked Fingers - Dignity and Shame","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDignity and Shame\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, Crooked Fingers' fourth full length finds front man Eric Bachmann embracing great traditions of American Music from appalachian folk, southwestern blues, country and good old rock and roll. Bachmann is supported here by a cast of returning players from 2003's breakthrough \u003ci\u003eRed Devil Dawn\u003c\/i\u003e and a few new faces who bring a renewed depth and intensity to his songs. When the opening picked guitar notes of \"Islero\" give way to distant congas and then build into a trumpet fueled southwestern lament, it is clear that this is a very new direction for Crooked Fingers. The relaxed interplay of Bachmann and road tested sidemen Barton Carroll and Dov Friedman break Bachmann's songs free of all previous influences. Bachmann's songwriting is confident and with backing vocals from \u003cspan style=\"background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);\"\u003eLara Meyerratken\u003c\/span\u003e (Luna, Ben Lee), songs like \"Call to Love\" and \"Valerie\" soar into a joyful abandon only hinted at on previous Crooked Fingers records.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739173613879,"sku":"MRG248CD","price":13.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739173581111,"sku":"MRG248digital","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/484a41f70f44f6f7d2d9921d552bb66628ab3739_34d5b3dd09942d6320ef4dcf5cddea392fc20843_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785380533"},{"product_id":"crooked-fingers-breaks-in-the-armor","title":"Crooked Fingers - Breaks in the Armor","description":"\u003cp\u003eEric Bachmann, who writes, records, and performs songs mainly under the name \u003cstrong\u003eCrooked Fingers\u003c\/strong\u003e, lives in Athens, Georgia, these days, where he recorded at The Bakery with Matt Yelton (live sound engineer for the Pixies) throughout the winter of 2010\/2011, enlisting the help of Liz Durrett on backing vocals. It’s a cohesive and diverse set of songs with less adorned and more direct and affecting arrangements. Beautifully understated, artfully phrased, and ultimately a paean to perseverance, the album seems to suggest that the breaks in the armor are more important than the armor itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s an undeniable sense of community Bachmann has regained in returning to writing and performing as Crooked Fingers, working with Archers of Loaf and Merge Records again, and moving back to the southeast. In 2011, Archers of Loaf reunited, toured the US, and \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com\/video\/archers-of-loaf-62411\/1337104\/\" title=\"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eplayed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon\u003c\/a\u003e, and with the August 2011 reissue of their debut album \u003cem\u003eIcky Mettle\u003c\/em\u003e, Merge began a series of expanded re-mastered reissues of the band’s four studio albums. Over the course of the coming year, Bachmann will alternate between touring as Crooked Fingers and with Archers of Loaf, making the most of two distinct and rewarding modes of expression and performance. All of which seems to be exactly where he should be again.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eCD orders will come with a poster signed by Eric Bachmann while supplies last.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739179249975,"sku":"MRG428CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739179282743,"sku":"MRG428digital","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/419cc35a66af3d1547482829d01c3369255865c8_1bb82060d7011ad966a2732cd245644de0ecd491_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785380674"},{"product_id":"crooked-fingers-crooked-fingers-reissue","title":"Crooked Fingers - Crooked Fingers (Reissue)","description":"\u003cp\u003eMerge has reissued the self-titled debut album by \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/crooked-fingers\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCrooked Fingers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, the solo project of Archers of Loaf frontman Eric Bachmann. Originally released in 2000, \u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCrooked Fingers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e—a.k.a. “the one with the swan on it”—is being pressed on vinyl for the first time and includes a download of the entire record plus nine bonus tracks of demos and rarities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo mark the occasion of the reissue, we asked Josh Modell of The A.V. Club to write new liner notes for the album. Here is an excerpt:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eNot long after he recorded this debut, Eric told me that he wanted Crooked Fingers to constantly evolve—that every record would sound different, and every tour would feature different players and new arrangements. He’s kept to that, releasing albums that constantly tug and question, restless but preternaturally consistent. What you’re holding represents the first step, a big, quiet leap into the unknown—which ended up being a beautiful place.