Ever Nalens Photo

A Sunny Day in Glasgow, from the always sunny city of Philadelphia.

Elm City PopFest

With A Sunny Day in Glasgow, The Tyler Trudeau Attempt. 8 p.m. (evening show); The Metric Mile, The Cavemen Go, FayRey, One Happy Island, The Dayzies. 3 p.m. (afternoon show); Nov. 14. Artspace, 50 Orange St. $5/show, $8/both shows, all ages. artspacenh.org, ctindie.com, tweefort.com.

Tweefort is at it again, and this time they've put together a full day of indie rock to benefit Artspace. They organized the festival to compensate for Artspace's dramatic budget cuts during the course of the past year. As usual, the Tweefort folk have split the bill between national touring acts and promising locals. They've also made the entire day's worth of music extremely affordable ($8 gets you into everything) and open to any and every human who wishes to attend (all ages, but don't worry drinkers; booze will be available for 21-plus courtesy of 116 Crown).

A Sunny Day in Glasgow

The evening show headliners play textured, dreamy (and sometimes ambient) pop music, which is strikingly current and fresh (some compare the new record to Animal Collective) — but there's an undeniable classic Brit-pop edge to it that may be explained by songwriter/band leader Ben Daniels' onetime UK residency.

"Music over there ... is just everywhere," Daniels explains. "It's so pervasive in the culture. There are a bunch of TV shows with awesome bands playing on them, the radio is just so, so, so much better than it is in America, and people there seem to be into a lot more kinds of music than the average American, I think."

Formed in 2006 and based in Philly, ASDiG have received plenty of press love during their three years as a band. Pitchfork has gushed over them, a fact Daniels admits has been a big help (Pitchfork's Andrew Gaerig described the new record Ashes Grammar as "nostalgic, jigsaw pop music from a group of writers strong enough to keep you humming and courageous enough to make you guess").

Ashes Grammar is a refinement of the ideas and attitudes presented in the band's first LP, Scribble Mural Comic Journal.

"With Scribble Mural, I recorded everything in my apartment with a crappy microphone and I thought of it all as though I was recording demos I would some day go back to and record more professionally," Daniels says. "But then you fall in love with the demos and can't imagine re-recording them. This time around I just stopped writing when I got some bare skeleton of a song finished, and then we fleshed it out during recording."

Daniels had a good scare last year when serious injuries to bassist Brice Hickey and Daniels' sister Robin (one of two lead singers) kept them from playing. His other sister Lauren (the second singer) left for grad school in Colorado, and it looked like things were grinding to a halt. But Daniels and drummer Josh Meakim plodded on and along came a new singer, Annie, with a breath of new life.

"We miraculously met Annie and everything just fell into place. It's a little scary, and if I were a fan of the band I'd be a little apprehensive, but I can promise that we've never before had such a dedicated and talented band."

The Tyler Trudeau Attempt

To catch up with TTA front man Brian LaRue, I had to look no farther than the next cubicle over here at the Advocate office. He was clutching a burned CD of the band's so-new-that-there's-only-one-existing-copy debut full-length album entitled Something, Anything Else. A true Frankenstein of an album, it was recorded at Firehouse 12, Dexter's Lab in Milford and an assortment of home studios. The recording process is officially finished, but the album still requires mastering and pressing before it can fall into public hands. I did hear one track, however, the first single "These Are Dark Times," and it's catchy as hell, sounds great and has the fleshed-out ideas and nuances needed to make it stand out.

The Metric Mile

Headlining the afternoon show, Brooklyn's The Metric Mile use drum machines, guitars and over-the-top '80s keyboard sounds to make their otherworldly shoegaze music. They cite Joy Division, OMD and My Bloody Valentine among their influences, and it shows. Listening to The Metric Mile makes you feel like it's 20 years ago, and you're basking in a most delightful depression. They sing in the style of Belle and Sebastian, gently and tucked away, like a shy child hiding behind his mother.

The Cavemen Go

Think about the Kinks and Elvis Costello, and if you smile, you'll probably be into The Cavemen Go. Following the requisite series of EPs, TCG finally released their debut full-length New Lives earlier this year, solidifying their place as one of the top bands in the state. They've got jangly guitars, oohs and ahs, playful melodies, truly thoughtful lyrics and just a touch of punk rock attitude.

FayRey

These girl-fronted rockers, loosely named after King Kong's real-life love interest, come partly from New York, partly from New Haven, and bring a touch of Velvet Underground/Sonic Youth rawness into the pop mix. Front-woman Lillian Fuchs is like a more credible Karen O, with a Kim Deal cuteness that makes her more human and likable than O. The drumming is primitive and pulsing, the guitars strange and angular. FayRey is the most aggressive band on the bill, and possibly the most original.

One Happy Island

These Bostonians have a keen ear for melody and an affinity for ukuleles and kazoos and other such silliness. Song titles currently posted on their MySpace page include "Laser Show," "Texas Toast," Temporary Tattoo" and "Mothball" — lighthearted, fun, cute stuff. In July, they played the Indietracks Festival in the U.K. alongside heavyweights like Camera Obscura and Teenage Fanclub. This will be the Elm City Popfest's peak of twee sensibilities for the day.

The Dayzies

A last minute replacement for The Sugarplums, The Dayzies' sound recalls bands like The Byrds, Big Star and Badfinger (all "B" bands. How strange) ... not to mention The Beatles and the Beach Boys. Members Steve Bunovsky and Dan Kohler both played in longtime local popsters The Naomi Star, so there is no lack of experience despite the newness of the band.