Thinking Fellers Union Local #282 albums

 

 

The name of a band should tell you a lot about them. This is a band that exists on the fringe of rock music, it’s not necessarily inaccessible but they do not care about fame and fortune in the conventional sense. They make music to make art, it is one and the same. In the early 90’s, there were record labels like Matador to save them form complete obscurity. In the 21st century this would definitely by a hard band to find, as they would get lost in the algorithm of streaming like Spotify, Apple Music, or even Bandcamp where they would be free to make the weird music – but would they find an audience? Surely many bands followed in their wake as they were a missing link between Frank Zappa and other fringe bands of the 60’s and 70s to the fruitful 1990’s and 2000’s lo-fi scene like Pavement, Guided By Voices, Animal Collective, and many others. In all, they made very memorable music and have a high ratio of nailing a good memorable song– sure they were musical explorers never belonging to one genre and dwelled on the angular, but that journey was precisely the point.

 

 

 

 

Band Members:

Mark Davies (vocals, guitar, banjo, bass, French horn, keyboards), Brian Hageman [aka Mr. Hageman] (vocals, guitar, mandolin, tapes, viola), Anne Eickelberg (vocals, bass, keyboards), Paul Bergmann (vocals, drums, percussion, 1987-90), Hugh Swarts (vocals, guitar, 1987-present), Jay Paget (vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards, 1990-present)

 

 

Biggest Influences:

Frank Zappa, Camper van Beethoven, The Fall, Holy Modal Rounders, Sonic Youth, The Residents 

 

Best album:

Strangers From the Universe

 

 

1988

Wormed by Leonard - 79%

 

A 20 song monolith of a debut that is as difficult to take in this 58 minute dose As intriguing as it is. Historically, it was made of early cassettes and demos the band recorded from their native Iowa before their move to San Francisco. There are some for sure winners: “Leaky Bag” channels the Minutemen by way of The Residents, “Misfit’s Park” is their manifesto, quirky and clownish and entirely lovable despite noisy detours (sort of like a calmer Pere Ubu). There are moments of pure bizarre wonder: Alternating time signatures of the screechy “I don’t Know”, the rambling reciation of the five minute “Nipper”, the odd instrumentals with de-tuned instruments “Coming and Going” and the transformative wonder that is seven minute “Out in the Kitchen”, the country-western Camper Van Beethoven homage of “Narlus Spectre”; the angry and forceful “Indigestion”.

And the are even moments of pure pop wonder: “Mr. Tuna’s Big Old Place” could have hit potential if it wasn’t so purposefully silly and nonsensical (I am sure that was the point); “Mile Wide” is basically Pavement in stasis and quite the flight of fantasy when it becomes a distorted horror show; “Hell Rules” which is the folkiest and most like the freak folk of California in the 1960’s like Fugs and HMR. “Get off my House” basically closes the album in epic fashion, sort of friendly and then very, very alienating.

But there is also plenty of filler and no real filter in these songs, about 4 to 7 are pretty disposable (the ones I don’t like, I don’t talk about). I’m also even counting the shorter songs sense there is no real limit to song length and the smaller songs definitely impact as much as the longer ones. Still, this album is quite the wonder for 1988 and it makes the band a group to watch for sure as TFU282 are pioneers of the weird and more unapproachable aspects of rock music.

Best Songs: Misfit’s Park, Narlus Spectre, Leaky Bag, Out in the Kitchen, Get Off My House,

 

 

1989

Tangle - 82%

Tangle does everything a sophomore album should do, it finds what works about the debut and focuses in on it. There are more spoken word sections but they are blended into the music (“Prelmnlrl” which sounds positively demonic), there are great indie rock rev ups- “Sister Hell” is a blistering opener that has a certain pop ‘bounce’ to it but that is alternated with harsh screams and something to make the undevoted listener run in the other direction. “Sports Car” is the most straight forward rock song of the bunch (with more rambling narration) , and it’s a success that sees a future for their kind of psychedelic bend along bands like Flaming Lips, Butthole Surfers, Kramer, etc. Exemplary of this is “It Wasn’t Me” where the band screams “You want a reason / I got no reasons / I have my reasons too!” “Keeps Repeating” establishes them as new masters of this sort of self-destructing rock music that always remains unpredictable.

