Paint the Town Orange (Special Edition)

June 12th - June 15th - NYC Popfest

Recently, we had the opportunity to cover our first of hopefully many summer festivals, NYC Popfest. Three days, 24 bands and no major headliner. What drew me to this festival was the wide cultural range of bands, and the smaller feel of the festival. Each year they try seek out the best of under heard from around the world and bring them to New York. This years line-up is listed below:

The Besties (NYC)

Action Biker (Sweden)

The Cannanes (Australia)

Cannonball Jane (CT)

Cats on Fire (Finland)

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele (MS)

The Foxgloves (UK)

From Bubblegum to Sky (NYC)

Hands and Knees

The Hermit Crabs (Scotland)

In Interview (NYC)

Love is All (SWE)

The Ladybug Transistor (NYC)

Mahogany (NYC)

Mono Taxi (UK)

My Teenage Stride (NYC)

Oh! Custer (Sweden)

One Happy Island (MA)

The Orchids (Scotland)

Pant's Yell (MA)

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (NYC)

The Silent League (NYC)

Steve Goldberg (PA)

The Secret Society

Tullycraft (WA)

Let's take a closer look at a few of these bands.

d$ is the man! This Mississippi boy is rocks the cut off jeans, over-sized glasses, and everything completely uncool. However, he has the voice of God. Crafting lush harmonies, Dent May will release his first single "Meet Me in the Garden" on July 28th. Last year he self-released a wonderful ep for free through his myspace page, and this year he playing to the New York crowd at Popfest!

Listen to: Meet Me in The Garden (mp3)

Mario Hernandez (aka From Bubble to Sky) is back with his highly anticipated third album, A Soft Kill, out June 3rd on LA-based Eenie Meenie Records. His music as sweet and light and airy as his wonderful name would imply.

Listen to: Guest Relations (mp3) and Even The Sunbeams (mp3)

Sharon Hagopian (aka Cannonball Jane) blends hip hop, pop, and jazz into a swinging girl group melody. This teacher by day and pop sensation by night is on the verge of greatness. She released her debut ep last year's Knee's Up, recorded entirely at home, Hagopian’s studio set up of beatboxes, samplers, tambourines, guitars, turntables, piano, synths, various noise gadgets and effects shines through, creating an innovative retro-modern mix, elegant and sweetly beguiling but still rough enough to handle something bigger than a moped. From the Spector-soul of “Take it to Fantastic” and “The Secret Handshake” (MP3) onwards, Knees Up! combines such diverse influences as Run-DMC, The Aislers Set, Solex, The Shangri-La’s, The Go-Go’s, Luscious Jackson and Devo, while remaining fresh, exciting and original at all times.

Formed over ten years ago, this Seattle band knows how to move the crowd and they eat donuts to boot. Tullycraft's latest album Every Scene Needs A Center was released last October via Magic Marker Records.

Listen to: The Punks Are Writing Love Songs (mp3)

Is a two man social project that came into existence in the summer of 2005 when Josef and Esbjorn decided to start a band. The plan was at first more or less dismissed by everyone who knew these guys. The chances that they could produce anything were not considered to be likely and furthermore if they produced anything, could anyone listen to it? These sounds we make, are they traces of gravity? Oh! Custer is based in Lund, Sweden (hometown to fellow shoegazers The Radio Dept.)

Listen to: States (mp3)

Here are a few images by Dominick Mastrangelo from Popfest.


The Ladybug Transistor play lush pop music with horns and harmonies. Check out the video for "Always on the Telephone". Their latest album, Can't Wait Another Day, was released last year by Merge Records.

The Orchids have been around since 1986, and they still continue make their own band of pop music out of Scotland. Their latest album, Good to be a Stranger, was released in March 2007.