Rock and roll goes on the offensive tonight - a vernal sonic assault that’ll leave you keeled over. There’s nothing quite like the sensation of being blindsided - a woozy, punch-drunk sense of bewilderment and exuberance. LiveChinaMusic has set up quite the foray with a trio of bands itching to make their mark. On the charge are Nanjing’s Dizzy Dizzy Yellow Puppy, who bring a swelling psych-inflicted menace to their post punk sound (heard they’ll even be bringing a saxophone to the front lines). Flanking from the sides will be Autistic Radio 自闭电台, known for their dizzying noise pop sound that crackles with a vitality that’s infectious (they’ve got a new release right around the corner) and GUJI - a spirited glitter bomb of punk and new wave that’s playful, sardonic, and sharp as a knife (with their new lineup). Best keep your guard up this May - you’re not going to know what hit you!
Rock and roll safe haven Cave celebrates one year of their live house Cave Art Venue as well as the opening of their neighboring little wisecracking sibling Coven by Cave with a two-day indoor music festival - complete with 20 ass-kicking bands from the scene taking over the two spaces for a hard-hitting sunken square block party. Pogo from one venue and genre to another - from psychedelic rapture to dizzying post punk; from transporting post rock to face-melting stoner metal - it’s truly one of the more splendid roundups of local (and neighboring) talent - an assembly line of some of the most exciting and dangerously alluring bands - and it’s all for the taking! Night one offers cup acts like psychedelic nirvana seekers Khunathi and WeatherKing, as well as newly formed duos like Witgenstan (featuring noise artist Shu Ride) and DaShu x Aming, plus plenty more. Day two goes even bigger (and longer) with a full spread of instrumental rockers taking over Cave Art Venue while punk rock’s more nefarious and offbeat characters take shelter at Coven. Highlights include Ningbo post-rock and math rockers Crymeans and Sweet Tie, crust-punk legends Loudspeaker, post-punk outfit Fiery Medusa, Britpop faves Burley Quay, and stoner metal mainstays Conch. But really - it’s a stacked lineup, however you want to come at it. Hat tip to CAVE for going all out - support local music!
Hangzhou’s No Decision at Night are as delicate as they come - an emo-laced math rock outfit that sings in wispy tones and brings an ethereal tranquility to their sound. Yet it’s amazing how much vivacity the young band is able to inject into their self-titled debut - with every track feeling like a burst of life - running smoothly yet valiantly across a sonic terrain swelling with sentiment. It’s catchy without rubbing it in your face - the kind of music perfect for wandering alone at night, waiting for the world (or in this case, the right decision) to reveal itself. The band is in the midst of their nationwide tour and will be swinging through Mosh Space - with support by Shanghai’s Wish You Could Swim, who find tenderness and vitality in their rhythmically invigorating math rock instrumentation and twinkly emo aesthetics.
Combining music, spoken word, and visuals, London-based outfit Public Service Broadcasting crafts ethereal and mesmerizing post-rock that sources the majority of its vocals from public service announcements, documentaries, and other archival material. With a mission to "teach the lessons of the past through the music of the future," the band has covered everything from the Apollo space program to Welsh coal mining strikes and even Amelia Earhart's last flight - all in sonically inventive and enthralling ways. It’s nerdy in the best possible way, humane, and inspiring. The band will be playing at VAS ear with support from Wuhan act Sweet Sister Session - a cesspool of 1960s acid rock and space psychedelic music - with a sound dabbed in layers of electronic transistor organ, noise feedback, muddy guitar riffs, and distorted vocals. Righteous.
A gathering of China’s best and fiercest in the hardcore scene - Cream Club hosts eleven rip-roaring bands with a penchant for delivering gut-punching tunes. Expect nothing but ravenous mosh pits and hardcore camaraderie. Let’s run down the list - you’ve got the return of Shanghai hardcore acts Death Teach Me Life, No More Harm, and HEADIVE, newly minted Hangzhou hardcore band Ripper, Shenzhen ruffians Shoot the Gun, metalcore act Cancer Game and hardcore renegades Madcock, who both hail from Macau, Changsha beatdown hardcore act Rampage, and ready to strike Guangzhou acts Hard2Kill and What You Don’t See, and visiting Greater Bay Area hardcore act AnemoiA. Bring your hardcore goggles, get in your stretches, and get ready for non-stop circle pits.
Ming Room明室 - the quaint overflowing library, space, store, and/or archive stationed by the ever-wonderful Xie Wang 谢旺 - has long been home to Shanghai’s steadfast experimental music and underground art scene. Located on a second-floor walkup off of Shaoxing Lu, walking into the place is akin to stumbling into an arthouse hoarders' den - a minefield of art from underground art movements over the past sixty years. They celebrate 14 years on the scene this weekend as experimental music promoter fit none hosts a variety of showcases from Saturday, May 16th to Tuesday, May 19th - giving listeners a snapshot of Shanghai’s robust and engaging experimental music scene. Acts joining the celebration include electronic producer Simon Frank, long-standing sound exporters MAI mai and Zhu Songjie, visiting Leeds-based noise act Territorial Gobbing, and the Free Music Collective of Shanghai - a rotating collective of local experimental improvisers joining forces. Full lineup below.
