The Feelies
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1976 in Haledon, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Defunct | 1992 (first disbanded) |
| Fate | Reunited in 2008 |
| Headquarters | Haledon, New Jersey , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, live performances |
| Website | www |
The Feelies are a rock ensemble originating from Haledon, New Jersey, established in 1976 and initially disbanded in 1992 after producing four studio albums. The band reunited in 2008, subsequently releasing new records in 2011 and 2017.
Although they did not achieve mainstream commercial success, The Feelies left a significant mark on American indie rock. Their first album, Crazy Rhythms (1980), had a notable impact on the sound of R.E.M.. Their musical style was influenced by acts such as the Beatles, the Velvet Underground, and Lou Reed.
The Feelies rarely engaged external producers; however, Peter Buck from R.E.M. co-produced their sophomore album, The Good Earth, which became one of their more acclaimed releases. Throughout the 1980s, they were regular performers at Maxwell's, a well-known live music venue and bar/restaurant located in Hoboken.
Early history
In 1976, Glenn Mercer, Bill Million, Dave Weckerman, and vocalist Richard Reilly began performing together in Haledon, New Jersey under the name the Outkids. This group eventually transformed into the Feelies with Vinny DeNunzio on drums and Keith Denunzio handling bass duties. The band's name was inspired by the "feelie," a fictional entertainment device featured in Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World.
Vinny DeNunzio departed in 1978, shortly before John Piccarella of The Village Voice dubbed the unsigned Feelies "The Best Underground Band in New York." Subsequently, Anton Fier joined through mutual acquaintances. With Mercer, Million, DeNunzio, and Fier completing the lineup, The Feelies released their debut single "Fa Cé-La" via Rough Trade Records in 1979. Their debut album, Crazy Rhythms, was issued in 1980 on Stiff Records, featuring this same ensemble.
First hiatus and early offshoots
Following the release of Crazy Rhythms, Fier left to become part of the Lounge Lizards; Keith DeNunzio also exited the band. Mercer and Million then collaborated with various New Jersey musicians to form several side projects. Among these was The Trypes, which included future Feelies members Brenda Sauter, Dave Weckerman, and Stanley Demeski. The Trypes frequently performed at venues across New York and Hoboken such as Maxwell's and Folk City. In 1984, Coyote Records issued their EP Music for Neighbors, produced by Million and Mercer. They also appeared on Coyote’s 1985 compilation Luxury Condos Coming To Your Neighborhood Soon. Some members later went on to establish Speed The Plough. Acute Records re-released Music for Neighbors in 2012; Pravda Records followed with another reissue in 2022 that included digital distribution on Bandcamp.
Another related project, Yung Wu, featured Million, Mercer, Sauter, Demeski, Baumgartner, along with Feelies percussionist Dave Weckerman as lead vocalist. Yung Wu produced a single album titled Shore Leave on Coyote Records in 1986, blending original songs by Weckerman with covers frequently performed during live shows.
The Willies, sometimes referred to as the Willies From Haledon, were an affiliated group connected to the Feelies active in early 1980s clubs around New York and Hoboken. Their performances emphasized cover songs and psychedelic improvisations such as "Third Stone From the Sun". The Feelies’ appearance in Jonathan Demme’s film Something Wild was credited under the name the Willies.
Mid-period (1980–1992)
Throughout the 1980s, the Feelies sustained a significant role within New York's underground rock community, occasionally appearing under their original moniker, particularly during holiday performances at Maxwell's. A noteworthy reunion occurred in 1983 when the Crazy Rhythms lineup—Million, Mercer, DeNunzio, and Fier—came together once again. By the late 1980s, the band had reassembled as a five-member group consisting of Mercer, Million, Weckerman, Sauter, and Demeski, releasing their first album in six years.
In 1985, they recorded The Good Earth, co-produced by Peter Buck of R.E.M., alongside Mercer and Million. Released the following year, the album featured ten original tracks penned by Mercer and Million. To promote it, the band toured with Lou Reed and R.E.M.
After signing with A&M Records in 1988, the Feelies issued Only Life, maintaining the same lineup and production collaborators. The album received critical acclaim, securing the No. 27 spot on The Village Voice’s 1988 Pazz & Jop critics' poll. The title track also gained recognition in the business world as the opening theme for the Harvard Business Review's podcast HBR Idea Cast.
Their last album before a hiatus, Time for a Witness (1991), released on A&M as well, upheld their signature sound and was met with positive reviews from critics.
In 1994, Weckerman and Mercer initiated a new venture named Wake Ooloo, releasing their debut album Hear No Evil and touring Europe in 1995.
Later period (2008–present)
The band reunited for performances during the summer and fall of 2008, including a prominent show at Battery Park in New York City alongside Sonic Youth, following warm-up gigs at Maxwell's. In June 2009, they presented an acoustic set at the Whitney Museum and headlined a concert at Millennium Park in Chicago. That September, they delivered a full rendition of Crazy Rhythms as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties-curated Don't Look Back series.
