The Red Flags

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Reveille Magazine
Round the Dial: Kick-ass Kickoff
Written by Tom Hallett



This local quartet, led by long-time Twin Cities axeman/songwriter (and former Bleeding Hearts member, along with the late, great former Replacement Bob Stinson) Mike Leonard and augmented by the pop-a-licious backing of Todd Petterson, Dave Randall, and the one and only Al Grande (Busiest Bankruptcy Lawyers, etc.) lays out no-bullshit, from-the-gut rock and roll with all the ferociousness and professional dedication each member's always displayed in their various past projects here on their debut CD for Rich Mattson's SMA label.
Though they list their influences as ".Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, and other living, breathing things," that description hardly touches on the totally electrifying, all-out assault they produce when they plug in and crank them amps up to "11." Leonard, whose lyrical abilities (in my opinion) have long been under-rated, lets go of his emotions here in a "damn the torpedoes" whirl that leaves the listener absolutely breathless long after the disc has quit spinning. Live, they must be an awe-inspiring rawk beast, to say the least.
Kicking off with the brash, ringing chugger "You Should See It Now," Leonard and the gang immediately establish their intentions of grabbing you by your rock n' roll throat and wringing every last drop of doubt out of your commercially-poisoned eardrums. With positively EXCITING axe-work, pop-perfect background vocals, an on-the-money bottom end, Leonard's distinctive, Joe Strummer-meets-Marc Bolan vocals and lyrics that shoot deep into your skull and veins like an over-the-top dose of electrical power, The Red Flags' debut album is (hopefully) the start of something big for Mike and his never-ending quest to bring garage rock perfection (is there such a thing?) to the world in the absence of his musical heroes.
"Pursuit Of Happiness" is a skittish, pogo-inducing romp through Mike's personal hopes, fears, and dreams, "Sorry Look In Your Eye" a bitter, anti-love ditty that brings to mind some of Johnny Thunders' finest post-Dolls work, "Wouldn't Change Anything" a thrashing, flailing wild animal of a tune that fairly drips with rebellion and self-confidence, and "1972" a leary, bleary-eyed rocker that howls out with no shame its' author's long-held inner anger and disappointment at the state of the world.
Frankly, without the eerie, haunted-house-like keyboard runs slithering through the track, this cut would stand proudly right alongside Iggy and The Stooges' "1969" and "1970." So if ya were workin' on a mix CD that includes year dates in every title, here's another one for ya- indubitably some of the most exciting, raw, and powerful rock n' roll to come out of the 'Cities since Starbucks built an edifice to greed and corporate rot right across the street from First Avenue. Now available on CDbaby.com and at your finer local mom n' pop shops. Check 'em out for yourself at theredflags.orgcrank 'er up!!