"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." SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
“the new rock n roll gang have made one hell of an addictive album” 4 stars DAILY TELEGRAPH
8 out of 10 BLUNT MAGAZINE
“enough energy to power a fleet of lambrettas” 4 stars SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
“The City Lights could be offering up the first record of next summer” – DRUM MEDIA
“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
ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW TODAY SOUNDS LIKE:
This is undeniably right….**** - Rolling Stone
The kind of melodies that will be swimming in your head all day ****- Daily Telegraph
Taking cues from classic songwriters Paul Weller, the Kink’s Ray Davies and our very own Vanda & Young **** - 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 released their debut album "Escape From Tomorrow Today" in May 2004 on the legendary Ivy League Records label and have followed it up in August 2007 with "El Sol".
Two brothers (James and Harry Roden) grew up playing guitar together in Canberra 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 everything great really. After playing in bands in Sydney (James in the John Reed Club and Harry in Hoolahan) they finally started a band together, got Danny Allen (Youth Group) in on guitar and Shane Melder (Sidewinder) on drums, wrote a stack of songs, recorded their debut album 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. The Roden brothers with Danny Allen back on guitar are joined by Kit Warhurst on drums (from Rocket Science), Bruno Brayovic on guitar (from Peabody) and Graeme Trewin (ex-Peabody) as 2nd drummer for the band. "El Sol" was recorded in Surry Hills, Sydney. It is a musical tribute to their time in Spain: as intelligent as it is diverse. Next up is a 2008 tour of Spain and album 3.
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)