Eddy Marflak (Harvey Pekar - guitar/vocals)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2013? (In order 1-5)
- Foxfires - The Golden Age. Fast, angry, honest; everything a punk record should be. Listen to “Good Fences” and tell me you don’t feel like the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders. Happy to call these guys friends and labelmates.
- Oathbreaker - Eros/Anteros. Perfect blend of atmospheric and chaotic. I slept on this band for far too long, I think it won’t get the praise it deserves because of the colossal success of Deafhaven’s Sunbather, but this record is wonderful. If you like black metal-influenced hardcore, give this a listen.
- Mornings - Guilty. My internet friend Mathew Clarke plays drums for this band. There is a very interesting group of bands coming out of his town (Canberra, Australia). Check out Cinnamon Records.
- Shannon and The Clams - Dreams in the Rat House. I have a tiny bit of a crush on Shannon Shaw and a weird obsession with 1950s and '60s pop music. Hunx and His Punx might be funner, but Shannon really shines on this album.
- Lorde - Pure Heroine. Do I even need to talk about why this album is good? There are millions of other people who have reviewed this album better than I could. When I was her age I was playing Leftover Crack rip-offs to promiscuous scene girls and smelly crust kids. I am jealous of a teenage girl.
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?
That would definitely have to be Oathbreaker. I had heard the name before, but honestly thought they would sound like a Judge rip-off so I never bothered checking them out (sorry to any Judge fans out there). It wasn’t until someone in Pekar urged me to check out Eros/Anteros that I decided to give them a listen. The riffs, the production, the lyrics, the cohesiveness, the sadness, the anger, the artwork…Everything about this album connects with me. I was drawn to it like fire to a gas can.
3. How will you remember 2013? (In terms of music)
As of 2013, I can tell people that I have a record out. Like a real, 12-inch vinyl record! I’ve been waiting to say that since I was 13 years-old. There were some amazing records that came out this year, but nothing can top that accomplishment.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2014?
Harvey Pekar is writing some new material and plan on doing a lot of baby tours to keep our bosses, teachers, and girlfriends happy. Elliott and I are in another band called Dead Words (not the one from Texas). We just recorded a 5 song EP that should be coming out in the spring. I’m sure that band will also tour to some degree. I just started fronting a hardcore/screamo band called Wolf Teeth--don’t know what’ll come of it yet.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2014?
That Sunn O)))/Ulver collaboration, Warpaint’s self-titled, Azealia Banks’s Broke with Expensive Taste, whatever Empty Vessels is recording at Godcity right now, the new CityCop EP.
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?
Would it be nice if Spotify shelled out more than .6 cents a play? Yes. But we are living in a world where music is free if you want it. People will spend 5 dollars on a coffee without batting an eye, but complain about the price of their favorite band’s new album.
I do it too, that Oathbreaker album I ranted and raved about a few lines above, I stole it off of the internet. I will buy a copy eventually, but I don’t have to if I don’t want to. Spotify is a company, and companies are started to make money. Bands that start to make money are comprised of stupid, delusional people. At the end of the day, if kids hear about one of my bands because of a service like Spotify and a few more come to shows, or buy a t-shirt, I’ll gladly take the .6 cents.
