Noise Pollution: Seabed Time Machine, Bob Is Tired, Boss Cuts, Spittoon's 6th Anniversary, 8 Immortals Restaurant, Scar Constitution

May comes to an end, and that means muggy, hot days are right around the corner. So enjoy the weather while you can, and while you’re at it, enjoy a cold one in between sets at one of these fine establishments, where you can catch an array of acts this weekend – from smoldering disco-pop to face-melting surf rock. Here’s your weekend roundup.

Friday, May 28

The Upside Down 完美倒立, Young & Dumb 甜又丧, Seabed Time Machine 海底时光机 at Mao Livehouse

This Friday audiences can dance the night away to bubbly, synth-pop indie tunes that simmer courtesy of three rising acts. Chongqing’s The Upside Down has always had a nosier rock and roll streak beneath their disco synth veneer, giving their live sets kinetic and ethereal energy that's always ready to jump into the next beat with aplomb and gusto. Meanwhile, Xi’an’s Young & Dumb is a five-piece indie outfit that dips its toes into everything from introspective dream pop to jangly indie-pop, led by the dynamic and commanding yet gentle and affirming voice of Li Yimeng. Rounding out the bill is the Britpop-inflected indie-pop troupe Seabed Time Machine out of Ningbo, who bring a breezy charm to their soft yet potent melodies. 8pm. RMB 150/180

Bob Is Tired 逃走鲍伯, Default  缺省, The Hedwig 海德薇 at Omni Space

Indie rock with a soft touch – three diverse acts with a penchant for stirring tunes converge on Omni Space. Taiwanese noise rock outfit Bob is Tired conjures up a sound that calls to mind the Beatles and Weezer, however, they're also not afraid to toss in a bit of pop-punk and jazz-infused city pop into their high-energy rollicking summertime sound. Joining them will be Beijing's own indie stalwarts Default, who shed a good chunk of their shoegaze angst last year for more flavorsome indie pop, and newly formed synth-filled disco dream-pop outfit The Hedwig, who also happens to be the second Beijing-based band with an unhealthy Harry Potter obsession. 8pm. RMB 150/180

Boss Cuts, Pizza Face, The Ravages at UFO Space

Riding a wave of toxic mayhem through the streets of Beijing, surf rockers Boss Cuts give a heartfelt farewell tonight, which also sees the official release of their latest slice of guitar slide swimming, reverb-drenched, beat drumming insanity, Psycho Nite A-Go-Go!, a rollicking journey from deviant garage punk to Ennio Morricone-tributing psych-rock that never loses track of the coastline. Joining them will be none other than sweet and sour punk outfit Pizza Face, and garage trash psych outfit The Ravages. Shed a tear, drink a beer. 9pm. RMB 80/100

Ramblin' Roze at CloudNine

Pure unadulterated rock and roll, courtesy of Ramblin' Roze, the tight-jeaned, long-haired motley crew of Beijingers who know a thing or two about letting the good times roll. Often looking like they’ve stumbled out of a Guns & Roses music video, the seasoned veterans have been bringing their love for southern rock and heavy blues – with a dash of Sabbath for good measure – to legions of fans for years. 9pm. RMB 80/100

Saturday, May 29

The Samans 萨满 at Tango

Founded in 2006, Changchun’s The Samans have been at the forefront of China's folk metal scene, earning them the title of "Northwest King." With a sprawling, layered sound that centers around great myths, there’s a narrative pull to their grand arrangements and their sincere yet penetrating mash-up of Eastern and Western musical sensibilities. Fresh off their recent win as Most Popular Heavy Metal Act at the LPA Awards, the band is returning with their first full-length album in seven years, SAGAMONO, which is chock full of the band’s epic, soaring, growling, and riff-filled jams. FYI, you’ve got two chances to check out these legends on Friday and Saturday. 8pm. RMB 160

Spittoon Turns Six at Aotu Space

Join Spittoon for a celebration of six years of creativity in Beijing with a bash that kicks off in the day and goes long into the night, featuring rooftop readings by Spittoon event organizers, and mini Spit-Tunes performances, plus themed activities, games, workshops, and my personal favorite, literary drinking, a surefire way to get hammered and attempt to scale one of Aotu’s gorgeous trees. On the tuneful front, tape manipulator and live sampler Loooooongish Cat teams up with spoken word poet Kat, while the aptly named duo Poetry x Music – consisting of classical guitar maverick Liane Halton and poet wordsmith Anthony Tao – gives a performance accompanied by the visual stylings of Nina Dillenz. Congrats Spittoon! 3pm. Free

Bliss Illusion 虚极、Old Tea 老茶、Return to Bird 返鸟、The Left、 White Beers, Penguin 企鹅狗、Vanishing Dolphins 海豚消失了, Art Park Ban Lift 解禁艺术公园、Second Dream 第二场梦, SoulTrain、Golden Prune 金色西莓、Seven-pointed Star 七芒星 at Theater Space 21号戏剧空间

