And just like that another year bye and bye. As I’m sure most of you know 2016 was a strange one. Not just on a macro level (let’s not even get into that clusterfuck) but on a micro level here in Beijing as well. We saw some significant changes to the musical landscape – some good, some bad – but each shedding light on the evolving scene.

Well I\’m here for the good…and as per usual there\’s a shit of ton of it. So over the course of the next few days while I\’m galloping over in Xi\’an. a city that\’ll certainly pop up here and there in this list, we\’re gonna take a look back at the songs, albums, bands, and shitshows that made 2016 such a unique one.

BEST ALBUMS
BEST SHOWS
BEST BANDS
BEST SONGS

2016 RECAP

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Saving the best for last – though the true reason the year end playlist comes last is because it is mind numbingly tedious. Soundcloud via VPN isn\’t for the faint of heart – but alas, it\’s done. While the initial list was closer to 170, and I\’m sure a few more of these will be taken down by Soundcloud\’s copyright police, I\’ve pretty impressed with the amount of great music that came out this year. So sit back, pop on some headphones, and spread the love. Remember to pop on your VPN to enjoy.

Here are the best songs of 2016!

2016LBMplaylist

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And just like that another year bye and bye. As I’m sure most of you know 2016 was a strange one. Not just on a macro level (let’s not even get into that clusterfuck) but on a micro level here in Beijing as well. We saw some significant changes to the musical landscape – some good, some bad – but each shedding light on the evolving scene. Here’s a overview of 2016!

The Old What? Bar, one of the scene’s unsung heroes, closed abruptly late this summer to the dismay of many old school musicians. Mao Livehouse closed in late spring only to quasi open again in the summer due to its landlord not being able to find a renter – they’re essentially operating in purgatory. The festival season found itself setting up shop outside of Beijing, again to the dismay of many – word is, next year will see city festival restrictions lessened. The scandal forever known as ‘Boobgate’ occurred at DDC when an artist allowed audience participants to grope her breasts on stage as part of her performance – the fallout led to DDC getting shut down for a short time, the Sound of the Xity Festival scrambling to relocate its massive multi-venue lineup (as most of the venues hosting the bands didn\’t have the right approvals), as well as a huge strife forming between DDC and the rest of the Gulou venues – a strife that hasn’t really been made public but still lingers today and has forced some bands to pick sides and cut their loses. And finally, just last month Tempe and Dada where forced to shut down amidst other raids and crackdowns – under the façade of the good old ‘fire escape’ excuse (remember when Mao Livehouse and Yugong Yishan had to shut down due to similar reasons back in the day). They’re back and running again but the uncertainty and dickish nature of the officials left a bad taste. As far as I can see (and that’s not that far) there remains lack of transparency from all sides of the issue in each of these incidences, proving once again that the music scene continues to operate in a grey area, for better or worse.

Not all was bad though, and the panic that stemmed from those above incidents was often times exaggerated by all parties involved (including myself). In actuality, 2016 saw lots of new players enter the scene. First up fRUITYSPACE – the basement venue located on Meishuguan has effortlessly filled the experimental void that XP held before, providing a home for some of the city’s most offbeat rockers and artists – from noise music, to ambient electronica, to hip hop parties – the venue is doing great things and is an undeniably charming place to boot. Then in autumn, Yue Space magically appeared in Beixinqiao, a bonafide 300 plus capacity venue fronted by music platform MusiKid. They’ve been showcasing some serious local acts and are essentially the new incarnation of the Shuangjing Mako Livehouse – a hot ticket indeed. Nanluguxiang staple 69 Café, opened up its new space Mogu Space, conveniently located in Xizhimen to entice the university kids. Finally, Jiang Jin Jiu Bar, who shuttered their doors last year in the Gulou area, have found a brand spanky new home in the Temple of Heaven area – Omni Space – and are looking to be a genuine mid-tier venue along the lines of Yugong Yishan and Mao Livehouse. In the Qianmen area, Ao Livehouse has been getting their name back out there and were joined the impressive luxurious jazz club Blue Note. Beyond those, there have been venues popping up even further outside the ring roads – by the Communications University along the Batong Line (Mars Livehouse), in the 798 Art District (Chen Livehouse) and even down south at the bottom of Line 10. School Bar doubled their investment on Wudaoying Hutong by adding in a dive bar next door. Places like Aotu Studio and even Café Zarah picked up the pace with interesting live music events and Modernsky Lab has had virtually no issue mixing big shows among smaller attended showcases and Caravan shows no signs of stopping. Far from a dry year in terms of growth.

