SmartShanghai | MP3 Monday:The Rogue Transmission

MP3 Monday:The Rogue Transmission

By Morgan Short, Mar 9th, 2009 | In Nightlife

MP3 Monday is a weekly SmartShanghai column, serving up mp3s from bands living and making music in China (or coming to China, or thinking about coming to China, or whatever). Right click on the links and choose "Save Link As..." to download 'em. Click play to rock 'em.

Despite having only been around just over a year and a half or so, Shanghai rawk four-piece The Rogue Transmission have quickly become one of the city's best and most popular bands, thanks to their pretension-free roots approach and the fuck-art-lets-rock emphasis on putting on a high-octane show.

This weekend, they're playing their first Shanghai concert of 2009, as the first in a series of shows that will see the band travel all over China, playing with the likes of Carsick Cars in Beijing and AV Okubo in Wuhan.

So here are some em pea sans from their debut EP "Illicit Intercepts" that the band released late last year.

The Rogue Transmission �C Switchblade Sucker

The Rogue Transmission �C Rollin' the Dice

Musically, it's coming from Eagles of Death Metal-style shirts-off, 70s rock revisionism -- which is to say, stadium-sized riffage, post-irony and with the bullshit egos excised, turned up, and belted out in a small sweaty club. Think sweaty mobs of people crammed up against the front of the stage with beer spraying out over everyone's head.

Personally, I tend to stand at the back of these things because my hair is too important to be ruined. I've just worked too hard on it.

Since you've seen them last they've had a bit of a line-up change with a new lead guitarist. He's some dude called Adam who also plays in another Shanghai band called The Dovetail Joints, and he also teaches axe-smithery at the JZ School. It's been said that when he plays it looks like he's "masturbating the guitar." He's aces.

So look out for that as well. Don't miss The Rogue Transmission this Saturday at Yuyintang, joined on the bill by local garage rock band The Dropkicks. Cover is 30rmb.

For more audio samples and upcoming tour dates check out their MySpace page. Join their Facebook army here.

Photos by Tim Franco.