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Office (band)

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Office
OriginChicago, Illinois
Kalamazoo, Michigan
GenresRock, pop, indie rock, psychedelic, electronic
Years active2000–2008
LabelsQuack!Media
Former label - Scratchie Records
New Line Records
MembersScott Masson - guitar, vocals, piano
Erica Corniel - drums, vocals
Justin Petertil - piano, keys, vocals, and percussion
Tom Smith - guitar, vocals
Colin DeKuiper - bass
Past membersAlissa 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.

History

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]

In 2006, the band was performing shows at South by Southwest music festival, CMJ, Mobfest, Midwest Music Conference, a set at Lollapalooza.[6] In October that year, the group signed with Scratchie Records, an independent label owned by James Iha, former guitarist of the Smashing Pumpkins.[7]

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

Discography

Albums

Office (2001)

  1. "Traffic Jams"
  2. "Cash/Money Killionaire"
  3. "Paint the City and Faces With Yellow"
  4. "Squeeze the Distance"
  5. "Bizmox"
  6. "Gas Mask"
  7. "Wireless"
  8. "The Program"
  9. "Toy Piano"
  10. "Cakeheads"
  11. "Message Machine"

The Ice Tea Boys and the Lemonade Girls (2002)

  1. "Loverdriver"
  2. "Plus/Minus Fairytale"
  3. "Weathermaker"
  4. "Superfoolfantastic"
  5. "Reaching For A Laser Beam"
  6. "Company Calls"
  7. "Bar Yellow"
  8. "And You're So..."
  9. "The Ice Tea Boys and the Lemonade Girls"
  10. "Until I Find You..."
  11. "Mosquito"

Glass Corvette [unreleased] (2004)

  1. "Introduction"
  2. "Q & A"
  3. "Glass Corvette"
  4. "The Remedy"
  5. "Poor Rich"
  6. "Into Your Network"
  7. "Wicker Park Party!"
  8. "Reality TV Show"
  9. "Busy With Other Things"
  10. "Until 6PM..."
  11. "Suburban Perfume"
  12. "Good Cops"
  13. "Twelve Months"
  14. "Pulmonary Lounge"

Q&A (2005)

  1. "Wound Up"
  2. "Oh My"
  3. "The Big Bang Jump!"
  4. "If You Don't Know By Now"
  5. "Busy With Other Things"
  6. "Q&A"
  7. "Until 6PM"
  8. "Not Her Style"
  9. "Ordinary Offices, Extraordinary Proposals"
  10. "Had a Visit"
  11. "Dominos"
  12. "Possibilities"

A Night at the Ritz (2007)

  1. "Oh My"
  2. "If You Don't Know by Now"
  3. "The Ritz"
  4. "Company Calls"
  5. "Wound Up"
  6. "The Big Bang Jump"
  7. "Plus Minus Fairytale"
  8. "Paralyzed Prince"
  9. "Had a Visit"
  10. "Q&A"
  11. "Dominoes"
  12. "Possibilities"
  13. "Suburban Perfume"
  14. "Walking the Cow" (iTunes only bonus track)

Mecca (2009)

  1. "Sticky Dew"
  2. "Nobody Knows You"
  3. "Ridiculous Plans"
  4. "Enter Me, Exit You"
  5. "Dr. Drako"
  6. "Sleepwalking"
  7. "Everything You've Witnessed"
  8. "Trainwreck DJs"
  9. "Double Penetrate the Market"
  10. "Aphrodisiac Missiles"
  11. "The Silent Parade"

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b John Liberty (2007-09-27). "Dressed for success: K-College grad's band makes label debut". Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  2. ^ Michelle Meywes (2009-01-18). "A Special Interview with Scott Masson from OFFICE". Retrieved 2012-07-12.
  3. ^ SPIN Staff (2007-03-16). "It Happened Last Night: SXSW Night Two". Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  4. ^ a b c Matt Elias (2007-12-14). "Chicago Pop-Rockers Office Take Professional Approach To Having Fun". Retrieved 2012-07-14.
  5. ^ a b SPIN Staff (2006-04-07). "Office". SPIN Magazine. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  6. ^ "The Office: A Chicago Band Brings Their Catchy Melodies to the Nation". Yahoo! Voices. 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  7. ^ Angie Maldonado (2007-11-21). "Knob Creek's Whiskey Professor Educates Office". SPIN Magazine. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  8. ^ Katherine Fulton. "A Night at the Ritz - Office (review)". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  9. ^ Jeff Milo (2011-06-10). "A Nervous Breakdown is Not A Bad Thing: Ask the Band GLOSSIES". Retrieved 2012-07-12.
  10. ^ "OFFICE - "Mecca" VINYL". Archived from the original on 2013-05-11. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  11. ^ Joe Hemmerling (2009). "Office: Mecca (review)". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  12. ^ "Indiecater Volume IV". August 2009. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  13. ^ "Hollister Co". A&F Playlists. Archived from the original on 2012-11-10. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  14. ^ "Hollister Co. Labor Day 2011 playlist". A&F Playlists. Archived from the original on 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
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