Signs pointing to the fact that it has: The constant shut downs of the OV Gallery, Ai Weiwei's studio being demolished after he stirred up political controversy and Top Floor Circus not getting to sing their satirical Expo song. Okay, yes, we agree that the Expo sucked some of the sense of humor out of Shanghai officials - but we're not sure the city had an "artsy edge" to begin with. The only examples this writer is able to find seems to be from pre-CCP days, which are great, but also don't exactly mean much in this modern context. more ›

Nothing against Carsick Cars mind you, but it's kind of annoying that they (and the Beijing scene) always seem to hog the stage in international media. Finally, finally, a report on Shanghai's thriving indie rock scene has been spotted... on The Miami Herald. The Mushrooms and Top Floor Circus are mentioned and the piece goes in detail about the worries the local scene has about the Expo. Worth a read! more ›

Jake Newby is Associate Editor of the new Time Out Shanghai (which features more on the acts Duck Fight Goose and Boys Climbing Ropes in their January launch issue). He also runs his own music blog at Kungfuology.com, where this article is also posted. more ›

Given how sensitive officials are about the Shanghai World Expo (we hear from one anonymous magazine worker that the slightest jokes about Haibao are censured heavily from even expat mags), we suppose this news is kind of inevitable. Still, it is to our great disappointment to hear that Top Floor Circus' anti-Shanghai tune, Shanghai Doesn't Welcome You is now nowhere to be found. more ›

Among the songs Shanghai art-punk band Top Floor Circus (顶楼马戏团) performed to a cheering crowd at Mao Livehouse this weekend was an update of their song "Shanghai Welcomes You" (which we giggled about back in August). If you thought the old version was biting, iteration two, named "Shanghai Doesn't Welcome You" adds on the negativity. more ›

WEDNESDAY more ›

Shanghai art-punk band Top Floor Circus (顶楼马戏团) is out filming a new MV for a song that ought to hit close to home. Called "Shanghai Welcomes You" (上海欢迎你), it's an alternative Expo anthem and a parody of Beijing's Olympic theme 上海欢迎你. Shanghaiist contributor Jake Newby translated some of the lyrics on his new music blog (which, by the way, also features more about what Top Floor Circus is up to in the city): more ›

The forthcoming holiday means that the weekend is coming early for a lot of us. For music fans, it's coming even earlier with a solid five days of gigs starting tonight for anyone who's not heading out of town for Midi or the other festivals taking place around China. There's more mid-week action next week as well, which we're very excited about but will keep under our hat for now. A full weekend run-down, including the Straigh Oota Canada shows will be here on Friday as usual, but here's what's going on tonight and tomorrow: more ›

Things are showing no sign of slowing down live music-wise at the moment. The next few weeks are going to see the long awaited Hard Queen EP release party, Battles with PK14 and their new proteges and a welcome return for Re-TROS. Then there's the 5th anniversary of Shanghai's premier noise outfit Torturing Nurse to look forward to, which is bound to be crazy. Meanwhile a new album will see the always brilliant Hedgehog heading to Shanghai on April 11th. Not only that, next weekend will see Fucked Up in town. They're out in Nanjing this weekend at the Castle Bar if you fancy hopping on the high speed train to go see them but if you decide to wait until they hit Shanghai, there's plenty to keep you occupied here while you wait. more ›

For any one who (us included) who missed the eArts festival opening last weekend in Shanghai with free performances by Dead J and others, tonight is your chance at redemption. Screen Play, a mashup of film footage and computer animation, is performed to by Top Floor Circus, Elliott Sharp and fellow musicians. Taking place in Xujiahui Park, things kick off at 7:30pm and the best part....it is all free. more ›

This may get to you too late (unfortunately we have a 9 to 5 and can't blog on demand), but tonight, instead of sitting on your ass in front of the computer, stop by The Shelter and witness their first experiment with a four-piece (or more) band. Angry Jerks (last seen playing in Shanghai in March of 2007) from Nanjing, one of the tightest punk outfits this side of the Pacific, will be joined by those always pleasant Boys Climbing Ropes (we hear they like to climb ropes because of that special tingling sensation they get in their pants). more ›

With the holiday season in full swing things usually slow down in the music scene. But this weekend there are a few shows that should get us through to the New Year. more ›

For a second straight week Shanghaiist has missed our Friday deadline, oops. The good news is that Saturday is when all the really good stuff happens. more ›

