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Oct
19thQuickslants: Conspiracies, Cannibals, Poets, Folksters and moreQuite a diverse set of offerings awaits the music faithful this weekend. I mean we’re talking everything from electro to good old fashioned trash metal with a little flavor of postrock. it’s really feeling like all the venues are loading up for the last few days of warm weather with some big ass solid shows planned over the next couple of weeks, especially towards the end of the month. but we’ll get to that in due time.. let’s see what we got just ahead of us first: Friday October 19th: Ajinai @ JIanghu The weeks go by and the goodbye shows multiply. it’s Ajinai’s turn to stop by the hutongs and pay tribute to one of their favorite stomping grounds. They’ve been really really active lately promoting the band overseas and they’re set for a Hanggai style push soon. Good guys and good grassland Mongol throat singing. Pet Conspiracy @ Yugong another year, another LP for the electro quartet. This one is called “return from the future” and it’s pretty much picking up where the last album left off…. expect a lot of beats, guitars, costumes, good times and decent sounds with one of the few bands that actually sounds good at Yugong Yishan. Jacky Danny @ Temple keeping with different registers, old ‘daze favorites, Jacky Danny, are out of their hiding holes and into the Temple. As far as i know, there’s a record in the works and the kids are itching to play… i expect some lewd crude [...]
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May
4thRoots of the World- Mini- Guide to Hangai Music Festival 2012I’ve been looking for this one since i saw the first post about it over a month ago.. Why? just look at the names coming in and the numbers of countries/ethnics represented! Hanggai, in organizing the 2012 edition of their festival, has pulled off one hell of a coup. They have also managed to stay clear of Festival weekend so they stand alone in spotlight, a position they don’t usually shy away from. So, without any further due, let’s see what’s in store: May 5th 2012 May 6th 2012 15:00-15:30 Khorgan&坎儿井 15:45-16:00 佳佳与朋友们 16:30-17:00 Otor 17:30-17:50 九宝 18:20-18:50 戏班 19:20-20:00 山人 20:30-21:10 Tiloun (法属留尼汪) 21:40-22:20 南城二哥 22:40-23:10 Windbone (瑞士) 23:40-24:20 杭盖 14:00-14:30 立冬乐队 14:45-15:10 郭涌 15:35-16:00 Nomadic 16:20-16:50 三川 17:20-17:50 阿基耐 18:20-19:00 Rhythm of rajasthan (印度) 19:30-20:15 部落 21:45-22:30 刀郎之魂乐团 23:00-23:45 Yemen Blues (以色列) 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 [...]
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Apr
5thQuickslants: Russian Claptomania, Amazing Miao, Kurt Remembered and ReflectorI’m not sure how the week went by but it’s already Thursday and I’m not sure i’ve recovered from the onslaught of Sex in the Xity over the past few days. Still, as the weekend nears, time to check out what’s gonna keep me busy and entertained. It’s deceivingly quiet but there are some interesting little gems happening here and there. Let’s dive into it! Thursday April 5th Nirvana Tribute @ Temple Devils at the Crossroad and Rolling Bolling are on hand to pay tribute to late Kurt Cobain. It’s already been 18 years since we lost this iconic figure who went on to represent a generation’s angst much against his own desires. I’m amazed at how far reaching his influence is in China with tons of books written about him and even more bands copying Nirvana. This should be a fun opportunity to bring out the converse, striped T-shirts, geek glasses and sing with some marbles in your mouth. Friday April 6th King Lychee @ Mao Live Hong Kong’s reigning kings of hardcore are finally in the capital in support of their latest record. These guys are as legit as it gets with shoutouts from none other than Biohazard when they played intercity festival last year. Return the Truth, who put on one hell of a show last time i saw them, and XitneverhappenedX will be in charge of the opening bill. I’m looking forward to this puppy folks and might come out really bruised from it. Brutal I [...]
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Feb
22ndQuickslants: Jue Starts, 80s revival, Ajinai, that Prodigy dude, Buyi and moreWe’re almost back on regular rotation folks meaning that the good shows are back on the menu but so are the bad ones! It’s unfortunately the side effect of having so many bands around Beijing. Mao is having a strong showing this week with some decent lineups from Thursday to Sunday. I’m particularly excited about the 80s revival saturday night with all the cheeky kids. Temple continues to make a stand for themselves even when the big boys are back in town! Jue Festival kick off that same day and as much as I think that might be an interesting show, I’m weary of the kind of folks it might attract…. yeah, hutong hipters galore complaining about 20rmb qingdao while not even listening the band they just paid good money to watch. Wednesday February 22 Devils at the Crossroads @ Temple: If it feels like these cats are everywhere lately, that’s because they are! I’ve seen the Devils play a half dozen times lately and I like them. It’s not music that’s gonna save the world but you’re gonna have a good boogie time and down a few drinks. but then again, that’s just me, I like my rock n roll with a side serving of attitude! An Temple is actually earning some serious Rock n Roll chops at the moment… it’s gonna be tough to beat them this year as a venue! Thursday February 23 Punk & Metal @ Mao Live This one is actually advertised as Punk versus [...]
