Results tagged “chineserock”

This week, escape the Shanghai rainstorms by exploring Norwegian electro funk, learning about traditional Chinese medicine, or trying to score some free booze by playing pool and beer pong. Just don't forget to stop by the Shanghaiist Happy Hour on Tuesday, when we pay our tribute to the late John Hughes.

As China's indie music scene has grown ever larger and more varied, blogs have popped up to keep us English-language speakers in the know. We've long relied on China Music Radar and Rock in China Wiki, as well as Kungfuology (both Andy Best and now Jake Newby) and SmartShanghai and a host of other sites we're probably just forgetting right now - feel free to add them in comments.

In a music industry complicated by media censorship, internet piracy, and a mainstream aversion to anything outside of mando-pop, PK14 is refreshingly honest. When asked how the band handles such political and commercial pressures, front man Yang Haisong replied “we just write what we feel like writing.” Yang's approach to music is not complicated by external pressures but rather by his own motivation to say what he feels needs to be said.

Life Journey, a Modern Sky band hailing from Liuzhou, Guangxi, will play at the Yuyintang bar on Friday night. The band released their first self-titled CD last year, followed by a new four-song EP, “Waiting For You For Dinner.”

                                       

Midi Festival commenced at Zhenjiang this year, a mere 11 hours away from Beijing by train. Musical highlights on May 1 included Shouren (Thin Man) and Cui Jian doing an extended set. Other things I will remember: the singer of Turdus Musicus tangled in his microphone cord, trying to get through into the audience past a panicked security line and members of Mike TV tripping over the phrase "niu bi" (eventually it was decipherable enough to understand). Beer and kebobs were available. All in all, the first day of the festival was a well-organized affair. Who knew Zhenjiang could rock?

It's been a good two years since Beijing-based punk rockers Carsick Cars released their first self-titled album on the Maybe Mars label. Since then, they've been written up in the foreign press, they were handpicked to open for open for Sonic Youth (though, sadly, the government stepped in there and pulled them out), and they've headlined the JUE Festival... and still, up until just now, there's been no music video!

                        

We were lucky enough to catch Hedgehog, one of China's finest bands, rocking their short and spiky pop-rock at Yu Yin Tang this Saturday. We hope they come down from Beijing to visit us again soon!

City Weekend has an interesting look at some of the troubles that face Chinese bands trying to widen their appeal abroad. Recently, Wuhan punk band SMZB had an opportunity to tour the U.S. after being invited to participate at Washington D.C.'s Shamrock Festival. Unfortunately, they never made it there, thanks to visa problems: