Pop music is evil. I don't mean in the "destroying the industry" sense, but more in an infectious disease kind of way. Especially when the band is initially masked as something else. You're lured in with clever and unique drumming and a darker chord progression than what you were expecting and now you're captivated. However, the singer kicks in and, though good and intriguing, it's the kind of vocals where you just think to yourself that he's obviously trying to garner some mainstream attention. You're hit with the chorus and there it is; the 4/4 drum beat and recognizable, yet forgettable riff and catchy vocal pattern. Then you black out and when you come to, you're whistling the chorus as you walk out of your room, or car, or mom's basement only to run back and press play again for the 18th time in the last hour (slightly over 3 minutes per song, the perfect pop length). You're hooked (yes, that's where the term comes from) and you couldn't be happier about your slow demise into the realm of pop music.
Although the above scenario is what happened to me when I first heard These City Limits, I don't mean to criticize their pop sensibilities. Their songs are anything, but forgettable and the vocals, though more accessible than most music I listen to, are definitely the most infectious part of the songs. Having been a privy to guitarist/vocalist Randy Vanderbilt's musical output since the inception of his first band, Scarlet (back then they were called Blindfold Coalition and he was the drummer), I've been able to follow the growth of his musical genius through the years. These City Limits have a sound that is similar to The Dear Hunter, and though they have that prog rock kind of feel, they don't really stray too far from the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus song structure hinting at a Muse influence. Vanderbilt's vocals are reminiscent of the aforementioned bands and when the choruses come in, the melodies sound like Finch's later material. What sets These City Limits apart from those bands and other artists skirting the boundaries between pop and rock is that Randy hasn't completely abandoned that dark Scarlet guitar tone. A few of TCL's riffs would have fit right in with Cult Classic. Even the lyrics have similar apocalyptic themes. It leaves These City Limits' music fresh without alienating the casual listener.
www.facebook.com/pages/These-City-Limits/217445531607424
Where They Started: From what I can tell, they're a relatively new band with just one demo. Fellow Scarlet alumn, Andreas Magnussen, mixed and mastered the recordings.
Where You Should Start: It's not quite the same, but I really like Scarlet and if you like These City Limits at all you should kind of move backwards through Scarlet's catalog since their last record, This Was Always Meant To Fall Apart, did have the most singing on it. It's all good to me, though.
Essential Song: Listen to the whole demo below. The first 2 songs are definitely my favorites.
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