"Is this the best collection of players in Sydney right now? We'd suggest yes....it's full of cracking, sharp songs with great harmonies and ferocious hooks. Buy it." **** 4 stars SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
“the new rock n roll gang have made one hell of an addictive album” **** 4 stars DAILY TELEGRAPH
"The songs are tailormade for each member to flaunt their shit with solos and it sounds like they're really enjoying being able to show off. Lucky this group of Aussie indie rock royalty can pull it off." 8 out of 10 BLUNT MAGAZINE
"They're still at their best on neo-mod classics such as the irrepressible first single Everyone Out” **** 4 stars SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
“The City Lights could be offering up the first record of next summer” – DRUM MEDIA & INPRESS
"The album's highlight, 'Grand Pacific Son' with its glistening guitar lines, is a beautiful homage to surf music" TIME OFF
“When the curtain's drawn on 2007 and assessments are drawn of the musical year that was, there won't be many better Aussie albums than The City Lights' effort, El Sol”. – www.i94bar.com
"Schizoid rock that makes perfect sense." AUSTRALIAN MUSICIAN
"Genuine soul and dexterity about the mood of this album - it's very easy to get into the groove....a Tarantino soundtrack." ***1/2 REVERB
"Everything about this album is warm, bright and at times burning." XPRESS MAG
even critics dig it:
"I must admit that I judged The City Lights a little too early. After repeatedly slagging the new album, I've actually come to enjoy it. Whoops." OPEN YOUR EYES BLOG
ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW TODAY SOUNDS LIKE:
This is undeniably right….**** 4 stars - Rolling Stone
The kind of melodies that will be swimming in your head all day **** 4 stars- Daily Telegraph
Taking cues from classic songwriters Paul Weller, the Kink’s Ray Davies and our very own Vanda & Young **** 4 stars - Herald sun
The City Lights fucking slayed the crowd who made it in early...the music is nervy and literate and a lot like this dream I keep having where Elvis Costello fronts The Dirtbombs! – fasterlouder.com.au
The days clear highlight was Sydney rockers The City Lights...the band roared through Curse On Everyone, You Stand Accused Young Man and other ripsnorters- The West Australian
TRIPLE J ALBUM OF THE WEEK 4ZZZ ALBUM OF THE WEEK 3PBS ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Record Label
Ivy League Records (Australia) Bittersweet (Spain)
The City Lights are a (mostly) Sydney Australian band. We released our debut album "Escape From Tomorrow Today" in May 2004 on Ivy League Records in Australia and Bittersweet in Spain and followed it up in August 2007 with "El Sol". We are about to start work on album 3 - tentatively titled "Bloodied But Unbowed".
BIOGRAPHY
Two brothers (James and Harry Roden) grew up playing guitar together in Canberra -Australia's planned capital - listening to anything with melody and punch: The Clash, The Who, The Jam, The Sunnyboys, The Kinks, The Stems, The Huxton Creepers, Otis Redding, The Byrds, Motown, soul, punk, pop. After moving to and playing in bands in Sydney (James in the John Reed Club and Harry in Hoolahan) they finally started a band together, asked Danny Allen (Youth Group) to play guitar and some keys and Shane Melder (Sidewinder) to play drums, finished off songs about politics and love, optimism and regret, recorded them with Michael Carpenter on the mixing desk, called it "Escape From Tomorrow Today" and released it on Ivy League Records in Australia and on Bitterweet Records in Spain. They toured like crazy in both countries.
(l-r Danny, Gra, James, Kit, Bruno, Harry at Everyone Out video shoot 2007)
Today, the City Lights is a rock collective. This means members are free to come and go but the band never dies. The second album featured the Roden brothers joined by Graeme Trewin (ex-Peabody) drums, Bruno Brayovic (from Peabody) on guitar, Danny Allen (from Youth Group) on guitar and Kit Warhurst (from Rocket Science) on drums as well as guests on trumpets, keys and vocals. "El Sol" was recorded in Surry Hills, Sydney by Trumpy. It was a musical tribute to their time in Spain: as exciting as it is diverse.
The City Lights just finished a January 2009 tour of Spain (as a four piece) and are now working on album 3. Apart from music, the band talks about things like atheism, supporting The Sea Shepherd (www.seashepherd.org), correct tightness of trousers and catching up for a drink.
VIDEO TO HERE TO STAY
VIDEO TO EVERYONE OUT
VIDEO TO WHAT YOU GONNA DO
VIDEO TO YOU STAND ACCUSED YOUNG MAN
VIDEO TO STAMP DUTY (BY THE JOHN REED CLUB- IN 1997 - WHERE CITY LIGHTS BEGAN)
HEY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HELLO FROM MADRID !!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANKS FOR THE ADD, WE APPRECIATE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WE HOPE YOU LIKE OUR MUSIC.
CHEERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have just released our new single: "Kiss Me" and 2 b-sides! 3 new songs up on our myspace page! We'll be glad if you and all the people who love rock and roll check us out!
Online Now!