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCrooked Fingers\u003c\/i\u003e bonus tracks:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Our New Favorite (1998 4­-Track Cassette Demo)\u003cbr\u003e2. Crowned in Chrome (1998 4-­Track Cassette Demo)\u003cbr\u003e3. New Drink for the Old Drunk (1998 4­-Track Cassette Demo)\u003cbr\u003e4. Pigeon Kicker (1998 4-­Track Cassette Demo)\u003cbr\u003e5. Broken Man (1998 4­-Track Cassette Demo)\u003cbr\u003e6. Black Black Ocean (1998 4­-Track Cassette Demo) \u003cbr\u003e7. A Little Bleeding (1998 4­-Track Cassette Demo)\u003cbr\u003e8. Atchafalayan Death Waltz (from the Sub Pop single)\u003cbr\u003e9. Red Devil Dawn (from a self­-released 7”)\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739204612407,"sku":"WARM100cd","price":13.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739204579639,"sku":"MRG560digital","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/302b566ceb7686d2affd351b948d4c7c92aaf508_9e06e8355d928b8056d50c236a15403858f1546c_medium_jpg_c98e1ec3-8f03-45f2-9e57-470b783fa96c.jpg?v=1789600361"},{"product_id":"crooked-fingers-bring-on-the-snakes-reissue","title":"Crooked Fingers - Bring On the Snakes (Reissue)","description":"\u003cp\u003eMerge has reissued \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/crooked-fingers\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCrooked Fingers\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e’ 2001 sophomore album \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBring On the Snakes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e. On vinyl for the first time, the LP features an essay by The National’s Matt Berninger. Also included is a download of the full album plus bonus demos of each track.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIn his liner notes, Berninger writes:\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eI had been a fan of Eric Bachmann’s songs since the first Archers of Loaf record, \u003c\/i\u003eIcky Mettle\u003ci\u003e, but here I felt he was after something different, something intimate and important. His writing was inspired. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eIt sounded to me like Byron, drunk at a party, talking to some girl about a different girl that he was in love with. I remember thinking, This guy reads a lot more than I do. The vocal and guitar melodies were unbelievably lovely, and his lyrics careened from crushingly sad to self-lacerating to hilarious. The record achieves that strange, special magic: it’s catchy, visceral, and emotionally devastating.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cem\u003eBring On the Snakes\u003c\/em\u003e bonus tracks:\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e1. Rotting Strip (Demo)\u003cbr\u003e2. Devil’s Train (Demo)\u003cbr\u003e3. Surrender Is Treason (Demo)\u003cbr\u003e4. Sad Love (Demo)\u003cbr\u003e5. Doctors of Deliverance (Demo)\u003cbr\u003e6. Every Dull Moment (Demo)\u003cbr\u003e7. Here Come the Snakes (Demo)\u003cbr\u003e8. There’s a Blue Light (Demo)\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp class=\"normal\"\u003e\u003cfont color=\"red\"\u003e\u003cfont color=\"red\"\u003e\u003cfont color=\"red\"\u003e\u003cfont color=\"red\"\u003e\u003cfont color=\"red\"\u003e\u003cfont color=\"red\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cfont color=\"red\"\u003eLP includes a coupon for a full download. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739205464375,"sku":"MRG561digital","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/0edd8d7a6c136f19064b066ce236c0633202aff9_93079a8e59f45d7c8c4776aeca43e454ae3d99b2_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1789600364"},{"product_id":"crooked-fingers-red-devil-dawn","title":"Crooked Fingers - Red Devil Dawn","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn vinyl for the first time ever in honor of its 15th anniversary. Both editions feature new cover art and a full-color inner sleeve with lyrics. They also include downloads of the album and the bonus 12-song \u003ci\u003eRed Devil Dawn Demos.