Another year; another onslaught of new releases to comb through. With the indie music scene at a much more fortunate place than say last year, it was clear that 2021 was going to be packed to the gills with new releases from every band and label under the sun. While many labels came out swinging this year, such as Maybe Mars, Ruby Eyes, and Eating Music, I noticed a lot more bands releasing their own music or, at the very least, holding back on releasing their music with some of the bigger names. I’m getting the sense that lots of people are approaching the musical landscape with more perspective – keeping a close eye on how it’s developing and gauging the pros and cons of having a big label backing you. The playing field is far from level, but I do believe bands have a bigger say now than they ever did before. And as some bands proved this year, you don’t need a powerhouse label to sell out a nationwide tour or make a splash.

All of which leads to what? Well, it’s a bit complicated. The network of labels, distributors, and promoters is more saturated and as convoluted as ever. Labels buy labels. Labels start sub-labels. It all gets very ‘A Beautiful Mind’. We see some labels only handling certain aspects of a band’s yield or outsourcing tours to maverick promoters with more pull. If anything 2021 was the year that promoters made a killing and made a name for themselves. But I ramble – let’s try to highlight a few of the releases and labels that stood out to me this year.  

Maybe Mars continued building upon the momentum from last year, dropping much-anticipated releases from some of their staple bands (Backspace, Wu Wei, TOW) in the first half of the year before introducing audiences to their new crop in the second half of the year. And with a lot of new names and singles making their way out, it’s clear they’re rejuvenated. Ruby Eyes has well kept mighty busy this year – with highlights being Hardcore Raver In Tears’ debut and Silent Speech’s double-LP debut – one of this year’s best. 

One of the newest contenders has been bié Records, the Beijing label established by producer Yu Su with former members of Vice China. They have made waves with a slew of releases from some of the scenes most exciting new voices – everything from the esoteric avant pop of Shannxi artist Barbarika to Hangzhou post punk breakthroughs Salty Tomorrow. Like all things Vice-adjacent, their tastemakers through and through – so will be interesting to see what other trends they pick up on in the coming year. Modernsky continues to branch out and diversify their deep catalogue with two more sub-labels TransMiB and Water-Made – it’s still unclear what direction these two labels are heading into – but TransMiB is off to a hell of a start with their releases from Domino Trigger and LST. Keep an eye out for both of them. From the sound of it – Modernsky are signing new bands left and right, so 2022 could be a big one for them. Speaking of which, StreetVoice, the Taiwan-based platform, has been making more and more moves within China, as the two industries slowly become to merge very fludily. 

This was also a very fine year for Shengjian Records. The label seems to have transformed over the past year into the defining go-to-label for indie pop in China- everything from The 尺口MP’s debut to The Bootleg’s debut (how one of my favorite releases of the year was recorded on an iPad is beyond me) is top of the line stuff. They seem to have an eye for building up bands with word-of-mouth and sly marketing – all done with a deft personable touch. 

On the DIY front, one label I think we’re going to be hearing a lot more from in 2022 is Freedom Heron Records 自由之鹭唱片, based out of Xiamen. Fueled by some of the punks scenes most steadfast members, there seems to be a real grassroots effort to their output, which included everything from Nanning post rock newcomers Jianxisheng and Changsha torch bearers CSBQ. 

On a smaller scale, Letter Records, had a fruitful year – for the most part focusing on an array of sexy 7” records. And keeping with their diehard DIY ethos, Qiii Snacks continues putting out some of the years most offbeat releases, as well as expanding their oeuvre further into China’s neighboring territories. And lest not forget the true blood DIY purveyors out there – Pest Productions and Dying Arts Recordings – who have had their grubby little fingers on the pulse of the metal and punk scene for quite some time. Not a month goes by without them dropping something (for some of the most brutal underground punk releases check out Naonaosi and Stick Xiaoming Again And Again 反复攻击小明).

As for China’s more esoteric tastemakers – WV Scorcher, and to a lesser extent Old Heaven Books, have become renowned labels outside of China for their finely curated releases from the experimental and world music scenes’ most cutting-edge artists. Pitchfork-worthy write-ups – gasp! From concept to production to packaging – not one aspect goes unnoticed in their releases – making their bandcamp pages a true delight for people who still indulge in physical releases. 

