City Riots

Sea of Bright Lights is the latest eargasm release from Australian indie band City Riots. Recorded, mixed and produced by the very talented Paul ‘woody’ Annison, who has worked with the likes of The Living End, Kylie Minogue and Children Collide, this LP is sure to impress fans and draw in some new ones.

Mesmerising from the first track ‘Turn’ to the final track ‘Pirates’, this is one of those rare albums you can listen to from beginning to end without skipping a single song.

With a hint of Per Gessle vocals while still remaining unique, their melodic guitars and soaring signature euphonious vocals fuel the 11-track hook loaded indie pop sound we’ve grown to love.

Lonely Hearts, Catch the Sun, Sucker Punch and Back to Normal are the stand out tracks on the album. While the first single off the album Wait for You, released earlier this year in July, really highlights the guitars and is a perfect preview for what the rest of the album has to offer.

If I had to sum up the album and describe it in one word, dreamy comes to mind as soon as I press play

Sea of Bright Lights is sure to be your ultimate soundtrack for summer and it’s astounding City Riots have not been locked in to tour their latest offering on the summer festival circuit.

I would give this album a 8.5/10 and highly recommend you check out this innovative indie band while they’re in Brisbane on the 8th of November at the Alhambra Lounge. Get in while their talent hasn’t been truly discovered and tickets are only $10! - Press Record

As far as debut statements go, you can do a hell of a lot worse than City Riots’ Sea Of Bright Lights. Coming off some well received initial EPs, the South Australian foursome looked to take things to another level with their first album, decamping to a shack by the Murray River to write much of the material here. The result is a quality summery indie-pop record that hits some great highs, although it may not quite be the finished article.

The first thing one notices here is how good the album sounds. Indeed everything is crystal clear thanks to Paul Annison’s quality production work and this allows the band to successfully layer instrument upon instrument as they build some interesting soundscapes. Opener, Turn, is a good example of this as the album begins very strongly, while Wait For You and Closer are real highlights as some shimmering waves of guitars are unleashed. Ricky Kradolfer’s breathy vocals also sound particularly on point on Back To Normal and the more moody Pirates. The problem here is that while the audio is wonderful, not many of the tracks stray from the formula. Instead, almost all the songs are primarily mid-tempo-based pop rockers that look to the ‘80s for a nostalgic vibe. And, while that approach is pretty successful here, some of the tracks tend to blend into each other a little, lessening their impact. But the fact there are a few elements to work with is no bad thing for a debut record. As it is, Sea Of Bright Lights provides a really impressive and ambitious opening statement from a band that looks like they have one very bright future ahead. - TheMusic.com.au

Adelaide’s City Riots have been eagerly anticipating this day, the release of their debut album Sea of Bright Lights. A long time coming, the album follows up from their 2011 Matchsticks EP, and sees the four-piece really come into their own as a band.

Written and recorded under the watchful eye of Paul Annison (Children Collide, Red Riders), we brought you the album’s first single “Wait For You” back in July – as well as the remix by fellow Adelaide local Luke Million.

The album highlights the band’s devotion to classic pop-rock music. The band’s evocative lyrics and adventurous, extraterrestrial musical arrangement are a real throwback to some of the great Brit-pop bands of old.

Aside from the stirring first single “Wait For You,” the album includes a number of standout tracks. Opener “Turn” sets the scene for what’s to follow – heavy bass riffs and dreamy guitar – before “Catch the Sun,” which gorgeous reverbed vocals and a much stronger percussion involvement as the track progresses. “Sucker Punch” has a more playful, beachy vibe to it, while others like “Back to Normal” and “Take You There” highlight the band’s dreamy, echoing quality.

In my review of their single, I mentioned that this is a band on the verge of fulfilling their significant potential. Mission accomplished.

To help launch the album, the band will be setting off on a ten-date tour of Australia (full details on Facebook). This will include a special appearance at the first ever INDIE SHUFFLE PRESENTS night in Sydney on November 24 - Indie Shuffle

One of my favourite Australian bands “City Riots” have recently released their new debut album “Sea Of Bright Lights” and to celebrate the release the four piece are set for a 10 show launch party!

