Music

“Paul Avion’s work would be a very appropriate soundtrack to Juno or Garden State. It’s rather indie, folky, and somewhat cutesy. But it’s certainly not innocuous. Summerland/Self-Destroyer, his new EP, revolves around themes of heartbreak, loneliness, and escape. If you like super-eclectic, bouncy music, then listen to Summerland/Self-Destroyer. Spin “Carolyn (Don’t Walk Away)”
– wlur 91.5 fm

“L.A.-based [Paul Avion] will have you hooked on ridiculously catchy tales of lovers rummaging through European cities”
– west coast performer magazine

“Overall, RU With Me is a diverse album that combines politically and socially conscious lyrics with well diversified styles of production.”
– wgtb, the rotation

“Musician Paul Avion puts out his first proper album after kicking around releasing singles for awhile. It sounds like Devandra Barnhart meets ELO. Cute singer-songwriter fare with good instrumentation and a slight flair for well-placed keyboards (“Ole Ole Ole”). “Henry Sage” has nice horn flourishes. This album should appeal to fans of indie pop.”
– wpts

“Paul Avion’s pop music draws upon indie touchstones like Jarvis Cocker and Stuart Murdoch, as well as ’60s pop. Try ‘Slow and Steady Road to My Heart.’”
– wlur

“Fun yet complex indie pop for adventurous music fans. Unlike other groups who stick to a certain melodic formula for their songs, Paul Avion doesn’t settle in one method for very long. At times, they have the indie traits of Death Cab for Cutie, while other tracks recall The Beatles … or Stone Temple Pilots. Avion proves he is on par with other indie singers of our day with better connection to his lyrics. You can pick up the Paul Avion EP, as well as the recently released ‘Art School Dropout’ single on iTunes now. Keep an ear on Paul Avion.”
– collegenews.com

“get the look by p. avion is destined to become the biggest runway runaway hit since Ini Kamoze’s ‘Here Comes the Hotstepper’. And get this, Paul is releasing his next two singles on 8-track cartridges! Why? Because he can and it is retro-cool. His musical style is eclectic and sometimes reminiscent of bygone days. This little ditty sounds a bit like a snarky Herman’s Hermits.”
– andrew difiore, that’s interesting

“This eccentric-pop songwriter opens the album with the question, ‘Are you with me, friend?’ inviting the listener on a 27-minute journey through (mostly) dream-inspired lyrics. Though recorded with a small budget, Avion’s European-style pop songs (perhaps influenced by the years he spent in France) hint at a richness found in music by legends like Burt Bacarach and Serge Gainsbourg as well as newer bands (‘Henry Sage & Mrs. Wolverton’). While many of the songs introduce fascinating and odd characters, ‘Stop Joseph Kony 1 (Can’t Turn Out the Light)’ is as real as it gets, shining light on the atrocities committed by the Ugandan terrorist leader (”Cuz they’re cuttin’ off eyelids / On a hot North Uganda night’). Deep stuff on an otherwise fun album.”
– big takeover magazine

“[Henry Sage] is a gem of a song that should help you make a note to grab the album when it drops. Super good, ala early-60′s English cynical folk, with brass.”
– loudvine.com

“His music shows wisdom beyond his years, and is more than just something you play to fill a silent room. It tells stories that will send your imagination soaring to new heights in one moment, and singing and dancing along in the next. You can always separate the musicians who are in this business for the money and glamor alone, from the ones who have a true love of the art itself.”
– every note speaks

“Hearing is believing.”
– antimusic.com

“By all intents and purposes, Avion moves to the beat of his own drum. Having moved to Los Angeles from his hometown of New Orleans in 2005, he then moved to Paris where he took up a job as a dishwasher in order to immerse himself in French culture. This however, seems relatively pedestrian compared to his decision to live over the past year in one of the poorest slums in Kenya where he lived and worked at a school for disabled children. While living there he filmed part of his experiences and posted them on his website. This fascinating story should not in any way overshadow the comparatively interesting nature of his music.
“Avion, who has also performed with the band Par Avion, displays his diverse musical talent on R U With Me, which explains why spin.com rated him #2 on their list of 8 bands to watch in February of 2009. … I was particularly impressed by the socially reflective lyrics displayed throughout the album, particularly in ‘Stop Joseph Kony,’ in which Avion sings about the missionaries in Uganda trying to bring change, but sadly observing he “want[s] to bring something special, but [is] just made of sand, can it be that the whole world is out of [his] hands. We’re hooked on his drive to deliver people soundtracks to their lives, as well as awareness and compassion for their less fortunate neighbors.”
– musicremedy.com

