Chris (The Flatliners)
What are your top five albums that were released in 2010? (In order 1-5)
- Tokyo Police Club - Champ
- The Menzingers - Chamberlin Waits
- The Arteries - Dead Sea
- Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
- Astpai - Heart to Grow
What band did you discover in 2010 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I'd have to say The Menzingers. I had heard OF them so many times but never heard their music until this year. And when I finally did it kicked my ass and I fell in love. Like a lot of people did I think. Their new record Chamberlin Waits is so raw, but tight. Its so well thought out but sounds like its just flowing effortlessly. Needless to say, The Menzingers are not to be overlooked. Incredible.
How will you remember 2010? (In terms of music)
2010 I think will go down as the year of hard work. Our friends' bands, and my own, we all worked hard this year. The truth is that for a lot of mid-level bands, it seems like each year it gets tougher and tougher to make something happen. Its no secret that things within the realm of what we do are rapidly changing. But at the end of the day, the music is still there. The connection is still so alive between these bands and the fans that support them. And that's all anyone can ask for in 2010, and we are extremely grateful.
With more and more bands switching to digital methods of releasing music and communicating with audiences in 2010, do you think there's still a place for physical CDs and word-of-mouth shows in the future?
I will not be surprised when CDs are completely phased out. I'm not sitting here saying I necessarily want this to happen, but its pretty clear to see the way things have gone even in the last few years, and the way they're continuing to go. I believe that music is still as important to people as its always been. Hell, maybe its more important to them now. The only thing that has fallen by the wayside is the physicality of that music. On the flipside though, you have the resurrection of vinyl as a popular medium for music listening. Many people, I suppose, came to their own realization that maybe they've been wasting their time with cassettes and CDs. I say that though because like those "many" people, I'm a vinyl geek. But we do live in a technological age where information is at anyone's fingertips, and the tools people use to obtain that information are evolving every day. Word of mouth has been replaced by "word of blog" or "word of status update" or "word online". And I don't think that's a bad thing in the least. At least the information is out there.
What can we look forward to from you in 2011?
We had a big year this year, and I think were just going to figure out next year as we go. I'm sure we'll write a bunch more songs and have fun with it all. I've never been very good with 'plans', hahaha.
What three records are you looking forward to most in 2011?
Hot Water Music's new record and A Wilhelm Scream's new record. We are lucky people to see these bands continuing to put out music.
