Scott Masson - guitar, vocals, piano Erica Corniel - drums, vocals Justin Petertil - piano, keys, vocals, and percussion Tom Smith - guitar, vocals Colin DeKuiper - bass
Past members
Alissa Noonan-Hacker - bass Jessica Gonyea - synth, percussion, and vocals Jamie Harper - bari sax, flute John D. Martin III - tenor sax, accordion Brad Miner - bass Toby Worscheck - drums, drum machine
Office is a Chicago-based pop band that was active in the 2000s and went on hiatus in 2009.
The band was founded by Scott Masson while attending College of Goldsmiths, in London, UK. Upon returning to America after his student exchange program ended, Masson continued to use Office as a vehicle for his songwriting and art at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Masson maintained the band with various friends and performers as collaborators,[1] preferring to call it a "project" or "hallucination."[2] The latest iteration of the project appeared onstage at SXSW, on MTV, at Lollapalooza, and elsewhere dressed as if going to work in "business attire and black mini dresses."[3][4]
Office developed a cult following in the 2000s, particularly in and around Kalamazoo, Michigan and later in Chicago, Illinois, promoting a sound that has been described by Spin as "handclaps and sunny harmonies."[5] Masson recorded and self-released the debut Office album under his own publishing company, Public Treatments, and began promoting it in Kalamazoo in 2001.[citation needed] At its peak, he said people were coming to his house at 2 a.m. asking for a copy.[1] In 2004, Masson recruited guitarist Tom Smith, bassist Alissa Noonan-Hacker, and drummer Erica Corniel to the band.[5]
The band's first album under the Scratchie label, A Night at the Ritz, was released on September 25, 2007. The album contains both previously unreleased and older material from the group's early records. It also includes the singles from Q&A, which were remastered, remixed, reproduced for commercial release by the label.[citation needed] By the time A Night At The Ritz was released, many of the audience and critical reactions were lukewarm or mixed.[8][failed verification] Office produced a music video for the song "Oh My," which was featured on MTV in 2007.[4] When bassist Alissa Noonan Hacker left the group In 2007, she was replaced by Chicago-based indie artist and longtime friend of Masson's from Kalamazoo College, Justin Petertil. He would later be succeeded by Colin DeKuiper from the popular instrumental band, Russian Circles, until the band's hiatus in late 2008.[4]
Following the completion of the album Mecca in late 2008, Masson moved to the Detroit area to be near his family, and was treated for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder from his experiences in the music industry. This marked the beginning of an indefinite hiatus for Office. Masson eventually made a full recovery, and began recording and performing experimental music around the mid-west under his own name, and occasionally with a group called Glossies. He resides in Ferndale, MI, where he works full-time as a producer, engineer, and creative consultant for artists, musicians, and ad agencies around the Detroit area. He also paints.[9]
Office signed with Ann Arbor-based media conglomerate Quack!Media in January 2009, releasing "Mecca" on limited-edition vinyl and digital download.[10] The band made the album available for free via the internet.[11]
The song "Ridiculous Plans" was included in the teen indie film "The Virginity Hit".[citation needed] Office's song 'Dominoes' was included on the indie compilation in August 2009.[12] The song "Enter Me, Exit You" was licensed by Abercrombie & Fitch, and Hollister Co. stores across the US and UK.[13][14] In 2017 Scott Masson removed Office songs from all streaming services. They were replaced with remixed/remastered versions in 2020.
Members and Collaborators
Members and collaborators include: Scott Masson, Alissa Noonan, Tom Smith, Jessica Gonyea, Justin Petertil, Erica Corniel, Jamie Harper, John D. Martin III, Brad Miner, Toby Worscheck, Jen Collier, Colin DeKuiper, Jody Weinmann, Thea Nichols, Sara Jean Stevens, Shawn Rios, Jackie Phillips, Kip Donlon, Jeremy Freer, Jeffrey Freer, Alex Merz, Ayinde Zuri
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, former members of the band Operation Ivy, Rancid is often credited as being among the wave of bands that revived mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid-1990s. Over its 33-year career, Rancid has retained much of its original fan-base, most of which was connected to its underground musical roots.
The Strokes are an American rock band formed in New York City in 1998. The band is composed of lead singer and primary songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. They were a leading group of the early-2000s post-punk revival and garage rock revival movements.
Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, and many years later, Chicago became its permanent location. Music genres include alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop, and electronic dance music. Lollapalooza has also featured visual arts, nonprofit organizations, and political organizations. The festival hosts an estimated 400,000 people each July and sells out annually. Lollapalooza is one of the largest music festivals in the world and one of the longest-running in the United States.
The Frogs were an American rock music band founded in 1980, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by brothers Jimmy and Dennis Flemion. The brothers mainly wrote and performed short, catchy pop songs, but they are also known for their improvised home recordings which are delivered in a comedic style, and often include controversial issues such as race, religion, and sexuality. A history of strife has hindered the band, although a devoted fan base that includes many well-known musicians has supported the group.
Kings of Leon is an American rock band formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1999. The band includes brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill and their cousin Matthew Followill.
Fountains of Wayne is the debut studio album by the American rock band Fountains of Wayne. It was released on TAG Recordings, Scratchie Records, and Atlantic Records in 1996. A reissue of the vinyl was released on Yep Roc Records.