Live Beijing Music on the other hand has continued to coast on its hobo charm, again, for better or worse. We hosted so more shows this year, helped curate the Fete de la Musique Festival in mid-June with the French Embassy and other dear friends, and have contributed to various global music platform, including beehype, who are going stronger than ever, and FrequencyAsia who have amassed legions of podcasts and radio shows on their site. Personally, I’ve been helping with the cassette-based Nasty Wizard Recordings, one of the more fun side jobs of mine, and even recorded a music video for one upcoming NWR release. We’re in the WeChat game now, which is pretty much where LiveBeijingMusic receives all its hits. Besides that, we don’t have much else going for us (and in case you haven’t noticed ‘us’ simply means ‘me’). Not gonna lie though, here’s to hoping 2017 goes a bit more smoothly.

To A Fruitful Year of The Rooster!

– Will Griffith, Live Beijing Music

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Time to take a look back at the bands and artists that enticed, delivered, and stood out above the rest – from the new comers turning heads, to the old guard taking it to new levels, to the prized few who left too soon – this is for the true forces that made the last year such a blast. 

Best Newcomers

december3am

Hands down, the best newcomer of the year. The duo, which formed from the ashes of a former band I had once highlighted in my year end review, Inner Mongolian trope Horse Radio, broke onto the scene this year (despite their complete lack of promotion and unrecorded material) like a sledgehammer. Simply put, Lao Du and Dala are operating on a whole other level and are exploring uncharted territories, finding solace in every beat, every note, and most of all every silent moment. Post post kraut rock is just scratching the surface. Otherworldly. Whether it’s at School, DDC, fRUITYSPACE, or even Temple, the twosome are forging their own sound on their own terms.

Last Goodbye

There’s nothing more satisfying then stumbling upon a new band that immediately lights a fire in your chest. I wasn’t quite expecting to be won over so quickly by the young psychedelic shoegaze outfit Last Goodbye but my oh my, how these kids lit up DDC when they performed back in September. Poised, skilled, and with plenty of swagger to snare, they caught the attention of many late this year. And while the band only formed this year, one listen to their demos on douban and their recent surge of performances across Beijing suggests 2017 is going to be very kind to these kids.

Rookies of the Year

The Twenties

Alright, so new is exactly correct here – but this was certainly the year of The Twenties for us at LiveBeijingMusic. The guitar-driven band with an affinity for writing infectious hooks straight out of the 90s continued to evolve and hone their sound. And it is this constant propelling momentum that helps the band stand on their own – while other bands would be content playing the same old stuff, The Twenties relish grappling a new song and nailing down that tempo change. Indie rock never sounded so alive.

Band I Saw The Most

Lonely Leary

One of last year’s picks for best newcomer quickly ascended to a label contract (please don’t ruin this one Maybe Mars) and a solid fanbase – Lonely Leary played a heck ton of shows this year and I simply couldn’t get enough of it I suppose.

Electronic Artist of the Year

iimmune

While I still haven’t mustered the vitality to fully enjoy an evening of hitting the dancefloor at Dada, I am finding myself more and more enthralled by some of the musicians climbing the ranks in the electronic scene. And after putting out my favorite electronic record of last year, I’ve been catching more and more of iimmune (Hsing Jiango of Glow Curve), whose been managing pulling off some of the most imaginative, synthetically pleasing sets this year. His keen ear for structure and rhythm coupled with his ear for texture and aesthetic is just the bee’s knees.

Bands to Keep An Eye On

Laisee

Seriously one of the most infectiously fun bands out there – fast and loose, jocular, no holds barrel hardcore music that’s elevated ten-fold simply by the fact that the band looks like they are having the absolute time of their life – charisma in loads. Not even in the inebriated, scrappy, bad boy image that many punk bands shoot for – but in a happy-go-lucky, white tee workout session kind of way. There’s really nothing like it and there’s no one as red-blooded as these cats. This is how you do hardcore, folks.

SNSOS

Making a splash in the post rock scene is quite the endeavor – already an over saturated genre in China, most bands reach a certain level, hit their quota of audience participants (higher than usual), and simply rust and deteriorate from there. That’s where She Never Sings Our Songs differs – the band seems very much aware of their place in the field and thus have actively strived to stretch their arms and explore every nook and cranny of post rock – lots of math rock riffs, mischievous breakdowns, and even a bit of shoegaze melatonin. There’s no telling where the band will head in 2017 and therein lies the beauty.

R.I.P

Social Boar, which emerged from the dispersing of Fake Weed and Mammals, basically used a three-month block to get their name heard, and it worked like gangbusters – by the end of their run they were already one of the most exciting and unpredictable bands – still waiting for that album release! Alpine Decline – that was one that stung a bit more. And while the band is in no ways kaput, their time in Beijing was embedded in their more recent albums, and in many ways were one of the few bands here that were using their environment as a springboard. An emotional ‘see ya later’ – it’ll be interesting to see what Jonathan and Pauline cook up back West.

