Quick plays: THE RED GOES BLACK, FISCHER’S FLICKER

THE RED GOES BLACK Fire

THE RED GOES BLACK Fire Hold On Music [Release date 27.04.18]

The fact this is proclaimed as a ‘nouvel’ album, and that the accompanying Press Release is in French, is a pretty good indication that The Red Goes Black are not from these shores. About the only words I understood were ‘heavy rhythm & blues’ – which presumably don’t translate.

Formed 10 years ago in Brittany and with a debut release in 2015, (I Quit You Dead City), the five piece major on heavy guitars, Memphis soul, 60′s garage, and a little bit of funk. And, with cameo vocal appearances from Lady Wray, and Lisa Kekaula, Fire is an altogether mellower outing than the band’s debut.

In many ways I was reminded of Roachford and Vintage Trouble – both in the soulful delivery (although the entire band are white) and the impressively constructed soulful pop/rock material.

A thoroughly enjoyable listen, in particular, the somewhat uncharacteristic closer ‘ITNOG (In The Name Of God)’ which manages to simultaneously capture the explosive combination of Bad Company and The Who, and Rodgers and Moon in particular. ***1/2

Review by Pete Whalley

FISCHER’S FLICKER Open 28 Hours [Release date 27.10.17]

With the ‘comedy’ artwork – native Chicagoan Scott Fischer at a keyboard in his nightcap and PJs on the cover, looking barely awake on the inner, and the CD adorned with cartoon ‘Men In Black’ type creatures, I feared the worst.

But with seven studio albums under his belt, a performer in The Rod Stewart Experience with Carmine Appice and a regular on the official Frank Zappa podcast: Zappacast, Fischer is actually an accomplished player and composer.

Even if, within any Fischer’s Flicker release, you’re likely to encounter a musical chocolate box with soft centres as diverse as satire, humour, prog, pop, funk and rock, and everything in between.

And Open 28 Hours is a wonderfully loose collection of songs that would suit artists as diverse as Prince (the delectably funky ‘The In-Betweener’), David Lee Roth (the impossibly catchy obscure Kinks cover ‘No More Looking Back’ and guitar laden ’3 6 9′), and George Clinton/Funkadelic (the madcap ‘Farther To The Sun’, and the 10 minute epic ‘Mother Of A Ship’).

There’s some marvellously unfettered playing throughout that’s rare to hear in these ‘straitjacket’ days and it all adds up to Open 28 Days being refreshingly mind boggling. Well worth a listen. ***1/2

Review by Pete Whalley

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Power Plays w/c 7 April 2025

SEVEN BLOOD To The Unknown (indie)
FROM FALL TO SPRING Incomplete (Arising Empire)
POP EVIL Side Effects (MNRK Heavy)
ERJA LYYTINEN Abyss (Tuohi Records)
SKY VALLEY MISTRESS Too Many Ghosts (New Heavy Sounds)

Featured Albums w/c 7 April 2025

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Singer Songwriter)

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