Oxford Collapse

Guitarist/vocalist Michael Pace, bassist/vocalist Adam Rizer and drummer Dan Fetherston, known collectively as Oxford Collapse, don't sound like every other buzz band that's emerged from Brooklyn over the past several years. Instead, they recall far-flung buzz bands from days gone by on Remember the Night Parties, their debut for the...

By Michael Roberts

February 1, 2007

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Guitarist/vocalist Michael Pace, bassist/vocalist Adam Rizer and drummer Dan Fetherston, known collectively as Oxford Collapse, don't sound like every other buzz band that's emerged from Brooklyn over the past several years. Instead, they recall far-flung buzz bands from days gone by on Remember the Night Parties, their debut for the Sub Pop imprint. The disc spotlights a slew of styles: artsy droning ("He'll Paint While We Play"), ringing guitar rock ("Please Visit Your National Parks"), throwback indie jangling ("Loser City"), expansive post-punk expressionism ("Return of I Burno") and more. These tunes establish the good taste of Pace and company, since they consistently evoke assorted underground and cult acts from the '80s, '90s and the more recent past, all of which remain critically beloved to this day. The next step -- subsuming such influences into a wholly original approach -- is more difficult, of course. But at least Oxford Collapse has managed to burrow beyond its own borough.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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