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Jan
5thQuickslants: IZ returns, Book Swap, Olympic Rock, Simple Plan, Folks of the World and moreWelcome to 2012 darlings… let’s make sure it rocks! For this first edition of the quick slants, we find ourselves all over the spectrum with choices. Some of them definitely rocking! It might seem deceivingly underwhelming but there are some real gems hidden out there. Let’s kick it! Thursday Jan 5th IZ @ Temple As you might have noticed, Temple is making more and more noise out here! This week, they’re scoring huge points by getting IZ to make an rare appearance in Beijing. The band is fresh off their world tour in support of the album Kolengke that I’ve shortlisted as one of my favorite albums of 2011. Temple will be an interesting space for them to do their space/kazakh/improv rock. Potentially the best gig of the week. Friday Jan 6th Folks of the World @ 2 Kolegas: Appalachia, Ningxia and Mongolia come together on this night at the drive in in the forms of The Randy Abel Stable, Lidong and Ajinai…. I’ve been keeping an eye on this date for quite some time now and I’m definitely looking forward to it, mostly because I have not seen Ajinai in a while. Lidong are sure to light up the crowd with their folksy tunes (becoming ear-worms to some extent) and the Stable speaks to my inner redneck. Simple Plan @ Yugong Yishan: I’m not a big fan of pop-punk but I must admit these kids are intriguing: Been together for almost 15 years, getting a worldwide following and staying [...]
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Nov
4thQuickslants: Grassland Rumba, Autumn Descends, Ido Balance and Book SwapIs it already late thursday/early friday? goodness this week has flown by! They say that’s what happens when you’re busy having fun so here is hoping i had tons of fun because it did freaking fly by. So, another weekend looming with some pretty sweet and diverse choices to pick from. Let’s kick it! Friday Nov 4th: La Pegatina & Hanggai @ Mako: If you haven’t heard of “la Pegatina”, do yourself a favor and look them up. This Spanish motley crew has been heating up stages all over the world and they’re about to give Beijing a little taste of what the rest of China has seen over the past week that they been touring here with Hanggai. It’s a little rumba, some meringue, a side of Ska, a dash of reggae and a sprinkle of Cumbia just to name a few. Buddies Hanggai, who don’t really need an introduction anymore, are also on the bill and word is they’ve collaborated on a special version of Jiu Ge ( drinking song) just for tomorrow night’s shindig. Well worth the trek to shuanjing. See this Global Times writeup or check out this video from their performance at West Lake festival in Hangzhou Chun Qiu @ Temple: Kaiser and the boys are taking this thing seriously now after just floating around for a few years. The band is hungry and has new songs, picking up where they left off with their album. This show has been fairly on the radar over [...]
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Aug
13thMao echoes with the sounds of the grasslandsSunday has become the new Friday for me this summer with the festivals and battle of the bands competitions taking up both weekend days. But I’ve also managed to pop into Mao on the occasional Sunday this year and stumbled across some low-key shows by great bands including Zhaoze, So Long & Thanks for the Fish and LiDong. Last Sunday Mao played host to Mongolian folksters Ajinai, with support from the Beijing Alchemists. Having survived the sweaty sauna of a SUBS mosh pit the night before at the Punk festival, it felt strange walking into that same room to see just a handful of devoted fans milling round the cool dark cavern of Mao. Beijing Alchemists opened the show with their mellow mix of English and Mongolian folk tunes. When I first saw these guys play around a year ago they trio was made up of an Englishman, an American and a Mongolian (Hugjiltu from Ajinai). In the past year the line-up has seen a few changes, Xinjiang rocker Jurat is now a regular member of the line-up, although he’s currently back in Xinjiang, so on Sunday Englishman Matt was joined by two Mongolian musicians. Their music is an eclectic mix of English, Chinese and Mongolian influenced folk, with each member taking turned to sing and lead the group. Unfortunately the space of Mao didn’t provide much on an atmosphere for this style of music, I’d recommend catching them in a smaller venue such as Jianghu or JiangJinJiu. Ajinai may [...]
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Jun
9thQuickslants: Ajinai, Rustic, Ghosts, VOM, Music for Orphans and morethat time of the week folks, looking at all the goodies in town, sifting through the crap and figuring out where the good sounds are… and there lots of them this week, especially with Yugong Yishan back in business. It’s looking like one hell of a busy weekend out there for the music maniacs.. if i weren’t heading out of town, I might find myself driving all around town to catch all these guys play. Thursday June 9: Ajinai @ Yugong: well, hanggai ain’t the only game in town. These guys, who used to play in …yup, Hanggai, have been putting on some cool performances lately. There’s more throat singing and grassland tones, a little less rock n roll. Me likey!!! They’re definitely worth a shot, especially at Yugong hoping that most of those chatters from the Genus Expatus do not show up. Friday June 10: AIS, Spardac & Candy Monster @ 2kolegas: The Amazing Insurance Salesmen and Ghost Spardac, two of the better bands in Beijing show up at 2 kolegas for some entertaining musical times. I haven’t seen the Ghost guys in a little while, same goes for AIS whom I missed during the celebration on account of the Champions’ League final. It’ll be cool to catch them. Candy Monster also on the bill! VOM @ D-22: This one is flying under the radar but Norway’s 4 piece chick punkish rock band, VOM, is playing in wudaokou along with Nakoma, Christmas and End of the world. I’ve heard [...]