Due to multiple requests (total of two, and one was me) here is more golden week festival news. The previously mention Hop Festival has gotten an official name...so....let it hence forth be referred to as the Yue Festival. Ticket prices are set at 140rmb for students, 280rmb advanced purchase and 360rmb at the gate. Rock-ing has also released their ticket prices and they range from 280-880 depending on how special you want to feel. For those who are worried about getting to Zhujiajiao and back to see the 1234 Beach Rock Festival, your sleepless nights are over! Promoters have promised to keep the complimentary shuttle buses running to Shanghai Stadium late into the night. Shanghai isn't the only Chinese city to catch festival fever. Modern Sky in Beijing will also be hosting a 3 day festival at Haidian Park that first week in October. Rumored headliners are the Yeah Yeah Yeah's and Mogwai. We will keep our ear to the underground and keep you updated on the freshest festival news (aren't we clever? we can string words that rhyme into sentences!). more ›

Shanghai, typically a live music wasteland, is preparing for a gaggle (Shanghaiist has the hippest vocabulary) of music festivals, all scheduled for the normally dead October Golden weekend. Get ready for 4...yes, count'em....f-o-u-r....music festivals, with some pretty damn exciting bands. more ›

As the weekend starts Shanghaiist is giddy with excitement. Not because this weekend is overly exciting (though there are a few good shows out there), but because this weekend marks the unofficial end of the summer music drought. Next week Coolio and Avril Lavigne with both be in town (where are our media passes?), AK-47 along with Brain Failure and Top Floor Circus will hold a special pre-1234 Beach Rock party and the following week the SUBS will be back in town. September gets even better, though Shanghaiist will be in Beijing to catch the New York Dolls, NIN, Mando Diao, PE and Markey Ramone, Shanghai shouldn't feel left out....the Exploited will be playing at 4Live in September in what will be a shat (replace the a with an i) kicking good time. Ok, enough of what is coming in the near future, let’s get down to what is happening this weekend. more ›

We'll keep this quick. It's beautiful outside and half-price beers await. more ›

Sensing that our caffeine levels were low, we recently made trip to the convenience store at the end of the block. There we saw Christina Aguilera on the cover of a magazine on the bottom of the rack, which upon closer inspection was the new Chinese Rolling Stone. You might recall that we wrote about this back in late March, after the inaugural issue came out with Cui Jian on the cover. They ran into problems with the publications authorites back then, and it looked like that even coming out with a second issue was going to be a problem. more ›

Not that we’ve ever taken Shanghai for being un-eclectic, but a weekend of 80s themes (anyone else find Peijin attractive in cinnamon rouge?), skateboarding in Fuxing Park and experimental electronic at Live Bar (?) on the Lord’s Day leaves us most un-loquacious. more ›

We are beginning to tire of starting off posts with what seems to be an ongoing Chinese soap opera (sans “Da Shan” scandal) with Tanghui -- but it seems to be something every weekend. Just in case you left before the end of the Second Hand Rose show, word on the streets says you missed "the man” coming in and taking away the drum set (or part of it, at least) from the controversial rockers (yes, the cops came in and took the band's drums ... or at least that is what we have heard ... from reliable-although-likely-slightly-intoxicated sources). Always impressive when any band draws more heat than Top Floor Circus (Saturday’s opening band known for showing their, erm, openings). more ›

Admittedly, we attended the Black Eyed Peas show with a detached sense of superiority -- but ask anyone, even those of us who don’t “get” hip-hop, it was, to quote the girl behind us, “a show that made my summer”. Parts of the show that made us forget about those annoying glow sticks? more ›

GigShanghai: A blues messianic, Recycled music, nose fetishes more ›

GigShanghai: West Virginia house, German metal and ass beer more ›

If you've recently moved to Shanghai and you like live music, you don't know how good you've got it. Sure, the scene isn't great yet -- some might argue that it isn't even good -- but at least there is a scene. Two years ago, maybe even a year ago, we couldn't say that. But now there are live music offerings almost every night of week here, and things are only going to get better. We watched Norwegian indie-rockers The Mayflies (not to be confused with The Mayflies USA) play at Live Bar last night, and they were great -- a legitimate band we would have paid to see at one of our old haunts back in Atlanta or Athens, Georgia, where we were never wanting for quality live music. more ›

Jon Campbell, a super nice bearded guy who we met at the Abigail Washburn/Bela Fleck gig in November, writes a column called "Foreign Devil" for the American music website PopMatters. A couple of weeks ago, he posted a story about Top Floor Circus (顶楼马戏团), a folk-cum-punk band from Shanghai. "The band was from Shanghai, for goodness' sake," Campbell writes, "and everyone in Beijing knows that good rock bands come from anywhere but Shanghai." Yes, Campbell is based in Beijing, where this gig took place. more ›