FEATURE: The Flatliners - Favourite Fat Wreck Chords bands | theMusic.com.au | Australian music news, gig guide, music reviews

The Flatliners come down under this month for a national tour with punk peers Lagwagon.

The Canadian four-piece will perform on an eight-show national run, which marks the band's first visit since the release of their current studio album, 2013's 'Dead Language'.

In the lead-up, vocalist/guitarist Chris Cresswell checked in to offer a collection of his favourite Fat Wreck Chords label mates.

toyGuitar -

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

One of Fat’s newer bands, which is Jack from Dead To Me and One Man Army and they’re just cool, breezy, perfect music to listen to on a summer day. They’re surfy without being a surf punk band. They play Fender guitars through Fender amps and it sounds so bright and cool and Jack’s voice and delivery and stage presence is so fucking cool. We did the Fat Wreck Chords 25^th anniversary tour in Canada and the US in August and they opened a lot of the shows and holy fuck man, they played early and a lot of the shows were outdoors and it was kind of a perfect start to every day. They’re a four-piece and Rosie, the girl who plays drums, kills it and she has this super minimal drum kit – a high hat and a ride cymbal and a floor tom, snare drum and kick drum and she has such cool style. They all have such cool style. They’re cool without trying to be cool.

Dead To Me -

Probably one of my favourite bands in the world. I don’t think many bands can or have weathered as many line-up changes – especially singer line-up changes – and it still always remains sounding like Dead To Me. You’ve got the glue, which is Chicken the bass player and singer, always one of two singers in the band, and Ian, an amazing drummer. They’ve always been the glue for that band. And over the years they’ve had a few line-up changes but it’s always so cool that they’ve put out some of the best, modern punk records in recent history. And they’ve been inventive with their stuff and it’s sounded cool and it’s always sounded like Dead To Me but they’ve gone pretty far out there on their own map and I think that takes a pretty talented songwriter to have that kind of trademark.

None More Black -

I think one of Fat Wreck Chords unsung heroes, they’ve influenced way more bands they even probably realise. Jason Shevchuk from Kid Dynamite singing and playing guitar, you’ve got Colin who plays in H2O and Paul who’s in Kill Your Idols and a few different drummers and for the last while Richard Minino who’s the drummer for New Mexican Disaster Squad but maybe best known for his visual art stuff under the moniker Horsebites and the VNM brand of clothing. Super cool dude, amazing drummer, great artist. They have written some of the most creative songs I have ever heard the punk genre pump out. They’re the kind of songs, this sounds cheesy to say, but they do really make you think more about how to approach the littlest thing like a strum chord or how to shape a chord as a guitarist. They get really creative right down to the wire.

Dillinger Four -

I think anyone that has heard the Flatliners would understand our love for Dillinger Four. They’re just one of the best. I think people that know the band already know why they’re good. So talented, such amazing hooks, such a stark contrast in the three different singers’ voices – it all adds up so perfectly. My favourite songs by D4 are the ones that all three of them sing on. And they’re so smart – such smart, clever, lovely people. But in their lyric writing they’re so smart but almost understated because they’re so approachable and the everyday people, but when you really get down to it their songs are brilliantly written. Very introspective but also very funny. Their sense of humour is on point.

The Lawrence Arms -

Again one of the best modern punk bands. They have that dup vocal thing that is so well done. Chris McCaughan songs sound like they could be Jawbreaker songs. His vocal delivery is so cool, that kind of later Jawbreaker era stuff. And Brendan’s voice is crazy. I don’t know how he sings like that. They’re both such smart guys and there’s a stark contrast between their voices and their songs but it still adds up in this nice way. I think any band that pulls off that kind of power in their delivery and their song writing and be a trio – each part of that puzzle has to be very talented performer and musician.