White Trash Heroes

Archers of Loaf | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 22, 1998)
• Original Release Date: September 22, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Alias Records
• ASIN: B00000AGLH
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,087 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Ever since their 1993 debut, Archers of Loaf have served up fiesty slack anthems for the indie-rock set. On White Trash Heroes, they add keyboards and double the decibels. The result is dense and chewy, with "One Slight Wrong Move" doing a dance with the ghost of Styx's "Mr. Roboto" and their anthem "I.N.S." presaging the future of arena rock. The title cut and "Dead Red Eyes" lean heavily on the electronic embellishment for more of that spooky stuff à la the piano ballads they toyed with on their previous release, All the Nation's Airports. Frontman Eric Bachmann's David Byrne-esque delivery is alternately spitting on and shining up White Trash Heroes, as though he can't stand the songs he's singing but his contempt makes it cool. Like Pavement and the Pixies, Archers' songs take a few listens before the breadth of their scrawl is completely appreciated. --Jason Josephes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best rock albums of all time., August 1, 2000

By 

Trampas Ferree (Bowie, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: White Trash Heroes (Audio CD)

It is sad when a band that is brave enough to try new and imaginative things with each consecutive album breaks up. In A.O.L.'s case, the increase of creativity made each album better than the last. In a way, it's kinda good they broke up after this album because I can't imagine them doing better than this (but I also said the same thing after I first heard "All the Nations Airports").

But where ATNA is sometimes demanding on the listener, WTH's songs are splended on the first listen with well done vocal hooks (with the exception of the fantastic "Banging On a Dead Drum", which is reminiscent of Tom Waits' later work with distorted vocals that pretty much have no melody at all.)

I can name a zillion things I love about this album - the oddly timed bassline in "Dead Read Eyes", the lyrics in "One Slight Wrong Move", the full range sonic pleasure of "Fashion Bleeds", ad nauseum. But those would be nothing compared to how I feel about the title track.

The song "White Trash Heroes" shows a maturity of song writing, lyrics, and musicianship that is so rarely missing from modern popular music. To borrow a line from Kids in the Hall: "I wish that song was a day long...What a day that would be.". It's just so damn beautiful and tragic, much like the entire musical career of Archers of Loaf.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars hypnotic, April 1, 2005

By 

C. Costello (Steeler Country) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: White Trash Heroes (Audio CD)

You can't go wrong purchasing any Archers of Loaf album. There's a depth to the recording that encourages me to listen to it again and again. Archers of Loaf didn't reproduce an "Icky Mettle" sound on release after release. How bored would I be? How sucky would that be? If I want to rock out, I listen to "Icky Mettle" or "Vee Vee" or "The Speed of Cattle". With bands like that, you only NEED to buy one album for your collection. This isn't AC/DC or Jackyl. I suggest you buy ALL the Archers of Loaf albums. NO, I INSIST!!! That's what makes this band great. You will like them ALL. Don't overthink this, just buy them and listen to them. You don't need to RANK them.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AOL strike gold again, June 13, 2002

By 

hamilcar barca (nowheres in particular) - See all my reviews

This review is from: White Trash Heroes (Audio CD)

The final studio release from the Archers of Loaf expands on the experimental nature of their previous release, All the Nations Airports. This one features synthesizers and samplers very prominently, as well as a huge amount of tape loops and strange vocal and instrument effects. The first two songs are absolutely stunning. The 2nd "Dead Red Eyes" features a very soothing Casio-like keyboard line and Bachamnn's vocals for the first half, and then explodes with drums and bass in the last half. The real shining moment on this one is the title track, which is a 7 minute long guitar, tape loop and synthesizer epic of sheer beauty. The only song onthis one that I don't like all that much is "Slick Trick and Bright Lights". Bachmann's voice sounds like Adam Sandler on this song, and it is very unenergetic.
Although this is probably my least favorite studio album by AOL, I still give it 5 stars and recommend it highly.