The second half of the album is not quite as amazing as the first, but that’s ok because getting past all the smaller, filler tracks like “Of Toes Yark” and “Mr Whitey Tighty” and the failure of the final track “Choke” and “Cold Cold Cold Ground” which add nothing, there are still one winner: “Change your Mind” is a Sonic youth style jam that has a nice friendly ness to it. “What Time Is It” is more off a play on SY’s “Brother James” and not that successful. Still, the first six songs and “Change your Mind” point to a very bright future.

 

 

 

1991

Lovelyville - 87%

For their larger record label debut (Matador signed them) the band takes a dare and makes a daring fifteen-song extravaganza about 48 minutes or so. It’s more of the same, and nothing is tamed for mass consumption at all, everything seems like a natural evolution. “Nail in the Head” is the first example of this clean evolution, the band sounds more relaxed with its ideas though there is a supreme unpredictability to this music. “More Glee” has a great laughing section in the middle, the music stops and starts throughout, and the band riffs like a prime arena rock band surprisingly; this song sounds primitive and evil. “Sinking Boats” is the band’s crowning achievement in this realm, starting as a rousing rock roll dementia and making an abrupt in to a slower, angular guitar dirge before returning to the beginning. Progressive rock influences, not really present in the band’s first two albums, really shows its head here and there are usually enough ideas in one song for an entire albums worth.

Of the shorter songs, look at “Not this World” there are ideas for like 5 songs on a song that is one minute and thirteen seconds long! “The Marshall is a haunting ditty, belonging to an old western soundtrack. “Big Hands” is a fast shuffle almost sounding like punk rock but of course that would be to normal for this band. “Motorin Flarey Jenkins” is all guitar harmonics and herky-jerky rhythms while the only vocals are like howling puppies. Four songs in the middle- “Mother Uncle Delicious Tasty” through “Push” - are conscious attempts to be experimental though shorts tunes, very odd and quite like nothing I had heard attempted before. There as attempt to dismantle classic rock, a very sarcastic cover of the schmaltzy “Green Eyed Lady” by Sugarloaf (sic); it humorous but plods on a bit too long. Ditto for closer, “Nothing Solid” which comes across as an emocore version of Pink Floyd’s “Astronmie Domine” as weird as that sounds, like I’ll be damned if they don’t use exactly the same chords! So its sort of a long existential torture, which might be the point (and like much of TFU282 music is an acquired taste) but its not really my thing.

So really, about 9 full length songs and one cover song, surrounds by short snippets seem to be the way of the band. A lot to love and dissect, it would probably take years to disect it all, but its alos a bit frustrating at times.

 

*Sidenote – there is an EP often attached Crowded Diaper, so don’t confuse with regular. Reviewed below in Compilations

 

 

 

 

1992

Mother of All Saints – 83%

 

For their 4th album, the band has really thrown all care out of the window and decided to do whatever they felt they wanted to. At 22 songs and 70 minutes, it is their longest album and it is also their most difficult and experimental. Somehow for much of it the band manages to be entertaining while also creating some sort of Avant-rock masterwork; it’s not perfect but by concept alone I’m not sure it could ever be. Much like Sandinista by The Clash, Double Nickels on the Dime by the Minutemen, Twin Infinitives by Royal Trux, and others like it. The early 1990’s era of CD format encourages more albums to longer and weirder, and this is exactly the kind of music that is produced when that happens.

Where to begin…..“Infection” is a great example of a song that just slithers along infecting our ears, I can’t understand a word they are saying but that is exactly thew point. “Housanna Loud Hosanna” harks back to the most insane Tom Waits shouting and guitarists; song such as “Hornet’s Heart” and “hive” point toward an obsession of insects buzzing in our ears; “Catcher” doesn’t mind being a bit spastic in tempo and noisy execution. Speaking of noisy, im not sure the band has ever been more abrasive then on opening track “Gentleman’s Lament” which is quite the introduction to such an insane and complicated album. “Tell Me” is the most successful experiment, at first you think it will be a fun male/female back in forth groove and then is explodes into dissonance, one of the more successful noise pop songs around in the early 1990s but more daring then most- this band really doesn’t give a damn if you like them or not. On the instrumental side you have two genius tracks, the sweet viola in “Star Trek” leaves an impression and the complete captives of “Raymond H” which incorporates and entire orchestra in its sounds predating a band like Godspeed You Black Emperor. “Cistern” has a gotchic feel to most of it, whispering vocals like Slint as again the band shows no limits in what they will sound like and who they can morph into.

