Friday May 18th:

Randy Abel Stable will rock 2 Kolegas along with The Little Handsome and The Berlin Mummies. Over at Hot Cat Club, Not There will be showing their new style which they assure me is a slight departure from the old one… not sure what that means

Saturday May 19th:

Lidong day in Beijing... you know what I mean!
That said, there are two other cool options for you in town if you don’t really care about folk ( I know some folks that don’t): Over at TEmple, Dude and Devils at the Crossroad are throwing one hell of a birthday bash. Expect loud music, drunken antics and Dude’s new songs. Oh, did I mention they have some really cool t-shirts around?
Over at LAN, good friends from the ever SEXY Moonglow Burlesque, featuring Lulu Galore and Trixie Royale, will charm and tease you with their Moulin Rouge-inspired antics… not recommended for the weak at heart.

Keep in mind that CVM festival is also going on out in the country side but you know where to get that in

‘daze on Lidong

There are 9 tracks on the record, 2 of which are reapeated in an alternative arrangement. We start off with “Future” that boasts a lovely guitar opening and some funky accordion works courstesy of Lidong’s sole foreign member, Marie CLaude. The combination is a bizarre sonic caccophony, almost schyzophrenic. part of the song sounds like the boulevards of Paris, part of it sound like rowdy backyard barn concert.
Xiao Mudan, the next number, is one of those earworms… you have been warned! I love this track live but it’s not really doing it for me on the record as part of it sound too clean. don’t forget to check out the promo video for the song… this one brings out the romantic in me with lyrics like “who can understand my heart”. It’s my favorite track on the album by far.
Hexi is one of those songs where i have mixed feeling.. parts of the song are beautiful while others are agonizing to listen to with a haunting drum beat. The part with chinese flutes is very much what i expect from Yellow River melodies. Your mileage might vary on this one! Yue Liang is a song that shines through with its simplicity… I dig the unplugged version so much more than the other one on the record and I’m thankful the band has included both. Li Xia really shows off his singer/songwriter baggage here. If you like Xiao Mu Dan, you’re gonna like Yetian… the songs are very similar in style and beats, both well written crowd pleasers. The closing number, the instrumental Lidong, is a great little tune with some deceivingly eleaborate guitar playing and composition. I love it. Overall, Lanjunma is probably the only song i don’t care much for.
Big ups to Lidong for getting this thing done finally. It’s a nice first effort that should healp them get some recognition around the folk scene. At times though, it does feel like they tried too hard to get this thing perfect and clean. I would have liked hearing it with an earthier vibe, closer to their live sound.
Here’s looking forward to tomorrow’s party. See you there!

How about Ruby? Here’s what she thinks

About 15 mths ago I took a visiting friend to Mao on a Sunday night to see LiDong play. Since then I’ve been getting regular skype messages from Mexico asking if my friend’s band has released their album yet. Well, Daniel, yes, they finally have!

LiDong’s album is everything you’d expect from them if you’ve ever seen their shows around Beijing over the last 3+ years. Beautiful, north-west folk, soaring vocals and harmonies, acoustic guitars taking the lead, backed up by strong bass lines and hand drums blended some western elements of accordion and cello. From the stripped back acoustic version of ‘YueLiang’ to the more upbeat ‘Future’ it includes all the tempo changes we love from LiDong’s shows. I have to admit, I’ve never been a big fan of the accordion at live shows, it often seems to me to be drowning out the guitars, but on the album the mixing is perfect, it fills out the sound of ‘YuTian’ and ‘YueLiang’ without being overbearing. ‘HeXi’ and ‘WoBuShi’ are probably my favourite tracks so far, but i also love the final instrumental track ‘LiDong’ which has already become my ringtone.

The only thing missing from this album is ‘BaoBei’ – although I’m assured that will be on the next album. Well, they have to keep something up their sleeves to keep us wanting more right? I hope they play it on Saturday though!

