― james e l, Tuesday, 15 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 15 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
From what I've heard of them, the one disc of theirs you MIGHT destroy (if you must) would be _Strangers..._.
They've a new album on Communion. Really long, annoying title. Their previous album (_I Hope It Lands_) is my favorite. Similar to stuff like "Cup of Dreams", "Noble Experiment", "The Piston & The Shaft".
And their older Matador releases (_Lonelyville_, _Mother of All Saints_) are snazzy, too. I've heard their BEST release is the _Admonishing the Bishops_ EP (also on Matador).
But you can't go wrong.
― David Raposa, Tuesday, 15 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― gareth, Wednesday, 16 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Mark, Wednesday, 16 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Mark, Sunday, 17 February 2002 01:00 (twenty years ago) link
The latest one, "Celebrity Avalanche, etc. etc." would be the best introduction, then work backwards from there..
Yeah, the combo of "Admonishing The Bishops" and "The Funeral Pudding" EPs from 1993 would comprise of the best of their work, IMHO
But alas, "Lovelyville" is their best one, me thinks. For "More Glee" alone. (though "Tangle" comes close)
― Brian MacDonald, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty years ago) link
― adaml (adaml), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 18:42 (eighteen years ago) link
I agree with the point of view that elevates "Lovelyville" and the EPs, and recommends "Mother of All Saints" for later down the road. I think "Strangers from The Universe" is excellent as well.
― southern lights (southern lights), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 18:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― Blood and sparkles (bloodandsparkles), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 19:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 9 October 2003 18:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 9 October 2003 19:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 20:50 (eighteen years ago) link
seconding brian's comment here, especially if "Strangers" is your favorite (mine too). every album has at least a few indelible pop moments though. and live, they were (& probably remain) untouchable, one of the best things about living in the bay area in the 90's.
I remember seeing them open for Negativland in 87 at Gilman Street.
― (Jon L), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 20:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 20:59 (eighteen years ago) link
― Adm Mhel (adam michel), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 21:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 19 November 2004 20:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― donut christ (donut), Friday, 19 November 2004 20:45 (seventeen years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 19 November 2004 20:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― briania (briania), Friday, 19 November 2004 20:57 (seventeen years ago) link
Saw 'em at CBGBs in 1990 or 1991 - they were touring behind Tangle. My friend and I were standing by the pool table talking as their set began (they were about the third band on a bill of about eight, and they weren't who we were there to see). We weren't paying much attention, but about three songs in we both stopped talking and looked at each other like, "What the fuck is that band doing?" and headed stageward, and were enraptured for the rest of their set. My friend bought Tangle and a T-shirt afterward. Instant win-over. I bought Lovelyville when it came out, but kinda lost track of them after that.
― pdf (Phil Freeman), Friday, 19 November 2004 21:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― donut christ (donut), Friday, 19 November 2004 21:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― briania (briania), Friday, 19 November 2004 21:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 19 November 2004 21:44 (seventeen years ago) link
Yes, great band! I saw them about 10 times, the most memorable was the "un-guitar" clinic they put on at the Great American Music Hall in SF with Polvo and The Fucking Champs.
― gygax! (gygax!), Saturday, 20 November 2004 01:26 (seventeen years ago) link
...which started playing 2 seconds later as the encore.
― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Saturday, 20 November 2004 01:29 (seventeen years ago) link
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Saturday, 20 November 2004 01:35 (seventeen years ago) link
― J (Jay), Saturday, 20 November 2004 01:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Saturday, 20 November 2004 01:51 (seventeen years ago) link
o well.
― Magic City (ano ano), Saturday, 20 November 2004 02:52 (seventeen years ago) link
Best show was an unannounced art shack show in Oakland just underneath a BART station in December of 1999. They went all over the place. So did some of the audience members.. sans clothes. It was a revelry.
(This is where I drunkenly introduced myself to a guy named Bob and slapped him on the shoulder and just made a lot of drunk talk with him, without him talking much back and seeming a bit scared, and only found out later that it was Bob of *Shellac* that I gave the noogie to. oops.)