Supported by a heap of up and coming stars of Australia, the band will party in every state except for Perth (sorry WA)

hursday, November 8 | Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane

With Go Violets and Lurch & Chief

Thursday, November 22 | The Terrace, Newcastle

With Teeth & Tongue

Friday, November 23 | The Patch, Wollongong

With March of the Real Fly

Saturday, November 24 | Indie Shuffle Presents FBi Social, Sydney

With Palms, Made in Japan and Olympic Ayres

Friday, November 30 | Trinity Bar, Canberra

With DJs

Saturday, December 1 | Rock Lily, Sydney

With Red Ink

Thursday, December 6 | The Workers Club, Melbourne

With Pretty Littles and The Red Lights

Saturday, December 8 | Jive, Adelaide

With Bad // Dreams

Thursday, December 13 | The Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

With The Lions Children

Saturday, December 15 | The Loft, Gold Coast

With The Lions Children, Chapter 17 and Stephanie Pickett - adamNOTeve

It's approaching twilight and you're in the car on the way back to a mate's place. Your hair is curled and stubborn from sea water, your skin blushed with Australian sun. Your friends talk around you and you feel your drowsiness slowly ebb through your body. It's a movie moment if there ever was one - you just need City Riots' Chase The Sun to top it all off.

When you think of summer, you think of parties, festivals, car trips with mates, no commitments. Each memorable aspect of your life has a soundtrack to go with it. The summer of 2012 is no exception; one listen to City Riots' debut LP, Sea of Bright Lights, and I knew I had found my album.

The boys from Melbourne have come a long way regarding their sound. From their EP Matchsticks (2011) they have developed and matured their music, creating tracks with obvious intention and insight. Even from the opening track, Turn, it's clear that City Riots know what they want to talk about. More importantly, they know how to do just that.

Dreamy vocals, provoking guitar riffs, and a laid-back tempo are the band's trademarks and they use these to create catchy, chilled songs. To their detriment, however, such placid music means that it can only be taken in short doses. Indeed, the LP lacks some of the bite Matchsticks had but is a joy to listen to nonetheless.

Every song on the record is an easy listen (all but Sucker Punch; its pop-y repetitiveness just irritates me. Let's ignore that, though). Sea of Bright Lights is the epitome of summer; of carefree days and chilled nights, of friendship and lust. Need a soundtrack for the next three months? This is it.
- The 59th Sound

Adelaide indie dudes of City Riot have crafted a melodic and guitar driven brand of pop on their debut album Sea Of Bright Lights. Steeped in the nostalgia and ready energy of youth, the tracks strike a perfect balance between uplifting and slightly melancholy. Reverb laden and panoramic guitar work is lifted to euphoric heights by the distinctive vocals of lead singer Ricky.
The album was recorded over 5 weeks in Melbourne’s Red Door Sounds with Woody Annison (Children Collide, Hunting Grounds). The final songs were originally written by the band on a farm near the Murray River in South Australia during a session of songwriting that yielded over 40 tracks. The resulting album is the band in their best form and today we have a very special exclusive look at the album from the City Riot perspective!
The Radeladians sat down and gave us their thoughts on each track from the album PLUS they gave us a stream. So do yourself a favour and have a listen and a read. This young band is definitely one to watch, big things are in their future. - Pages Digital

Ricky came in to the Radar studio and immediately scored some love because he gave me a tote bag (I love a good tote bag) but that's not why we got him in, we got him in because his band, City Riots have just released their album Sea of Bright Lights. - Radar

Adelaide rockers City Riots have always proven an inconsistent beast and perhaps even a little flippant with taking care of fans in the past, but can now put that feeling to rest with the release of their debut album – finally! Sea Of Bright Lights abandons anything the band has offered sonically in the past for something that feels a little less forced, a lot more relaxed and definitely a lot more cohesive.

Still undoubtedly taking their cues from classic ‘80s rock, the album steers their sound to something that feels more European in the vein of The Cure or the likes of Simple Minds rather the Springsteen-flavoured, fist-pumping material once presented. Breathy vocals and seemingly effortless, albeit unchallenging, songwriting are just two aspects of what’s great about City Riots, whether it’s frontman Ricky Kradolfer or guitarist Matthew Edge helming either. The opening Turn and centrepiece Sucker Punch take you straight to the beach, all top down on the jeep and surfboards in the back, while Lonely Hearts, Back To Normal and closing track, It’s Been A Long Time, prove to be sporadic highlights. The real gold, however, lies in the more mid-paced numbers, the ones all awash in reverb-drenched vocals, walls of guitar and a basic yet powerful rhythm section – first single, Wait For You, the radio-ready Catch The Sun and infectious-as-sin Take You There.

