Strangers from the Universe is an album by the American band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released in 1994 through Matador Records.[1][2] The band supported the album by touring with Live.[3] Strangers from the Universe was a moderate commercial success.[4] Mark Davies used an Optigan keyboard on some of the tracks.[5]
| Strangers from the Universe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Recorded | Lowdown Studios, San Francisco, California | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, experimental rock, noise rock | |||
| Length | 46:38 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Producer | Greg Freeman, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 | |||
| Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 chronology | ||||
| ||||
It was reissued in 2022.[6]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [8] |
| The Great Alternative & Indie Discography | 4/10[9] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10[10] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4.5/5[11] |
Trouser Press wrote: "Berserk rhythms are presented with deadpan simplicity, like the sickly funk riff of 'Socket' that keeps sticking a banana peel in its own path."[12] Spin opined that "for once the Thinking Fellers have made an album that you can comfortably hear straight through, and its dark mood deepens along the way."[13]
The Washington Post determined that the album "can be elusive, but much of it deserves the title the band bestowed on the closing track, 'Noble Experiment'."[14] The Santa Fe New Mexican noted that "sometimes stringed instruments, such as banjo or mandolin, are used as rhythm instruments, or to create a throbbing drone ... It's usually unsettling, but sometimes beautiful."[15]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Thinking Fellers Union Local 282
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Pal the Tortoise" | 2:47 |
| 2. | "Socket" | 4:23 |
| 3. | "Bomber Pilot WWII" | 1:14 |
| 4. | "Hundreds of Years" | 4:29 |
| 5. | "Guillotine" | 5:13 |
| 6. | "Uranium" | 1:14 |
| 7. | "February" | 3:09 |
| 8. | "Pull My Pants Up Tight" | 0:59 |
| 9. | "Cup of Dreams" | 6:40 |
| 10. | "The Oxenmaster" | 1:49 |
| 11. | "The Operation" | 5:24 |
| 12. | "The Piston and the Shaft" | 5:11 |
| 13. | "Communication" | 0:24 |
| 14. | "Noble Experiment" | 3:11 |
Personnel
edit- Thinking Fellers Union Local 282
- Mark Davies – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, banjo, Optigan, brass instruments, percussion
- Anne Eickelberg – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, percussion
- Brian Hageman – vocals, guitar, mandolin
- Jay Paget – vocals, drums, guitar, keyboards, sampler
- Hugh Swarts – vocals, guitar, percussion
- Production and additional personnel
- Gail Butensky – photography
- Greg Freeman – production, engineering
- John Frentress – sculptures
- Margaret Murray – design
- Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 – production, recording
References
edit- ^ "Lost Classics: Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 "Strangers From The Universe"". March 1, 2009.
- ^ "Thinking Fellers Union Local #282 Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ "Thinking Fellers Union Local 282". Perfect Sound Forever.
- ^ Earles, Andrew (September 15, 2014). Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996. Voyageur Press. ISBN 9781627883795 – via Google Books.
- ^ Gettelman, Parry (11 Aug 1995). "AN ALTERNATIVE WITH A DIFFERENCE". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 6.
- ^ Segal, Dave. "Embrace the Effortless Weirdness of Thinking Fellers Union Local 282". The Stranger.
- ^ Phares, Heather. "Strangers from the Universe". AllMusic. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
- ^ "The encyclopedia of popular music". 1998.
- ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1999). The great alternative & indie discography. Canongate. ISBN 9780862419134.
- ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide, page 402-403
- ^ "Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 - Strangers from the Universe (Album review ) | Sputnikmusic".
- ^ "Thinking Fellers Union Local 282". Trouser Press. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ^ Ross, Alex (Feb 1995). "Spins". Spin. 10 (11): 77.
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (21 Oct 1994). "Fellers' Experiment; Salem's Solo Debut". The Washington Post. p. N17.
- ^ Terrell, Steve (18 Nov 1994). "TERRELL'S TUNEUP". PASATIEMPO. The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. 29.
External links
edit- Strangers From The Universe at Discogs (list of releases)