We’re through the looking glass here, friends. Things are about the get real hectic again in Shanghai as we enter into the busy season for music and clubbing events. Locally-based promoters, they’re coming for your RMB. Looking at the long game, there’s already a load of international acts slated to be with us in the coming months in Shanghai, ranging from haha-WTF to hey-that-sounds-alright. Randomly, off the top of our heads: Lamb of God, Il Divo, Sven Vath, Calvin Harris, Roxette, Jue Festival feat. Death Cab for Cutie and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Doc Daneeka, Jorma Kaukonen (of Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) the rumoured Strawberry Festival, MEN, The Bug, and sure, probably way more. Thus, Shanghai, now’s the time to celebrate your local culture while you can before it gets crowded out somewhat for the bigger ticket.
And to those ends we point you towards local rock this weekend. It’s a no-brainer really. With most live music venues still shaking off the cobwebs of the CNY holiday and not booking anything at all this weekend -- what’s happening up there, Shanhai? -- Yuyintang and Live Bar are the only places in town with live rock music on.
Candy Shop @ Mao Livehouse
Yuyintang has two nights of local rock bands on their stages. Friday is two local bands on stage. The long-running, festival-traveled, and quite popular Candy Shop -- younger kids doing a peppy, funkie Avril Lavigne plus Linkin Park male-female vocal trade-off sort of thing -- returning to YYT with younger local act Magic Lion.
Azlan?
And then on the Saturday is a big showcase of local bands for the Rock Your Life Vol. II night with a whopping six (mostly) new bands sharing the stage. That one’s hosted by local upstart label / promotions group Tension Music and it’s all over the place from blues to pop to grunge to pop punk. Sounds pretty neat. Here’s the bands: Da Fresh, Guts, Cosmic Cake, Tang Trio, Nao Hai, Biu Biu Biu. These local showcases tend to get the kids out, so if you’re up for some newer Shanghai home-grown rock, that should be fun.
Meanwhile, across town is Live bar with two bands on for the Saturday night -- funk rock band A Four and shit rock (yes!) band Bigong Bijing.
So all this is good. If you one of those who complains about seeing the same old, same old local bands all the time, this should be a real good weekend for you. Lots of fresher faces out there to check out. Enjoy your city. Support the kids.
To round this out, here’s some interesting download links from our city’s fine cadre of local DJs and producers. Check these out if you like.
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Super Ayi Cleaning Team has a new mixtape out, son. No one tops their game, son. This is Heatwolves and DJ Caution lovin’ you long time.
"Built for rainy days and purple sunsets -- The January 2012 Chinese New Year mix by Shanghai's SUPER AYI CLEANING TEAM members DJ Caution and Heatwolves. A carefully selected bag of italo disco, house, and hip hop, slowed down 30%, edited, and cut with some dusty old VHS tapes from around the world. Slow, smokey, bass-heavy, and sexy as fuck."
Download and full track listing right here.
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Idle internet searching turned up this little guy from local producers Icenine and Downstate -- your DJs on Monday nights at Dada. UK-born, Shanghai-based Downstate is releasing his stuff on local label Pause:Music next month. Watch out for that.
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Here’s S.T.D. promoter R3 giving you a taste of what’s to come for the year of the dragon. And here’s a mix for January from Adrian Lai of the Clap! Clap! parties, among others.
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Last but not least, here’s a free download from Conrank, who loves you. He really does. A real flair for the grandiose, this Conrank kid.
“[Conrank and Deadlock delivering] a huge drop, a mixture of halftime and fulltime DnB and a scorching bassline.”
Enjoy.
