Thinking Fellers Union Local 282
Encyclopedia
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 is an experimental indie rock
group formed in 1986 in San Francisco, California
, though half of its members are from Iowa
. Their albums combine lo-fi noise rock
and ambient
sounds (referred to as "Feller filler") with tightly constructed rock and pop songs. The band has a small but intensely loyal cult following. Band members are Brian Hageman, Mark Davies, Anne Eickelberg, Hugh Swarts and Jay Paget. Hageman was also a member of the Iowa City based group, Horny Genius.
The band achieved their greatest critical and commercial success in the mid-nineties when they signed with the influential indie rock label Matador Records
. It was during this time that Thinking Fellers produced their most prominent albums, Lovelyville
, and the critically lauded college radio hit Strangers from the Universe
. They toured the Netherlands
, Germany
, Switzerland
and the U.K.
in 1994 and made an appearance on the John Peel
radio show on the BBC. In 1996 they toured briefly as an opening act for the then-popular band Live
but were not received well by the Live fanbase. Thinking Fellers has been largely dormant since 1996. They have toured sporadically and released only one full album, Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present Tubby Turdner's Celebrity Avalanche
.
In 2001, author Jonathan Franzen
referenced the band in his widely-acclaimed bestselling novel The Corrections
. The character Brian, a snobbish fan of "west coast underground bands," listens to the albums of Thinking Fellers while writing the music software that will make him a young millionaire.
On January 7, 2011, the All Tomorrow's Parties
festival announced a Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 performance at the ATP festival weekend May 13–15, 2011 curated by Animal Collective
.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group formed in 1986 in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, though half of its members are from Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. Their albums combine lo-fi noise rock
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
and ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
sounds (referred to as "Feller filler") with tightly constructed rock and pop songs. The band has a small but intensely loyal cult following. Band members are Brian Hageman, Mark Davies, Anne Eickelberg, Hugh Swarts and Jay Paget. Hageman was also a member of the Iowa City based group, Horny Genius.
The band achieved their greatest critical and commercial success in the mid-nineties when they signed with the influential indie rock label Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
. It was during this time that Thinking Fellers produced their most prominent albums, Lovelyville
Lovelyville
Lovelyville is an album by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1991.- Track listing :# "Four O'Clocker 2"# "Not This World"# "Nail In The Head"# "Green Eyed Lady"# "Mother Uncle Delicious Tasty"...
, and the critically lauded college radio hit Strangers from the Universe
Strangers from the Universe
Strangers From The Universe is an album by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1994.- Track listing :# "My Pal The Tortoise" # "Socket" # "Bomber Pilot WWII" # "Hundreds Of Years" # "Guillotine"...
. They toured the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1994 and made an appearance on the John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
radio show on the BBC. In 1996 they toured briefly as an opening act for the then-popular band Live
Live (band)
Live is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009....
but were not received well by the Live fanbase. Thinking Fellers has been largely dormant since 1996. They have toured sporadically and released only one full album, Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present Tubby Turdner's Celebrity Avalanche
Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present Tubby Turdner's Celebrity Avalanche
Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present Tubby Turdner's Celebrity Avalanche is an album by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 2001.- Track listing :# "Another Clip" # "Sno Cone" # "You Will Be Eliminated"...
.
In 2001, author Jonathan Franzen
Jonathan Franzen
Jonathan Franzen is an American novelist and essayist. His third novel, The Corrections , a sprawling, satirical family drama, drew widespread critical acclaim, earned Franzen a National Book Award, and was a finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction...
referenced the band in his widely-acclaimed bestselling novel The Corrections
The Corrections
The Corrections is a 2001 novel by American author Jonathan Franzen. It revolves around the troubles of an elderly Midwestern couple and their three adult children, tracing their lives from the mid-twentieth century to "one last Christmas" together near the turn of the millennium...
. The character Brian, a snobbish fan of "west coast underground bands," listens to the albums of Thinking Fellers while writing the music software that will make him a young millionaire.
