Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 Ranked!
I'm seeing them live in San Francisco next month, so it's time I ranked them! |
| 9 |  | Thinking Fellers Local 282
Lovelyville
So the band has this thing called "Feller Filler" where they essentially put shitposty transition tracks between a lot of the real songs. They claim it's to keep them from getting too famous lol. This one has FAR too many of those and few of them are funny (some times "Feller Filler really works, but on Lovelyville it's less so.) For the actual songs, they're actually at their least structured on Lovelyville which means I need to be more in a specific mood for this one -a mood that's rare.
Favorite real track: "Nail in the Head" 5/5
Least favorite real track: "Nothing Solid" 3/5
Favorite filler: "The Streets Vibrated with Traffic and Power Tools" 3.5/5
Least favorite filler: "The Meat Display" 1/5
With the Feller Filler: 3/5
Without the Feller Filler: 4/5 |
| 8 |  | Thinking Fellers Local 282
Tangle
Tangle is a HUGE step up from Lovelyville, but it's also the most homogenous of their albums. It's quite low on the filler. It's extra "just noise rock" a lot of the time (but not always.) I have less to say about this one than the others actually.
Favorite real track: "Sister Hell" 5/5
Least favorite real track: "Keeps Repeating" 3/5
Favorite filler: "Of Toes, Yark" 2.5/5
Least favorite filler: "Mr. Whitey Tighty" 2/5
With the Feller Filler: 3.5/5
Without the Feller Filler: 3.5/5 |
| 7 |  | Thinking Fellers Local 282
The Funeral Pudding
This EP is all over the damn place, but damn when it hits it hits hard. Annie Eickelberg's best vocal moment is on this and it's actually just a straight up beautiful indie song. Might even be one of their top 5 songs period.
Favorite real track: "Heavy Head" 5/5
Least favorite real track: "Give Me Back My Golden Arm" 3.5/5
Favorite filler: "The Invitation" 3.5/5
Least favorite filler: "***" 3/5
With the Feller Filler: 3.5/5
Without the Feller Filler: 4.5/5 |
| 6 |  | Thinking Fellers Local 282
Wormed by Leonard
Too damn long. What a great set of songs somewhere in here, damn. There's a 4.5 that'd be like 44 mins hidden in this. This album has a lot of ideas, some Lovelyville brand unstructured tracks, a lot of dumb Feller Filler, and then just some damn good noise rock stuff.
Favorite real track: "Hell Rules" 5/5
Least favorite real track: "Out in the Kitchen" 2.5/5
Favorite filler: "Motorin' Flarey Henderson" 4/5
Least favorite filler: "Fat Christmas" 1.5/5
With the Feller Filler: 3.5/5
Without the Feller Filler: 4/5 |
| 5 |  | Thinking Fellers Local 282
Mother of All Saints
This band is genuinely trying to punish me. Without the Feller Filler this would be an experimental noise rock album FOR THE AGES, but my god is "Pleasure Circle" through "Tuning Notes" rough to get through. But when it's good it's brilliant.
Favorite real track: "Hummingbird in a Cube of Ice" 5/5
Least favorite real track: "Infection" 3/5
Favorite filler: "Shuddering Big Butter" 4/5
Least favorite filler: "Tuning Notes" 0/5
With the Feller Filler: 3.5/5
Without the Feller Filler: 4.5/5 |
| 4 |  | Thinking Fellers Local 282
I Hope It Lands
This is in such an odd spot. It's so short, but like a 3rd of the damn album is Feller Filler. But the best moments are like perfect. Maybe they would be like Sonic Youth levels of famous without the filler. This album seems like direct evidence. But my god do the random noodle tracks fuck it up. I guess that's what they want. Sometimes the filler on this is ambiguous... like are "Hills" and "Hudson Bottom Dance" Feller Filler or just instrumentals?
Favorite real track: "A Lamb's Lullaby" 5/5
Least favorite real track: "Brains" 4/5
Favorite filler: "Rampaging Fuckers of Anything on the Crazy Shitting Planet of the Vomit Atmosphere" 4/5
Least favorite filler: "Inspector Fat Ass" 2/5
With the Feller Filler: 4/5
Without the Feller Filler: 5/5 |
| 3 |  | Thinking Fellers Local 282
Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present...
Production wise, this is their cleanest record. Which makes sense since it's their final one, but it's still super weird in the best way. Somehow the filler hardly gets in the way here and some of it even works. I guess they really learned how to make it work after a while.
Favorite real track: "You in a Movie" 5/5
Least favorite real track: "El Cerrito" 3.5/5
Favorite filler: "Boob Feeler" 4/5
Least favorite filler: "Remindor" 3/5
With the Feller Filler: 4/5
Without the Feller Filler: 4.5/5 |
| 2 |  | Thinking Fellers Local 282
Admonishing the Bishops
This EP has no Feller Filler, but it's also only 4 songs. Can you believe that? Every single song is cool though. Kind of an anomaly in their discography.
Favorite real track: "Million Dollars" 5/5
Least favorite real track: "Hurricane" 4/5
No feller filler, so one score: 4.5/5 |
| 1 |  | Thinking Fellers Local 282
Strangers From the Universe
I'm not really a contrarian here, most people says this is the best of their albums and yeah I agree. It's tight and catchy, the Feller Filler isn't too in the way, and feels oddly proggier than their other stuff? It's hard to explain, but it rules.
Favorite real track: "The Piston and the Shaft" 5/5
Least favorite real track: "Guillotine" 4/5
Favorite filler: "The Oxenmaster" 3.5/5
Least favorite filler: "Pull My Pants Up Tight" 2.5/5
With the Feller Filler: 4.5/5
Without the Feller Filler: 5/5 |
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