On September 8, 2009, Bar/None Records reissued both Crazy Rhythms and The Good Earth, with Domino Records handling distribution outside North America.
In March 2011, the Feelies released Here Before, their first album in two decades, produced by Bill Million and Glenn Mercer under Bar/None Records. The group continues to be recognized as "one of the nation's most beloved alternative-rock bands."
Over the past twenty years, they have occasionally reunited to perform at Maxwell's. On June 10, 2016, marking their 40th anniversary, the original members—Mercer, Million, and the DeNunzio brothers—shared the stage once more.
Their sixth studio effort, In Between, arrived in February 2017 via Bar/None to generally positive critical reception; Metacritic assigned it an average score of 81%.
In June 2019, the reunited Feelies appeared at Wilco's Solid Sound festival held in North Adams, Massachusetts.
In November 2022, they honored Anton Fier with a tribute concert featuring Keith DeNunzio on bass.
October 2023 saw the release of a Velvet Underground cover album entitled Some Kinda Love: Performing The Music Of The Velvet Underground on Bar/None. This collection includes eighteen live-recorded covers captured at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City on October 13, 2018.
Film appearances
In Jonathan Demme's 1986 movie Something Wild, the band appeared under the name "The Willies," performing segments of five tracks, including "Crazy Rhythms" and "Loveless Love," as well as covers of David Bowie's "Fame" and the Monkees' "I'm a Believer." While none of their original songs were included on the Something Wild soundtrack, their track "Too Far Gone" was featured on the soundtrack for Demme's film Married to the Mob. Additionally, Million and Mercer collaborated on the musical score for Susan Seidelman's first film, Smithereens. Demme later incorporated "Let's Go," taken from the band's album Good Earth, into his 2002 film The Truth About Charlie, a song that also appeared in Noah Baumbach's 2005 film The Squid and the Whale and in the 2023 film Robot Dreams.
The track "When Company Comes," also from Good Earth, was used in the 2018 movie The Miseducation of Cameron Post.
Side projects and alumni bands
- Wild Carnation, featuring Brenda Sauter and Richard Barnes (both also part of Speed The Plough), released two albums: Tricycle and Superbus.
- Wake Ooloo, a project with Mercer and Weckerman, produced three albums under Chicago’s Pravda Records, with both members contributing vocals.
- Anton Fier established The Golden Palominos and toured alongside Bob Mould.
- Stanley Demeski became a member of Luna, participating in their tours.
- Demeski, Weckerman, and Mercer perform in Sunburst together with former Speed The Plough members Marc Francia, Toni Paruta, and John Baumgartner.
- The Trypes included Feelies members along with Elbrus Kelemet, John Baumgartner, Toni Baumgartner, and Marc Francia; they released an EP in 1984.
- Glenn Mercer’s solo debut, issued by Pravda Records in May 2007, featured contributions from Stanley Demeski, Vinny DeNunzio, Dave Weckerman, Anton Fier, and Brenda Sauter.
- Vinny DeNunzio provided drums and co-wrote a song on Richard Lloyd’s solo album Alchemy.
Musical style and legacy
According to AllMusic, the Feelies were regarded as "icons of the 1980s indie underground," characterized by a sound that was both "noisy" and "droning," fitting within avant-garde pop. A significant influence on their music was the Velvet Underground, as demonstrated by their rendition of "What Goes On" on their third album, Only Life.
Band members
- Glenn Mercer – guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion (1976–1991, 2008–present)
- Bill Million – guitar, vocals, percussion (1976–1991, 2008–present)
- Stan Demeski – drums and percussion (1981–1991, 2008–present)
- Brenda Sauter – bass guitar, violin, backing vocals (1983–1991, 2008–present)
- Dave Weckerman – percussion and occasional live vocals (1976, 1984–1991, 2008–present)
Former
- Vinny DeNunzio – drums (1976–1978; special live appearance in 2016)
- Charles Beasley – percussion
- Keith DeNunzio (also known as Keith Clayton) – bass guitar, percussion, backing vocals (1976–1982; occasional live performances in 1983, 2016, 2022, 2025)
- Anton Fier (Andy Fisher) – drums and percussion (1978–1980; one-off live appearance in 1983; deceased 2022)
- John Papesca – bass guitar (early years)
Discography
Studio albums
- Crazy Rhythms (Stiff LP 1980)
- The Good Earth (Coyote / Twin/Tone LP 1986)
- Only Life (A&M LP 1988)
- Time for a Witness (A&M LP 1991)
- Here Before (Bar/None CD 2011)
- In Between (Bar/None CD 2017)
- Some Kinda Love: Performing the Music of The Velvet Underground (Bar/None LP 2023)
- Rewind (Bar/None LP 2025)
Extended plays
- No One Knows (Coyote / Twin/Tone EP 1986)
- Higher Ground (A&M EP 1988)
- Uncovered (Bar/None EP 2016)
Singles
| Year | Title | US Modern Rock | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Fa Cé La" | Crazy Rhythms | |
| 1988 | "Away" | 6 | Only Life |
| 1991 | "Sooner or Later" | 13 | Time for a Witness |