On the electronic front, Eating Music continued to strut their stuff – with a handful of buoyant innovative releases that showcases the elastic stylings of the label – that minddexx release is my ambient moodsetter of the year. Meanwhile, the established globally-recognized labels like Genome 6.66Mbp and SVBKVLT continued to shake it up adding more international acts to their roster. Mintone out of Chengdu kept it breezy, and Sound Blanc quietly released swarms of ambient-based soundtracks to fill the void of existential dread in our lives . 

Of course, there are countless others – Space Circle released one of my favourite albums – Little Wizard III – this year. Budding Beijing labels like VIBEZ and Cold Neo dropped some of this year’s best surprises – Dalian’s Floating in the Mist and the prog rock fever dream that is Dreaming Julie. And plenty of other bands put in the work themselves – most notably Dirty Finger’s mammoth sophomore release. 

All in all – a pretty damn year for music releases. Here are my favorites albums of the year – I suppose you could break them up into three separate tiers. But really, they’ve all gravy in my book. Click on each album for links and full review. 

THE BOOTLEGS 靴腿 – 幽灵的回访

Backspace 退格 – Ants Corrupt Elephant 群蚁蚀象

Silent Speech 沉默演讲 – Law of Instability不稳定的规律/Orderly Chaos有序混沌

Little Wizard 小巫师 – Little Wizard III

Dirty Fingers 脏手指 – Planet Dominica Vivavilli 多米力高威威维利星

j-fever 小老虎, Eddie Beatz, Zhou Shijue 周士爵 – 心愈频率

Fayzz – Connection

mindexxx – A Bleary Elapse 回忆模糊推演

Salty Tomorrow 明天的盐 – 明天的盐

Flip House – Sleep Somewhere Else

Floating in the Mist 悬在雾中 – 失败博物馆

Omnipotent Youth Society 万能青年旅店 – Inside the Cable Temple 冀西南林路行

Sadkids Club – Destroy Myself 100 Times

Sleeping Dogs x nehcetep – Petedogs

Shanghai Qiutian 上海秋天 – Home：Revolution 家:革命

Guzz – Seven Days and Twelve Nights 七天十二夜

Wu Tiao Ren 五条人 – Live Fish Upstream, Dead Fish Drift Downstream 活鱼逆流而上，死鱼随波逐流/Half True, Half False 一半真情流露，一半靠表演

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Dreaming Julie 发梦茱莉 – Dreaming Julie 发梦茱莉

Early Park 鳄梨帕克 – 晚安 魔力岛

Qunxiang 群像 – Dim Party 低迷聚会

The Molds – MT.KOOLMOON 酷月山

Naohai 闹海 – The Crowd 乌合之众

Jo’s Moving Day 乔迁日 – Itinerary 航行指南

Brain Failure 脑浊 – 滚蛋吧，2020

Hardcore Raver in Tears 白纸扇 – The Survivors Club 幸存者俱乐部

Domino Trigger 推骨牌的人 – Facades

Dashengun 大神棍 – People’s Artist 人民艺术家

C.S.B.Q – 未来的宝藏

Bad Sweetheart – Bye Bye That’s All 今天就到这

Aming Liang 阿鸣 – MIDORI

The post 2021 BEST ALBUMS first appeared on .

Too many gigs, too little time…

My days of going out on the weekend are numbered. Simple truth. Between trying to keep my body in one piece, raise a newborn daughter, and find a more profitable, less physically exhausting hobby – I give myself another year max. And in typical passive-aggressive fashion, I’ve vowed to get in as many shows as possible till that day arrives. Do I dare count the number of shows I’ve been to this year? All I know is I’m ending the year with the back pain of a 60-year old man, a busted camera, and mountains of student debt. But damn, those were some kick-ass gigs. 

Here are some of the best gigs of the year.

2021 Post-Shanghai 摇 (Yuyintang Park 2021.01.30)

My ears have been finding their way into post-rock more and more this year – partially due to my need to block out the dissonance in my life and partially because of how much richer the scene is these days, twisting itself in new directions, subverting everything we thought we knew about the genre. The Post-Shanghai showcase back in January was a hell of an intro to Shanghai’s robust post rock scene, particularly in An Corporation’s baroque and inspired take on instrumental music and in the refined emotional gravitas of Appendix – I still will listen to their live set on bilibili time to time. 

