Press
February 4th, 2009
"With a straight-out-of-agit-prop name like John Common, he might have been, in another place and time, at the head of a revolutionary vanguard. And yet, there is still something vaguely revolutionary about Common's latest labor."
-- DENVER POST
January 23rd, 2009
"John Common is kind of a weird dude."
-- WESTWORD MAGAZINE
August 10th, 2006
"A brilliant, extremely ambitious disc... Denver's finest rock recording of the past decade." (Good To Be Born)
-- WESTWORD MAGAZINE
January 4th, 2010
So we've been listening to John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light's new record, Beautiful Empty, for the past few weeks, and man, have we been digging it. So much so, that we convinced Mr. Common to let us hook you up with our favorite track, "Love Is a Shark" -- despite the fact that the record won't officially be released until next weekend.
-- WESTWORD MAGAZINE
June 15th, 2009
John Common and the Blinding Flashes of Light
First of all, can somebody please set up Jessica Mefford with her own band? Please? Based on her contributions to Jen Korte's Loss and John Common's Blinding Flashes of Light on Saturday, she appears to be the second coming of Neko Case, red hair and all. Her fantastic vocals would have stolen the show (and briefly did, in the band's penultimate song) were it not for the commanding stage presence of John Common, whose stomping, bluesy alt-country songs made for a nice pick-me-up after Ellison Park's somber set, an excellent way to end the day at Mo's. Common's other secret weapons included Wes Michaels, who switched off between cello and soprano saxophone, and drummer Carl Sorenson, who had also played with Tyler Despres earlier in the day. The band played a slightly abbreviated set in order to hurry along to another gig, but it was more than enough to thoroughly entertain the crowd.
-- Westword
February 5th, 2009
"That John Common is something else, isn't he?"
-- WESTWORD MAGAZINE
February 1st, 2009
"Hard to classify, John Common plays a brand of upbeat indie rock that makes use of a wide array of instruments from trumpets to xylophones. His band Blinding Flashes of Light is comprised of several talented musicians culled from the vibrant Colorado indie scene who provide the backdrop to his insightful and powerful lyrics."
-- DENVER METROMIX
September 1st, 2008
"Throughout tunes such as "Moonlight" and "Unseen Things," Common weaves traditional instrumentation with the sort of found sounds heard in forests at night: the ambient noises of creatures that creep, crawl or take wing. These subtle touches make his work seem natural in every sense of the word."
-- WESTWORD BEST OF 2008
November 10th, 2007
"John Common refuses to cave to category."
-- DENVER DAILY NEWS
September 1st, 2006
"Every aspect of Common's squirrely melodic sensibilities and unerringly tight playing and production are featured here."
-- THE DENVER POST
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