Blog: Crack In The Road

In the eyes of many, the best thing that Thatcher ever did, apart from, you know, dying, was inspiring a countless number of bands to write songs about how they really weren't that fond of her. The thing is though, that for every subtle(-ish) masterpiece like 'Ghost Town', there are thousands of less impressive anti-Iron Lady songs, most of them by Billy Bragg. Now, at CitR we're not just gonna write an article to garner some hits of the back of a news story; we're going to try and be snarky and insulting too. [...]

Having now done releases from the likes of Natasha Haws, Fantasy Rainbow (R.I.P.) and Blank Maps, Tiny Lights Records is rapidly forging a name for itself as one of the finest DIY labels in the UK. Their newest foray from Newcastle's Lionhall continues the Tiny Lights hot-streak, and also marks a clear sign of intention from the young duo. The XX-style guitar line perfectly compliments the deliriously anguish-laden vocals, as Colour Me unfurls into a blossoming number, that ultimately confirms Lionhall's place as one of the North East acts to be keeping an eye [...]

These collages from Cardiff based illustrator from Stephen Madoc Pierce  initially, seem quite bright and optimistic, but in fact come with quite a dark undertone. In an interview with Cardiff School of Art , he expresses his desire to create a feeling of the 'uncanny', taking inspiration from this Freudian concept to give an extra depth to his work, and a feeling of uncertainty for his audience as they approach them. I'm looking forward to seeing more from this young Welshman. For more information about Stephen's work, and the full interview with Cardiff School of Art [...]

Not known is much about Mom Tudie , other than he's a 17 year old producer based in south east London, and he's called Tom. Since the rise of  J£ZUS MILLION, Disclosure, and Happa , it's now slightly easier to digest that producers tend to be incredulously young and talented, and Mom Tudie will no doubt join that list. With a few tracks on his soundcloud, which you can check out here , it is Tudie's latest effort that stands out the most; a re-work of Nicola Thoms [...]

You know who the worst band of all time are? Buckcherry. Those guys are awful. Anyway, the first twenty seconds or so of Daddy Magic's Tug sounds a little bit like the Californian rockers, thankfully, that's the only comparison, and it's not long before the song descends into a brilliantly frantic, self-depreciating pop-punk barrage. 'It's alright / I know you've been hurt / but I'm just too sick to apologize / I'll get my day of repentance babe' bemoans Daddy Magic during the almost Strokes-esque chorus. On the flip-side Another Tonight , veers into 'love-song' territory, whilst remaining [...]

No one in their right mind can claim that they aren't excited about hearing this record. Their first studio record since 20082s Folie å Deux,   Fall Out Boy... Save Rock And Roll is set to be released on 16 April. Preceded by the single My Song's Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up) which charted at no.5 in the UK, and 26 in the US respectively. Produced by Butch Walker who has also worked with The Automatic, P!nk, Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne, the group have also announced a full [...]

Being used on episode 12 of Lost Girl, showing tonight in the states, this track from Montreal's A K U A is one of the finest pop numbers of the year thus far. Like a distant cousin to London Grammar, with an added injection of soul, before catapulting into life round about the three minute mark. Taken from an EP entitled One's Company out later in the year, A K U A is certainly a talent to keep an ear out for.

Lets not beat around the bush, there's a hell of a lot of piss poor music coming from London. Picking up a guitar and making friends with a few journalists appears to be all it takes in order to have the music industry slathering over your every move, and to be honest, that's not the kind of ethos I'd like to promote. Thankfully, there is a growing community of musicians that are somewhat disconnected from the corporate industry, and are part of an ultimately much more vibrant, and welcoming scene. shy for shore , a duo from the capital [...]

When I walk into a room, I do not light it up. Fuck. To the very great excitement of many last month, The National  announced the release of their highly anticipated sixth album,  Trouble Will Find Me   (May 20). Berninger and co. have teasing us for eighteen months with live performances of new material, a few of which have ended up on the internet for eager fans to pore over and analyse . But as of this morning, we finally have something from the studio to get our teeth into - just after 11am onBBC6 [...]

The end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. I remember reading the above quote during a less than inspiring A Level Philosophy class, in which the tiny window of light provided a teasing prospect of an afternoon better spent than pouring through 19th century literature. However this particular quote stuck with me, so much so that I scribbled it down on the same small notebook that I use today, though thankfully it's use is no longer embedded [...]

