The New England Pop Music Festival (a/k/a New England PopFest, a/k/a NE PopFest) is an annual music festival celebrating and showcasing the pop music of New England musicians.

Past performers include Dave Aaronoff & The Details, The Phil Aiken Army, Corin Ashley, Auto Interiors, Bleu, The Buckners, Bart Caruso Band, The Cyanide Valentine, The Crybabies, Casey Desmond, Allen Devine Group, Din, The Doom Buggies, Dragsville USA, The Fawns, Mike Gent, Girl On Top, Hank Crane, Heavy Stud, Max Heinegg and The Nervous, The Hero Cycle, Rosie Huntress, Illustrious Day, International Pen Pal, The Paula Kelley Orchestra, Robin Lane, Logan 5 & The Runners, The Luxury, Ray Mason Band, Melt, Mercy James Gang, Mollycoddle, The Montgomerys, Muck and The Mires, my own worst enemy, Polyethylene, pome, Brett Rosenberg, The Rudds, Scamper, The Shods, The Silver Lining, Sool, Static of the Gods, The StereoBirds, Temper, Jen Tobey, The Shellye Valauskas Experience, Eric Waxwood, and Welcome.

After taking a break in 2007, discussions are now under way for the 2008 New England Pop Music Festival. Please check back in mid-July for more information.

In the meantime, you can find out about the previous NE PopFests, including photographs and links to band websites, by clicking on the posters below. And don't forget to listen to our theme song.

What is Pop Music?

Good question! :-)

There is, of course, no simple answer to this question. What is considered pop music varies greatly depending on the year (or possibly time of day), the place, and the person answering the question.

The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (original 1983 edition) says

"Pop is the melodic side of rock -- the legacy of show tunes and popular songs of the prerock era. Pop's standards of what makes a well-constructed song still apply to much of rock, which strives for memorable tunes and clear sentiments; the tension between pop virtues (such as sophisticated chord structures and unusual melodic twists), and incantatory, formulaic blues elements animates much of the best rock, like that of the Beatles."

Not bad. But perhaps not complete enough (and over 20 years old, though more current descriptions are not necessarily better). Pop includes "power pop" and "pop/rock," but is not limited to those. Most music described as "Beatlesque" is considered pop. Pop music can be based on any number of styles, including folk, country, punk, blues, reggae, garage rock, as well as many others. That doesn't mean that everything in those categories are pop, but some things are. It can rock hard or not at all, though having a melody (often with hooks) is generally a necessary component.

But what it basically comes down to, adapting Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's words regarding pornography, is "I know it when I hear it."

You can check out NE PopFest 2006, NE PopFest 2005 and NE PopFest 2004 by clicking these links or the posters below.