“This next group just gets us at Skope all excited. One listen and you can just tell that Paul Avion is on to something. SPIN.com recently raved about these guys in ’8 Undiscovered Bands Worth a Listen.’ A favorite track that we just cannot get out of our head is ‘Art School Dropout.’ Two words that best describe Paul Avion are ‘mass appeal.’ Another thing to note is the amount of press that Paul Avion has garnered is impressive. We could not agree with these media outlets more. We will be keeping an eye on Paul Avion.”
– skope magazine (boston)

“You can’t deny the irreverent, lyrical prowess of lines like ‘Like all rastas are looking for Jah/Or our fibromyalgia’. Before you brush off this act as pop tarts, just pay some attention to their nuances. Bouncy choruses, wit, charming melodies, bold guitar bits and even a few Nirvana-isms (check out the intro and phrasing on ‘Art School Dropout’) make this band standout for more than their quirky appeal and clever rhyme schemes.”
– sentimentalist magazine (nyc)

“Sounds like Hellogoodbye with a little bit of The Flaming Lips. Stand out single: Stand-In.”
– hear/say, america’s college music magazine

“Paul Avion fuses elements of dance electro-rock, moog synth, space-age bossa nova and even psychedelica and Brit pop to create a fun smorgasbord of styles, playfully called ‘Pop of the Future’. Hot off their Los Angeles debut, Par Avion is coming to Sacramento State’s Redwood Room.”
– campus activities magazine

“Merging the instrumental and ambient slant of The Orb with a bubbly yet subtle push associated with the likes of The Feeling does seem a strange broth. In this case of Los Angeles’ Paul Avion and Par Avion, it certainly has its charms. For ‘Ménage a Trois’, the inclusion of a coaxing femme element emboldens the calming impact. A vocal hold of the Neil Finn ilk reaches out through ‘Stand Up, Be A Man’ and it harks back to the days when pop music was expansive and relaxing. ‘New Years Eve 3005’, whilst giving the impression of a futurist NU Rave stomp, is indeed a calming, hushed percussion crunching folk/ambient/pop mould that allows Avion to give his vocals a mood instilling drag. Tender, but life-trodden messages are delivered at a relaxed gait. Avion gives off the impression that he is just about managing to stay a yard ahead of burdening worry.”
– glasswerk.co.uk (UK)

“Paul Avion recently released a new version of my favorite song of his, ‘Stand Up, Be a Man.’ Paul Avion’s songs remind me of flying around in a puppy-shaped hot air balloon. I don’t know why or what it’s like to fly around in a hot air balloon, but that’s what I think of.”
– keepin’ it right radio, KUCI 88.9, uc-irvine

“Light and fluffy like a fluffernutter samich with a cold glass of 1 percent milk, Pop Music United EP by Paul Avion will have you on a cloud of happiness! Full of indie pop sweetness and light hearted lyrics, Paul Avion makes you smile while singing of pop music, walking dogs on Sunset, and just the plain wonders that we all day dream about when we should be thinking about other things”
– amylu in love (NYC)

“With traces of Saint Etienne, the Postal Service, Air, and British/Swedish 80′s indie pop, Paul Avion shows a flare for pop that many bands/artists never touch”
– intellectos (L.A.)

“10″
– popchild (Barcelona)

“Paul Avion will make this winter bright with summer pop”
– decode magazine (UK)

“Native New Orleans artist Avion has already shown a mercurial bent that spans geography as well as musical topography. Moving to L.A.’s Silver Lake area, he quickly made a European escape to France, immersing himself in Paris’ indie club scene. Emerging from clouds of billowing underground smoke, he saved the polaroid as backdrop for his most recent EP, Pop Music United, named after a small European DJ collective. … The best way I can figure to describe the sound of Paul Avion & Par Avion is pop rock from a guy with an expansive mind, who uses his music to explore make-believe realities. … “Ménage a Trios” is a French pop styled offering and “New Year’s Eve 3005″ is a party set in the future, a fantasy tale of people who do nothing but travel around the world, going to different clubs and parties. It’s a great song for those of us that want to escape from our cubicles. And their song “Stand Up, Be a Man” scored them a licensing agreement with PBS. … “Have You Seen the Walking Dogs on Sunset?” is the song that originally drew me to this group. The subject is so freaking unusual, but it’s some great soundage. … Our interview was all over the place, just like Paul’s musical interests. But one thing that stuck is the fact that this guy is a perfectionist. … What can you expect from a guy who at the time of this interview was reading Quantum Electrodynamics? … He was even so kind as to suggest to me that I pick up Einstein for Dummies. (Don’t worry, I didn’t take offense.)”
– unsigned magazine

“He’s immersed himself in not only the movement of his music, but in the movement of humanity. We believe he represents a new breed of artist; the kind who isn’t as concerned with self-preservation, but rather through his music, is advocating for and standing with those who cannot speak or fight for themselves.”
– rx music