Hailing from Brooklyn, the finest place for new music in the entire world,  Christen Cappello aka Club Girls creates some of the most raucous yet enchanting pop around. The opening thirty seconds or so of her new single Fly Ready acts as a form of ice-breaker for what's to come; twisted vocals and harsh percussion sections give way to a lavish hook. Drawing the respectable elements of Little Boots' slick, electro-pop and the adorable chaos found amidst the likes of Mozart's Sister and Grimes, Club Girls has ambition, talent and ingenuity in abundance. Check out Fly [...]

Having appeared little under a year ago with a duo of debut tracks , both which have since vanished from the internet, Buffalo's Camp Counselors has returned, with another two gems, as well as unveiling his identity.  Kyle J. Reigle , the individual behind Camp Counselors, has worked with Warren Hildebrand (better known as Foxes in Fiction), for this digital 73. Comprised of  02​/​05​/​11 and the instrumental track Oslo , it's a dreamy, slightly distant release; absorbing yet also existing solely within its own consciousness. 02​/​05​ /​11 burns slowly, as extra layers of vocals, and [...]

Sadness is the key to all great music, right? With i am running in circles' biography stating 'I got sad and made music', it's clear that he agrees with this notion. For a track recorded on a tape recorder and then pieced together in Garage Band, full moon is a devilishly ambitious composition. So it owes much to The Microphones in its opening exchanges, before blossoming into a gorgeous, Sigur Ros -esque number, yet Eli Smith (aka i am running in circles) injects his own, heavy hearted sense of honesty and [...]

Rowing , the gallery that this exhibition’s being held, is so close to my current flat that it is quite frankly embarrassing that I hadn’t heard of this exhibition until it was already in its final weeks. However, like any gallery space that has Unit in its address, I was extremely excited to go and check it out, despite the blizzard like conditions. The current exhibition in the main space is by artist Salvatore Arancio . It contains works ranging from sculpture to video and also features a curious little book with the title Wonders of [...]

R.I.P. The Strokes . With their most recent release, Comedown Machine , it appears that the unity, talent and unbreakable friendships that made them such an exciting group in the early-mid-002s, has completely disappeared. Now, without wanting to downplay the quality of this new jam from Knoxville's Nomadic Firs aka Ryan Boos , there's more than a hint of the New York rockers to it, yet infused with his own unique, upbeat brand of pop, that brought him so much attention on the blog-classic Vines. Lavish Hush is less slick chillwave, more of [...]

Dreamy, Wild Nothing/DIIV -esque pop from Russia is pretty difficult to come by. Judging by  Parks, Squares and Alleys Soundcloud , he/they have been around for little over a year, without gathering too much of a buzz, however new jam Youth is sure to change all that. With THAT guitar sound, and the reverb heavy vocals that everyone and their mom is a sucker for. Sound of the summer? You betcha.

Fast rising LA star Ghost Loft has just dropped this new r&b inspired cut, So High , set to feature on a Kitsuné compilation later in the year. Sultry and smooth, yet without dipping too deeply into The Weeknd territory, it's sure to follow in the footsteps of his previous tracks and rocket to the top of all the blog charts. In truth, it's not too disimilar to fellow LA group The Neighbourhood , in terms of it's silky sound and sensual content.

So, today I was walking by the river in Bristol and finally went to see Version Control at Bristol’s Arnolfini , which is running to the 14th April. It is well worth taking a look at what has been put together. The space is just filled with an exciting mix of work, all to get ready for its visitors to get a tasty slice of what is happening with performativity and all its potential. Showing both live activities, painting, video and sculptures for you to take your pick! The works share an interest [...]

With a tag line 'I don't have any kids.' and a name as tongue in cheek as Frugal Father , it's clear this Colorado musician has a sense of humour. From his two debut tracks, Red Headed Hipster and First Trim , his sound is purposefully hard to pin down, combining the raw emotion of Casiotone For The Painfully Alone with the ear for a melody that LCD Soundsystem perfected. Of the two, First Trim is the more measured number, almost like an electronic ballad for the 21st century blogger. Check out [...]

Premiered over on Gorilla vs Bear, Gambles has revealed the first track from his debut EP 'From Your Arms' which is due for release on May 7th. Hauntingly beautiful, 'Far From Your Arms' may be found by many as lying between cliche and sincerity. However the cliche is an unfortunate factor outside of the control of Gambles himself, and rather it is a symptom of what has been a relentless emergence of male (and female) singer-songwriters in the past few years. In this haze of a plethora of shaky vocals and plucky guitars, Gambles stands above with a [...]