Well folks, there you have it! Be there tomorrow for Lidong’s album release at 2 Kolegas.
The party starts early with Lao Da, Hanggai, Buyi, Dong Zi and of course Lidong performing. Entrance is RMB100 including the CD
I expect this to be among the candidates for gig of the year…

Omnipotent Youth Society 万能青年旅店
7月6日 五 北京愚公现场 – July 6th @ Yugong Yishan
150 预售100 – 150 ( presale 100)
http://www.douban.com/event/16501922/

The boys from Shizi will be playing Yugong Yishan on the 6th of July according to their latest weibo/douban posting. Tickets are 150 on-site, 100 pre-sale so if you care, you know what you should do.

( Hat tip to City Weekend for the Heads Up)
For that price, you get two days of music with Joss Stone, Jesus and Mary Chain, White Lies etc….
It’s only available until May 18th, so get ‘em while they’re hot.
Here is the extra info from Send Me Tickets:

The full lineup will be 8 groups of international artists, 8 groups of Chinese artists and several electric and jazz artists. They will present wonderful performances from May 18th to 20th.
The lineups are:
International Artists:
Legendary Scottish band: The Jesus and Mary Chain; UK R&B diva who sold over 11 million records worldwide: Joss Stone; The UK pop icon: Pixie Lott; Top level European rock band from UK: White Lies; The famous Scottish band: Glasvegas; Electric rock band: Friendly Fires; Fantasy rock band from NYC: School of Seven Bells Electric pop band from Finland: Husky Rescue
Local Artists:
Two of the biggest mainland China rock superstars: Xu Wei & Wang Feng Indie Rock Star from Taiwan: Mavis Fan & 100% Female Eason Chan from Hong Kong: Kay The most influencing indie DJ in mainland China: Youdai Beijing Brit-pop rock band: The SuperVC Electric Band: Nova Heart The New Generation Jazz Band: Li Gaoyang Jazz Tribe Chinese Princess Mermaid: Blanda Sun Beijing new band: G11 Mainland Top DJ: DJ-A.M.U Beijing electric music producer: DJ Howie Lee
More fun this year: campsite added, festival land expanded, performance quality upgraded

no idea what prompted such a reduction in prices… I’m sure some folks will be ticked off if they already got theirs at the full price but hey, a good deal is a good deal. I’m considering it for day two on its own.. will have to see!

立東乐队新专辑主打歌《小牡丹》（新专辑宣传片）
http://video.sina.com.cn/v/b/76909195-1639810542.html

I’ve heard Li Dong do this song so many times by now, I don’t appreciate it as much as i should. Hearing others singing it just puts it all in perspective. I love the XTX take and Lao Da versions…. just tons of fun. If you had any doubt that the Ningxia gang would stand behind this one 2000%, think again! The supporting cast will include everyone and their mother from Hanggai, Dongzi, Lao Da, Buyi and more… Let’s not forget the mandatory side of Ningxia noodles and roast lamb.

I can promise you one thing folks, Saturday night at 2 Kolegas will be epic!

Thursday May 10:

The Stanleys, another Your Town Touring band, hits Mao live with help from 16mn, Perpetual motion Machine and Summer Sunshine. It’s an interesting little combo of power pop punk that might work out as a good transition for the weekend.

Flau Night at 2 Kolegas: This Japanese experimental label has been earning rave praise day in day out with their artists. It could be an interesting evening. Flau’s owner, aus (Yasuhiko Fukuzono) will perform, together with two other Flau artists, Cokiyu and Cuushe. It shhould be good but then again, remember, I have no understanding of electronic experimental stuff.

Friday May 11

Jungle Mico celebrates their one year anniversary at 2 Kolegas. They’ve steadily built up one hell of a reputation in Beijing combining instruments and beats for some interesting sounds. They have impressed a lot of people and i want to be next!

Juratt & Mamer come to Zajia Labs for a little up-close acoustic session. They used to hold these as a background to folks sipping on a single malt at Amilal. Zajia is intimate enough for them to pull off something interesting and magical. Expect more melodies and folk than industrial rock.

Hot Cat is putting on a Bob Marley tribute night with an interesting motley crew of bands: Twinkle Star, Liu Yusi, Bedstars and more… This might be a good alternative to the other Bob Marley tribute taking place at Yugong Yishan.

Former Tang Dynasty axeman, Zhang Ju, will be celebrated at Mao Live with a tribute gig that will see some old school heavy rockers come out and play. Interstingly enough, his former band is not listed and a lot of people i’ve asked have not heard a crackle about this gig. Knowing the local PR skills, they probably don’t think they need to advertise it.. right? if you play, they will come.

