Get To Know: Flashing Red Lights

Warning warning stop and listen when red lights flash. This band is one that I believe everyone needs to hear so put your head up the liberty bell and give it a smack because these set of rockers will crack you skull with their rock. Yes, I did just use that analogy. This songwriter and singer for this band, Mack Slevin, writes for 2 other bands, Darci Cash and The Ghost Kings as well. He probably writes a couple songs a week, and is probably writing a song as I type this…which is actually no exaggeration. I’d say he is up there lyrically with Conor and other greats. Though to fully understand Mack’s songs lyrically you might need to get a knife for the onion you’ll have to peel. But that makes it all the more fun to dig in and get the hidden goods. The parts are well thought out and often crafted in a way that isn’t just your typical verse chorus too.

Flashing Red Lights is apart of the the upcoming label/scene Yukon Records whom already have The Parson Red Heads, Ghost Kings, and Day of Lions. Mack I’d say considers Flashing Red Lights his solo project, where as Ghost Kings would be his side project and Darci Cash still his main project. With this solo project he started out playing solo around LA and soon added guitarist Jason Wrightsman and a lap steel/guitar player Mike Hendry. Jason and Mike sometimes switch around and play banjo as well giving the songs that little extra country flare which never hurts anyone. The Yukon Records’ kids already being incestuous with its revolving band members, wrangled friends Ben Welch (also in Ghost Kings and Darci Cash) and Zach Schrock (Ghost Kings and Casxio). With this complete band, there’s a full unified rock sound that isn’t really being done currently with the “hip Arcade Fire” sound. Flashing Red Lights is best described as Gram Parsons eating a meal with Elvis Costello, Mark Kozalak, Dave Bazan, and then going over to Ryan Adam’s house later for a sleep over…but not before stopping by Wilco’s loft for a game of hopscotch.

Flashing Red Lights have a show Feb 4th at Tangier, and they are definitely worth checking out musically and especially live. I highly recommend it. But until then, here are some thoughts by Mack Slevin:

“Alfred the Trout has tomato jar legs, pickles his neighbors.”

End Scene,
Dan Tana