Sun Airway’s lush arrangements and massive textures of sound will be filling the beloved second floor of Johnny Brenda’s this Saturday night. It feels like it’s been a bit since I’ve heard Jon Barthmus’ smooth, breathy baritone live. And hopefully Klip Collectives’ Ricardo Rivera will be manning the new lights at JB’s to bring the band’s dreamy tunes to an otherworldly place. Sun Airway will also be joined by Brooklyn’s Historics and Cruiser, the sweet indie pop project from Andy States, so you have good reasons to get there early and spend the whole night. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 Frankford Ave., 9pm, $12, 21+ - H.M. Kauffman
More entertainment for this weekend…
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SUN Conversations with Enemies, Tinmouth
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Clamfight, Wizard Eye, Thee Nosebleeds, SAT The Extrodinaires, Business Model, You Do You, SUN Vintage Kicks, Ang & The Damn Band, (Upstairs) HIVELORDS, SADGIQACEA, Dirt Worshipper
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Willpowerless, Prospect Hill, Awake at Last, Polar Ice Cap, SAT A Victum Of Good Times, Spotted Atrocious, Evergreen, Luke Elliot, SUN Spirit & Dust
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Generally Unpleasant Feelings, We Are Fauna, LA Sludge, SAT Chalk & The Beige Americans, SUN Pill Friends, Mumblr
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Calico Fields, Bellvue Quartet, Rachel Aumiller, SAT Ruby The Hatchet, Attic Dancers, Wreaths
Otlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) FRI The People, SAT Sunshine Superman
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Brotherly Breakdown Pre-Show Party w/Pulling Punches, Jet Set Sail, White Lighters, Magazines, SAT Brotherly Breakdown Fest w/Carousel Kings, Automatic Habit, Nobody Yet, Robots and Racecars, Engine Atlantic, Holding Caufield, First Things First, At Bay
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI Hired Guns Blues Band, SAT Sylvia Platypus, SUN Rusty Cadillac
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Obi Fernandez, Orion Freeman, Kiwi Roots Music, (Downstairs) Stonethrown, Pascale Smith, Nichole Sickel, Dry Reef, Give Me Gravity, SAT Siamese Sundown, New Kings of Rhythm, SUN Philly Rising Showcase
The Legendary Dobbs (304 South St.) FRI Cold Roses, Stupa Thought, SAT Greta Neck Band, Jesus' Older Brother
Rebel Rock Bar (100 Spring Garden St.) FRI Flesh Engine, Gutter Royal, SAT Matt Mass, SUN Scuzbot, 4th Line Revolution, Avenue Kings
Triumph Brewery (117 Chestnut St.) FRI Kim Pedro's Nu Groove, SAT Badd Kitti, SUN Elliott Levin Trio
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI L'Astromaut, You You Dark Forest, The Gazettes, Bohka, Paulette Branson & Mixed People, SAT Hopscotch Jefferson, The Skeleton Frames, Bretheren, Alex Tatunchak
The Bikery (508 S. 5th St.) SAT Ape!, L.M.I., Mean Streets
Eris Temple Arts (602 S. 52nd St.) SAT Justice League of Adversaries, Per Cassette Tapes
RUBA Club (416 Green St.) FRI St. James & The Apostles, Themuffinmanisaband
The Farm (Please contact one of the acts or the venue for more info.) FRI Dopestroke
Crystal Palace (Please contact one of the acts or the venue for more info.) SAT Le Yikes Surf Club, Ex Friends
Well, it’s time to get rad with Making Time at Voyeur tonight, and very little is radder than a $2 Bill Making Time, especially when Deli faves Sun Airway are the featured act for the night. The band recently release their new LP Soft Fall (check out the review of our October Album of the Month HERE) earlier this week, and they just hopped off tour with M83 for one night to spend it with you so feel a bit special Philly. As always, expect futuristic sounds from Dave P and the gang as well as a SICK light show from Klip Collective’s Ricardo Rivera. Voyeur, 1221 St. James St., 9pm, $2, 21+ - H. M. Kauffman
Other summertime entertainment this weekend…
The Mann Center (5201 Pakside Ave.) City Bisco w/The Disco Biscuits, Diplo, rjd2, Brothers Past and Much More
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT Andrew Gray, Tutlie, SUN Eliza Jones
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI (Upstairs) Pine Barrens, Ultra Roofies, SAT (Early) Lantern, Music For Headphones, (Late) Rasputin's Secret Police, SUN Purples
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Gemini Wolf, Ronald Reagan? The Actor?