Saturday May 12:

The Beijing Beatles, Mademoiselle and Rolling Bowlling descend onto the drive-in for a night of fun, drinking and dancing like you only get in that side of town. It’s a party where you’re expected to take off your shoes and hit the grass chilling. It’s also the return of Marie Claude to Beijing after a long long 2 week tour of Vietnam. We’ve missed her! The Beatles no longer need introduction in Beijing: They know how to bring on the good times. It’s gonna be a party at 2 Kolegas

Ember Swift, our favorite Rock Mama, come out saturday to play at her favorite spot in town: Jiangjinjiu. Yeah, it’s still there and it’s still rocking. so should be Ember and her band.

If you’re in the mood for something quieter, head over to Zajia again for a little session with Bye bye and Thank You for the Fish. The SUBS’ side project is coming along nicely and i love hearing their soft delicate side. It’s funny how shy they get ahead of these gigs, fully playing the part.

As always, mileage might vary so feel free to check out other venues for some extra gigs… we’re never short of music in Beijing!

There quite a few bands worth watching and the lineup is equally strong on both days… but what got me even more excited is the following bands:

Rhythm of Rajasthan – India
http://www.rajfolkseries.com/
Rhythm of Rajasthan offers characteristically lively folk music from Rajasthan, India. The band performs richly varied music and dance, representing the distinctive styles of the two different groups that make up Rajasthan’s desert lands: the Langas and Manganiyars. Both the Langas and Manganiyars communities comprise of Muslim musicians, but many of their songs are in praise of Hindu deities and celebrate Hindu festivals, such as Diwali and Holi. With this lively and inclusive offering, the group has proven popular around the world. They have performed in various venues across many countries, including Superbowl Live in Hollywood and the Kennedy Centre.

Yemen Blues – Israel
http://wanted-int.com/yemenblues/
Yemen Blues is an eclectic ensemble of musicians from Israel, powered by lead singer Ravid Kalahani. The band delivers a raw yet refined sound, produced from drumming on olive cans, hitting elusive microtones, and singing in invented languages. Yemen Blues is more than just music though; it’s a deep invocation. Kalahani sings of his love for the African desert, about the unity of language and experience, and of gratitude for life’s gifts. Yemen Blues’ concerts are a real treat, not least because of their musical variation and the energy – almost magic – that takes place on the stage. Audiences around the world love the unique mixture of African grooves and Yemeni song – a mixture of innovative sound and a strong message. Expect the unexpected!

Soul of Dolan – Xinjiang China
(not to be confused with the band named “Dolan”)
A band of passionate folk artists, The Soul of Dolan Ensemble present Dolan Muqam, a traditional hybrid of music-poetry that has been transmitted orally for centuries in Makit County, Xinjiang. The unique environment of China’s far western province has bestowed on the Dolan people a distinctive culture, which is reflected in the sound of this very special band. The ensemble creates a trance-like atmosphere with the use of traditional instruments and a chorus of their own enrapturing voices. Audiences will be drawn in as the musicians beat hand drums, and perform the traditional qalun dulcimer, the Dolan rawap (a plucked instrument) and the Dolan ghijak (a vertically-held fiddle). It’s a unique, passionate folk music – not to be missed.

Tiloun – Reunion
Tiloun hails all the way from St Denis on Creole’s Reunion island. His songs fall under the genre of Maloya, folk music native to his homeland that is comparable to the Blues. Tiloun was initiated into music from childhood (dancing, playing drums, singing – it is in his blood!). However, he only began to explore Maloya and its philosophy as an adult. Local riots of 1991 triggered in him the need to express himself, and singing gave him that voice. Through his songs, Tiloun recounts the rich history of Reunion, an island diverse in culture. His fragile yet striking voice stays true to the uncluttered and harmonious sounds of Maloya. Since the 2011 release of his second full-length album, “Kas in poz”, Tiloun has played live in numerous venues, and is now also gracing the stage of the World Music Festival in China.

