Filter (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name =


Img_capt = Filter in Kuwait in 2008, with former band members Frank Cavanagh and Charles Lee
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Genre = Industrial rock
Post-grunge
Alternative rock
Alternative metal
Years_active = 1993–present
Label = Reprise
Pulse
Associated_acts = Nine Inch Nails
The Damning Well
Army of Anyone
He Is Legend
Smashing Pumpkins
Billy Corgan
URL = http://www.official-filter.com/
Current_members = Richard Patrick
Mitchell Marlow
John Spiker
Mika Fineo
Past_members = Brian Liesegang
Matt Walker
Steve Gillis
Alan Bailey
Geno Lenardo
Frank Cavanagh
Charles Lee

Filter (commonly typeset as FIL"TER", to fit their logo) is a rock group formed in 1993 in Cleveland, Ohio by Richard Patrick and guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang.

History

"Short Bus"

Their first album, "Short Bus", was released in 1995. The album was commercially successful, and included the hit single "Hey Man, Nice Shot". The song was somewhat controversial, as it was seen as capitalizing on the public suicide of Budd Dwyer. [Cite web|url=http://home.nyc.rr.com/alweisel/rollingstonefilter.htm|title=Hit, With a Bullet: Filter’s “Hey Man, Nice Shot”|date=1995-07-13|publisher=Rolling Stone] Kurt Cobain's suicide was widely rumored to have inspired the song, but the band refuted this. [Cite web|url=http://www.2musicgeeks.com/blog/?p=57|title=The 2 Music Geeks Chat with Richard Patrick about R. Budd Dwyer Rumors and "Anthems For The Damned"|date=2008-01-21|publisher=2musicgeeks.com] In need of a live band to tour the album, Patrick and Liesegang recruited Geno Lenardo on guitar, Frank Cavanagh on bass, and Matt Walker on drums. They would all later be featured in the video for the album's second single, "Dose".

"The Soundtrack EP"

Between Filter's first and second albums, the band became known for their soundtrack contributions, which many fans on the Filter messageboards have dubbed "The Soundtrack EP". The first of these tracks, "Thanks Bro", landed on the "" album. Patrick is a fan of the show, and furthermore, his brother, Robert Patrick (of "Terminator 2" fame, who can be seen wearing a leather jacket with a Nine Inch Nails pin in several interviews for that movie), even went on to star in the show as John Doggett in its later seasons.

In 1996, Filter recorded and filmed the video for the song "Jurassitol", for "" soundtrack. They also released the home video "Phenomenology" in 1996, which showcased some of the band's live performances and music videos, as well as an interview with Patrick and Liesegang filmed in New Mexico.

Liesegang left in 1997 shortly after recording the Filter/The Crystal Method collaboration "(Can't You) Trip Like I Do" for the "Spawn" movie soundtrack, due to creative differences with Patrick. In 1998, for "The X-Files" film soundtrack, Patrick decided to keep the Filter name and recorded a cover of Harry Nilsson's "One".

"Title of Record"

Patrick continued with 1999's "Title of Record" with returning members Lenardo and Cavanagh, as well as Steve Gillis on drums, [Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1428963/19990615/filter.jhtml|title=Filter Readying New Album, Video|date=1999-06-15|publisher=MTV] filling in the gap left by Walker after he left to work with The Smashing Pumpkins. "Title of Record" moved away from industrial rock somewhat, and resulted in the band's biggest hit, the mellow ballad "Take a Picture", along with other lesser-heard singles "Welcome to the Fold" and "The Best Things". The diverse assortment of tracks on the album also had some definite backstory as well. The song "Take a Picture" is about a dispute on an aircraft, when Richard Patrick drunkenly stripped down to his boxers, alarming the other passengers. [Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/archive/f/filter/filterfeature99_2.jhtml|title=Filter: Title Of Feature|date=1999-11-02|publisher=MTV] Lyrics include: "I don't believe in...your privacy"; "I feel like a new-born"; and "Awake on my airplane." "Could you take my picture 'cause I won't remember?" is a popular Southern phrase and in this case possibly refers to an alcoholic blackout. The lyrics "Hey, Dad, what do you think about your son now?" refers to the theory that Patrick's father didn't believe he could make it in the recording business and tried to persuade him to pursue another direction. The song "Captain Bligh" (after Vice-Admiral William Bligh of the HMS Bounty) was written by Patrick after leaving Nine Inch Nails and was about Trent Reznor's notoriously anti-social habits.fact|date=July 2007 "Miss Blue" is said to have been about Smashing Pumpkins bassist D'arcy Wretzky. She can be heard on the song "Cancer", and "Take A Picture".