― donut christ (donut), Saturday, 20 November 2004 03:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― (Jon L), Saturday, 20 November 2004 05:10 (seventeen years ago) link
http://www.japan-overseas.com/eng/release-e/JO96-19vE.html
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 18:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 18:37 (seventeen years ago) link
When I put "2x4s" on my MP3 blog a few months ago, it got a lot of "holy crap, who's THAT?!?" responses.
― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 23:13 (seventeen years ago) link
ihttp://www.tful282.com/images/mpc1.html
Douglas excellently summarized the Fellers in the last Trouser Press book:
Read up: http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=thinking_fellers_union_local_282
And search the following:
THINKING FELLERS UNION LOCAL 282 Wormed by Leonard [tape] (Thwart) 1988 [CD] (Thwart) 1995Tangle (Thwart) 1989 (Can. Scratch) 1994The Natural Finger EP7 (Ajax) 1991Lovelvville (Matador) 1991Mother of All Saints (Matador) 1992Where's Officer Tuba? (UK Hemiola) 1993Admonishing the Bishops EP (Matador) 1993The Funeral Pudding EP (Ajax) 1994Strangers From the Universe (Matador) 1994Porcelain Entertainments (Ger. Return to Sender/Normal) 1995TFUL282 (Japan. Japan Overseas) 1995I Hope It Lands (Communion) 1996Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present Tubby Turdner's Celebrity Avalanche (Communion) 2001WHITE SHARKMuggy Bog EP10 (Nuf Sed) 1994MR. HAGEMANTwin Smooth Snouts (Starlight Future Company) 1995VARIOUS ARTISTSNot All That Terrifies Harms [tape] (Nuf Sed) 1990Not All That Terrifies Harms EP7 (Ajax) 1991Step, Step, Steppin' on Satan's Foot (Tedium House) 1994
― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Thursday, 17 February 2005 00:34 (seventeen years ago) link
― (Jon L), Thursday, 17 February 2005 01:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Thursday, 17 February 2005 01:27 (seventeen years ago) link
Oh yeah, the slap key guitar stuff was great. And there was an earlier 7" by him of tape loopy delay recordings under the name Brown Supper (or Brown Food?)
― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Saturday, 5 March 2005 23:46 (seventeen years ago) link
― charltonlido (gareth), Sunday, 6 March 2005 20:03 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 18 August 2005 14:14 (sixteen years ago) link
― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 14:31 (sixteen years ago) link
― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Thursday, 18 August 2005 14:51 (sixteen years ago) link
― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 15:16 (sixteen years ago) link
― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 18 August 2005 16:52 (sixteen years ago) link
# 2 - Gentleman's Lament# 3 - Catcher# 4 - Hornet's Heart# 5 - Star Trek# 6 - Tell Me# 8 - Hive# 9 - Hummingbird In a Cube of Ice# 11 - Wide Forehead# 12 - Infection# 18 - 1" Tall*# 19 - Raymond H.# 21 - Cistern# 22 - El Cerrito**
― dan (dan), Thursday, 18 August 2005 17:07 (sixteen years ago) link
So classic. I have most of the albums, but I'm always drawn back to Strangers From the Universe. ...and Funeral Pudding. Never had the chance to see them live, except in 1996 and I blew it. Listened more recently to some live shows from earlier in the 90s and was amazing at how loud they could be and how quickly they could shift gears, even mid-song. Why in the world are their Matador albums out of print?
― city worker, Monday, 30 June 2008 17:36 (fourteen years ago) link
Crazy. People just aren't in the mood for 90s music right now, myself included.
― cecelia, Monday, 30 June 2008 18:09 (fourteen years ago) link
Listened more recently to some live shows from earlier in the 90s and was amazing at how loud they could be and how quickly they could shift gears, even mid-song.
I saw them live in 1994. Easily the best show I saw that year in a year of pretty decent live shows.
