Farside (band)
Encyclopedia
Farside was a hardcore punk
band from Orange County
, founded in 1989. The band was originally made up of members of late 80's Irvine hardcore bands Roughhouse (Bob "Violence" Beshear), Hard Stance (Rob "Cubby" Haworth) and Borderline (Michael "Popeye" Vogelsang). Original bassist Josh Stanton would help form the OC hardcore band 411 and would be replaced by Bryan Chu. Haworth would eventually leave as well and was replaced, ironically, by 411 guitarist Kevin Murphy (Headfirst, 411, Chicanochrist, Smile). Towards the end of 1999 Chu would leave the band to be replaced briefly by Brian Balchack (Ignite, 1134) and then Sean Rosenthal (Adamantium). Farside broke up in 2000.
http://www.revelationrecords.com/bands/show/111, beginning with "Rochambeau" in 1992. Their second album "Rigged" was released in 1994 after a few changes in band members. After their self-titled EP
in 1995, the band disappeared for a few years before re-emerging in 1999 with their final album "The Monroe Doctrine."
There is an additional full-length release by the band called "Scrap." This LP, released on Comida Records, is a collection of early recordings from 1990-1994. Farside recorded several songs for various compilations including covers of Embrace, the Misfits, TT Quick, and the Sex Pistols.
joined as a second lead guitarist, playing on the band's second demo which was part of the "Scrap" release; De La Rocha left to focus on his band Rage Against the Machine
. The band recorded the "Keep My Soul Awake" 7" that was followed by the "Rochambeau" LP. Shortly after the recording of "Rochambeau" Haworth left the band to focus on a more politically-oriented band that eventually became State of the Nation.
Kevin Murphy joined on temporarily to complete the band's 1992/93 European tour that was already booked. Upon returning he became a permanent member. The Vogelsang, Beshear, Chu and Murphy lineup was responsible for all of the band's subsequent recorded work.
Starting with "Rigged" the band made a decision to take their music into a slightly different direction. "Rigged" was recorded with Jim Monroe who would go on to produce nearly all of Farside's material. The partnership with Monroe was a strong one and resulted in the final LP's title being a not-so subtle dedication to Monroe. The production for "Rigged" was intended to be louder and thicker than previous Farside material and the songs themselves were more aggressive and less "poppy". The guitars were pushed forward in the mix while the vocals were intentionally pulled back. This production and songwriting approach was carried over to each subsequent release.
Farside toured throughout the 90's but never completely focused on the band as a full time career which occasionally created tension among the band mates along with the differences in opinion on whether or not to sign to a major label. With Farside's sound being a mixture of the late 80's post-hardcore (Dag Nasty, Husker Du and the Descendants were big influences), 90's alternative metal (Helmet, Quicksand, etc.) and the power pop sensibilities of the late 70's (Elvis Costello) the band never quite fit in on any bill they were booked to play. This resulted in Farside never being completely "definable" (which suited the band members just fine). As proof of this, Farside recorded several cover songs for various compilation records including straight forward interpretations of D.C.s Embrace and New Jersey power metal band TT Quick. A lounge version of the Misfit's "Return of the Fly" and a rare, hard to find country and western version of "Pretty Vacant" by the Sex Pistols were also recorded.
Towards the end of 1999 Chu left the band to focus on his teaching career and Sean Rosenthal (from Orange County metalcore band Adamantium) joined as bassist to complete the band's final tour in 2000 (Rosenthal also played on the Sex Pistols recording). The band officially called it quits shortly after returning home. There are no current plans to reunite or play again. Vogelsang is currently a member of the band Your Favorite Trainwreck.
Farside has been sited by many current bands as an influence and it's clear that while they never made a huge splash on the 90's alternative scene their music left a lasting impression on their dedicated and loyal fanbase.
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band from Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, founded in 1989. The band was originally made up of members of late 80's Irvine hardcore bands Roughhouse (Bob "Violence" Beshear), Hard Stance (Rob "Cubby" Haworth) and Borderline (Michael "Popeye" Vogelsang). Original bassist Josh Stanton would help form the OC hardcore band 411 and would be replaced by Bryan Chu. Haworth would eventually leave as well and was replaced, ironically, by 411 guitarist Kevin Murphy (Headfirst, 411, Chicanochrist, Smile). Towards the end of 1999 Chu would leave the band to be replaced briefly by Brian Balchack (Ignite, 1134) and then Sean Rosenthal (Adamantium). Farside broke up in 2000.
