Icky Mettle

Last updated
Icky Mettle
Icky Mettle cover.jpg
Studio album by
Archers of Loaf
ReleasedSeptember 7, 1993
Recorded1993
Genre Indie rock
Length38:02
Label Alias
Producer Caleb Southern
Archers of Loaf chronology
Icky Mettle
(1993)		 Vs the Greatest of All Time
(1994)

Icky Mettle is the first studio album recorded by the indie rock band Archers of Loaf. It was produced and engineered by Caleb Southern at Kraptone Studios in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and released by Alias Records on September 7, 1993. A deluxe reissue of the album was released by Merge Records in 2011. [1]

Contents

The album was recorded and mixed in seven days. According to Eric Bachmann, "We spent like $5,000 to make it." [2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]
The A.V. Club A− [4]
Christgau's Consumer Guide A [5]
Entertainment Weekly A [6]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
NME 7/10 [8]
Pitchfork 9.0/10 [1]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10]
Spin 8/10 [11]

Icky Mettle received generally positive reviews. Interview declared it the "Best Indie Rock Album of the Year".

Legacy

Icky Mettle ranked number 32 in Pitchfork 's original Top 100 Albums of the 1990s list, [12] and Blender ranked it at number 56 in their 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Ever list. [13] In a retrospective review, Spin 's Mike Powell describes it as "an album of boyish fits and noisy guitar flurries. It's indie rock as hearty and art-free as oatmeal, before the line separating it from the mainstream dissolved, before it became so... eclectic." [11]

In a 2005 interview with The Triangle , Eric Bachmann reflected on the album: "When we first came out we had that energy. It's a weird thing that you can't put your finger on... I listened to Icky Mettle, and I almost cringe when I hear it. But what the people probably liked when they heard that record was the energy we were putting out." [14]

In 2011, Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional covered "Web in Front" on his album Covered in the Flood . [15]

Track listing

All songs written by Eric Bachmann, Eric Johnson, Matt Gentling and Mark Price.

  1. "Web in Front" – 2:09
  2. "Last Word" – 3:35
  3. "Wrong" – 3:40
  4. "You and Me" – 3:10
  5. "Might" – 2:04
  6. "Hate Paste" – 2:46
  7. "Fat" – 1:19
  8. "Plumb Line" – 2:09
  9. "Learo, You're a Hole" – 3:51
  10. "Sick File" – 1:42
  11. "Toast" – 4:38
  12. "Backwash" – 3:27
  13. "Slow Worm" – 3:32

Personnel

Notes

  1. ^ Brown, Liz. "ROCK REVIEW: Archers Revolution". WWeek.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2005. Retrieved June 7, 2006.
  2. ^ Hawthorne, Mark. "ARCHERS OF LOAF VS. TINNITUS: A three week vacation in Paradise". The Online Daily of the University of Washington . Archived from the original on February 2, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2006.
  3. ^ Carrelli, Jon. "Bachmann spills beans to Triangle". The Triangle . Retrieved September 3, 2006.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archers of Loaf</span> American indie rock band

Archers of Loaf is an American indie rock band originally formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1991. The group toured extensively and released four studio albums, one compilation, numerous singles and EPs, and a live album which was released after the band broke up in 1998. In 2011 the band began a reunion tour that coincided with the reissue of four of its albums by Merge Records. In July 2022, the band announced the release of their first album in nearly twenty-five years, Reason in Decline, released also via Merge Records in October of the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Further Seems Forever</span> American rock band

Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Over its initial eight-year run the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their first three studio albums. Original singer Chris Carrabba recorded The Moon Is Down (2001) with the group before leaving to start Dashboard Confessional. He was replaced by Jason Gleason, who performed on How to Start a Fire (2003) but left the band the following year. Former Sense Field vocalist Jon Bunch joined Further Seems Forever for Hide Nothing (2004). The band broke up in 2006 but reunited four years later with Carrabba on vocals. Their fourth studio album, Penny Black, was released in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merge Records</span> US independent record label

Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as an outlet for music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world, with records reaching the top of the Billboard music charts.

<i>Ultimatum</i> (EP) 2005 EP by The Long Winters

Ultimatum is an EP by indie rock band The Long Winters. It was released by Barsuk Records on October 11, 2005, featuring six tracks, four of which were new songs released as a preview for their later release Putting the Days to Bed.

<i>White Trash Heroes</i> 1998 studio album by Archers of Loaf

White Trash Heroes is the fourth studio album from the indie rock band Archers of Loaf, released in 1998 by Alias Records. In 2012 the album was reissued by Merge Records on two CDs with new, re-imagined art by Casey Burns.

Sorry About Dresden was an indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The band formed in 1997 and was signed to Saddle Creek Records.

<i>The Mekons Rock n Roll</i> 1989 studio album by The Mekons

The Mekons Rock 'n Roll is the eighth studio album by English rock band The Mekons, released in 1989.

Crooked Fingers was an American indie rock band, led by the former Archers of Loaf frontman Eric Bachmann. A vehicle for Bachmann's songwriting, the band's lineup changed between each record. Crooked Fingers released albums on WARM Records and Merge Records, and also independently. Bachmann retired the name Crooked Fingers in January 2016 with a pair of shows in New York City and Durham, NC, playing the first two records in their entirety with a string ensemble and has since been releasing albums under his name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Kleisath</span> American drummer

Steven Lee Kleisath is an American musician and has been a drummer for PULL, Strongarm, Shai Hulud, Further Seems Forever, and En Masse. The band PULL was originally called Friend or Foe. He also currently plays drums for the band The Darling Fire, who released the record Dark Celebration in 2019.