To the rest: Cave Hand Rod – we hardly knew ya. But please do return. We need more bands with a very un-PC view of life. S-Mud – I was super stoked to have you join our School showcase but alas, band issues. Baxian Chophouse – schoolin in Singapore – boooo. Boiled Hippoooo – too soonnnn?!

LBM Badge of Honor

Streets Kill Strange Animals/Glow Curve

To the bands who have stuck it out through time, and who have aged like wine – this one goes out to you Glow Curve and Streets Kill Strange Animals, Modernsky’s two shining stars (aka likely their least profitable bands), who have stepped up their game without selling out one iota – hitting one of their performances in the past year was a guaranteed good time.

And Beyond Beijing

As far as bands go – don’t think there was a better performance this year then Hiperson at the CDC Punk Festival in Chengdu. Just a spellbinding performance. To prove it wasn’t a fluke, the band performed in Beijing as well, where they were joined by Fazi (formerly The Fuzz), who made a mighty fine impression on me as well (plus they have a sweet ass song about Xi’an – the city which continues to fascinate me, for better or worse). At the wonderful Concrete & Grass Festival in Shanghai, I was treated to a killer set from Chinese Football in the early afternoon and another from Wang Wen just as it got dark. And kudos to the bands from abroad who kicked ass – including Metz, Die!Die!Die!, Thug Mills, Jambinai, Guitar Wolf, Sunflower Bean, Mr. Sterile Assembly, and of course Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

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This will be the fifth time I have compiled a list of my favorite musical moments of the year. So on top of the eighty plus documented shows I attended this year (and a heck ton more which reside in solely in the membrane) there have been four other years of shows I have to deal with. Cause simply put, there comes a saturation point when every show you’ve been to blur together into one alcohol-soaked, sweated-filled, euphoric blob. Which is why it’s important to break out of your comfort zone, seek out new sounds, and find yourself surprised. And while I still struggle to not go for the easy choice, I did find myself drawn more and more to gigs that offered something different. There’s a lot out there fellow Beijingers – get after it. Here’s my top ten fifteen gigs of the year.

Soulspeak x TTechmak at Café Zarah

Now this is how you pull off a release show. In the spirit of the jazz flavored summer vibes present on the sexy, soulful Love In The Land Of Robots, from maverick producer Soulspeak and trumpeter TTechmak, Beijing label Ran Music decided to bring the music to Cafe Zarah‘s courtyard and terrace. And I gotta say, it was a treat, even in the blistering heat. Summer vibes. Bloody Mary in hand. And watching a master work his magic with a child-like enthusiasm. There’s no way this could have worked anywhere else. A fresh and unique to shakeup to our weekend routine. Full writeup/pictures

Seippelabel x LiveBeijingMusic at Old What? Bar

My last dance with the Forbidden City ‘hole in the wall’ was about as perfect as I could imagine. Teaming up with local label Seippelabel (headed by Beijing artist thruoutin) we miraculously managed to fill the space and then some, as audiences were treated to the lush diverse sounds of SNSOS, who managed to take their jangly post rock to new levels, indietronica duo Nocturnes, and electronic wizard Mengqi. But really, the real star was the Old What? – a venue that felt like home to many and will be irreplaceable. Full writeup/videos/pictures.

Cave Hand Rod at School Bar

Well that certainly was something? A grindcore band living pure and true to their genre, with songs about tapes worms in your bumhole, protests against maxipads, and some dude dressed up as the most terrifying Ronald McDonald – Cave Hand Rod (even the name stops me in my tracks) went the extra mile, with props, gusto, and a large dose of batshit crazy which had folks foaming at the mouth. The band has yet to play since then and really, they don’t need to – they went out on a high note as far as I’m concerned. Full writeup.

december3am at School Bar

Hands down my favorite band of the year – december3am, which formed from the ashes of a former band I had strong nonsexual feelings for, Inner Mongolian trope Horse Radio, broke onto the scene this year (despite their complete lack of promotion and unrecorded material). Simply put, Lao Du and Dala are operating on a whole other level and are exploring uncharted territories. Post post kraut rock is just scratching the surface. Otherworldly. It’s not often School goes silent but this was one of those times. Full writeup.

Last Goodbye at DDC

Again, there’s nothing more satisfying then stumbling upon a new band that immediately lights a fire in your chest. And while DDC has remained a fascinating place to mine and test out new talent, I wasn’t quite expecting to be won over so quickly by the young psychedelic shoegaze outfit Last Goodbye. Assured and with plenty of swagger they caught plenty of wide-eyed concertgoers off guard. Full writeup.

Wang Wen at Yugong Yishan

Grown men don’t cry unless it’s because you’re watching Dalian post rock giants Wang Wen for your first time. Multiple times. Enough said. Full writeup.

