Several years ago, whenever it was that I jumped onto the MySpace bandwagon (probably around the time it started getting unpopular... was great for finding new music), I was browsing Canadian punk bands, and discovered The Flatliners.
Hailing from Toronto, these guys are younger than I am. All it took was hearing "Do or Die", and I was hooked. I loved everything about them. The bass lines, the guitars, the lyrics, the drums, and the voice of frontman Chris Cresswell are smooth and rough at the same time. I spent nearly the entire summer listening to them, traveling 4 hours to Vancouver at least 3 times to see them play live. I was always mesmerized, and would stand at the front singing and dancing, loving every minute of it.
Not long after I discovered them, The Flatliners gave me another reason to love them, by getting signed onto Fat Wreck Chords, owned by punk rock vet Fat Mike. When they released their second album, "The Great Awake" in 2007, I was at first surprised by the drift from a more ska sound, but soon enough I was cranking it in my car daily.My three faves:
This Respirator - About life on the road, which makes sense, because these guys are fuckin' driven. They have been touring practically non-stop since I discovered them, all over Canada, the US, Europe, and Japan.
Eulogy - This song evokes so much emotion inside me, partially because it's played with so much raw emotion and energy. This reminds me of friends I have lost, and I have celebrated life and mourned its loss to this song. I plan on having its lyrics tattooed on me, "You will always be remembered, you will be celebrated". I can't begin to put into words how this song makes me feel, and no band has ever done that. The video to this song was filmed in Vancouver, BC the day after I saw them play with The Peacocks, The St. Alvia Cartel and The Toasters.
Mastering The World's Smallest Violin - I love this song so much that people tell me when they hear it, they think of me. I like that they brought back the ska influence. There is always one part that is sung, "You've got that look again in your eyes", and the way it's sung just gets me. SO GOOD.
And the boys are at it again, April 13th they released their newest album, "Cavalcade." And let me say, I don't even know these guys, and I'm proud of them. All in their 20's and with a third album release under their belt, these guys have shown growth and mastery of their talent, musically and lyrically. I had ordered Calvacade before it was released, but it was backordered, so I eventually caved and downloaded the album. And it's so good, I'm still going to buy it, it's that good. I already have favorites:Carry The Banner: "Live through, live strong, carry on and on and on." The repeated chorus chants a positive anthem that blows your face off.
Bleed: Fast and catchy. I loved the beginning, and when it picked up I felt my face blow off again.
Here Comes Treble: This song slays. If you want your face blown off in the best way possible, listen to this one. Lyrically, it shows the sacrifices made in pursuit of their music careers. Musically, if you didn't catch it the first time, it fuckin' slays. I can't wait to see what a jaded fuck you've become, and I definitely can't wait to see this one live.
He Was a Jazzman: Once again, to my pleasure, they went back to their ska roots on this one. Talking about death, is a heavy topic, especially for someone as young as these guys, but they execute it (no pun intended) it amazingly.
Filthy Habits: Originally released on their Cynics EP, this might be hands down my favorite track on the album. I think I've listened to it at least 100 times in the last week. I'm actually listening to it right now. It has the same energy as "Carry the Banner" and "Here Comes Treble". Haven't you heard cynics never recover?
Liver Alone: "I force these feet to MOOoOoOVE!!." It's infectious. And this song makes MY feet want to move. Another song I look forward to seeing live, and jumping around to like a wind up toy.
There are so many awesome tracks on Cavalcade I couldn't begin to talk about all of them. The only thing you can do now is check out their MySpace (See the link at the top), buy their record, and then see them for yourself.
The best thing about these guys, is that they are super nice. And unless they have become total assholes, I doubt that has changed. Super approachable, and extremely appreciative of the people who care about their music, there are few bands I could think of as deserving of success as The Flatliners.So there you have it, but don't take my lengthy word for it, get on it and check them the fuck out!
(All pictures courtesy of myself, so if you're gonna use them give credit where credit's due!)
