Noise Pollution: Los Crasher, Favours!, Agoraphobia, Xiao Wang, Cui Longyang, Sound Fragment
After a long winter, spring has finally sprung! Ditch those long johns, part ways with that cotton sweater, and get out there folks. They don't call it spring fever for nothing! And with the music scene back in full swing, there's no better time than now to venture out and soak up some new tunes. So whether your poison is jangly surf pop, exuberant and volatile punk rock, or apocalyptic synth doom, Beijing has you covered.
Friday, Mar 26
Los Crasher at Omni Space
Beijing-based Los Crasher seems to have emerged from another era – more specifically the late 70s and early 80s when glam metal and old school hard rock was at the height of their power. It’s surreal, sleazy, and pretty friggin rad when all is said and done. The band, which has been stomping around Beijing for a decade, received a boost in their fanbase after appearing on last summer’s The Big Band. But really – it’s the tight jeans, harmonica, and bandanas that have folks clamoring. 8.30pm. RMB 120
Rustic, The Hotline热浪, Secret Club秘密俱乐部 at Mao Livehouse
Charismatic, shameless, and ever so slightly sweet – rock and roll unfiltered is the name of the game as a trio of acts whose years on the grind have paid off. Rustic, led by the charismatic (and very off-kilter) Li Yan aka Lucifer, bring their ramshackle assortment of blues, hip-hop, garage rock, and old-time rock and roll to the stage alongside electro pop-rockers The Hotline and Britpop crooners Secret Club. 8pm. RMB 138
FAVOURS! at Yue Space
Xiamen indie rockers Favours! have been on a tear as of late, attracting a wide berth of fans over the years while honing their sound which mixes elements of psych, disco, house, and electro-rock. The four-piece band is on their latest tour, and based on their deluge of singles last year there’s no question these cats are operating at full capacity and firing on all cylinders. 8pm. RMB 80/100
All Unknown 不明身份, Phoebe 非比, Ideal & Diablo 理想真魔王, Heartland 内心深处, Hard Candy Revolution 硬糖革命 at School
Expect a raucous celebration over at School – which is rolling right into it music-wise – as they host female-fronted glam rockers Hard Candy Revolution, indie-pop troupe All Unknown, Britpop-inflicted indie rockers Ideal & Diablo, up and coming pop-rock outfit Phoebe, and more. 9pm. RMB 80/100
Saturday, Mar 27
Agoraphobia 广场恐惧症, Red & White红白色, Heat Mark 热斑, The尺口MP at Mao Livehouse
I know a sleeper gig when I see one and Mao’s indie rock platter over in Wukesong might just be it. The most notable slot to the lineup is Fuzhou "leisure-pop trio’" THE 尺口MP (aka The Romp) whose lo-fi indie charms are full of jangly surf rock, shoegaze riff-raff, and plenty of dream pop reverb. It's rare to get them this far up north and supposedly they've been quietly working on their new album. Rounding out the lineup are Beijing emo noise-rockers Agoraphobia, who have upped their game considerably over the past year, sultry garage rock veterans Heat Mark, and Lanzho new wave indie rockers Red & White. 8pm. RMB 130/150
Dirty Moon, Pizza Face, Xiao Wang小王 at School
Female rockers rule the night with this Harley-Quinn wild-eyed tailspin of performers who have a knack for burning down the house. Indulge in the riotous sugar-rush razor-blade-filled genre-bending punk rock of Pizza Face and Xiao Wang, who furiously blend everything from dream pop, pop-rock, studious hardcore, J-rock, and Kawaiicore. Joining them will be Dirty Moon, whose brazen mix of indie rock, dubstep, breakbeat, hip-hop blues, future bass, and more is dizzying. 9pm. RMB 90/120
Guiguisuisui, The Ravages, SHA! at UFO Space
Psych, garage, and inter-dimensional performance art! Guiguisuisui, whose electric psych and synth-filled apocalyptic soundscapes are a feast for both the eyes and ears, return for their first show of the year (and celebrating its hooded creator’s birthday) with the help of garage trash psych outfit The Ravages (featuring members from Hazemaze, Oldy Baby, Poetry x Music, and Boss Cuts), and prog rock shakers SHA! Expect good ol' birthday party mayhem. 9pm. RMB 70/90
Ember Swift at CloudNine
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 Beijing music scene for years, releasing an array of LPs and melding Mandarin, English, and French into one intoxicating package. Her latest Mid-March Madness drops tonight. 9pm. RMB 100/120
Cui Longyang 崔龙阳, Windsor Forest 温莎森林, Li Rui 李锐, Seagull 海鸥, Sophie's Garden 苏菲花园, Shandalu No. 85山大路85号, Longjin 龍錦 at Mei Live
Xidan’s newest ray of hope, Mei Live, continues to establish itself with a mammoth lineup of veteran pop, rock, and folk outfits. On the long-winded bill are rustic indie-pop band Seagull, reggae-pop group Longjin, Britpop lovers Windsor Forest, tender urban pop from Cui Longyang, and much more. 7pm. RMB 60/80/100
Open Mic feat. Eric Ji at nugget café
Nugget records continue dipping their toes into the open mic multiverse giving “Edog wonderlog III” aka Eric, singer of art-rock favorites The Peppercorns, bringing you some original songs. Muster up some courage and venture forth. 8.30pm. Free
Sunday, Mar 28
Sound Fragment 声音碎片, Zhu Gele 朱格乐, Alarm 报警 at Omni Space
Established in 2001, indie rock outfit Sound Fragment – whose poetic and introverted, beautiful and reflective music, has been a staple at festivals across China for well over a decade – is back in fighting form after having dropped their new album last year, their first in a decade. They join bonafide Henan singer-songwriter pop star Zhu Gele as well as up-and-coming indie-pop kids Alarm, out of Fuzhou. 8pm. RMB 270
Project Ace, The Brownie Band布朗尼 at Mao Livehouse
City pop juggernauts Project Ace, founded by music producer Li Jiji in 2013, and who serves as producer, bassist, and lead singer of the band, bring their jazz-flavored, funk-heavy modern metropolis sound to Mao Livehouse as part of their tour with multi-national Asian fusion pop band Brownie. They hail from Los Angeles and favor a tight-knit funk-driven, jazz-riffing indie-pop sensibility that shows off both the band’s innate melodic charm as well as their chops. 8.30pm. RMB 188
Hind Brain反骨, The Shark大逃鲨, All Unknown不明身份 at School
Grunge home wreckers Hind Brain bring their riotous, derelict, and downright rugged sound to School alongside newly formed J-rock outfit The Shark, and pop-rock veterans All Unknown, pulling double duty this weekend at the Wudaoying punk incubator that’s been keeping Sundays rowdy for just about ever. 9pm. RMB 60/80
DBFX, Shenshahaixiao什刹海校 at Cloudnine
Renowned musician and producer Cao Cao, whose previous bands included Sound Fragment, Ruins, and Muma introduces his latest experimental electronic project DBFX and its debut LP, Empty Plan City Machine, at CloundNine in Wangjing with the help of experimental improvisational band Shenshahaixiao. 8pm. RMB 100/120
READ: DJ Pancake Lee Remembers the Best of Aurora Ahead of Goodbye Party This Weekend
Images: Live China Music, courtesy of the organizers
