Noise Pollution: sourtower, Uncle Hu, Labor Glory, Mysterain, Zhaoze, Radical Spinz

Gigs are coming in thick and fast as 2020 slowly wraps up – everything from mohawked street punk via the beaches of Qingdao to delicately layered guqin-led post-rock out of Guangzhou. My suggestion: Turn up the volume, drone out whatever hurdles the year has thrown you, and jump headfirst into the purified waters of live music here in Beijing. Here’s your weekend update.

Thursday, Dec 17

Sourtower, Lost Memory Machine at Jing-A (CBD)

Jing-A turns their CBD Taproom back bar into a cozy livehouse this winter as they look to curate "intimate live shows featuring acoustic sets and gossamer pop from some of their favorite local artists." For their debut showcase, they’ve rounded up two of nugget records’ finest – sourtower, with her stoic blend of cold wave thrills, psychedelic unease, and lo-fi indie electronic minimalism, and Lost Memory Machine, a lo-fi indie-pop duo consisting of Wuhan-based singer Shii and nugget record ringmaster David Carey (of Nocturnes). Expect toasty indietronica and an assortment of special beers on tap. 8.30pm. RMB 40/50 (includes drink)

COOLFASHIONMUSIC at Aotu Space

Shanghai-based electronic audio/visual duo COOLFASHIONMUSIC bring their dark, tongue in cheek, twisty "rabid pop music for people who are too cool to admit they like pop music." Equal parts abrasive and playful, with a morbid streak running through, the duo uses everything from text-based live-coding to a musical saw to fill their madcap world. Color me intrigued. 9pm. RMB 50/70

Friday, Dec 18

Dreaming Julie 发梦茱莉, Zhang Qianqian张浅潜, Acid Accident 酸性事件 at Omni Space

Dreaming Julie, the madcap freak jazz trio made up of renowned experimental and jazz figures Feng Hao, Liu Ping, and Yang Tao celebrates five years together. Punk in the purest sense, when I caught them earlier this autumn I doubled over in laughter at the satirical edge found in both their visuals and their discordant sound. Joining them for the night is veteran folk songstress Zhang Qianqian and the ever-electrifying and stimulating instrumental rock outfit Acid Accident. 8.30pm. RMB 100/120

2D Foil 二向箔, secret nugget band at nugget café

Expanding on the shoegaze and dream pop foundations instilled by new generations of reverb-trigger-happy kids in China, 2D-Foil plants a sharp pop sensibility beneath the flowery gloss and ethereal haze of their sound. The band’s diverse palette – from bubbly electronic beats to slick momentum-building chords – looks to keep audiences bewitched tonight at nugget café where they’ll join a special indie-pop duo whose name rhymes with Cost Emory Vaccine. You get the picture. 9pm. RMB 60/70

Uncle Hu, MFMAchine at Yue Space

Calling to mind everyone from Elliot Smith to Kurt Vile, there’s a keen appreciation of the mechanics of classic rock and roll songwriting as well as the lo-fi alt-rock scenes that have emerged over the past decades with Uncle Hu, the Beijing-based singer-songwriter who has been going strong for quite some time. Fresh off their latest EP The National Moment, the band hits the road, bringing their rustic charm to venues around China. Tight arrangements, instrumentation that’s both effortless and deft, and bittersweet and sardonic lyricism that sneaks up on you with potency, there’s a whole lot going on under the hood of these talented indie-rockers. Support from up and coming lo-fi indie-pop dreamers MFMachine. 8.30pm. RMB 80/100

Bayan Dalai 巴彦达莱, Gu Yuanhao 古元昊 at fRUITYSPACE

Long-standing Xinjiang-raised Mongolian musician Bayan Dalai, known for his imposing presence and voice in Mongolian grassland troupe Horse Radio, as well as the more avant-garde experimental folk duo december3am, bewitched listeners earlier this year with his solo debut, Kimel. Tracing the artist’s bond with the grasslands and the shaman gods that occupy them, there’s a quiet beauty to the atmosphere Bayan Dalai is able to conjure here, exploring the outer edges of his ancestors’ music and finding solace in every word, every guitar chord, and the spaces that fill the void in between. 9pm. RMB 60

Labor Glory 劳动光荣, BaoQing 暴青, PizzaFace 披萨脸, Kidz Factory at School

School leans into their "bad education" trappings with a riotous, rambunctious, and surely intoxicated evening of no-frills rock and roll that’ll have your grandma doing backflips into a glass of whiskey. Or something. Whatever the case, you’ve got football jersey-wearing ultras punk band Labor Glory, the explosive and almighty PizzaFace, and two guests – old-school punks Kidz Factory from Tianjin and Changhha punk torchbearers BaoQing, whose music acts as both a rallying cry and a hell of a good time. 9pm. RMB 60/80

Gum Bleed, Return The Truth, Cherry Mor at Temple

One of Beijing’s most prominent punk bands and one of my personal favorites is Gum Bleed, who has been going strong for nearly 14 years. Originally from Shijiazhuang, the band has performed just about everywhere – from Europe to the far reaches of China – bringing their spirited and impassioned brand of punk with them. They’re back and ready to terrorize Temple alongside kinetic pop-punks Cherry Mor and hardcore veterans Return The Truth. 9pm. RMB 60