Releases
Farside's first release was the four song EP "Keep My Soul Awake" released on Crisis Records in 1990. The band subsequently released three full-length albums and an EP on Revelation RecordsRevelation Records
Revelation Records is an independent record label focusing originally and primarily on hardcore punk. The label is known for its role in the evolution of hardcore and metallic post-hardcore with important releases by bands such as Youth of Today, Warzone, Sick of It All, Quicksand, Side By Side,...
http://www.revelationrecords.com/bands/show/111, beginning with "Rochambeau" in 1992. Their second album "Rigged" was released in 1994 after a few changes in band members. After their self-titled EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 1995, the band disappeared for a few years before re-emerging in 1999 with their final album "The Monroe Doctrine."
There is an additional full-length release by the band called "Scrap." This LP, released on Comida Records, is a collection of early recordings from 1990-1994. Farside recorded several songs for various compilations including covers of Embrace, the Misfits, TT Quick, and the Sex Pistols.
Band Members
The original members were Michael "Popeye" Vogelsang (vocals, guitar), Robert Haworth (guitar), Josh Stanton (bass), and Robert Beshear (drums). Stanton left the band soon after recording the first demo, subsequently joining the newly formed 411 which featured future Farside guitarist / vocalist Kevin Murphy. Zack De La RochaZack de la Rocha
Zacarías Manuel "Zack" de la Rocha is an American rapper, musician, poet, and activist best known as the vocalist and lyricist of Rage Against the Machine.-Early life and childhood:...
joined as a second lead guitarist, playing on the band's second demo which was part of the "Scrap" release; De La Rocha left to focus on his band Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
. The band recorded the "Keep My Soul Awake" 7" that was followed by the "Rochambeau" LP. Shortly after the recording of "Rochambeau" Haworth left the band to focus on a more politically-oriented band that eventually became State of the Nation.
Kevin Murphy joined on temporarily to complete the band's 1992/93 European tour that was already booked. Upon returning he became a permanent member. The Vogelsang, Beshear, Chu and Murphy lineup was responsible for all of the band's subsequent recorded work.
Starting with "Rigged" the band made a decision to take their music into a slightly different direction. "Rigged" was recorded with Jim Monroe who would go on to produce nearly all of Farside's material. The partnership with Monroe was a strong one and resulted in the final LP's title being a not-so subtle dedication to Monroe. The production for "Rigged" was intended to be louder and thicker than previous Farside material and the songs themselves were more aggressive and less "poppy". The guitars were pushed forward in the mix while the vocals were intentionally pulled back. This production and songwriting approach was carried over to each subsequent release.
Farside toured throughout the 90's but never completely focused on the band as a full time career which occasionally created tension among the band mates along with the differences in opinion on whether or not to sign to a major label. With Farside's sound being a mixture of the late 80's post-hardcore (Dag Nasty, Husker Du and the Descendants were big influences), 90's alternative metal (Helmet, Quicksand, etc.) and the power pop sensibilities of the late 70's (Elvis Costello) the band never quite fit in on any bill they were booked to play. This resulted in Farside never being completely "definable" (which suited the band members just fine). As proof of this, Farside recorded several cover songs for various compilation records including straight forward interpretations of D.C.s Embrace and New Jersey power metal band TT Quick. A lounge version of the Misfit's "Return of the Fly" and a rare, hard to find country and western version of "Pretty Vacant" by the Sex Pistols were also recorded.
Towards the end of 1999 Chu left the band to focus on his teaching career and Sean Rosenthal (from Orange County metalcore band Adamantium) joined as bassist to complete the band's final tour in 2000 (Rosenthal also played on the Sex Pistols recording). The band officially called it quits shortly after returning home. There are no current plans to reunite or play again. Vogelsang is currently a member of the band Your Favorite Trainwreck.
Farside has been sited by many current bands as an influence and it's clear that while they never made a huge splash on the 90's alternative scene their music left a lasting impression on their dedicated and loyal fanbase.