― Bill in Chicago, Monday, 30 June 2008 18:13 (fourteen years ago) link
xp check out the show I linked! you won't regret it.
― sleeve, Tuesday, 23 June 2015 17:51 (seven years ago) link
Hope It Lands is on Spotify, which is nice
Will listen to the show and the album, cool
― the spieth hole-ease impresseth us (imago), Tuesday, 23 June 2015 18:13 (seven years ago) link
I like this band but I've been very slow in getting their discography. I Hope it Lands is the next one for me I think.
They weren't really anything like Cheer-Accident though, more like if Polvo were collectively recovering from head injuries.
― meaty, desperate, and honest about the world we live in (ultros ultros-ghali), Tuesday, 23 June 2015 20:17 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkwGzl1I42g Heavy Head is their best song!
― JacobSanders, Tuesday, 23 June 2015 22:52 (seven years ago) link
I listened to I Hope it Lands; it was amazing. Heard about 25m of the gig too. Lovely.
Then listened to all of Enduring The American Dream by Cheer-Accident and that was even better, but the two bands are both clearly wonderful
― the spieth hole-ease impresseth us (imago), Tuesday, 23 June 2015 23:05 (seven years ago) link
alien abduction, no?
I guess so! It's a bit ironic that never occurred to me, given the bloody username I chose for this place.
Happy to see the love for "I Hope It Lands" here, it seems to be their least-mentioned album but it's actually my favourite of the two "pop" TFUL albums (the other being "Strangers").
― Duane Barry, Tuesday, 23 June 2015 23:42 (seven years ago) link
2019 resolutions: increase public awareness of this band, find another set of the stickers I bought from them in the mid-90s.
― sleeve, Saturday, 15 December 2018 20:31 (three years ago) link
weird that I never posted on this thread, I have about eight of their records. favourite song is probably a tie between heavy head and narlus spectre?
― my name is leee john, for we are many (NickB), Saturday, 15 December 2018 20:57 (three years ago) link
As someone who spent quite a bit of time studying/playing a lot of Sundanese-style gamelan in the pelog (7-tone) scale, "Hundreds Of Years" lead guitar is definitely the most melodically gamelan-ish rock song I can think of (even moreso than a lot of late-period OOIOO).
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 15 December 2018 21:06 (three years ago) link
Guitar on the bottom:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S3EW_euij4
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 15 December 2018 21:20 (three years ago) link
for reference:
http://tful282.com/
― sleeve, Saturday, 15 December 2018 21:47 (three years ago) link
great solo release from Mark Davies that came out a few years back and was way under the radar even for me:
https://thewhiteshark.bandcamp.com/album/the-beastly-hymnal
― sleeve, Sunday, 23 December 2018 23:13 (three years ago) link
cool! sounds nice. the song lost in a spacesuit is beautiful. i still have the white shark 10” from the 90s. i would like another Mr. Hageman record ( i think i decided he is my fave feller, but i couldn’t always tell who was who).
― mizzell, Monday, 24 December 2018 02:11 (three years ago) link
doctors claim there's nothing wrong with me
― reggie (qualmsley), Monday, 24 December 2018 19:48 (three years ago) link
pretty nuts that this is standard tuning...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEk_krUPh54
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Monday, 20 April 2020 06:22 (two years ago) link
phew, thread not bumped for death ... I had forgotten how great I Hope It Lands is .
― sarahell, Monday, 20 April 2020 15:29 (two years ago) link
i can't taste or smell and i can hardly see!
― reggie (qualmsley), Monday, 20 April 2020 16:04 (two years ago) link
That YouTube playthrough channel is '90s freak-rock/art-rock/math-rock gold
― Cysteine Chapo (Craig D.), Monday, 20 April 2020 18:45 (two years ago) link
haha, yeah, I originally found him by looking up Ash Bowie's tuning on Polvo's "My Kimono" (open Bsus4) and noticed he had a lot of TFUL282 as well!