Some tracks sit squarely in the middle for me “Wide Forehead” almost feels like its making fun of My Bloody Valentine with its dreamy vocals, to be a band so obscure make fun of other bands that are fairly obscure to the general public is an odd thing to do (but somebody had to do it??!?). “Shuddering Big Butter” has a lot going for it in terms of ‘feelings’ communicated through only music. “El Cerrito” has the possibility of being overlooked as a subtle instrumental towards the end of the album, as it passes by inconspicuously but don’t let it – it is a genius little tune of calm repetition. What doesn’t work for me personally: too much hysterical laughing in “Pleasure Circle” that is short but not needed, “Tight Little Thing” does a little Captain Beefheart impression, I count at least 5 to 7 songs that could be considered ‘Fellar filler’ as in they are short and leave not much of an impression. “Tuning Notes” is just obnoxious in its noise, it would be one thing if it was short but its over four minutes long and is just way too much silliness- it might be my least favorite song by the band ever. “One Foot Tall” is a b-side if I have ever heard one, should have been left off.

I’m sure you could write a book on the band at their most detailed and complicated, but I won’t do that here. I like the album quite a bit, but to say it will take dozens of listens to truly absorb is an understatement and your time and patience with it will be a factor. Mother of All Saints is one of the most challenging rock albums I have ever heard but also one of the most rewarding.

 

Best Songs: Tell Me, Raymond H, Star Trek, Cistern, Hive

 

 

 

 

 

1994

Strangers From the Universe - 91%

For all of the evolution that is constant in this band’s discography, Strangers From the Universe is a welcome change. Gone are the harsh tones that were often TOO wild for the average listener, but they still retained their adventurous spirit. There are still songs with songs, and there is still a playful sense of wonder. In fact, they went full circle back to their debut album for a lot of this: closer “Noble Experiment” is a languid folk ballad even if it’s more about electronics than acoustic instruments, and its sung by Anne Eickelberg who never gets enough time on the mic.

On the pop music front, the band crafts some jerky Talking Heads inspired numbers: “My Pal the Tortoise” is the most playful single so far even though it’s still full of fun angular guitars; “Socket” contains on off beat riff that will stay in your head for days; “The Operation” is how an alien race would approach pop music, it does reach a sublime chorus but only after many detours slamming against the wall; “February” is not a great song still full of pleasant enough guitar interplay and harks back to their unpredictable nature.

When the band ventures into the void, it is done in a more friendly way and its pretty much always a success: “Guillotine” is a psychedelic journey into the unknown with drifting guitar interplay, “Cup of Dreams” even more so while telling a sort of fairy tale like parents passing on wisdom to their children. “The Piston and the Shaft” is their version of a love song, a much more organic and fulfilling way where TFUL282 have achieved this apex of their sound then some of their contemporaries (like Pavement or Yo La Tengo).

 In all the band has never sounded more grown up, and yes there are still the ‘Fellars filler” tracks but they feel more integral at only three of them they never threaten to overwhelm. Only one song, “the Oxenmaster” is really skippable. This is the album I would recommend everyone begin their experience with this pioneering band, where their last album Mother of All Saints (1992) is probably what I would explore last as it is the band at its most challenging.

 

Best Songs: The Operation, Cup of Dreams, Piston and the Shaft, My Pal the Tortoise

 

 

 - still need to review the last two albums :)

 

Compilations

1993

Admonishing the Bishops EP – 89%

This EP shows the band growing into more pop music formats with memorable melodies, albeit still in a windy Lo-fidelity format. “Hurricane” is a primary example, landing somewhere between Sonic Youth and Polvo, but somehow not that much like either one; it has a natural flow to it that is unique to the group and it’s one of the band’s best songs. “Million Dollars” too is the saddest song ever made about making money, and its quite the achievement- “too much desire” is what the band laments while showing they can craft as tune for the ages. “Father” has it moments but can’t quite decide what it wants to be, and Anne Eickelberg’s “Undertaker” is notable for a great little shuffling performance that is a charming direction the band could go in forever. At only four songs, this is a snapshot into yet another alternate alternative rock universe where the Thinking Fellars Union Local 282 are the biggest band on the planet.

 

Best Songs: Million Dollars, Hurricane