Back catalogue: Rock (All)

Review: Formed in 1989 in Orange County, California, the melodic punk band Farside enjoyed an influential eleven-year run before disbanding in 2000. Over their career, they released three albums, two EPs, and a split with Sense Field. Their 1994 sophomore album Rigged was released through Revelation Records and became a fan favourite across punk, hardcore, emo, and alternative rock genres. back then the band was made up of vocalist and guitarist Michael "Popeye" Vogelsang, bassist Bryan Chu and drummer Bob Beshear and this all was their first with Kevin Murphy who shared guitar, vocal and songwriting duties with Vogelsang. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Farside and the original label are issuing this special mint green eco-vinyl pressing of Rigged complete with a 16-page booklet.

Review: A lot has been said about The Monroe Doctrine over the years. What's remarkable is how little of that people seem to remember, or recall in conversations. In a 2006 issue of iconic culture bible Alternative Press, the head of Revelation Records said this was in the top five albums the label had ever released. And several critics have listed it among the greatest and most under-appreciated records of the 1990s. Taking its name from a 1823 message delivered to Congress by US President James Monroe, which would evolve into an understanding that any act of meddling in American affairs by a foreign country was a potential hostile act, the record takes a similar stance. Calling on melodic punk, hardcore, indie rock, post punk and more, it's a statement of intent - don't get in the way of us doing our things, we're too powerful.

Review: Originally released in 1992, Rochambeau was the debut full-length from Orange County, California hardcore punk outfit Farside, following on from their Keep My Soul Awake EP. Signed to the iconic Revelation Records throughout their tenure (who have opted to reissue all three of the band's LPs), they never seemed to find their place as their sonic makeup pulled from numerous subsets of punk, from the blatant 80's melodious post-hardcore of Descendents and Dag Nasty to the 90's alternative metal wave spearheaded by the likes of Quicksand and Helmet, yet all syncopated with a power pop ear for melody evoking Elvis Costello and The Beatles (no, seriously). With the band exclusively working with producer Jim Monroe to help thicken and intensify their sound from second LP Rigged onwards, Rochambeau is often relegated to being their most accessible and pop-punk-centric work, which is quite the backwards tradition compared to the path taken by the majority of hardcore acts.