The Format was an American indie rock band formed by Nate Ruess and Sam Means. Their style can be considered a mixture of indie, alternative, punk and folk music, with elements of 1960s and 1970s pop music. Though Means and Ruess are the foremost members of the band, they have played, toured, and recorded with Mike Schey, Mark Buzard, Don Raymond, and for the DVD recording and summer 2007 tour, The Honorary Title's drummer Adam Boyd. The Format chose their name to make fun of the music industry's inclination towards a cookie-cutter "format" for a hit. Formed in 2002, the band announced a hiatus on February 4, 2008. On February 4, 2020, they announced a return from their hiatus for a tour of special shows that were later cancelled due to the pandemic.
"Vow" is a song by alternative rock band Garbage. It was released as their debut single in early 1995 by Discordant, a label set up by Mushroom Records to launch the group, and Almo Sounds in North America.
Girls Against Boys is a post-hardcore band which formed in Washington, D.C., and subsequently relocated to New York City shortly after their formation in 1989. The band released albums on the labels Adult Swim, Touch and Go Records, Geffen Records, and Jade Tree from 1990 to 2002. The band then sporadically played shows from 2003 until 2009 when they became inactive as a whole. In 2013, Girls Against Boys briefly toured and self-released their first new material in 11 years. After another hiatus in 2017, they reunited for a longer term in 2021.
Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, as well as Matt Cameron (drums), who joined in 1998. Keyboardist Boom Gaspar has also been a touring/session member with the band since 2002. Former members include Dave Krusen, Matt Chamberlain, Dave Abbruzzese, and Jack Irons, all of whom were the band's drummers from 1990 to 1998. Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, and is considered one of the most influential bands from that decade, dubbed "the most popular American rock and roll band of the '90s".
Ludo is an alternative rock band from St. Louis, Missouri. The band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Andrew Volpe, lead guitarist/back up vocalist Tim Ferrell, moog/synth and back up vocalist Tim Convy, drummer/back up vocalist Matt Palermo, and bassist/back up vocalist “Deepcut” Dave Heltibrand.
Satellite Party was an alternative rock band formed by Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell following the break-up of Jane's Addiction in 2004. Other members included Carl Restivo (bass) and Farrell's wife, Etty Lau Farrell. The band was initially formed as a collaboration between Farrell and Extreme member Nuno Bettencourt. Bettencourt departed from the project in July 2007.
Let the Dominoes Fall is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid, released in June 2009 by Hellcat/Epitaph. It is their first album of new material in nearly six years, following 2003's Indestructible, and their first with drummer Branden Steineckert, who joined the band in 2006 after the departure of founding drummer Brett Reed.
Screaming Females were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey comprising Marissa Paternoster on vocals and guitar, Jarrett Dougherty on drums, and Mike Abbate on bass. They released their debut album Baby Teeth in 2006. The band were featured on NPR, Last Call with Carson Daly, and MTV. They played with bands such as Garbage, Throwing Muses, Dinosaur Jr., The Dead Weather, Arctic Monkeys, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists and The Breeders.
Gold Motel is an American, Chicago-based project, featuring singer Greta Morgan of The Hush Sound. The band consists of Morgan, Eric Hehr, Dan Duszynski, and features Matt Minx (bass) and Adam Coldhouse (drums) on their studio releases.
Bronze Radio Return is an American indie/roots rock band from Hartford, Connecticut. The group was formed by Chris Henderson after he attended the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. The current lineup consists of Henderson (guitar/vocals), Hartt School alumni Rob Griffith (drums/vocals) and Matt Warner (organ/keyboards/vocals), and Patrick "Packy" Fetkowitz (guitar). The name Bronze Radio Return was inspired by an old radio Henderson grew up listening to in his father's art studio in Maine. As of 2021, the band has released five full-length studio albums, one live album, three compilation albums and several EPs.
Nü Sensae is a Canadian punk and grunge trio from Vancouver composed of bassist-vocalist Andrea Lukic, drummer Daniel Pitout, and guitarist Brody McKnight. In 2012, Spin magazine named them in their list of top 5 best new artists. Nü Sensae are currently signed to Suicide Squeeze Records. Due to Pitout pursuing education in England, the group went on hiatus in August 2014.
Playlist: The Very Best of Destiny's Child is the third compilation album by American R&B girl group Destiny's Child. It was released on October 9, 2012, through Columbia Records matching with the fifteenth anniversary of Destiny's Child's formation. The compilation contained fourteen songs from the group's repertoire consisting of four studio albums.
The Wanton Looks were a pop punk band from Chicago whose music has been described as reminiscent of Joan Jett's early 80's work. They were called one of the best underground bands of 2011 by the Chicago Tribune and one of the best unsigned bands of 2012 by The Jivewired Journal. They have also been a featured artist on WXRT's "Local Anesthetic" program.
On An On is an American indie rock band, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The band was formed by Nate Eiesland, Alissa Ricci and Ryne Estwing after the dissolution of their previous band, Scattered Trees, in 2012. On An On released their debut album Give In in 2013 and their second album And the Wave Has Two Sides was released in July 2015. The band went on hiatus in 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
