A Record Collector's Guide

I don't know why it took me so long to figure out how much I actually liked this band. I bought all of their albums as they came out, saw them a few times...it really wasn't until I was making all of my music digital that I realized just how many songs of theirs were among my favorites. Maybe it was because their last two albums were not my favorites of their works. Who knows? I didn't get into their vinyl until a bit later in the game, so there may be a gap or two here.

South Carolina b/w Wrong

Stay Free! SF-001, released 1992

The first Archers of Loaf single came with the zine Stay Free! Vol. 1. The sleeve is the zine. The front is decorated in all sorts of fun ways. My copy is done in crayon. Others have macaroni glued to them. Whatever works. This is one of the two most collectible Loaf singles. Black vinyl. When the zines were running low, Stay Free sent this out with a photocopied sleeve insert on salmon-colored paper. The price of the original version bounces around a little, but is generally between $15 and $30. The later version is more stable, in the $15-20 range, even though it is probably rarer.

This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.

The Loaf's Revenge

Web in Front / Bathroom b/w Tatyana

Alias A041-S, released 1993

The Alias debut of Archers of Loaf. The band's relationship with Alias would last the duration of its career.

This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.

Archers of Loaf/Small Split 7"

Archers of Loaf - Wrong b/w Small - True Zero Hook

Alias A053-S, released 1993

This is the second time in three singles that "Wrong" was released (different versions). Not too hard to find, but it seems to appear more frequently in the UK. Black vinyl. My copy is mislabeled (labels are reversed). I don't know whether my copy is an outlier or if they were all reversed.

This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.

Treepeople/Archers of Loaf Split 2x7"

Disc 1: Treepeople - Meet at the End b/w Web in Front

Disc 2: Archers of Loaf - Quinnbeast b/w Funnelhead

Sonic Bubblegum GUM016, released 1994

Interesting double 7". Treepeople & Archers of Loaf each do one of their own and then cover one of the other band's songs. Black vinyl.

This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.

The Results After the Loaf's Revenge

What Did You Expect? b/w Ethel Merman

Merge MRG053, released 1994

Alias A066-S, released 1994

This was this first of several of these occurrences: Archers of Loaf released a single on a label other than Alias and then re-released the same single on Alias. I don't know if this was part of their record deal or what, but...that's how it worked. Black vinyl (both versions).

Merge MRG053

Alias A0665-S

This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.

Archers of Loaf / Monsterland Split 7"

Inside Dave's Garage Volume Three

Archers of Loaf - Telepathic Traffic b/w Monsterland - Angel Scraper

Radiopaque, released 1994

Recorded live at WHFS studios in DC in late 1993, and contains an acoustic recording of Telepathic Traffic. Pretty common.

This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.

Harnessed in Slums b/w Telepathic Traffic

Alias A072-S, released 1994

Another Alias single, this one to promote the "Vee Vee" album. This one had a fun old-school yellow 45 insert, with "Archers of Loaf Vee Vee" printed on it. It came out on both black and white vinyl. The white version is rarer. It is not particularly rare, but can be somewhat tough to find at times.

This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.

Mutes in the Steeple b/w Smokin' Pot in the Hot City

Classic Rock is for Pussies

Estherecords EST-03, released 1995

Keshigomu - Private Street for Bu-Bu

Alias A088, released 1995

This is another one that came out on multiple labels. The Alias version is generally known as "Private Street for Bu-Bu." The Japanese on the cover says "keshigomu" (which means eraser)...not too much of a stretch to say that this probably came from an actual Japanese eraser package. The sentence on the back of the sleeve translates to, "This is an eraser. You can't eat it." Just in case you were wondering. The Alias version, Private Street for Bu-Bu, seems to be getting a bit rarer.

This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.

Vocal Shrapnel b/w Density

Alias A103, released 1996

This was released in conjunction with the "All the Nations Airports" album. The b-side is exclusive to this single. The sleeve is pretty cool; it has the look (and texture, actually) of an airplane safety card. Black vinyl. Common.

This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.

Jive Kata b/w Slow Worm (live)

U-45042M, released 1997

Fan-club single sold mostly at the band's shows. The price used to be relatively high on this one, as it did not come up for sale often. It started appearing on Discogs more often a couple of years ago. The price may have also come down because Jive Kata had been exclusive to this single until it was included on the deluxe edition of White Trash Heroes. There's no label listed on the record - the catalog number above is what's carved into the trail-off wax. Black vinyl.

This page was last updated on October 8, 2019.