The first dates for the Gagster's Born This Way Ball Tour have been announced, with the first stop on the 110-date tour to kick off in Seoul on April 27th. As it stands, Ms. Gaggle's only brush with the Chinese market will take place in at Asia World Arena in Hong Kong on May 2nd, the second stop on her world-eating extravaganza. more ›

Watched that video of the five young North Korean accordionists' rendition of A-ha's Take On Me and still haven't had enough? Now, here's a North Korean group named Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble performing Modern Talking's Brother Louie! more ›

Remember that video of the five young North Korean accordionists' rendition of A-ha's Take On Me? It's totally gone viral since we showed it to you last Friday (watch it if you haven't!). Evan Ramstad, the Wall Street Journal's Seoul correspondent, caught up with Morten Traavik, the artist behind the performance that will soon open at Barents Spektakel, an international arts fest in Norway. He writes of Traavik's long labour of love in making the project happen: more ›

A group of young accordion players from Pyongyang's Kum Song School perform Take On Me by A-ha as part of a multi-genre project that opens next week at Barents Spektakel, an arts festival in Norway. Seriously, now. What would the Dear Leader think as he looks down on this from wherever he is now in socialist paradise? more ›

English translation with thanks to China Digital Times. Click the "CC" button if you do not see the captions. more ›

Yesterday, we saw a full-page advertisement in Apple Daily Hong Kong that has raised tensions between Hong Kongers and mainlanders to a fever pitch. The truth is, "anti-locust" sentiment had been simmering below the surface for a long while in the city, way before the recent Dolce & Gabbanna protests and the Kong Qingdong hoopla. The swarming, migratory insect has been used as a label for the people from the mainland that have come to crowd the streets of Hong Kong and are perceived to deplete the scarce resources of the city, leaving poorer locals to fall through the cracks. Last year, the above song "Locust World" went viral in Hong Kong as its lyrics struck a chord with what locals felt they've had to put up with in the onslaught of a "mainland invasion". It's now available with English subtitles thanks to Youtuber iloathelilyallen. more ›

Whether you take your indie pop rock West coast from your dorm room or East coast from your grungy Brooklyn apartment, Shanghai has something for all of you come this spring! Following the enormous names at Black Rabbit last year, Split Works keeps hauling them in for 2012 - this time in the form of US indie sensations Death Cab for Cutie and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. more ›

Lots on for this weekend! Big hiphop parties at Shelter and Zeal, including one of France's most renowned hiphop DJs, Cut Killer. There are also plenty of opportunities to enrich your cultural side: check out two ballets, participate in some CNY activities, or try a tour through old Shanghai. And if that's still not enough, head over to our calendar for more! more ›

Midweek Music Preview is our weekly rundown of everything happening on stages across the city. On the docket this week: Local musicians release an 18-band compilation CD with two nights of concerts, Cold Fairyland plays Yuyintang, and some Mongolian garage rock rounds us out on Sunday! Read on for details, or head over to our calendar for more. more ›

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We're not huge fans of dubstep, but we have to admit this guy's a great dancer. Furthermore, he was in China promoting a good cause (raising money for students who want to study abroad) so perhaps dubstep is in some ways good aftera-WUBWUBWUB WUUUB WUBWUBWUB. more ›

Taiwan's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party has released a new music video urging voters to show up at the polls to vote for Taiwan's future.Lyrics after the jump... more ›

NMA's latest music video, "No girls born in China anymore", a country-style ode to the one-child policy. more ›

The Shelter turns four this week and they're celebrating with two nights of sweaty dancing and some excellent international DJs. Speaking of international DJs, DJ Jazzy Jeff is in town this weekend for Hip Hop Hijack at Zeal! If DJs aren't your thing, you can also check out the TGIF party with ECNU students at Node, BEAN's bike crawl for charity, M50's music and art festival, an intro to Peking Opera, plenty of music, and parties galore! And if that's still not enough, head over to our calendar for more! more ›

