Chris Cresswell (The Flatliners - vocals/guitar)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
- A Wilhelm Scream - Partycrasher
- The Night Marchers - Allez Allez
- The Bronx - IV
- Pup - self-titled
- Sights & Sounds - Silver Door
2. What band did you discover in 2013 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I discovered Dikembe (Gainesville, FL) this year while on tour in Europe. A friend of the band's, Flo, was driving us on tour in the spring, and because he was always behind the wheel, he ended up being the unofficial tour DJ as well. The first couple times he played Dikembe I was floored, but didn't want to ask who it was, because I felt slightly embarrassed that I didn't know who it was already. A foolish thought really, but I was so happy once I mustered up the courage to ask. Such a powerful sounding band, and very unique.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
Relentless. Making my top 5 took a long, long time.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Myself and the guys in The Flatliners will spend the first few months catching our breath, sleeping off the busiest year of our lives (2013), and then hit the road in the Spring. Keep the train rolling, and hopefully see everyone and visit everywhere on our checklist.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
Really can't wait to hear the new Lawrence Arms album. If the grumblings of new Descendents and Rocket From the Crypt LPs are true, then 2014 will be incredible...
6. There is a lot of debate over streaming sites and royalties, namely with Spotify. What is your stance on the economic policies behind the current streaming services? Do you have a preferred one?
I don't believe Spotify exists in Canada, so I can't comment with much authority on that particularly. But the thing is, upon the internet's initial conception, band's were ripped off from piracy, etc. Slowly but surely, certain roadblocks and regulations were put in place to ensure artists were earning off their music again. The landscape was forever changed, yes. But things shifted back into the artist's favour in a way. This is just a ripple of that, and I'm sure that in the few years to come, there will be more solutions to things like this.