Someone seriously needs to scope out this spot for me! An outdoor music festival on the outskirts of Haidian and a stone’s throw away from the Summer Palace – sounds like one hell of an adventure. It’s an intriguing young-blooded lineup over at 21 Theater Space with a lineup featuring a ton of unfamiliar faces – likely university bands – which, honestly, is part of the appeal. Names that stand out are psych-infused instrumental rockers Old Tea, lo-fi indie-pop outfit Vanishing Dolphins, and what I’m guessing is the headliner, Buddhist scripture-inspired black metal troupe Bliss Illusion. Who’s up for a musical exploit? 2pm. RMB 78/98/118/138

NUBEER, Pure 纯, Chinatown 唐人街, Amber Worms 琥珀虫, The Prozax 百忧解 at School

School gets back to basics, dutifully fulfilling its role as an incubator for Beijing's always evolving and revolving rock scene. So get your bootstraps on and have yourself a good time with this no-frills lineup of unadulterated rock and roll featuring the likes of grunge pranksters Pure, whose madcap sets are a sight to behold, new school metal outfit NUBEER, ska-inflicted rockers Amber Worms, emocore band The ProzaX, and nu-metal troupe Chinatown. Yeah, it’s 1999 all over again! 8.30pm. RMB 100/150

Ember Swift at Jianghu Bar

Known for her unique, jazz-influenced guitar playing and elastic vocals, the Canadian-born Beijing-based singer-songwriter Ember Swift has been a fixture of the capital's music scene for years, releasing an array of LPs and melding Mandarin, English, and French into one intoxicating package. 9pm. RMB 60/80

Sunday, May 30

The Chocolate Factory巧克力工厂, 8 Immortals Restaurant 八仙饭店, The Bootlegs 靴腿 at Yue Space

White Cat Laundry, Modern Sky’s offshoot indie rock label that’s been picking up steam over the past year, helps welcome in summer with a sexy little lineup full of incoming bands that have been knocking socks off left and right. On the bill, you’ve got math rockers The Chocolate Factory out of Shaoxing, who bring a warm-hued touch to their knotty rhythms and innovative arrangements, as well as Qingdao’s The Bootlegs, whose jangly reverb-heavy lo-fi indie-pop hits every time. Representing Beijing is female-fronted 8 Immortals Restaurant, the local indie rock outfit that giddily wallows in the waters of grunge, stoner, garage, and psychedelic rock. Gig of the week in my opinion. 8pm. RMB 100/150

Hind Brain 反骨, Dressed to Kill 剃刀边缘, Basement Queen 地下室女王, Grey Silence 灰寂 at School

Sunday gets heavy with this bonafide badass lineup featuring grunge home wreckers Hind Brain, known for their riotous, derelict, and downright rugged sound, speed metal purveyors Dressed to Kill, rising metalcore stars Grey Silence, who is about to kick off a nationwide tour, and blues-ridden garage rockers Basement Queen. You can always count on School to keep a day of rest rowdy for all the sinners out there. 8.30pm. RMB 80/100

Scar Constitution 瘢痕体质, Dream Spirit梦灵, Devil Mask 画皮, Kiss Moment 甜蜜暴击 at Mao Livehouse

Speaking of keeping things heavy, Mao Livehouse isn’t messing around tonight with this metal fan dream lineup featuring seasoned Mongolian heavy metal troupe Dream Spirit, Jinzhou metal torchbearers Scar Constitution, costumed anti-war industrial metal outfit Devil Mask, and emerging Suzhou emocore outfit Kiss Moment, who despite their name, have a pretty good sound. 7.30pm. RMB 120/160

Slap 耳光 at Omni Space

Genre-hopping, satirical cross-talking folk-rock outfit, Slap, who have been going strong since 1998, slowly emerged as one of the scene’s best-kept secrets, amassing a massive diehard fanbase over the years. Chinese rock through and through, if you’re looking to scratch that yaogun itch then Slap is the band for you. As they state, "rock is medicine, so get your shot." 8.30pm. RMB 150/180

QianZi 签子, Eric Allen, DaGun 大滚at Aotu Space

Get unplugged this Sunday and unwind with these acoustics sets from some of Beijing’s finest singer-songwriters including Qianzi, the lead singer and guitarist for indie rock outfit Auburn who hit it big with their debut release last month. He’ll be showcasing his solo work alongside Eric Allen, Beijing’s ambassador of traditional American Blues, and urban folk singer Da Gun. 8pm. RMB 80/100

READ: Maria Nauen Talks Life as a Conductor, Author, and Educator Ahead of BICO Anniversary Concerts

Images: Live China Music, courtesy of the organizers