All in all, Sea Of Bright Lights is a competent and very promising effort from City Riots. They’re clearly still finding their ‘thing’, but when they do and settle on it they could be simply remarkable.
- Themusic.com.au

Since 2005, City Riots have been stomping some serious ground touring both at home and abroad. Seven years after forming they finally drop their debut effort, written and recorded in a mere six months. This doesn’t mean the Adelaide quartet have hurried or forced the album; rather it seems to have been born at the perfect moment. Good things come to those who wait.

With breathy vocals, soaring synths, jangly guitars and hook-laden pop tunes, Sea Of Bright Lights is the perfect album for a summer road trip or a long day at the beach. The aforementioned sonic combination could come across as fake and irritating, but City Riots have found the perfect balance of indie rock and dream pop to make this a debut with enough variation to be an easy listen.

Opener Trip proves that the band can create some heavier moments with a range of soundscapes, a heavy bass riff and dreamy guitar. Across parts of the album, the lyrics can err on the weaker side, but it doesn’t seem to matter too much, with the vocals sitting towards the back of the songs and the cruisy melodies taking centre stage. Lead single Wait For You has the cinematic qualities of an ‘80s falling-in-love montage and album highlight Back To Normal is a perfect capsule of the best City Riots can be.

Sea Of Bright Lights extends the band’s earlier EP work and matures their sound, making this a solid debut from the almost-veterans of the shoegaze scene.
- TheMusic.com.au

Since their inception, it has been a case of onward and upward for Adelaide’s indie boys, City Riots. Despite the usual setbacks faced by bands (line-up changes, dodgy contracts, etc), the group have earned their stripes with plenty of touring and solid releases over the years, including some serious hours clocked up overseas and plenty of big name supports. The time has come however for the band to make their leap into the mainstream with their full-length release Sea Of Bright Lights.

Considering the group has been together for awhile, stylistic tweaking is to be expected, but it really seems as if the lads have adhered to the expectations of the scene in which they are well and truly engulfed. The bare bones, overdriven tones of their 'rockier' days, which produced such brilliant little numbers like their first single 'Signs', are no more. Instead, the vocals are breathier and high pitched and the backing synths and delayed guitars more prevalent, creating a haze of near psychedelic cushioning. This seems to work well however, presenting the change as more of a maturity with plenty of the existing elements, namely the fantastic melodies, still intact. At times, the music sounds like modern day Motor Ace, especially the glittery 'Catch the Sun', and sometimes a more mainstream Kings Of Leon/MGMT vibe is presented, as with the bass-driven opening track, 'Turn'.

The album highlight mirrors something more akin to The Naked And Famous with the airy 'Wait For You', which uses a brilliant call-and-response type vocal and guitar line. It’s not all fine and dandy as tracks like the bright and poppy 'Sucker Punch' miss the mark a little, especially in contrast to the rest of the record, and the vocal effect/style can become a little monotonous.

Things are fine when the band stick to what they do best, and that is produce fine melodies. 'Back to Normal' is full of them as it cruises along, driven by its clean strummed guitars. The record closes with some groove heavy drum and bass work in the slightly attitude-heavy 'It’s Been A Long Time', a song that takes 90s rock influences like The Verve and Oasis into consideration.

City Riots are wearing their experience and talents on their sleeve with Sea Of Bright Lights, and considering the current musical climate, they have enough elements included that should appeal to just about everyone. - The Dwarf

Okay, before I properly start this review, I have a confession to make: I really like City Riots.When I was about fourteen or fifteen, I saw them live with Cobra Starship and The Academy Is..., got their EP, and was pretty into them for the next little while – until my spazzy teenage brain hooked onto something else. Ever since then, though, they've been on my radar. So I was pretty excited to check out their album launch at The Promethean on October 26th.

The plan was to recreate the record from start to finish, complete with extra guitars, a saxophone, a tambourine, and a string quartet, in the plush and intimate confines of The Promethean, in order to celebrate the release of their debut full-length album Sea Of Bright Lights in their home town of Adelaide. And so far as I can tell, it worked.
They kicked off, of course, with the first track on the album, 'Turn'. It's a good first song, and was a good warm up for the show. It showcases what City Riots do best – melodic indie-rock with ethereal vocals and dreamy-yet-catchy hooks. This song – both on the record and live – shows that the band are really, really proud of their drummer. His parts were the loudest in the mix, but it was pretty much worth it. The drums, towards the end of this song especially, are good and driven and add an intensity to their dreamy style.

