Crooked Fingers’ Forfeit/Fortune is out tomorrow. When we posted “Phony Revoluations,” I mentioned Eric Bachmann’s pretty obvious shift from Archers’ rambunctious indie rock to Crooked’s darker, masculine, poetic Americana (you can paste Barry Black in the middle of that, of course). Speaking of “dark,” take a look at the Rod Blackhurst-directed video for “Let’s Not Pretend.” Not only is Bachmann wearing eyeliner of some sort, there’s also a wandering hooded/robed figure straight out of an early Sunn O))) photo shoot, though instead of a guitar, he has a hooked hand. In the meantime, the band plays on, Bachmann intoning about barbwire mirrors, pulling “all your sinister ways from the shelf,” and suggesting “let’s not pretend to be new men.”

This video’s included on the DVD that comes as a bonus with the Deluxe Edition of Forfeit/Fortune. Here’s the trailer for it, Bachmann standing in a field amid a thunderstorm, etc., confirming my earlier “masculine” statement. It’s a welcome break from skinny jeans.

Forfeit/Fortune is out 10/7 via Constant Artists. Bachmann & Co are supporting Okkervil River on some dates:

10/06 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall #
10/07 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall #
10/08 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street #
10/09 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls #
10/10 – Buffalo, NY @ Tralf Music Hall #
10/11 – Montreal, QC @ Saints #
10/12 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix #
10/14 – Chicago, IL @ Metro #
10/16 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
10/17 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
10/19 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
11/06 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
11/07 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
11/08 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
11/09 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
11/11 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
11/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
11/13 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
11/14 – Tucson, AZ @ Plush

# w/ Okkervil River