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLP:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pressed on black vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeak Vinyl:\u003c\/strong\u003e Limited-edition pressing on red vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e+++\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLove songs abound on 2003’s \u003ci\u003eRed Devil Dawn\u003c\/i\u003e, but most of the love is dead or dying or at least dirty. That makes sense: Just a few years after his split with indie stalwarts \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/archers-of-loaf\"\u003eArchers of Loaf\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/eric-bachmann\"\u003eEric Bachmann\u003c\/a\u003e had forcefully forged a new identity and sound with \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/crooked-fingers\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCrooked Fingers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, and he quickly amassed a catalog of gorgeous, poetic songs about weary losers and broken lives. This is the album that gave their desperation its most pointed, perfectly detailed homes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eRed Devil Dawn\u003c\/i\u003e was the third Crooked Fingers album inside of four years, and in hindsight, it feels like both the pinnacle and the end of Crooked Fingers Phase One. Bachmann had perfected the art of darkness, of finding his characters and stories in solitude and then adding or subtracting sounds and players to make them come alive. Never had they seemed more personal or more vulnerable than on \u003ci\u003eRed Devil Dawn\u003c\/i\u003e, from the ornery argument on “You Threw a Spark” to the heartbreaking album closer “Carrion Doves,” which posits that “what can make us one can make us come undone.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut the album also nudges open the door to where Bachmann would take Crooked Fingers next. “Sweet Marie” adds jaunty horns to a withering-but-somehow-sweet story about infidelity. And elsewhere, there’s more hope in the darkness than ever, though it can be hard to recognize at first. But at the end of “Disappear,” he sums up both Crooked Fingers’ past and its future: “There’s beauty in an ugly thing, redemption in demise.” That’s \u003ci\u003eRed Devil Dawn \u003c\/i\u003ewrit small and simple: It finds the specks of light in the darkest rooms, and spins the whole picture into a gorgeous whole.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote: CD option is the original 2003 edition of the album, and does not contain bonus \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRed Devil Dawn Demos \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eor new album art.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739214246199,"sku":"MRG222LP","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739214278967,"sku":"MRG222CD","price":13.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739214213431,"sku":"MRG222DA","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/87e15119e4f235e8faaf1ff6bcc49a33229a643d_bf58898468f3ddcb5cd22529f97768b26b378c69_medium_jpg_c1e7c003-7143-40d9-b1cc-4f3c3e580c13.jpg?v=1789600414"},{"product_id":"crooked-fingers-swet-deth","title":"Crooked Fingers - Swet Deth","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003eOne afternoon, \u003cstrong\u003eEric Bachmann\u003c\/strong\u003e’s son returned home from school with a sheath of pictures he’d drawn, all of them macabre. “There were crows and sinister figures with scythes and tombstones,” he recalls, “and in the center, there was a strange, lush green tree growing out of all of this red and black. On one of them, he had written ‘DETH, SWET DETH,’ and everything clicked in my head.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSwet Deth\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, Bachmann’s first album under his \u003cstrong\u003eCrooked Fingers\u003c\/strong\u003e moniker after a 15-year hiatus, organized itself around the image: its songs are about death, yes, but there’s a sweetness to them, a wry sensibility to his lyrics that comes from having experienced many kinds of death and the life that follows in its wake. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP (Black)","offer_id":52739437232439,"sku":"MRG878LP","price":24.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739437265207,"sku":"MRG878CD","price":13.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739437297975,"sku":"MRG878DA","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/daad99a58fb73aff434a2b3ae17185008419f533_ad5accffb8cc43d9758ffdf2756ece9f9cbbc89c_medium_jpg_b3cd9166-e9bc-4058-9002-46c48f04286e.jpg?v=1789600613"}],"url":"https:\/\/mergerecords.com\/collections\/crooked-fingers.oembed","provider":"Merge Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}