Hades Temple Fair 冥府庙会 (9 Club 酒球会 2021.02.16)

PublicNoise, who took some of the seasonal rituals of Chinese New Year – mainly those of temple fairs and currying favor with the deities – and twisted it in on itself, turned 9 Club in Hangzhou into a netherworld fair to pay tribute to Hades. Complete with fortune tellers, NPC costumed characters, ghoulish shots, and blanketing the entire venue in a blanket of darkness, spirits roamed the space looking for guidance every which way – but mainly through the psychedelic treats that manifested on stage. It was also the first time I became truly enthralled by the psych wave riders Khunathi, who have proven themselves again and again to one of Shanghai’s most kickass bands. 

Frankfurt Helmet 法兰克福头盔 (Modernsky Lab 2021.03.06)

Didn’t take long but cool-hued IDM architects Frankfurt Helmet, who relocated to Shanghai from Wuhan last year, have become one of the electronic’s scenes most exciting acts. While their music is grand on its own – stirring and ambient-filled at moments, kinetic and glitched out the next – it’s the duo’s welcoming of visual artists to enter their world that has made them stand out from the rest. No place was this better demonstrated than last March where I sat in awe as visual artist 膨胀螺丝, who utilized some sort of facial recognition/motion sensor app on his phone to manipulate the awe-inspiring images on the screen – from facemask troops overtaking an urban center to a face-melting mashup of emojis and faces. A perfect marriage of music and visuals.

Canton Power 唔係玩玩 (Mao Livehouse 上海 2021.3.20) 

Face me on stages ain’t exactly a new concept – they’ve been floating around in one conception or another for years now. But when done right – with the right bands, the right crowds, and the right presentation – it’s the best. I think a lot of what goes into the alchemy of a successful face-off is the banter and comradery of who’s performing. And A.J of Haze Sounds knew exactly who to tap – with Hoo! and YouCeHeiLu 右侧合流 from Guangdong going up against Loft Beach and Shanghai Qiutian. Everyone was having a rollicking good time, cheering each other on, mimicking each other’s instrumentation (you never know when you’ll need a cover for a future date) and even teaming up Morphin Power Ranger style for an epic (and most definitely saucy) jam. Sitting on the stage, beer in hand, watching all this unfold – was a treat. 

Zuho x Wonton Bureau 馄饨局 (ALL 2021.03.24)

Hosting events at ALL Club with the Wanton Bureau gang was one of this year’s best experiences – an excuse to bend and twist the concept of club music and give the floor to acts that you’d typically not find within the walls of ALL. However, the moment that will forver be engrained in me is when I snunk out on the day my daughter was born – a forty-minute stopover between my home and the hospital – and hid in the back of ALL, in a state of shock as Zuho performed. One of the most surreal, moving, and dare I say, transcendent moments in my entire life. The music is already soul-crushingly beautiful on its own but tangled up with the emotions at hand and my physical and mental state at the time, it floored me.

Salty Tomorrow 明天的盐 (Yuyintang Park 04.04/09.21)

It was heartening to see how much the Hangzhou band has grown in just over a year. I talked about them plenty last year but seeing them play Yuyintang Park like a fiddle twice (three times if you count their Joy Division Halloween set) was some of the most fun I’ve had dancing. There’s something ecstatic and exuberant about their mix of post punk unease and pensive indie rock. Never too sweet, never too sour – its pop sensibilities only refine and sharpen its off-kilter and momentum-building arrangements – allowing the songs to swell into a whirlpool of catharsis.

Deadly Cradle Death  (44KW 2021.05.20)

Only took three years but I finally got my wish of seeing Deadly Cradle Death in a club. I’m been clamouring for the Beijing duo to keep the club treatment for three years now and seeing them pop up on bills in places like Zhaodai in Beijing over the last year gave me hope my day was near. And glorious it was. The claustrophobic crowd was a marriage made in dream fever hell, and with 44KW’s robust sound system – it was pure manic energy spilling over everywhere. My friend looking on in fear – shocked that this could ever be considered music – was the cherry on top. 

Dirty Fingers 脏手指 (Bandai Namco万代南梦宫 2021.06.01)

Dirty Fingers giving an unplugged orchestral version of their new LP Planet Dominico Vivavilli – turning Bandai Namco into jazz lounge club – and having a couple of mercenary musicians (including Pz of Railway Suicide Club) fill out the band’s grander sound. With accordion, conga, violin, piano, keyboard decking out the floor and band members jumping around like a game of musical chairs, it was a blast to see how they gave a fresh lease to each of the tracks – twisting and contorting their songs while retaining their core dynamism – and in many ways, capturing the sound on record more accurately than their live electric sets could ever.

