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City Riots
Genre: Indie, Pop
Region: Adelaide, SA
Members: Ricky - Vox/Guitar, Dan - Drums, Matty - Bass, Vocals
Influences: Simple Minds, The Cure, blur
Artist Website: www.cityriots.com

Some albums can be years in the making. Although City Riots have been around for a few years now, the process of creating theirs was quite the contrary. “Sea of Bright Lights” was written and recorded in less than six months and marks a start of a new phase for the band.

A lengthy summer escape to the family shack along the banks of the River Murray in South Australia evolved into the ideal setting for City Riots to pen almost forty new tracks. Free from distractions and full of inspiration, such a situation was a first for the four and set the tone for what was to come.

Fascinated with soundscapes created by layered and intertwining guitar sounds, an aesthetic began to emerge that showcased a coming of age for the indie outfit. It was more intricate and sophisticated and it soon became obvious how much City Riots had grown and changed musically – perhaps without the band even realising it.

City Riots made their way to the more civilised surroundings of Melbourne, where they spent all of April recording at Red Door Sounds under the ears of Paul ‘Woody’ Annison (Children Collide, Hunting Grounds). After being engrossed in writing for months, the four-piece knew they wanted to create an album in it’s truest form – a cohesive collection of songs with a sense of depth and space without being overdone, overplayed, overthought or overproduced.

The band departed the studio with eleven songs that make up their debut LP “Sea of Bright Lights”. Album opener ‘Turn’ and ‘Catch the Sun’ take their signature jangly guitar lines to a new level, whilst first single ‘Wait For You’ and track ‘Take You There’ deliver a dreamlike wave of reverb-drenched pop. Ricky’s idiosyncratic breathy and characteristically smooth vocals are ever-present and shine on tracks ‘Closer’ and ‘Back to Normal’. Tracks ‘Sucker Punch’ and ‘Lonely Hearts’ still maintain the elements of the hook laden indie pop sounds that they had established earlier on as a band.

“SEA OF BRIGHT LIGHTS” is out NOW in Australia and New Zealand through Inertia.

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Album of the Week - Radar
Album of the Week – Radio Adelaide
Best Local Release of 2012 – Radio Adelaide

“it’s the sound where the poetry is found: hypnotic and pretty” – Rolling Stone

“choruses that sneak their way into your subconscious until you’re humming them along involuntarily” - 4.5/5 – Sputnik Music (US)

“the result is a hook-laden, melodious album that’s pretty damn impressive” – Album of the Week – Drum Media


City Riots - 'Catch The Sun' Tour.
Tickets are on sale now.

Wednesday, April 3 | Beach Road Hotel, Bondi
w/ Velociraptor
Tickets: Free Entry

Friday, April 5 | Ric’s Bar, Brisbane
Tickets: Free Entry

Saturday, April 6 | ‘Trainspotters’ @ The Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane
Tickets: Free Entry

Friday, May 10 | Brighton Up Bar, Sydney
Tickets: $10 + bf
www.moshtix.com.au, 1300 GET TIX and all moshtix outlets

Saturday, May 18 | ‘Black Night Crash’ at The Rochester Castle, Melbourne
202 Johnston St, Fitzroy
Tickets: $5 at the Door

Friday, May 24th | Jack Ruby, Adelaide
Basement, 89 King William St, Adelaide
Tickets: $10 + bf
www.moshtix.com.au, 1300 GET TIX and all moshtix outlets

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reviews

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Matchsticks
rating:  4/5
Really really catchy stuff. Total earwormy goodness.
triplej



Wait For You
rating:  3/5
Absolutely slayed it - melodic guitars and magical vocals. This could easily be classified as dream pop with its soaring, breathy vocals and fluffy i...
superuser



Wait For You
rating:  4/5
love the guitar riffs in the intro and then the high vox to follow. really draws you in like a massive sundae on a summer's day. Road trips have just...
superuser



Wait For You
rating:  5/5
brilliant stuff, very atmospheric and dreamy in similar spirit to Cut Copy or the Cure. great vocals!
more reviews