MP3 At 3PM: Crooked Fingers

Since the 1998 breakup of his prototypical indie-rock outfit Archers Of Loaf, Eric Bachmann has made sure that Crooked Fingers are anti-label in every sense of the word. Not only do they insist on releasing music without a record company (recent material has been issued through iTunes, eMusic and their own website), but they're also the ultimate genre-hoppers. They can handle everything from Mexicali rock to Iberian folk to old-school Americana, all in the same song. So it's no surprise that "Phony Revolutions," a track from last year's Forfeit/Fortune, manages to combine Spanish horns and Chinese words into one wonderfully weird song. Crooked Fingers are currently opening for Neko Case (who duets on Forfeit/Fortune closer "Your Control"); read Bachmann's tour diary here. "Phony Revolutions" (download): [audio:PhonyRevolutions.mp3]