Farside were a four-piece punk/post-hardcore/emo band from Orange County, California that were around from 1989 to 2000. They released three full-lengths, two EP's, two demos (compiled as Scrap) and appeared on a handful of compilations. Trying to describe this band's sound is incredibly difficult, as they really don't fit into one category. The main takeaway is that they could write killer songs delivered with a ton of heart and energy, even with an ever-evolving sound. Sonically, they do owe some dues to bands like Hüsker Dü, who pioneered the catchy hooks, big, melodic chords, and an undeniable punk rock fervor. Toss that in blender with melodic hardcore influence from Descendents and Bad Religion, the early emo sound of Dag Nasty and Embrace, plus the off-kilter angularity of Quicksand and jangly full-chord sound of Big Star, and you're getting close what Farside did best. That's not to say they're just a slapped-together palate of sound, but a carefully studied band who bring in a slew of influence to make something bigger than the sum of its parts. It's rare to find a band where any album could be considered a classic (I'm partial to The Monroe Doctrine for its standout tracks, but Rigged as the most consistent). This band is incredibly underrated while having surprisingly wide appeal across a litany of genres and fanbases, so I do encourage anyone to check them out. Most of their releases (and all their full-lengths) were put out by Revelation Records. As a sidenote, as it inevitably comes up with this band, Zach de La Rocha was their guitarist for their second demo (Scrap tracks 6-10), though that doesn't outweigh the band's incredible legacy. Enjoy.
Thanks for posting. Monroe Doctrine is one of my favourite records of all time! Farside are massively underrated. they were a big influence for big bands that came after them, for example gaslight anthem.
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