NYC Popfest starts tonight at Cake Shop with The School, Zipper, Thee Ahs, Literature and more (streams)

by Bill Pearis

DOWLOAD: 2013 NYC Popfest Mix (Zip)

The School

The 2013 edition of NYC Popfest kicks off tonight (5/30), as it always does, at Cake Shop with a six-band bill spanning two continents and four countries. Tickets are still available and should be available at the door if you get their early enough.

The evening is headlined by Cardif, Wales’ The School who make the kind of sunny, ’60s-ish guitar pop that’s favored by Camera Obscura and Belle & Sebastian. The band’s 2012 album, Reading Too Much Into Things Like Everything, is an enjoyable listen, especially if you like this sort of stuff. And if you’ve read this far you probably do. You can stream it via Rdio and Spotify and watch a couple videos below. The School are touring around North America and will swing back through NYC on June 12 for another show at Cake Shop. All tour dates are listed below.

Also on the bill tonight are Spain’s Zipper who play buzzsaw bubblegum. The band doesn’t have much of an internet presence (an old MySpace account) but their super-catchy song “Mirror” is one of my favorites on this year’s Popfest Mix which you can download above.

Literature

The rest of tonight’s line-up includes, Literature who moved from Texas to Phildelphia last year and put out the excellent Arab Spring LP (stream it below); NYC’s Grand Resort whose Vanguard Dreams EP sparkles with synths and arpeggiated guitars (stream below); and Pennsylvania’s Swiss Alps, who make gently jangling songs in the Field Mice tradition.

Thee Ahs

Opening the night (7:30 PM) are Vancouver’s Thee Ahs. The quartet released their second album, Future Without Her, back in February and shows off their folky, jazzy, clear-voiced harmony-filled sound (no reverb with this band). You can stream the whole album below.

Set times for tonights’ Cake Shop show, streams, The School tour dates and videos are all below…

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NYC POPFEST – CAKE SHOP THURSDAY, 5/3o/2013
Set Times:
7:00pm DOORS
7:30pm THEE AHS (VANCOUVER, CA)
8:15pm SWISS ALPS (PA)
9:00pm GRAND RESORT (NYC)
9:45pm LITERATURE (PA)
10:30pm ZIPPER (SPAIN)
11:15pm THE SCHOOL (UK)

DJ: ROQUE (CLOUDBERRY RECORDS)

THE SCHOOL – It’s Not The Same

THE SCHOOL – Why Do You Have To Break My Heart Again?

The School – 2013 Tour Dates
Thurs 30th May – NYC POPFEST, NY – Cake Shop
Fri 31st May – NYC POPFEST DJ SET, NY – Loft
Tues 4th June – CLEVELAND, OH – Beachland Ballroom
Wed 5th June – CHICAGO, IL – The Burlington
Thurs 6th June – ST LOUIS, MO – Off Broadway
Fri 7th June – NASHVILLE, TN – The End
Sat 8th June – ATHENS, GA – The Caledonia Lounge
Mon 10th June – WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Krankie’s Coffee & Bar
Tues 11th June – ROANOKE, VA – Billy’s Barn
Wed 12th June – NEW YORK, NY – Cake Shop
Thurs 13th June – NORTHAMPTON, MA – Sierra Grille