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At a temple dormitory in Zhejiang, a trio of monks calling themselves “Buddha's End Band" (佛涯组合) sing "Song of the Wanderer" (游子吟), an original song written and composed by the monks. We're really digging the wooden fish rhythm accents and the oneness of their enlightened harmony. more ›

Looking to keep the post-Turkey Day party going? Zeal brings two leading European house artists to the stage this Friday, and Bar Rouge turns seven years young on Saturday. Meanwhile, D10 will host to a Facebook party, and there'll be free VPN's handed out at the party! To top it all off, NFL players are giving free clinics and signing autographs at Shanghai Stadium on Sunday. And if that's still not enough, head over to our calendar for more. more ›

Cutting edge music comes to Shanghai this Saturday night when the "King of UK bass music", Neil Landstrumm, performs live with local undergound techno crew, VOID. Shanghaiist caught up with the Edinburgh native on the eve of his second visit to the city, to hear his thoughts on the current electronic music scene, the differences between Shanghai and New York, noodles, faceless techno bollocks, adrenalin-pumping live electronics, and jelly botties. more ›

Midweek Music Preview is our weekly rundown of everything happening on stages across the city. On the docket this week: we have Soul II Soul Soundsystem kicking off their November edition of Mao Livehouse's Club Night, then Rocksgiving, Laura Jansen's China tour, and the Shanghai debuts of Mogwai and Trail of Tears! And if that's still not enough, head over to our calendar for more. more ›

This is going to be a packed weekend, with improv comedy from Chicago, ShanghaiExpat's Salsa Night, a 1930's Shanghai party, a Ministry of Sound warehouse party, and a brunch wrap up to the weekend at The Westin. And if that's still not enough, head over to our calendar for more. more ›

Looks like Scissor Sisters' infectious disco jams aren't quite the Ministry of Culture's cup of tea! The New York queens didn't get their Chinese entry visa approved, meaning their show next month at the Mixing Room & Muse has been canceled. The ghost of Björk haunts us still! more ›

By popular demand from the netizens who loaned him money, dissident-artist Ai Weiwei sings an ode to the caonima, or Grass Mud Horse. The phrase is the homonym of a profanity you use to greet the mothers of people you don't like. Today is the deadline for Ai's 15million RMB tax bill. Watch this space. more ›

Midweek Music Preview is our weekly rundown of everything happening on stages across the city. On the docket this week: Friend or Foe album release concert, HEALTH plays a free show if you can get tickets, Wooozy sessions are back with rock from Wuhan, and local grunge on Single's Day! Read on for all the details, or check out our calendar for more. more ›

International music acts are descending en masse on Shanghai this weekend. Steve Aoki, Slugabed, T-1000 and more (including some RnB artist from the UK). Hard mode: can you catch them all? Nightmare mode: can you do that and also get your social responsibility on by helping out at Rivers of Hearts or JAR Animal Adoption Day? And if that's still not enough, head over to our calendar for more. more ›

Midweek Music Preview is our weekly rundown of everything happening on stages across the city. On the docket this week: The Akoncert, a Friend or Foe album preview, Icelandic dream pop in the form of Pascal Pinon, and Androsace releases their new CD! Read on for all the details, or check out our calendar for even more. more ›

Midweek Music Mreview is our weekly rundown of everything happening on stages across the city. On the docket this week: The 5th annual Halloween rock tribute concert, French post-rock, Japanese speed metal, and Boys Noize returns to Shanghai! Read on for details, or head over to our calendar for more. more ›

Far away from the American pop-culture epicenter, there are a few artists whose voices manage to be heard no matter where you might find yourself in the world. For the past few years, Beyonce's jerky soprano has been one of them, Lady Gaga's drone has been another. But amongst the males, Akon's reed-inflected voice, more than the sound of other artists, has been part of the global pop-culutre lexicon from Berlin to Beijing. more ›

If you're interested in being part of the team that's putting on next year's Jue Festival taking place in Shanghai and Beijing, then here are the details. Split Works, the same people who brought you the Black Rabbit Festival, is looking for passionate interns who're way LEET when it comes to Chinese and international alternative music, and also possess the requisite language skills, ability to work in a team, and other such employment jargon. more ›