From then on, the show was a good showcase of both the new album and frontman Ricky Kradolfer's rock star charisma. On the first point, the album sounds pretty great. 'Catch The Sun' and 'Sucker Punch' are fairly amazing – summery and surfy in a nostalgic kind of way, very much reminds me of the catchier Real Estate songs. Lead single 'Wait For You' shows exactly what singer Kradolfer can do with his voice, his high, almost falsetto style on this song works really well.

On the second point, well, I was reminded of what I first liked about the band when I saw them way back in 2007. Ricky Kradolfer is really very good at being on stage. His showmanship is effortless, entertaining, and extremely cool. Some people are cut out to be performers, and Kradolfer, looking like William Beckett meets the Ramones, is clearly one of them. He talked to the crowd in The Promethean (which couldn't have been much more than 200) as if there was a stadium's worth of people there. It's really good to see a local band with such presence, and it's very clear why they're doing so well.

The highlight of the show, for me at least, was their re-interpretation of the ninth song on the album, 'Back To Normal'. Instead of playing the album version, with the full band, Kradolfer invited producer/electronic musician/talented person Luke Million (who recently did a remix of 'Wait For You') to play the grand piano in a stripped back piano version of the song. The album version of the song is good, but I really loved this version. The piano was beautiful, and the song itself is a really nice one, with it's lyrics about feeling crazy and lost speaking to almost everyone in the audience, I'm sure. It was a nice moment to begin the wind down of the show on.

Essentially, the new album is great, and the launch was a fantastic way to kick off what I'm sure is going to be a great next chapter for City Riots. It felt intimate and fun, and it was clear that the band was super proud of what they've accomplished with this record, as they well should be. - AU Review

Adelaide four-piece City Riots have been a busy bunch since releasing their Matchsticks EP late last year. Over the Australian summer, they set up camp at a small family property in the picturesque river-land of South Australia. This escape lead to almost forty new tracks being written – some of which will appear on their debut album Sea of Bright Lights, due out in October.

This new material sees a slightly different approach from City Riots, and the results are beginning to emerge with their new track, the heavenly “Wait For You.” Their music has always had a slight 80s influence to it, but they’ve tended towards classic indie pop sounds in the past. Echoing, reverbed vocals and wandering guitar layers give the track an overall dreamy quality, combining perfectly with the simple, romantic lyrics.

This is a group which does not seem to have fulfilled their huge potential, but after hearing “Wait For You,” they may be on the verge of doing just that. A great first track for the upcoming album. - Indie Shuffle

City Riots support Smashing Pumpkins at Luna Park, Sydney - AU review

City Riots support Smashing Pumpkins at Adelaide Entertainment Centre - AU Review

City Riots are to tour with Smashing Pumpkins across Australia after Billy Corgan personally invited the band. - Music Feeds

City Riots were personally asked by Billy Corgan to support them on the Smashing Pumpkins Australian National tour in October 2010 - Faster Louder

City Riots supporting British India & Boy in a Box as part of British India's 'March into the Ocean' Tour across Australia. - Faster Louder

City Riots supporting British India & Boy in a Box as part of British India's 'March into the Ocean' Tour across Australia. - Faster Louder

City Riots supporting British India & Boy in a Box as part of British India's 'March into the Ocean' Tour across Australia. - Groove Magazine

City Riots supporting British India & Boy in a Box as part of British India's 'March into the Ocean' national tour across Australia. - Faster Louder

City Riots supporting British India & Boy in a Box as part of British India's 'March into the Ocean' national tour across Australia. - Faster Louder

Home-grown garage rockers British India hijacked the Corner Hotel in an avalanche of musical revelry as their national album tour stopped off for its first night in Melbourne.

Those who arrived early were treated to an exceptional set by Adelaide outfit City Riots . Fresh from a recording and touring stint in the US, the boys shot the elephant in the room early on by breaching the ‘hometown’ topic with a playful description of their Adelaide roots: “churches, fucking shit bands and Jimmy Barnes – that’s all we’ve got!”