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Spirit and Dust, Honey Watts, KC Jones, SAT Leithgow Oktoberfest (Outdoor - Early) The Circadian Rhythms, iNFiNiEN, TheMuffinManIsABand, Store Cats, Sunset Recorder, Anjuli Josephine, (Late) TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb, Penrose, iNFiNiEN, St, James & the Apostles, L.U.N.A.R. Revolt, SUN Leithgow Oktoberfest (Outdoor - Early) Chalk & the Beige Americans, Kuf Knotz, Griz, Rev. TJ McGlinchey, Dan Collins Band, Swedeland, Sweetbriar Rose (Late) McRad, Kuf Knotz, Jawnzap7, Wyldlyfe, Hott Tubb
M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Assayer, Propser or Perish, Pillars of Villainy, Mindless Hope
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) SUN Emily Arin, Delco Pacers, Nate Dodge & Andra Taylor
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI (Early) John Train, (Late) Hured Gun Blues Band, SAT Andra Taylor, SUN Rusty Cadillac
The Legendary Dobbs (304 South St.) FRI SPiN, Sin Marcellis, Hyku, The Tressels, Minshara, SAT Informed Source, Pure Hell, Decontrol, F.O.D., YDI, SUN Kid PA
Triumph Brewery (117 Chestnut St.) FRI Nothing Wrong, SAT RockTubaFest Dance Band
PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St. Philadelphia) SAT Sparkstacular
Rebel Rock Bar (100 Spring Garden St.) SAT Beth Goldwater Record Release Party
Milkboy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI John the Conqueror, Daniel Ryan Belski, SAT Shark Tape, Linus the Moon
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Stealing Home, Perineum, A Minor Error, Mikey Potato, SAT Telequanta, Rowboat Casino, Andrew Jude, The Defog
The Ox (You should know where already. Or has it been that long? ;o) FRI Norwegian Arms, Laser Background, Son Steps
Double Deuce (Please contact one of the acts or the venue.) FRI Mumbler, Modern Baseball, Smoother
Versailles and French Surrealism are cited as influences for Sun Airway’s sophomore full-length album, Soft Fall. Yeah, pretty much: with lush arrangements and massive textures of sound, Soft Fall, is a giant, gorgeous record decked with chopped-up classical music samples and hooks that envelop the listener. Sun Airway’s all-encompassing sense of maximalism echoes what M83 did last year on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, making the familiar, comfortable turns of pop music vibrant and fresh by infusing some reverb and a soothing synth-tone. The result is a record that feels safe - not safe in the sense that it’s dull and afraid to take risks, but safe in the way that home feels safe, in the way you know the roads, the haunts, the people, and intrinsically understand that you’re not in any danger.
Yep, we’re in dream-pop territory, and Sun Airway’s Jon Barthmus plays admirably to the genre’s strengths. Guitar and keyboard lines come together like coast and tide - the line definitely there but impossible to define. Governing it all is Barthmus’ smooth, breathy baritone, which is seductive without flair for dramatics. On album highlight “Close,” he sighs “you’ve never known loneliness before/I tried to get close to you,” which sounds pretty glum, but the song itself is practically ecstatic. The work on that is done by breakneck drums, an impressionistic Cure hook and a guitar occasionally squealing gleefully in the background. Barthmus’ understated vocals give the song room to soar, and soar it does; it’s an absolutely killer tune. Instrumental interludes are scattered throughout the LP guiding you to and from other standouts on the record like “Wild Palms” and “Symphony In White No. 2” (that also appeared together last year on the 7” vinyl single that followed the band’s beautiful debut Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier).
