The experiential music of City of the Sun is the sound you didn’t know you were missing. New York City’s powerhouse trio flip the perception of instrumental music, attracting a whole new generation to the genre.    Formed in 2011, City of the Sun features guitarists John Pita, Avi Snow, and percussionist Zach Para. The band’s sound has an array of influences including indie rock, American folk, flamenco, and blues; it’s been called worldly, cinematic, a mix between Rodrigo y Gabriela and Explosions in the Sky.    COS has since been established as significant players in the post-rock sphere. They’ve sold out New York’s top indie venues Brooklyn Steel, Irving Plaza, Bowery Ballroom and Gramercy Theater; toured with Peter Bjorn & John, G.Love, STS9, and Thievery Corporation; were featured emerging artists at Panorama NYC, Billboard’s Hot 100, Firefly, Bottle Rock Napa music festivals; and scored “The C Word” documentary soundtrack (directed by Meghan O’Hara and narrated by Morgan Freeman).    After completing two European tours including major sold-out shows in Athens, Greece, the band released UNTITLED EP. Lead track “Perfect Instance” has gained 18 million Spotify streams to date, contributing to over 70 million plays on the platform overall.   

It’s difficult to find your footing after times of grieving – though condensing time like anaccordion, capturing both the past and present into a full journey of cathartic healing feels so effortless at the hands of Noa Jamir. Growing up in South Louisiana, Jamir began to write music when she was a child, translating complex feelings into meanings that felt right even before she really understood their purpose. Along with being a staple within the New Orleans show circuit performing at Festival International, Essence Fest, French Quarter Fest, Bayou Boogaloo Fest, and more, Jamir has also toured the US with Leith Ross and Lyla George, and collaborated with multiple artists over the years such as Sleep Habits, Mariah Houston, and Shmoo, taking inspiration in not just her songwriting, but how to expand herself as an artist entirely.  In 2024 Jamir released her critically acclaimed debut LP titled Cicada via Final Girl Records. Cicada allows breezy tunes to take the reins as these stories document her personal experience of healing and the importance of holding onto each and every step of the way. Before the album’s initial thought, Jamir fell into life’s scheming factions; substance abuse, family separation, impulsion and uncertainty. What Cicada came to resemble though, was a steady ground. Cicada moves at its own accord, and that’s okay. As a compositional album alone, the dynamic shifts, deliberate pacing and endearing hooks create a charming and enticing listen, but what remains are the dualities, those bits of grievances and growth that are often overlooked in times of struggle, but are shown a sliver of the sunlight. Rather than finding definitive answers, Jamir revels in why she is here in the first place – a breath, a stutter, a release, her writing finds truth in the solace and comfort in the company. It’s clear that she is a melancholy escapist, a rainy day purist – but rather than lean towards wallowing, Jamir redefines these feelings with a newfound hope – like discovering a hidden hole in your pocket but that all your belongings still stayed with you. Her music so tenderly articulates the humility and patience in which Jamir sees the world – through the lens of someone who knows first hand that summer will come again. — by Shea Roney of The Ugly Hug