On January 7, 2011, the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
festival announced a Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 performance at the ATP festival weekend May 13–15, 2011 curated by Animal Collective
Animal Collective
Animal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
.
Studio Albums
- Wormed By LeonardWormed By LeonardWormed By Leonard is the debut studio-recorded cassette by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1988.A new version was released in 1995 with six live bonus tracks.- Track listing :# "It's Seven" # "Hell Rules"...
Thwart Productions 1988 - TangleTangle (Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 album)Tangle is an album by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1989.- Track listing :# "Sister Hell" # "Prelmnlrl" # "It Wasn't Me" # "Untitled" # "Keeps Repeating" # "Sports Car"...
Thwart Productions 1989 / Scratch Records 1995 - LovelyvilleLovelyvilleLovelyville is an album by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1991.- Track listing :# "Four O'Clocker 2"# "Not This World"# "Nail In The Head"# "Green Eyed Lady"# "Mother Uncle Delicious Tasty"...
Matador Records 1991 - Mother Of All SaintsMother Of All SaintsMother Of All Saints is an album by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1992.- Track listing :# "..." # "Gentleman's Lament" # "Catcher" # "Hornet's Heart" # "Star Trek" # "Tell Me"...
Matador Records 1992 - Strangers From The UniverseStrangers from the UniverseStrangers From The Universe is an album by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1994.- Track listing :# "My Pal The Tortoise" # "Socket" # "Bomber Pilot WWII" # "Hundreds Of Years" # "Guillotine"...
Matador Records 1994 - I Hope It LandsI Hope It LandsI Hope It Lands is an album by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1996.- Track listing :# "The Poem" # "A Lamb's Lullaby" # "Empty Cup" # "I Hope It Lands" # "Lizard's Dream"...
Communion 1996 - Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present Tubby Turdner's Celebrity AvalancheBob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present Tubby Turdner's Celebrity AvalancheBob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present Tubby Turdner's Celebrity Avalanche is an album by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 2001.- Track listing :# "Another Clip" # "Sno Cone" # "You Will Be Eliminated"...
Communion 2001
Singles and EPs
- 2x4's / Horrible Hour 7" Nuf Sed 1990
- The Natural Finger 7" Ajax Records 1990
- Outhouse Of The Pryeeeeeeee / Wheat Delusion split 7" w/ Sun City GirlsSun City GirlsThe Sun City Girls were an American experimental rock band, formed in 1979 in Phoenix, Arizona. From 1981 the group consisted of Alan Bishop , his brother Richard Bishop , and the late Charles Gocher . Their name was inspired by Sun City, Arizona, an Arizona retirement community...
Nuf Sed 1991 - Where's Officer TubaWhere's Officer TubaWhere's Officer Tuba is an EP by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1993.-Track listing:# "Wide Forehead" # "A Gentleman's Lament" # "Outhouse Of The Pryeeeee" # "I Am Beautiful, I Am Good" # "Hive"...
12" Hemiola Records 1993 - Admonishing The BishopsAdmonishing The BishopsAdmonishing the Bishops is an EP by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1993.-Track listing:# "Hurricane" – 6.14# "Undertaker" – 3.23# "Million Dollars" – 4.14# "Father" – 5.24- Personnel :...
Matador Records 1993 - The Funeral PuddingThe Funeral PuddingThe Funeral Pudding is an EP by the band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1994.-Track listing:# "Waited Too Long" # "Flames Up" # "Firing Squad" # "***" # "23 Kings Crossing" # "Heavy Head"...
Ajax Records/Brinkman (Waaghaals) 1994 - Everyday / A Fistful of Dollars 7" Amarillo Records 1995
- The Kids Are In The Mud / Broken Bones 7" Japan Overseas 1996
Compilations
- TFUL282 Japan Overseas 1995
- Porcelain Entertainments Normal Records 1995 / Runt 2000