Strangers from the Universe
1994 studio album by Thinking Fellers Union Local 282
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Strangers from the Universe is an album by the American band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, released on September 6, 1994, through Matador Records.[1][2][3] The band supported the album by touring with Live.[4] Strangers from the Universe was a moderate commercial success.[5] Mark Davies used an Optigan keyboard on some of the tracks.[6]
| Strangers from the Universe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 6, 1994 | |||
| Studios | Lowdown, San Francisco, California | |||
| Genres | Indie rock, experimental rock, noise rock | |||
| Length | 46:38 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Producers | Greg Freeman, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 | |||
| Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 chronology | ||||
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It was reissued in 2022.[7]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [9] |
| The Great Alternative & Indie Discography | 4/10[10] |
| Pitchfork | 9.2/10[11] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10[12] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4.5/5[13] |
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."[14] 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."[15]
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'."[16] 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."[17]
Track listing
All 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
- 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