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Monday, 20 April 2020 19:07 (two years ago) link
I feel like I haven't spent enough time on this thread talking about how staggeringly great this band was, I miss them. I put together a fan compilation of all the odds and ends, and I'm posting here so the thread will nag me into completion/upload, it's all done.
I wish the stuff would get reissued, or something. If the "Eavesdrop" section in the band website link above is for real and not a joke, there may be some conflict? I dunno.
Just so endlessly inventive and good-humored, also a mirror of my life in the 90s, I had been following them since '89 when a friend put "Sister Hell" on a mixtape, when they did the reunion shows in 2000/2004 and wrote "'91 Dodge Van" I was touched. At the last Portland reunion gig (? the one at Berbati's), some guy got up on stage and hugged each band member individually near the end of their (fantastic) set.
― zoomer death circus (sleeve), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 00:46 (two years ago) link
I put together a fan compilation of all the odds and ends, and I'm posting here so the thread will nag me into completion/upload, it's all done.
Did you use this as a starting point? iirc the band chose the tracklist for this one:
https://www.discogs.com/Thinking-Fellers-Union-Local-282-TFUL282/release/1722045
(...although that one omits "Father" which is my absolute #1 favorite song of theirs)
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 01:14 (two years ago) link
01 Nipper02 2x4's (7" version)03 Horrible Hour04 Outhouse Of The Pryeeee05 I Am Beautiful, I Am Good06 Heaven For Real Idiots07 Strolling Big Butter08 282 Years09 Hugh Swarts - Theme From Sunset On Hair Mountain.flac10 Paul Bergmann - Where Are You Going & Where Have You Been_.flac11 Jay Paget - Birthday Stew.flac12 Anne Eickelberg - Sick Of You.flac13 Brian Hageman - Fruity Fantasies.flac14 Ed Sullivan.flac15 Holiday For String16 The Electrocutioner17 Electric Chair.flac18 Everyday19 Fistful Of Dollars20 The Kids Are In The Mud21 Broken Bones22 Wally and the Ghost.flac23 Blank Eyed Devil.flac24 Shiny Pig.flac25 Entoloma.flac26 Who Are Parents
― zoomer death circus (sleeve), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 01:48 (two years ago) link
(all non-LP stuff, singles, comp tracks, etc._
― zoomer death circus (sleeve), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 01:49 (two years ago) link
notes:
1. This song has been vehemently disowned by the band, and they refused to include it on the 2LP/CD reissue of “Wormed By Leonard”, but it was on the original cassette release. If you want to make a CD of these tracks, just delete this one and you’ll have enough room!
2-3. Their first 7” release, different & earlier version of “2x4’s”
4. split single w/Sun City Girls that has never been reissued in any form
5-8. alternate versions and one outtake from Mother Of All Saints - from the “Where’s Officer Tuba?” EP
9-13. solo tracks from each band member, from a Bananafish compilation CD
14. from the compilation series “Lyrics By Ernest Noyes Brookings”
15. from a rare cassette compilation on an obscure Olympia WA label, I’m sure this is a cover but don’t know who wrote it.
16. Residents cover from the “Eyesore” compilation CD
17. compilation track from the “Sidereal Rest” CD on Scratch Records
18-19. 7” released on Amarillo, 19 is an Ennio Morricone piece
20-21. 7” released on Japan Overseas
22. from the CD, this volume of the 7” series was never released as vinyl
23. from a CD compilation included with Badaboom Gramaphone #4 magazine
24. from a CD compilation included with Sound Collector #6 magazine
25. from the “Hangin’ From The Devil’s Tree” compilation CD
26. Shaggs cover!! from the “Better Than The Beatles” compilation CD
― zoomer death circus (sleeve), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 01:50 (two years ago) link
links soon
― zoomer death circus (sleeve), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 02:02 (two years ago) link
hey that would be awesome thanks
― Evan, Tuesday, 21 April 2020 02:17 (two years ago) link
https://shardsofbeauty.blogspot.com/2020/04/oh-hi-i-was-shocked-out-of-my-laziness.html
― zoomer death circus (sleeve), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 02:23 (two years ago) link
missed the "odds & ends" part of your OP lol, well done!
