Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
The Red Lights are like an indie-rock diamond in the rough. This L.A.-based trio find inspiration in both '60s Brit-pop and '80s new wave and combine it with an indie-rock sensibility. The disc opens with the instant pleasure of "Cold Showers" and flows into "Sleep" (which opens with the clever line "I'm in love with nobody at all / Not a boy, not a girl, just alcohol." The only drawback is that this five-track demo doesn't capture how good this band sounds live (the lyrics are slightly muffled, the drum volume is up just a bit too much). Regardless, this is still a gem, so keep your eyes peeled for this band. For a copy of this demo or more info, contact .
-Jude Ruiz - Skratch Magazine
These kids look like they've just walked off the stage
of their local high school with their diplomas tucked
in their back pockets. They look in fact like they
might be the Bad Religion OC punk type of crowd. But
boy, they certainly don't sound like it. So much for a
picture being a thousand words. Their sound ranges
from the excellent Wilco/Galaxie 500-ish opening track
"Cold Showers" to the VU "Sunday Morning" type
inflections of "Sleep". This is a fucking cool laid
back sound that I dig, total garage band style but not
screamo by any means. They're no geniuses of chords or
drumming (but I actually really dig the that
ride-heavy drumming style) but boy are there some good
songs here. Quite a bit of reverb on the vocals, but
it fits the style quite well. "Howl Out The Moon"
sounds sort of indie classic rock in that Big Star
way, till it gets to the chorus where the guitars ring
more modern. "Summer Clothes" is almost Doors-like in
its approach where the band waits carefully through
the whispered verses only to explode into the
choruses. They're barking up the right tree with this
demo. Their pseudo-country rock mutations really hit
home. Really refreshing actually. The Red Lights are a
garage band that actually showcases their talents of
guitar droning and tasteful singing. Instead of going
for the cheap thrills of needless screaming and
classic guitar soloing. Nice stuff indeed, thank you
Andrew, Lex, Jesse and Peter.
- review by SHORTY (7.1.04)
The Red Lights
- SHORTY
Discography
EPs - Broken City
4 New songs streaming at www.myspace.com/theredlights
"Sleep" Single played on Indie 103.1
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The Red Lights met in college in a small town in northern California. The four of them started playing music together at age 22, though their individual musical histories go back further. Playing for a year and a half under the name Brown Bag, the band gathered an ample and dedicated following, including both people who appreciated good music and people who just wanted to see a rock band.
The band practiced in a backyard shed, played at parties and local venues and recorded whenever possible, ultimately creating three self-produced full-length albums and one EP on a four-track recorder. The style rotated around 70's-era rock, ranging from swirling, ambient churners to old-style punk head-nodders. The constant was the desire to create moving, flowing, vibrant rock melodies.
The band split ways for one year when Miller graduated college and moved home to Los Angeles, where he continued writing and recording songs on his own. During this time the remaining three members picked up a bassist and started their own side project, fronted by Loverde, called The Takers. That band, which included more punk influence than its predecessor, had fun tearing up parties and local venues and drew its own almost entirely separate following. In a year it produced an amateur studio-recorded full-length album and two EPs.
The Red Lights reconverged in the summer of 2004 when the other three joined Miller in LA to continue music on a more professional level. The style has evolved, picking up influence in the likes of Interpol, Modest Mouse and Joy Division.
The band plays shows mainly in the Los Feliz/Silver Lake area, where its following is already taking root. In the space of a few months The Red Lights have recorded an EP and a handful of rough demos, all self-produced.
The band's ideal expression is in a combination of well-structured melodies and music over a bed of infectious dreariness and haunting sounds.
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