FILTER’s Top 10 of 2011: Archers of Loaf

After a 13-year hiatus, North Carolina’s noise rock quartet Archers of Loaf are back in a big way. Starting 2011 with a bang the band—which consists of Matt Gentling, Mark Price, Eric Johnson, and Eric Bachmann—reunited in January for a surprise set in their home state of North Carolina. The boys haven’t looked back since. With a summer full of touring, performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and speaking to FILTER about their reunion, Archers of Loaf have come back into the spotlight with full force. Below the four members discuss each of their 2011 highlights in music and beyond.

Matt Gentling’s Year in Review:

Favorite Albums:

Electric Owls, Cullowhee Songs EP (VAGRANT)
Police Teeth, Awesomer Than The Devil (LATEST FLAME)
Crooked Fingers, Breaks in the Armor (MERGE)
Birdsmell and Friends: A Benefit Concert
Sea Of Cortez, Make It Sound (NONE)

Favorite Climbing Routes:

Carpe Freeum at Hawksbill Mountain, VA
Starshine at Whiteside Mountain, NC
Helmet Buttress at Table Rock, NC
Nut 'N' Homo at Rumbling Bald, NC
(with the dirtiest, awkwardest, miserable sandbag of a 4th pitch that I didn't have to lead!)

Favorite Event (just so people know how amazingly connected I am to current events):

Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street
(I'm counting these as one, because they fall under one theme)

Mark Price’s Favorite Things:
 
Archer
Archer is the funniest show since Mr. Show. Adam Reed, you are a genius.

TV on the Radio, Nine Types of Light (INTERSCOPE)
St. Vincent, Strange Mercy (4AD)
mr. Gnome, Madness in Miniature (EL MARKO)

Chubby's Tacos in North Carolina
The tuna taco at Chubby's is fantastic.

Three's Company
I realize Three's Company is not remotely current. But I really like it.

Sharkey's new hot tub
Sharkey's new hot tub is baddass!

Nike Free trail shoes
They are so light and comfy.

The Globes, Future Self (Barsuk)

Maximo Pug at the Hotel Rex
Maximo Pug is the lobby host of the Hotel Rex. He is a pug.

 
Eric Johnson’s Top 10 Musical Highlights:

1. Archers' "surprise reunion gig" way back in January.
That was the most fun I've had in recent memory.

2. Slowly learning how to play drums.
But progress IS steady. 

3. The purchase (gulp!) of my sunburst Strat.
I can happily report no buyer's remorse.

4. Watching and hearing Birdsmell, Ben Bridwell's "side project."

5. Discovering Electric Owls.
Thank you Matt, I love their music.

6. My/our/Archers network debut on the Jimmy Fallon show.

7. Having Archers records released on Merge Records.
Thanks y'all!

8. Having a bona fide rock star, Mac, take us out to dinner AND pay for it.

9. Visiting Chicago twice this year ... and seeing Bob Weston both times.

10. Oh yeah, TOURING!
Thank you to all the bands we played with and thank you Merge and thank you Shawn Nolan, Jim Romeo and all the people who helped make it happen. And most of all, thank you to God for letting us rock on a Sunday.

Eric Bachmann’s Picks

Nettle, El Resplandor: The Shining in Dubai (SUB ROSA)
Richard Buckner, Our Blood (MERGE)
Wahid, Inside Silence (WAHID)
Garland Jeffreys, The King of In Between (LUNA PARK)
St. Vincent, Strange Mercy (4AD)
Little White Teeth, Little White Teeth (TERRAC BALLOON)
Flying Lotus, Cosmogramma Alt Takes EP (WARP)
Strand of Oaks, Pope Killdragon (SELF-RELEASED)
Tinariwen, Tassili (SONY)
Wye Oak, Civilian (MERGE)