Lead by Ricky Kradolfer’s cool vocals, the polished and relaxed four-piece held the full attention of the crowd with a genuinely entertaining set. Opening with Burning Me Out from their 2008 Socialize EP, the band introduced a powerful sound that showed they’re a step above your usual support band. After playing She’s In My Head , they moved on to irresistible indie rock tune Favourite TShirt . City Riots have struck gold here. You know the kind of song that creeps into your subconscious, only to be resurrected three days later as you find yourself humming the chorus on a midday train? It’s one of those.

Love-bitten cynicism was on display in One Of Us Is Gonna Lose , where lead Kradolfer’s lyrical complaint “she only likes me for my clothes” holds some ground. In all fairness, they are some pretty good clothes. He matches long black hair with a long black coat and looks as if he’s strolled off the streets of 1970s Manchester, while guitarist Matt Stadler seemed to be channelling Mick Jagger in skinny jeans and a leather jacket.

The band played It’s Not Love before the captivating Disintegration , which Kradolfer summed up perfectly with the comment “if anyone’s here on their first date tonight, this is sure to get you laid.” Leaving with She Never Wants To Dance , the first taste of the band’s upcoming debut full-length, the four-piece proved the appropriateness of their band title. By all appearances, they are set to cause a musical riot in cities across Australia. - Faster Louder

City Riots are entering the studio with accomplished producer Bjorn Thorsrud to begin work on the band’s first full-length album. Bjorn Thorsrud (who has honed his career producing Dandy Warhols, Smashing Pumpkins and just about anything else Billy Corgan has touched) will be working with the band for the next three months in a private studio based deep in the heart of Chicago.

“We know not all independent bands in our position have the opportunity to
record with an experienced and acclaimed producer like Bjorn for their
first full-length release,” says frontman and guitarist Ricky Kradolfer. “We feel very lucky.”

Bassist John De Michele continues, “The resources available to us, both
Bjorn’s experience and the equipment at our disposal, are pretty unbelievable for a little band from Adelaide. I’m very excited to see what we come out with.”

City Riots has previously self-released two EPs, the most recent of which
featured the single Burning Me Out, and helped the band gain a Triple J Unearthed Artist Of The Year nomination.

Once recording has completed in late August, the band will play several showcases throughout the U.S. before returning home to Australia.
- Faster Louder

Aussie rockers City Riots were featured at this year at SXSW and also performed at the Aussie BBQ parties in Sydney, LA, New York and Austin. ‘She Never Wants to Dance’ is the first taste of the bands debut full length, produced by Bjorn Thorsrud (Smashing Pumpkins, Dandy Warhols). Be on the look out for their US tour this fall. - Filter Magazine

As soon as the guys from the City Riots entered the Rocket Bar, to watch their own support acts, it was obvious that they had to be in the band. Their tall, lanky bodies and layered shoulder length – œI just got out of bed’ hair could only be pulled off by someone in a rock group. Then there are the customary tight jeans and leather jackets and the boys certainly looked the part.

As they took to the stage it became apparent that the City Riots had more than just image working to their advantage. With plenty of powerful guitar riffs and body jolting drum beats it doesn’t take long before you begin to get hooked on this local Adelaide band. Each song sounds more energetic and memorable than the last as the boys gradually work their way towards the final climax. Their lyrics are extremely catchy making it easy for the audience to shout along even if they were not previous acquainted with the band.

Lead singer Ricky Kradolfer, and fellow band mate and bassist Johnny De Michele, showed the many tricks they can do with their guitars including one which involved Ricky holding his guitar up above his head whilst still playing in tune, much to the audiences delight. Both swung their guitars around effortlessly as if they were made of plastic.

Commercial tacks Favourite T-Shirt and Only hate you cause I have to saw the crowd go crazy, but all in all every song was well received with the audience left wanting more after the almost hour long performance.

Although the Rocket Bar may only be rather small in size it worked well for all three bands as they were able to make an impact on each audience member without relying solely on lighting or the sound engineering to make a great show.

Each performance was made extra personal as many of the audience members where friends or family members of the bands, showing up to display their support.

Friday night’s show proves that there is undoubtedly something brewing musically here in Adelaide. Although The Shiny Brights and City Riots may be unsigned at the moment, but if they continue to put on electrifying gigs then it will not be long before they are catapulted onto the national and international music scenes. - Faster Louder