As is often the case with dream-pop, the sonic palette that washes melodic lines together eventually extends to the songs themselves, and while Soft Fall is never boring, the distinctions between individual tracks become less and less vital as the album gels into one solid artistic statement, which makes Soft Fall a perfect little record to escape with. It’s a great way to drop menial anxieties for nearly 45 minutes and enter a pleasant state where nothing will frighten you and you’re comfortably safe as can be making any fall more enjoyable as you take in the sights from above. Soft Fall officially drops tomorrow via Dead Oceans. - Adam Downer
Versailles and French Surrealism are cited as influences for Sun Airway’s sophomore full-length album, Soft Fall. Yeah, pretty much: with lush arrangements and massive textures of sound, Soft Fall, is a giant, gorgeous record decked with chopped-up classical music samples and hooks that envelop the listener. Sun Airway’s all-encompassing sense of maximalism echoes what M83 did last year on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, making the familiar, comfortable turns of pop music vibrant and fresh by infusing some reverb and a soothing synth-tone. The result is a record that feels safe - not safe in the sense that it’s dull and afraid to take risks, but safe in the way that home feels safe, in the way you know the roads, the haunts, the people, and intrinsically understand that you’re not in any danger.
Yep, we’re in dream-pop territory, and Sun Airway’s Jon Barthmus plays admirably to the genre’s strengths. Guitar and keyboard lines come together like coast and tide - the line definitely there but impossible to define. Governing it all is Barthmus’ smooth, breathy baritone, which is seductive without flair for dramatics. On album highlight “Close,” he sighs “you’ve never known loneliness before/I tried to get close to you,” which sounds pretty glum, but the song itself is practically ecstatic. The work on that is done by breakneck drums, an impressionistic Cure hook and a guitar occasionally squealing gleefully in the background. Barthmus’ understated vocals give the song room to soar, and soar it does; it’s an absolutely killer tune. Instrumental interludes are scattered throughout the LP guiding you to and from other standouts on the record like “Wild Palms” and “Symphony In White No. 2” (that also appeared together last year on the 7” vinyl single that followed the band’s beautiful debut Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier).
As is often the case with dream-pop, the sonic palette that washes melodic lines together eventually extends to the songs themselves, and while Soft Fall is never boring, the distinctions between individual tracks become less and less vital as the album gels into one solid artistic statement, which makes Soft Fall a perfect little record to escape with. It’s a great way to drop menial anxieties for nearly 45 minutes and enter a pleasant state where nothing will frighten you and you’re comfortably safe as can be making any fall more enjoyable as you take in the wondrous sights from above. - Adam Downer
Sun Airway continue the hard push today, but we’re not complaining. After sharing the track “Black Noise” yesterday, you can now stream their new album Soft Fall via MTV Hive, and hear it all live next Friday at Voyeur for the $2 Bill Making Time.
Sun Airway just release a new track called “Black Noise,” which you can take a listen to below, off their forthcoming album Soft Fall (Dead Oceans) due out October 2. They are currently on tour with M83, but will be making a stop in Philly without their tourmates on October 5 for a special $2 Bill Making Time at Voyeur.
Sun Airway just premiered their new music video earlier today via Pitchfork for the track “Close,” where “a man washes up on a mysterious island.” It was directed by Ewan McLeod. The song appears on their forthcoming album Soft Fall due out October 2. The band is performing at World Café Live this Friday for WXPN’s Free at Noon, and then will be heading off on tour with M83.
Sun Airway just announced that they’ll be playing this Friday’s Free at Noon at World Café Live. You can RSVP HERE. Expect to hear lots of material from their upcoming album Soft Fall as they prepare to hit the road with M83. You can also enter to win an advance translucent purple vinyl copy of the new record HERE. (Photo by Ryan Muir)
Here’s a new remix by Sun Airway for Danish pop star PRIVATE’s track “Everywhere,” which you can listen to and download for free below. That’s the Dane above - producer/singer Thomas Troelson. Come on - you know that you want that necklace. It might save your life on the rough streets of Philly one night. Then again, it might help end it too.
Check out and download for free below the beautiful new remix by Seattle’s Beat Connection of Sun Airway’s “Close,” the first single from their upcoming album Soft Fall due out October 2. Sun Airway will be performing next on August 24 at the Museum of Art and Design in NYC for the opening exhibition of The Baby Castles Summit, a three-day series of talks, panels, bands, hands-on workshops and custom video game installations designed by Keita Takahashi, game designer of Japan’s Katamari Damacy. They’ll also be on tour this fall with M83. Enjoy!