"The Amalgamut"

2002 saw the release of "The Amalgamut", featuring the singles "Where Do We Go from Here?" and "American Cliché". "The Only Way (Is the Wrong Way)" was also featured in the first wave of Hummer2 commercials that year and in the 2003 movie "". Alan Bailey was recruited for live guitar when they set off to tour the album; however, the tour ended abruptly in a matter of weeks when Richard Patrick voluntarily checked himself into rehab. [Cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=6524|title=FILTER Frontman Checks Into Rehab, Band Cancel Tour|date=2002-10-01|publisher=Blabbermouth] He has since tattooed his date of sobriety, September 28, 2002, on his forearm.

Side projects

Richard Patrick was part of the supergroup The Damning Well, which has only released one track on the "Underworld" movie soundtrack in 2003, despite an entire album's worth of recording. [Cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=14503|title= FILTER Singer: 'Seriously Loud Motherfuckin' Rock Music!'|date=2003-08-17|publisher=Blabbermouth]

Army of Anyone, a side project with drummer Ray Luzier and former Stone Temple Pilots members Robert and Dean DeLeo, released its debut album on November 14, 2006. [Cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=62608|title= ARMY OF ANYONE's Debut Enters Billboard Chart At No. 56|date=2006-11-22|publisher=Blabbermouth]

Former Filter members Brian Liesegang and Matt Walker played keyboards and drums (respectively) in Billy Corgan's touring band in 2005 to promote his solo album. It was heavily rumored that Geno Lenardo and Frank Cavanaugh were going to be involved with former lead singer of Adema, Mark Chavez, in a band called State of Mind. [Cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=31716|title= FILTER Mainman Says Fans Will Be 'Stunned' By The Group's New Lineup|date=2005-01-19|publisher=Blabbermouth] These rumors proved to be false as Chavez had a band called Midnight Panic, which didn't feature either of the two (Midnight Panic has since disbanded).

"Anthems For The Damned"

HI

Operation: MySpace

On March 7th 2008, Seive announced that Frank Cavanagh had reunited with Filter and would play as a live member at the operation myspace concert in Kuwait. It was confirmed at Operation MySpace that he will not be joining Filter on the full tour as he will be shipping off to Iraq in April. The only song played live during the March 10th performance by Cavanagh, now a Sergeant and Paralegal in the U.S. Army Reserve, was the band's first mainstream hit, "Hey, Man, Nice Shot".

Future Releases

When asked about the direction of his music style in an interview with Suicide Girls on September 13, 2008, Patrick said, "Actually the stuff I’m writing right now for a record that I’m going to release sometime next year is actually way more heavy industrial, more electronic. There’s probably not going to be that many live drums on it." He also announced a remix album to Anthems For the Damned on November 4th, titled "Remix For the Damned". [ [http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Filter+For+The+Damned Suicide Girls: Filter For The Damned (09/2008)] ]

Members

Current

* Richard Patrick – lead vocals, guitar (1993 – present)
* Mitchell Marlow – guitar (2008 – present)
* John Spiker – bass (2008 – present)
* Mika Fineo – drums, percussion (2008 – present)
* There is currently an unknown 5th person playing the programming for the band.

Former

* Brian Liesegang – guitar, programming (1993 – 1997)
* Matt Walker – drums, percussion (1995 – 1999)
* Geno Lenardo – guitar (1995 – 2002)
* Alan Bailey – guitar (2002)
* Steve Gillis – drums, percussion (1999–2002)
* Frank Cavanagh - bass (1995 - 2002, 2008)
* Charles Lee - bass (2007-2008)

Discography

*1995: "Short Bus"
*1999: "Title of Record"
*2002: "The Amalgamut"
*2008: "Anthems for the Damned"

ee also

*List of alternative music artists
*List of number-one dance hits (United States)
*List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

References

External links

* [http://www.officialfilter.com/ Filter's official web site]
*myspace|filter1|Filter
*
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Bo9kvu3tgan1k All Music Guide entry for Filter]
* [http://www.geocities.com/filterdiscography/?200625 Unofficial Filter Discography]
* [http://home.nyc.rr.com/alweisel/rollingstonefilter.htm Hit, With a Bullet: Filter’s “Hey Man, Nice Shot”]

Interviews

* [http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Filter+For+The+Damned Suicide Girls: Filter For The Damned (09/2008)]
* [http://www.fabryka.darknation.eu/php-files_en/readarticle.php?article_id=199 Fabryka Industrial Rock webzine interview (03/2008)]
* [http://www.empyrelounge.com/interviews/2008/051508-filter/filter-interview.html EmpyreLounge.com Interview with Richard Patrick (05/2008)]
* [http://www.a-pathetic.net/zine/archives/604 Interview @ SHOUT! Music Webzine (07/2008)]
* [http://www.type3media.com/interviews/filterinterview20080827.html Type 3 Media interview with Richard Patrick and John Spiker (08/2008)]