Caleb Southern is an American professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, musician and record producer. He has worked with Ben Folds Five, Fear of Pop and Archers of Loaf. As of 2002, he was a member of Partners Against Crime, District 5. Ben Folds has called him the "fourth member" of Ben Folds Five. Currently, he teaches at Georgia Institute of Technology. He is widely regarded as one of the best professors and lecturers in the college of computing

<i>Hope This Finds You Well</i> 2006 compilation album by Further Seems Forever

Hope This Finds You Well is a compilation album by the Pompano Beach, Florida rock band Further Seems Forever, released in 2006 by Tooth & Nail Records. It was released to coincide with the band's final tour, as they had announced that they would break up following tours of the United States and Canada that Spring. The album includes tracks from all three of the band's full-length studio albums: The Moon is Down (2001), How to Start a Fire (2003), and Hide Nothing (2004). As such it includes all three of the band's lead vocalists: Chris Carrabba, Jason Gleason, and Jon Bunch. Its title is taken from a lyric in the song "Pictures of Shorelines."

<i>The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most</i> 2001 studio album by Dashboard Confessional

The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most is the second studio album recorded by the American emo band Dashboard Confessional, released on March 20, 2001, through Vagrant Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Bachmann</span> American musician/producer

Eric Bachmann is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. He rose to prominence as the frontman of Archers of Loaf and Crooked Fingers. Originally a saxophone major at Appalachian State University, Bachmann’s music is distinctive for its creative and innovative arrangements. In addition to the guitar, he plays the piano and banjo regularly on tour. He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, and grew up throughout the Southern United States. He currently lives in Athens, Georgia.

Alias Records is a small American indie-rock record label based in Lexington, Kentucky.

<i>Icky Thump</i> 2007 studio album by The White Stripes

Icky Thump is the sixth and final studio album by American rock duo The White Stripes, released through Warner Bros. and Third Man Records in June 2007, with XL Recordings handling the United Kingdom release. Its first release came on June 15, 2007, in Germany, with the release for the rest of Europe occurring on June 18 and the rest of the world on June 19.

<i>Vee Vee</i> 1995 studio album by Archers of Loaf

Vee Vee is the second studio album by the American indie rock band Archers of Loaf, released in March 1995 by Alias Records. The album received very positive reviews from critics.

<i>All the Nations Airports</i> 1996 studio album by Archers of Loaf

All the Nations Airports is the third studio album recorded by the indie rock band Archers of Loaf. Although the band was still signed to Alias Records the album was released by Elektra Records in 1996, making it the first to be distributed by a major label.

<i>Vs the Greatest of All Time</i> 1994 EP by Archers of Loaf

Archers of Loaf vs. The Greatest of All Time is the first EP by North Carolina indie rock band Archers of Loaf. The EP was recorded shortly after their first album Icky Mettle, and the styles are very similar.

Breaks in the Armor is an album by the American alternative rock band Crooked Fingers, released in 2011. It was released the same year as the reunion of Archers of Loaf, Eric Bachmann's previous band.

Web in Front is a song by American indie rock band Archers of Loaf, originally released as a 7" single on Alias Records in 1993. It was their first release on the Alias label, and their first single from their debut album Icky Mettle. The original single also included the tracks "Bathroom" and "Tatayana".

References

  1. 1 2 LeMay, Matt (August 1, 2011). "Archers of Loaf: Icky Mettle". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  2. ↑ Marc Hawthorne (March 28, 1996). "ARCHERS OF LOAF VS. TINNITUS". The Daily of the University of Washington. Archived from the original on 2007-02-02.
  3. ↑ Heaney, Gregory. "Icky Mettle – Archers of Loaf". AllMusic . Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  4. ↑ Murray, Noel (August 2, 2011). "Archers Of Loaf: Icky Mettle". The A.V. Club . Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  5. ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Archers of Loaf: Icky Mettle". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s . Macmillan Publishers. ISBN   0-312-24560-2 . Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Kyle; Maerz, Melissa; Wood, Mikael; Wete, Brad (July 29, 2011). "Albums: Aug. 5, 2011". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  7. ↑ Hughes, Tom (December 15, 2011). "Archers of Loaf: Icky Mettle – review". The Guardian . Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Archers of Loaf: Icky Mettle". NME : 28. October 30, 1993.
  9. ↑ Pearlman, Mischa (December 2011). "Archers Of Loaf – Icky Mettle". Record Collector (395). Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  10. ↑ Dolan, Jon (August 2, 2011). "Archers of Loaf: Icky Mettle (Reissue)". Rolling Stone . Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  11. 1 2 Powell, Mike (August 2, 2011). "Archers of Loaf, 'Icky Mettle' (Merge)". Spin . Archived from the original on April 6, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  12. ↑ "pitchforkmedia.com | album 90's top lists". Tclub.obninsk.ru. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
  13. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Ever". www.stereogum.com. Blender Magazine. December 2007. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04.
  14. ↑ Jon Carrelli (April 8, 2005). "Bachmann spills beans to Triangle". www.thetriangle.org. Archived from the original on 2010-08-06.
  15. ↑ Ableson, Jon. "Chris Carrabba To Release "Covered In The Flood" Solo Album". Alter The Press!. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.