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 02:28 (two years ago) link
I have an almost-as-great CDs worth of otherwise-unreleased live trax, but it needs work
― zoomer death circus (sleeve), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 02:29 (two years ago) link
http://sunshinesmilefactory.blogspot.com/2010/02/thinking-fellers-union-local-282-duck.html?m=1
I bought the discs for this comp from the Yahoo group way back when and was wondering if I could find my CD drive to upload 'em--thought I'd do a search first. Links appear to still be good.
― Torei, Tuesday, 21 April 2020 04:37 (two years ago) link
wow, thanks!
― zoomer death circus (sleeve), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 04:46 (two years ago) link
Reprinted TFUL282 bootleg shirts (now with the bands blessing) Now in BLACK so you look extra TUFF at your DJ night when dive bars open back up. All profits go to @TRPistas PURCHASE HERE, https://t.co/gis9Q9spKQ ships immediately— Ryley walker (@ryleywalker) January 13, 2021
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 13 January 2021 21:17 (one year ago) link
very nice too
― kites aren't fun (NickB), Wednesday, 13 January 2021 23:30 (one year ago) link
just got one, thanks for the reminder - it had been on my list for a while
― Überschadenfreude (sleeve), Friday, 15 January 2021 22:21 (one year ago) link
listening to Strangers From the Universe, forget how singular this band is
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 13 March 2021 02:17 (one year ago) link
imago have you listened to this band?
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 13 March 2021 02:18 (one year ago) link
thanks for bumping this thread -- still want to get one of the shirts
― sarahell, Saturday, 13 March 2021 03:18 (one year ago) link
I got a comment on my shirt recently - it's like finding yr people, man.
― BlackIronPrison, Saturday, 13 March 2021 03:20 (one year ago) link
I am wearing the shirt right now
afaik imago has still not properly understood how this band is his platonic ideal of music, I actually thought abt mentioning that to him earlier when I saw him on Slack Zoom but I forgot
imago, listen to this again
― I like signing up to dead sites (sleeve), Saturday, 13 March 2021 03:21 (one year ago) link
Slack Zoom what? ... apparently the shirts are sold out. I kinda feel like there's a link between TFUL and early Charming Hostess (the version with the Idiot Flesh folx)
― sarahell, Saturday, 13 March 2021 03:23 (one year ago) link
good call! I never put those together but yeah
― I like signing up to dead sites (sleeve), Saturday, 13 March 2021 03:25 (one year ago) link
This seems pertinent to this thread:
https://bulbous-monocle.bandcamp.com/
― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 3 August 2022 16:27 (one week ago) link
yep!! word on the street is that there is a live album coming as well
― thinkmanship (sleeve), Wednesday, 3 August 2022 16:36 (one week ago) link
Very cool! Exactly how limited are those repressings I wonder?
― Evan, Wednesday, 3 August 2022 17:56 (one week ago) link
I don't think at all? nothing on the Bandcamp page about a limited press...
― thinkmanship (sleeve), Wednesday, 3 August 2022 18:01 (one week ago) link
Oh weird, I thought I saw it on this thread -- there's a really handy archive.org live overview I rather recommend, Tyler sent it around separately I think
https://archive.org/details/tful292-a-concordance-in-three-parts
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 3 August 2022 18:09 (one week ago) link
Strangers From The Universe specifically I should have mentioned is described twice as: "Limted edition 12" black vinyl LP"
xp
― Evan, Wednesday, 3 August 2022 18:27 (one week ago) link
oh hmm. yeah not sure abt that (I have an OG so not in the market)
― thinkmanship (sleeve), Wednesday, 3 August 2022 18:29 (one week ago) link
and Ned thanks so much for that link, had not seen it, some real gems in there
― thinkmanship (sleeve), Wednesday, 3 August 2022 18:30 (one week ago) link
Yer welcome!
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 3 August 2022 21:04 (one week ago) link