Popfest Who's Who: Bands!

The Autocollants [mp3: Nothing At All] Giving their first performance in years, The Autocollants are reforming with the original lineup just for our popfest! This is indiepop history in the making. After all, this is the band that gave birth to the influential label Shelflife Records. Their blissful mix of jangle, trumpets and Laura Watling’s sweet vocals will float through the July evening air like a dream. Don’t miss this!

Baskervilles [mp3: Midnight (snip)] Making a rare trip outside of New York to play at the popfest, The Baskervilles are influenced by the best of underground new wave and Kinksesque pop. Their offbeat tales of the city are wrapped in keyboard perfection and baroque male vocals. Their music would come off as punkier and more angular, were it not for the lovely female vocals that weave in and out, the band’s willingness to insert a whimsical “do-do-do” into a song, and their innate knack for melody. (mp3)

Bunnygrunt It’s Bunnygrunt! It’s Bunnygrunt! It’s BUNNYGRUNT!!! This seminal 90s band is back to rock your world. We saw them at CMJ this past fall, and they are still the cutest, punkiest, poppiest band around. They have new material too! Bunnygrunt past and future pop classics…you can’t beat that with a stick.

California Oranges The California Oranges, featuring former members of Holiday Flyer and Rocketship(!), have two albums out on Darla Records. Their crunchy, punky pop sound replaces Holiday Flyer’s more low-key, melancholy twee pop. Like a new-fangled Wolfie or a more classic power-pop band like The Cars, The California Oranges have learned to how to rock out.

The Consultants [mp3: Snow Fell (It's Night)] Word has it that The Consultants inspired Shelflife Records to release albums again. They are the big ball of melted pop goodness that would result if you left your New Order, Velocity Girl, Ride and Echo and the Bunnymen cassettes in the sun. Their lyrics speak of the staleness of too many nights out on the town, the intricacies of long-distance relationships and the exhilaration of cold New York winters.

Human Television Human Television seemed to rise out of nowhere, and suddenly they were everywhere! Comparisons to the Wedding Present appear in almost every review, but we also hear shades of early REM, the Chills, Guided by Voices and about any really good C86 band you care to mention. See these guys now before they explode!

Lil' Hospital [mp3: Kampus & Katy] DC favorite Lil’ Hospital has been known as a lo-fi, bedroom pop project, creating sweet and bouncy peppiness for indie kids to savor. Recently, however, this self-described “wimp pop” group has blossomed into something more, flooring audiences with their rollicking live performances.

Orange Peels The Orange Peels play highly addictive power pop. Their music is guaranteed to lift you out of the darkest of moods. Like a classic 1970s AM radio hit, these are bright summery sounds that will stick in your head for days.

Math & Physics Club [mp3: Weedkends Away] KEXP favorites the Math and Physics Club are the first American band signed to Matinee Recordings in a number of years. Like the Smiths, the Go-Betweens and their Matinee labelmates The Lucksmiths, the band marries wistful vocals with jangly, catchy melodies. When you hear them play, you won’t know whether to sway back and forth and hum along or go out to your car and cry.

The Music Lovers [mp3: The Train Home] Cinematic and atmospheric, The Music Lovers appeal to fans of Scott Walker, Nick Cave, The Divine Comedy and (insert your favorite melancholy composer here). Their timeless songs are emotional yet sophisticated. We like the way The Big Takeover put it, saying that the band sounds “like a John Barry Bond theme re-written by Arthur Lee of Love.”

My Favorite [mp3: Burning Hearts] Yes, My Favorite crafts passionate new wave pop as if it was 1984. And of course there is Andrea Vaughn’s sublime voice and Michael Grace’s romantic stage presence. And it’s true that they write extremely evocative lyrics of suburban claustrophobia, the angst of youth and goth nightmares of destruction. However, their amazing live performance is something that West Coasters don’t often get a chance to see. One of the tightest ensembles around, this is a band that doesn’t need to rely on programming machines to make you dance. What, you thought Todbot was the name of their drum machine?

Red Pony Clock [mp3: Wasting Away] You never know what to expect at a Red Pony Clock show, but just know that it will be a fun and energetic spectacle. A mini-orchestra with an array of instruments, they nimbly genre-hop between folk, punk, country, Beach Boys harmonies and even vaudeville…often within the same song!

Remedy'n'Wren Currently recording their first record, Remedy'n'Wren is a trio of indiepop all-stars. Check out these credentials: Alicia and Becky played in Poundsign together. Alicia also used to play in The Aislers Set. Frank was in the Bright Lights and also played drums in Boyracer. Additionally, Alicia, Becky and Frank play in the San Francisco reggae group Still Flyin’. If we listed any more details, we would have to make you a diagram!

Voxtrot [mp3: The Start Of Something] Voxtrot are going to be your new favorite band. Let’s just say that up front. With comparisons to the Smiths and Belle & Sebastian as well as 60s bands like Love and the Left Banke, these young lads from Austin, Texas write hook-laden tunes that pop and rock. Try not dancing during their show, and you’ll fail miserably. They will win your heart with their high-energy performance and genuine enthusiasm.

Gregory Webster We're very lucky to host a special appearance by cult pop figure Gregory Webster, whose mid-80's band the Razorcuts were one of Creation Records (Primal Scream, Jesus & Mary Chain) forgotten gems. His current project, Sportique, is artier and more angular than the Razorcuts blissful jangle, echoing Wire and Gang of Four. Gregory Webster will be teaming up with some local friends to play Sportique material and a few Razorcuts songs as well.

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