Chamber pop with an avant-garde edge and expansive art pop veneer, Wang Yiling struck gold on her ambitious, singular, and captivating LP Ode to Wither from last year. Steering clear of the often bland and vapid arrangements found in Chinese folk music, Yiling, along with an arsenal of instruments (strings, accordions, clarinets, cello, and even Indian organs) and maverick performers at hand (including Hadi Marvian and Jukka Ahonen of FluFlaFen), has created arrangements dense in their layers and rich in their details. It’s all capped by the singer-songwriter’s restrained yet impassioned voice and a poetic poise not afraid to peer into the darkness of our lives. Delicate and elegant, the band is in the midst of a nationwide tour and will be performing at YUYINTOWN’s new Cube space.

For over a decade, We Are Shanghai - the annual compilation spearheaded by some of the city’s most passionate musicians - has provided a snapshot of the city's musical creativity in any given year. From metal to electronic to punk to experimental – no genre goes unnoticed - both a testament to Shanghai’s vibrant scene and to the steadfast work of its compilers. Volume 10 is a beast - and to celebrate the release, its wranglers will be taking over FENRIR for two nights. Night one features psychocore piledrivers Chimera Cult, heavy metal favorites Lithium, hard goth rockers Syren, hardcore purveyors HEADIVE, DJ/producer Extreme John, and death metal acts Blood of Life and EmbersArise. Heavy indeed.

For over a decade, We Are Shanghai - the annual compilation spearheaded by some of the city’s most passionate musicians - has provided a snapshot of the city's musical creativity in any given year. From metal to electronic to punk to experimental – no genre goes unnoticed - both a testament to Shanghai’s vibrant scene and to the steadfast work of its compilers. Volume 10 is a beast - and to celebrate the release, its wranglers will be taking over FENRIR for two nights. Night two features dream pop trio Line in, rustic hard rock throwbacks Chuanshan Youth, goth wave outfit Navel, surf rock aficionados The Psyders, pop rock party rockers Jen’s Curfew, DJ/producer Heatwolves, and the one and only Round Eye. Righteous.

Xi’an’s Rats & Pears are the latest band to ride the post-punk movement in China, bringing a taut feminist touch to the genre on Well of Shame. Released with Maybe Mars and produced by none other than Yang Haisong of PK14 fame - there’s a fierce conviction to how the band tackles the genre - adding a dash of Middle-Eastern instrumentation, swelling saxophone courtesy of Li Zenghui, and a rhythm section that’ll quicken your pulse - all while covering topics of identity - a tsunami of doubt, perseverance, and list - with poetic flair. The band is in the midst of a nationwide tour, supported by remerging Shanghai post-punk outfit Fiery Medusa.

Following in the tradition of marrying reggae, ska, and punk, Beijing’s Underdog pulls up their bootstraps and adds a twist of surf rock, country music, rockabilly, and even dub to their riotous music. Lyrically driven with a keen sense of composition and empathy deep within its bones, there’s something authentically old school about the band – a maturity that reveals itself through their rustic charm, rhythmic control, and uncompromising defiance.