Fun with F's...

Wow. I just had to post something here considering what a week this has been for music news personally. Early in the week I got word that not 1, but 2 of my all-time favorite 90's underground hard rock acts are reuniting after 10 years in limbo. Both bands beginning with "F", California emo-rock pioneers "Far", led by frontman Jonah Matranga - have recently begun gigging together again after 10+ years apart & have also just been signed to Vagrant Records to record a new album & hopefully do a US Tour this summer! "Far" was one of the up & coming California hard rock bands that came to psuedo-prominence in the mid 90's alongside their friends, The Deftones. Similar initially in instrumentation to the Deftones, but with a much more emotionally inflected lead songwriter in Matranga - Far pushed the boundaries of what was kosher in those days as an aggro-rock band & helped influence the direction of rock music as the new millenium approached. Albums such as their first major release, "Tin Cans with Strings To You", & the Follow-Up, "Water and Solutions" were hybrids of aggressive, pummeling arrangements & power chords carefully interspersed with pleading, scathing, & at times tender vocals.

Recently, when the band began experimenting with a reunion, they decided to fool around & do a cover of R&B artist Ginuwine's "Pony", which to those who are familiar is an interesting take on a love ballad of sorts. Well here is an acoustic version of Far's cover, performed for a California radio station by Jonah Matranga recently, accompanied by their My Little Pony cover art for the single release. (Which is apparently, getting more airplay in modern rock radio than any other single Far released in their 15 year career -- sad but true - * & really it's a fun tune)

-- Then on top of all that, probably my favorite rock band in history -- sorry Tool, Sorry Radiohead, -- Has announced that they're fat, old, poor, & interested in getting back together as well... (I wonder why?) - Anyway, it's Faith No More, the glorious bastards responsible for such early 90's radio hits as Epic & Falling to Pieces. Yes, I know not everyone's cup of tea - but what made these guys so amazing was their musical dexterity & the presence of Mike Patton. Mike Patton came into this band in 1988-1989, recorded "The Real Thing" after the original members had kicked out the first singer Chuck Mosley. The Real Thing was a significant success & it sent Faith No More on worldwide tours with groups like Metallica, & Guns N' Roses. Their style of combining elements of spoken word / hip-hop vocals inspired or helped propel similar groups of the time like the Red Hot Chili Peppers to success. Over the years bridging 1989-1997, the band had many ups & downs, internal strife, & label difficulties which ultimately led to a parting of ways in 1997 shortly after the release of their final album "The Album of the Year". Fortunately, at least Mike Patton has remained fairly prolific since their breakup. Patton has worked with many artists & groups since the dissolution of FNM in 97, including The Dillinger Escape Plan, Dan the Automator (Lovage), & Kid Koala & Norah Jones (Peeping Tom), reinforcing & strengthening his reputation as a no-holds barred, incredibly talented vocalist with tremendous range.

Well, here we are 10 years later +, & word on that dang internet is that these guys are reconciling & going out to tour again... playing initially UK only tour dates at festivals like "Hurricane Fest" in Denmark. Hopefully, given 10 years of accomplishment & maturity along with musical exploration, these guys are ready to work together again & internal strife won't lead to an early demise. In the spirit of their diversity, here's a sampling of one of their best off-beat tracks from "King For A Day, Fool For a Lifetime" (1995)
I think it goes without saying that I'm super-excited... the opportunity to see both or either of these bands in the coming year has me giddy with nostalgia, hope, anticipation & glee. Seriously.