Saturday, Dec 19

Surface Crisis 表象危机, Deprive 剥夺,  Naonaosi 脑脑死, Dummy Toys 人形玩偶, Loudspeaker 扩音器, BBQ 二逼四重奏, Spill Your Guts 真言, Bad Tailor 坏裁缝 at Yue Space

Hardcore punk, power violence, crust, D-beat, crossover thrash, grindcore, sludgecore, street punk – if any of those genres perk up your ears then you best head over to Yue Space where the Hard Stick HC&PV Fest has rounded up a Molotov cocktail of a lineup featuring some of the most deviant acts out there – from the all-girl street punk drudgery and aplomb of Qingdao’s Dummy Toys to the deranged visceral mayhem of Wuhan’s Naonaosi – a collision course of grindcore, hardcore, and punk that’s unhinged in the best possible way. Or how about the newly reunited Spill Your Guts out of Shanghai, a lean muscular pummeling of thundering drums, savage hardcore screams, and metal worthy guitar riffs that’s a glorious middle finger to the world. The sky’s the limit tonight – bring your game face. 7.30pm. RMB 130/150/180

Mysterain 小雨, Suffocated 窒息, Dream Spirit 梦灵, The Dark Prison Massacre 暗狱戮尸, Leviathan利维坦, Bloody Woods 血森林, Dressed To Kill 剃刀边缘, BlissIllusion 虚极, Ephemerality 朝生暮死, Incremate 焚葬 at Tango

Perhaps not the biggest metal festival to be held in China, but arguably one of the most prominent, 330 Metal Festival returns with a vengeance! The longstanding indoor fest with nearly 20 years under its belt is at it again with a hefty filling of all things metal. Besides established and respected acts like thrash metal veterans Suffocated, Xi’an deathcore giants Leviathan, and Guangzhou symphonic metal band Mysterain, other killer bands have slowly climbed their way to the top like atmospheric black metal band Bliss Illusion, brutal metal outfit The Dark Prison Massacre, and many more looking to do the deed. 3pm. RMB 230/280

Three Kings 老K蛋, The Hotline热浪 at School

Rising rock and roll stars Three Kings, who hail from Taiyuan, bring their rustic and earnest sound to School as they kick off their nationwide tour. With shades of surf rock, post-punk, ska, and more, their style ignites upon impact and digs deep. Joining the band on their tour is none other than seasoned electro-rock outfit The Hotline, who know a thing or two about engaging audiences. 9pm. RMB 80/100

C.T.M.D. 草堂弥渡, Cocklebur苍耳 at UFO Space

True veterans of the underground rock and roll scene, the prestigious "Bronze" band, whose works are cited as "gorgeous and heavy, noble and elegant," have been around for 30 years. First getting their start in Renmin University, the band morphed and shed their skin over the decades, eventually turning into C.T.M.D. Check them out alongside rustic rockers Cocklebur. 9pm. RMB 80/95

Sunday, Dec 20

Zhaoze 沼泽 at Omni Space

Ever since we first heard that pluck of the guqin on their 2011 opus, 1911, we’ve been diehard fans of Zhaoze. The Guangzhou post-rock band has been on a roll since then, with one mammoth release after another. Two years back they put out Birds Contending, a 42-minute track recorded in a forest in Belgium, and earlier this fall they released their newest single, "Wind Knows Me," continuing to take the band’s signature sound of guqin-laced post-rock and up the ante, finding new avenues to explore while also providing spellbinding intervals that stir the soul before plunging headfirst into the abyss. Simply put, Zhaoze is regarded as one of the post-rock scene’s most defining and distinctive bands here in China. 8.30pm. RMB 180

Peace Hotel 和平饭店, Loft Youth 阁楼演奏班, 2D-Foil 二向箔, 2nd Unit-Sixth Floor at Yue Space

A delectable evening of indie featuring some of this year’s breakout stars including Hefei based synth-waving indie-pop outfit Peace Hotel, fresh off their debut and a sold-out tour across China, and Qingdao’s Loft Youth, who have tweaked their post-rock sound over the past year, adding city pop flavors and you guessed it, synths! Rounding out the bill is Beijing dream poppers 2D-Foil and Unit 2, Floor 6, out of Nanjing, whose anthemic horn-filled debut EP put them on lots of peoples’ radars. 8pm. RMB 130/160

Radical Spinz 无敌风火轮, BossFirst领导先走, Metropolis大都会, ShowHand梭哈 at School

Pop rock, city pop, and skateboard punk stylings tonight at School with this bright-colored, sugar rush of a lineup featuring Beijing 80s evoking city pop outfit Metropolis, Tianjin pop-punks BossFirst joining their brethren Radical Spinz, and dance punks ShowHand. Expect upbeat, energetic melodies and enough spunk to get you to work on Monday morning. 8.30pm. RMB 80/100

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Images: Vinkwan (via Mysterain) courtesy of the organizers