Review: Filter – Short Bus

Filter - Short Bus
Adam Grundy

The story of Filter began when lead singer/band founder, Richard Patrick, mentioned in past interviews that when he was chatting with his touring bandmate of NIN singer (Trent Reznor), he suggested that Patrick make his own record while Nine Inch Nails went off to record their now-classic of The Downward Spiral. The tunes that Richard Patrick crafted on Short Bus were heavily influenced by his time in touring with NIN, yet they feature a lot more guitar parts in them to set Filter on a different artistic course than the aforementioned other touring project. Short Bus was released on April 25th, 1995, and has sold over a million copies in the U.S., spearheaded by the breakthrough success of Filter’s debut single of “Hey Man Nice Shot.” The set was co-produced by Richard Patrick and his musician friend, Brian Liesegang, who conceived the idea of Filter in the early 90’s. During the recording sessions, Patrick acted as the primary songwriter/bassist/vocalist, while Liesegang primarily handled production duties and programming the drum machine they used on Short Bus, and the duo split the guitar duties. While the band’s sophomore record, Title of Record, would blast Filter into the Alt Rock mainstream with the soft rock hit of “Take A Picture,” Short Bus is ultimately the album that longtime Filter fans point to as the key moment in time when Richard Patrick and Brian Liesegang were at their creative peak.

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My Life In 35 Songs, Track 22: “Handwritten” by The Gaslight Anthem

My Life in 35 Songs
Craig Manning

Here in the dark, I cherish the moonlight/I’m in love with the way you’re in love with the night.

It got warm early that spring. I remember that much vividly.

There’s a night from April 2012 that sticks in my head, where my college roommates and I got drunk off beer and long island iced teas and sat out on the deck of our apartment until the wee hours of the morning, so amped up by the alcohol and the unseasonable warmth of the night that we were almost howling at the moon. It felt like summer, and we were absolutely acting like it was, even though it was a Wednesday night and we all had early classes the next morning.

I hadn’t heard a note of The Gaslight Anthem’s Handwritten when that night happened, but for whatever reason, when I think of this album, that’s the night I remember. Maybe it’s because I was already anticipating Handwritten with as much fervor as I’d ever anticipated any album before. Or maybe it was just because that night felt like a Gaslight Anthem song: the friends, the instant nostalgia, the magic in the night. Whatever the reason, I’ve always thought it was funny that my most vivid memory of one of my favorite albums is from a night before that album even existed out in the world.

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Banquets – “Episodes” (Song Premiere)

Banquets
Adam Grundy

Today is a great day to share an early listen to the New Jersey 4-piece emo band, Banquets, new single called “Episodes.” The last we heard from Banquets, they announced their third and final LP, Spit at the Sun. The Jersey City quartet had decided to hang it up after years of shows and several releases with Black Numbers. They played their final show in February of 2016 and the members went their separate ways, parting on good terms but with the understanding that the realities of life made it difficult to carry the banner any further. Today marks a new chapter in Banquets story, as lead vocalist/guitarist Travis shared:

The song ‘Episodes’ takes the form of a letter to my former self. It acts as a reflection of how I’ve hurt and let others down. I’ve squandered some truly remarkable moments by not being fully present. Days and nights were more episodic. Like a malnourished Zack Morris, I’m trudging through a Belgian field looking for a chance to swipe some Jagermeister at Groezrock. Then I’m punishing random people with Nesquik Bunny references and making everyone stage-dive in between Lifetime songs. Cap off the episode by time-traveling during a Lagwagon set, and watching Rancid from behind my eyelids in a Sprinter. Sounds cool. Wish I was there.

Banquets fit somewhere within the artistic realm of Jimmy Eat World, Hot Rod Circuit, and The Menzingers, and they’re quickly re-cementing themselves as a key artist to watch as this year unfolds. If you’re enjoying the new single, please consider pre-ordering Banquets’ new record, Petty Relics, that will be released via Black Numbers on October 17th here.

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