Of course, having Hanggai on there, Ajinai, 9 Treasures, Lidong, Shanren and all the others is just as much fun….
I expect this one to be a feast for the ears and the eyes alike folks… Keep in mind festivities start early by Beijing standards

What: Hanggai 2012 World Music Festival
Where: Mako Livehouse ( Shuanjing, Beijing)
When: Saturday May 5th, Sunday May 6th 2012
Ticket: 200RMB Per day / Advance Ticket: 150RMB Per day / 2Day Pass: 300RMB
buy here：http://www.damai.cn/ticket_36189.html

See you there.

well, the baby is out on bandcamp and you can go download it:
http://coreinchina.bandcamp.com/album/core-in-china

lyrics & credits:
http://wiki.rockinchina.com/w/CORE_IN_CHINA_(VA)

Track Listing:

1.Why Lazy – Dying in the dream 04:35
2.NewTank – The Dreamer 04:22
3.Meat Sucks – Buried the Truths 04:54
4.Ordnance – Ask for a justification 03:44
5.Partisan – Selfish 03:18
6.Monkey King – Until You Come 05:31
7.Multi-Ego – End of Me 04:01
8.Mensheng – 故謠 Ballad of Fallen 04:54
9.Die In Velvet – 每天生每天死 03:59
10.Ashtemato – Joker 05:06
11.Saving Molly – To My Friend 02:58
12.Luktomo – We Are Luktomo 06:41
13.Beyond Cure – Self Destruction 04:34
14.DustFall – Dawn Late 06:02
15.Thyhazard – Liar 04:58
16.King Ly Chee – 在路上 feat. Andrew Neufeld (Comeback Kid) 03:29
17.Shut Up! Shut Down! – Bros Holds On Firm Bloods 03:14
18.Raving Jokes – No Vain 04:07
19.The Falling – Circle II Circle 04:50
20.Mary Dolls – 2012 04:14

I haven’t gotten around to listening to it but i can see some tracks that have peaked my interest. It’s also good to have the reigning kings of Hardcore in the the greater China included in there, namely King Ly Chee. Get downloading..

Thursday May 3rd

Bad Apples @ Temple:
Them bad apples are back again after a few months hiatus.. why do i feel like i wrote this before? They’re a good band that is fun to watch but extremely frustrating to me because they can’t seem to get to the next level despite all the talent they have. Here’s hoping this time around, the troops are ready for a good battle and they can get over the hurdle. Temple is not a bad place to get started. I expect Kris to be shredding his new baby for it’s first field test.

Friday May 4th

Iz @ Mao Live
One more chance to watch the masters of modern progressive dark folk at work. I’ve heard some pretty good things about the shows these guys have done over the past week and I’m quite excited to see them in a place like Mao Live where the sound will resonate nicely. I might even be tempted to grab the new Mamer records but i’ll have to get over that freaking price tag he put on them. Apparently, the band has a few tricks up their sleeve for this gig folks… I’m really curious!

The Argies @ 2Kolegas
Argentinian punk ska coming to visit Beijing… I don’t think i’ve ever seen an Argentinian band before, ever. That’s enough of a novelty factor for me to go catch them.
They’re currently touring all of Asia behind their latest release and i’ll be curious to see how it’s going for them. I like checking out hungry new bands like The Argies when they visit town as it gives me a good basis for comparison with local acts as far as musicianship and general skill levels. Update: The K and Early Bus will be on hand to open the festivities.

Saturday May 5th

Book Swap & Board Games Meeeting @ Sequoia Cafe
The monthly meeting where you get to chill for an afternoon, drink some coffee/juice, and exchange books or play some board games with cool people. You can’t go wrong… Come and chill!

Hanggai Festival Day 1 @ Mako
The throat singers have outdone themselves this year with tons of really cool acts on the bill. I’ll have a more detailed post later about it presenting the band but if you’re not at the bookswap, you better be there. It Starts early folks but it’s gonna be rocking.

Flaming Bday @ Mao Live:
Ruby has her Bday folks and we’re gonna celebrate it in style: The Onfires ( “the bastard lovechild of the B52s and the Sex Pistols”), REsidence A, Amazing Insurance Salesmen and Twinkle Star all on the same bill.
That’s basically some of my favorite bands in Beijing and we’re gonna have one hell of a party over there, bar none. Actually, Bday or no Bday, this is one hell of a rocking party and it would be a shame for you folks to miss it. See you in the mosh pit!