Mai Mai Mai at fRUITYSPACE

Italian soundsmith Mai Mai Mai, kicked off his China tour and gotta say – couldn’t of picked a better venue than fRUITYSPACE. Some devilishly intriguing sounds coming out of that basement. Noise music with a taste of the primal that subtly finds a groove that slowly takes over and enraptures. My kind of darkness. Full writeup.

A Guiguisuisui Wedding at Caravan

Being no stranger to a rock and roll wedding, I knew fun times were abound when my two good friends, Dann and Sue, of the band Guiguisuisui, planned an evening of riotous music to accompany their wedding. Just how quickly the festivities would break me down and turn me and others in giddy, lovable messes was not as expected. Joyous indeed. Full writeup

P.K.14 at School Bar

One of those times where you just say to hell with it and dance for two hours straight and then realize that you have soaked through your entire wardrobe as well as the person standing next to you. Nothing like a little P.K 14 to get you in shape for swimsuit season. Full writeup.

Serge Teyssot-Gay (FR), Octopoulpe (FR/SK), 1000 Postures at Hot Cat Club

Hot Cat Club has been picking up the slack as of late – and I couldn’t be more pleased. The venue hasn’t got a fair shake in years due to piss poor management and the catch all ‘bad sound’, but in just six months, the venue has been throwing some kick ass gigs, the best of which came just earlier this month when French avant garde musician Serge Teyssot-Gay (of Noir Desir fame) gave a wonderfully transcendent solo outing with Jukka Ahonen. However, the event went into serious jaw-dropping mode as a circus of artists from Korea and France took the stage, including the mind melting technical drumming of Octopouple. Full writeup.

Social Boar/Alpine Decline at DDC/Yugong Yishan

We lost some extremely talented musicians (and friends) this year to Trumpville, and it hit hard. First, the grizzled math rock trio Social Boar, a band that had only formed in late 2015, and were already proving themselves to be one of the scene’s more inventive bands. And then later in the summer, we lost the fuzz and drum indie rock duo (late addition bassist Yang Haisong of P.K.14 has stuck around for obvious reasons) – and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the when they sang ‘The Aftertaste of Gold’ in their farewell performance. And while it’s not the last we’ll be seeing from those talented folks, it certainly has shed light on what Beijing means to people creatively. Full writeup.

Glow Curve at Mao Livehouse/Temple

For me, this is the year Glow Curve really came into their own. I’ve always been a fan but for some reason, this was the year they decided to kick it up a notch and turn up the volume. Whether they’re playing to a full house at Mao Livehouse (back in early April where they outshined just about everyone on stage including Hedgehog) or to a pack of hungry music lovers at Temple, the band knows when to strip back their sound or when to punch it up. Guess that explains their new booking price tag.

Puking Unicorns at Temple

Really don’t remember much about the show. But what this night will forever go down as is the time Xiaoxiao knocked out her teeth. You see – Xiaoxiao, being the little ball of rock and roll that she is – joined The Puking Unicorns as their new singer – a match made in heaven. What wasn’t a match made in heaven though was the floor and Xiaoxiao’s face which met full on in the band’s closing number. And while I was too ethically concerned with taking pictures of the concussed chaos, I can proudly say it was I who found her dislodged teeth fifteen feet away from the contact point. Rock and roll at its finest ladies and gentlemen. Full writeup.

RyoSuke KiYaSu (JP), Ding Chenchen, Wang Ziheng at Sanyuanqiao Underpass

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or in this case, when Beijing authorities forbid you from performing in a venue you straight up take that shit to the underpass. That was the underlying reason for having Japanese noise artist and percussionist Ryosuke Kiyasu perform in an underpass by Sanyuanqiao. The artist’s three-night residency in Beijing was axed last minute due to, well, being Japanese and getting a little too volatile with his drum(s). So, with the help of labels Zoomin’ Nights and Subjam, the shows were moved to living rooms and in this occasion, a frigid underpass. And what beautiful noise he made alongside fellow Beijing artists Ding Chenchen and Wang Ziheng. Full writeup.

CDC Punk Festival at Morning House (Chengdu)

And the prize for the most off the beaten path gig I went to! While Beijing has plenty to offer there’s nothing like bursting out of the Beijing bubble and realizing that there’s a heck ton to offer in China’s bustling second-tier cities. This festival on the outskirts of Chengdu was perhaps the highlight of the year. For you old time Beijingers – imagine if Dos Kolegas owned just about every building on its plot of land and was stuck in Huairou. Hot pot galore, punks bands aplenty (with Hiperson absolutely shaking the earth), and legions of genuine music fans – Chengdu more than impressed me. Full writeup.

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