Hands down the best live act we’ve got in the country, Henan noise rockers The Columbian Cola Ltd., one of this most fiercely original and unhinged acts returned to throw listeners into the deep end of delirium with their infectious cock-eyed swirl of surf rock, psychedelic, garage rock, shoegaze, and lo-fi noise pop. They essentially weaponize noise pop (and to a degree shoegaze) against listeners - turning a catchy jangle-filled melodic into an assault onto the ears - its chord progression becoming more frantic and the reverb turning into some diabolical form of harsh noise. There’s a violence to it - with band members punching their pedals into oblivion and mics cords being turned into some low-rent form of BDSM. It’s dangerously seductive stuff. The band is amidst a nationwide tour - support from Suzhou’s indie fire starters Acid Room.
What a pleasure it is to hear a band finding new ground with an arguably overplayed genre. That’s exactly the case for the Inner Mongolian Beijing-based outfit Horse Radio. While it has its share of knee-slappers – reggae-infused rock-tilted jams that one can imagine would ignite a crowd at just about anywhere – there’s an inherent exploration within their sound; an improvisational vibe that elevates the material and truly feels organic as it dips its toes into other genres. 图片 The band has been dormant for some time, as its ring leader Bayan Dalai continued to inject elements of krautrock, psychedelic music, and experimental tones into his ancestor music - so it was exciting to see where they had picked up the pieces. A lot of that exploration is even more apparent in the band’s sound now - giving them room to breathe and allowing them to chart their own course.
New Year! New venues! Let’s hope this one lasts cause it’s about time Pudong got a proper venue. Located along the Huangpu River not too far from the TangQiao ferry, with a name like Cream Club at least the beer will be flowing. And if the lineup is any indication - rock and roll at its most combustible may have a new home in the Year of the Snake. On the docket you’ve got thrash makers K.A.P. (aka Kill All Posers), psychedelic prog rockers BosonTidE, young punk outfit Mini Koala, and surf rock veterans The Psyders. Hell yeah.
A veteran of the indie pop scene for well over a decade singer Shi Xiaofei may have found the perfect outlet for her pop sensibilities with her latest project Simplicity Lover. Scuffing up her lush lyricism with an indie country-rock veneer, led by producer and guitarist Gao Xiaofang, that’s potent in its assembly and musical language, there’s a rustic spirit at the band’s core - a poetic beauty that clashes beautifully with the robust almost Nashville-esque sound. The band is in the midst of a mini-tour.