Sunday May 6th

Hanggai Festival day 2 @Mako
I’m actually looking forward to this one even more than day 1. The bands on here are some of the most intriguing i’ve seen in a long time. await my next post folks.

Talking about the music, day 1 was a bit lackluster, at least in the beginning. The performances by Ma Di, Song dong Ye and Co. were less than overwhelming, partly due to bad acoustics.
To be honest, i didn’t care about any of those first acts even though i tried but it did make for good background music. It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that a voice wrapped itself around me like a lasso and dragged my attention back to the stage and away from the hoola hoopers: I found out later that their name was Polad & David, hailing from Shanghai. The simple mix of suave/riveting voice with deep low guitar strokes came in time to remind us that there was a huge music element to the festival and it was time to pay attention to it. I loved their soulful performance and i wasn’t the only one. The crowd that gathered there begged for an encore that never came despite the band trying. Sound issues…

The Randy Abel Stable came up next for a decent little set of originals much to most of the laowais delight… They’re seasoned veterans and know what they’re doing.. They managed a good set even though i thought they should have added a few covers. Midnight Special seems to go over quite well with the local audiences usually and it’s always nice to capture them with something familiar every so often.

The ever polarizing Xiao He came on stage armed with a guitar and no laptop… oh yeah! He proceeded to do what Xiao He does best, screaming, beating the guitar, making funny noises and more. I think for the first time ever, I found myself defending him and his music which is a weird change, but that only happened in the beginning when he decided to squeal like a pig being slaughtered. That said, I really loved the end of his set with a funny little song about Beijing, waiting in line, going to the bathroom and more sarcastic topics. I really have to try and find it.

Zhang Si An was up next doing his solo stuff, all acoustic and no vocals, armed with a guitar and pedal. It looked and sounded very improvisational which it was. Funny thing is that since he got back to playing rock n roll with AIS, he is sounding heaver. He did an interesting nirvana-esque 3 minutes of strumming that poor guitar for all it was worth. Decent showing and the crowd liked it.

At this point, I was nicely into things and Dolan came on. I was excited to finally get to see them live for a whole set but I must admit i didn’t come out of it too impressed. Sure, it’s throat singing and Mongolian rhythms but I’ve heard both done in much better ways before. From where I stood, they were completely out of sync with each other and losing electricity/sound for a 2 minutes in the middle of a song didn’t help. I don’t mind seeing them again but not if they’re headlining.

Soundscape came on to get the crowd ready for Shan Ren. Their band members included the aforementioned David and Polad along with a few others. They played some interesting world music but at that point, there was more of a dancing vibe going on which they didn’t seem to fit. I would have rather enjoyed a second set by the duo.

Finally, it was Shan Ren time! After an afternoon fueled with lambrusco, laughs and raspberry vodka, it was just what the doctor ordered. The mountain men came, they played, the sang and they conquered for what was one of their last shows in Beijing until December 2012 presumably. The crowd was up in a frenzy, jumping, hopping and singing along as much as they could throughout the whole thing. As I mentioned before, Shan Ren has gotten many labels: Minority Music, Folk, World Music, tractor Metal… one thing is for sure, they’re 100% fun!

Overall a good – if not outstanding- outing at Ditan day 1. The music was there, the friends were there and so were the good times.
- I’m hoping that the sound problems that plagued the festival improved on day 2 but even then, it was not a huge factor in my book. Folk music in an outdoors setting is hard to control unless you’re blowing heavy volume non-stop. Jonathan, from Not There, was evidently more bothered by the issue than i was which is fair enough.. read his take on it here.
- Another bizarre thing I thought was the fact that there seemed to be more foreigners than locals at the gig. I’m not sure how that happened to be but I hope it was just a weird anomaly.
- As I mentioned, the lineup was lacking a bit. I would have hoped for a few bigger names but with it being a festival weekend, a lot of them were otherwise occupied elsewhere.
- It wasn’t a bad turnout I thought considering just about everyone i know bought tickets for this. Even the ones that could ask freebies would rather not to and support the efforts of Dong.

As far as I’m concerned, all i gotta say is: Thank You Dong.. See You Next Time.