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Apr
21stQuickslants: Inner Mongolia awakes, Album launch galore, Bigger Bang for Free and moreSometimes, I really wish i didn’t have this many choices. This upcoming weekend in Beijing is one hell of a hard one to to make up one’s mind about where to go/what to see. Inner Mongolia is heavily represented with Hanggai, Ajinai and Voodoo Kungfu all deriving inspiration from the sounds of the grasslands. I’ve instaured a new: “Never more than once a month” rule to help me make up my mind as to which shows i’ll spend my cash on.. still, it ain’t easy! Special Note: Shanghai’s Friend or Foe is in town playing gigs Friday at Old What Bar and Saturday at D22 Thursday April 21 Love’s Tourettes + Bigger Bang @ Yugong: This one is super interesting because it’s actually free and my usual thursday night plan, capoeira, is on the shelf due to a stiff neck. I heard enough about the Tourettes to peak my curiosity and I wouldn’t mind seeing what’s up with Bigger Bang after the disaster that was their last performance. and free is not a bad pricetag! Makes it easier to walk out if needed Friday April 22 Rustic @ Yugong Yishan: I’m not sure I really need to say much about this. with the slew of Rustic articles, I think y’all know what’s up with the band for friday night. Hedgehog @ Mao Live: Color me curious. I’m not the biggest hedgehog fan in the world but the few tunes i’ve heard out of their latest record got me curious. It’s [...]
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Nov
24thDouble take on Hanggai’s new Album: They’ve traveled far!Both Ruby and I have had a few weeks to listen to and digest Hanggai’s latest record… with the official release party taking place tonight at Yugong Yishan, it was time for a double take. Beijing Daze on He Who Travels Far I got mixed feelings about Hanggai as I’ve mentioned a few times but I’m not really gonna talk about the band on this one, it’s all about their sophomore release: 远走的人 He Who Travels Far. First things first, if the price stays at RMB150 like they had at 2 Kolegas last month, I would consider long and hard before getting it. I just think it’s too freaking expensive and I don’t care where it was recorded. It’s actually cheaper to buy online! Now, unto the music! 17 songs, 14 of which are new and 3 are cleaned up do-overs from their amazing first records. If i had to pick one adjective to describe this release, it would probably be: “Polished” The sound is crisp and clean, almost sanitized and I’m not sure i like that! Sure, most of the songs are solid and I like the harmonies they’ve managed to get in on there, especially in tracks like Borulai and Zhan Dan but it’s too sanitized. It’s like the difference between camping out in the wilderness of the grassland (their first record) and using a camp site in a park. Both experiences are enjoyable but I’m more interested in the grasslands. The drinking song, available in both records, [...]
The Mini Skinny
What once started as my personal ramblings has morphed into the number one collective resource about underground live music in Beijing and China. All bands, all music, all Rock n Roll, all the time with a little side of eclectic topics.. best of all, it's still as BIASED as ever
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'dazeFEAST 2012 - June 23rd at 2 Kolegas.
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2 kolegas Amazing insurance salesmen Bad Mamasan Beijing 人 black cat bone Brain Failure buyi Chunqiu DH & the hellcats Dude Ember Swift Flying Mantas free the birds GAWTMY Hanggai Hedgehog iz Jacky Danny Kaiser Kuo Kick Ass Lidong live music mademoiselle Maggie Who Mamer Mao Livehouse MIDI Miserable Faith Nanwu Nucleus Omnipotent youth society provincial restaurant randy abel stable Residence A rustic skarving Steely Heart SUBS Suffocated The Redbucks voodoo kungfu whai wu & side effects xiao he yugong yishanFresh Pills
- Quickslants: Tambours du Bronx, New Shanren, Painkiller Fest and more
- Mamer & Song Yuzhe: opposites attract at Jianghu
- Dreamer Festival 2013 – Azure Ray, Shan Ren, Omnipotent Youth Society and More
- PS: You Rocked Me – Abaji, One Drop, Devils, Yungiema etc..
- Quickslants: No Dong, Some Punk, a Little Ordnance and more
Can of Worms?
- Joann on Quickslants: Jurat, PiL, XTX, Yangjima for a Loaded End of Week
- On The Scene: 2013 Strawberry Festival Day 1 | Live Beijing Music on MIDI 2013: Anywhere, Anytime, Thanks for the Rock n Roll
- ex virility pill on Quickslants: Jurat, PiL, XTX, Yangjima for a Loaded End of Week
- ruby on MIDI 2013: Anywhere, Anytime, Thanks for the Rock n Roll
- Beijing Daze on MIDI 2013: Anywhere, Anytime, Thanks for the Rock n Roll