Howie Lee x Teom Chen (VAS 2021.06.26)

A multi-faceted performance of boundless musical creativity and technological ingenuity – a feast for both the eyes and ears – the Howie Lee and Teom Chen team up – an aerobatic, full-bodied interactive live performance was unlike anything I’ve witnessed. So much, it was hard at times to keep up with the elaborate layers at play – from the real-time visual puppetry (quite literally in one track) to the Tai Chi battle between the two advisories whose actions were translated into the awe-inducing theremin-like applications. Truly cutting-edge stuff that Elon Musk would fap to. 

Jimmy Jack Farewell (Yuyintang 2021.06.26)

Shanghai paid its respects to the man, the myth, the legend, Jimmy Jack – Round Eye’s boy toy drummer of nine years – earlier this summer, giving Jimmy a send-off to remember. Friends and family were up to the task turning the venue into a madhouse, as bodies were tossed about like rag dolls, crowds bum-rushed the stage, instruments made their way onto the dance floor, and secret guests appearances were aplenty. Saliva was shared way too much, drum kits were coming undone, and tears were definitely shed (if the farewell compilation didn’t get you misty-eyed in the slightest you are truly a sociopath). 

White Ink 白墨水 (NEO Bar 2021.07.02)

Snarky, playful, and scrappy, it was a pleasure to get to know the young emboldened White Ink over the past year as they waited to be allowed back into the United States for university. The band – who sports a twisty alt punk sound that’s recklessly and gleefully packed to the gills with everything from California funk rock to brooding indie rock, are as DIY as they come – passionate about the music they’re making. That passion sometimes spills into spite as was the case at Neo Bar when a table of uninterested college students loudly played their game of die whilst the band performed. In perfect punk fashion, the singer got on their table mid-song singing directly at them, contempt in his eyes yet never missing a beat in the song. It was a perfect capsulation of the band’s earnest yet sharp wit – and the kind of spunk that only comes with adolescence. 

Dizang地藏 Club Experience (ELEVATOR 04.16/C’s 06.19/ALL 07.21)

Ksitigarbha continues to surprise me, being one of the only bands in town who never repeats the same set. Seriously, how many bands can just take their psych prog rock sound and twist it into a trance-inducing club set? Not many. And it’s this shape-shifting nature of the band that allows them to grow and evolve. Watching them stretch out their arms (and sound) in ELEVATOR and ALL was some of the most fun I’ve had in clubs this past year. And watching crowds shake loose around then at C’s Bar, with some even joining in on the fun, was probably the closest I’ll get to a Burning Man Festival. Simply put, these cats put out good vibes. 

Kenja Time, Nouvelle, Naohai 闹海, JieChi 戒尺 (Yuyintang 2021.07.11)

Yuyintang is the heart and soul of the Shanghai music scene – a place I find myself popping into even when I’m not sure what’s happening. It’s friendly, comforting, and feels like home. Too many good nights to recall (or have buried deep in y subconscious) but one chaotic evening I find myself racing across the city, paranoid and guilt-ridden after an ill-fated encounter with another vehicle. Ditching share-bikes, switching up my attire, and taking detours through parks (where I witnessed a cat get ambushed by two blood-hungry dogs) – it had the makings of a nightmare. But then I entered Yuyintang and the weight was lifted. The music was top-notch that night – particularly Naohai and Kenja Time – but it was Yuyintang that was there for me. 

Backspace退格  x Lonely Leary孤独的利里 (2021) 

Two of my favorite Beijing bands – Backspace and Lonely Leary – two bands I’ve been following since day one – had breakthrough years here in China, becoming bands that could not only hold their own on the big stage but could throw the crowd into a frenzy. It’s not only heartening to see such an elated response to their music, but to see the band attack their music with such manic fervor, it’s clear they’re only getting started. Catching Backspace at Modern Sky as they wound up audiences with their playful grooves and Lonely Leary just about everywhere, throwing audiences on a knifes edge with almost sadistic pleasure. They deserve all the accolades this year. 

mindexxx (ELEVATOR 2021.08.08)

I’ve realized that Eating Music is filling that DIY void in my life since I left Beijing (along with my own cassette label Nasty Wizard Recordings I operated with two friends). There’s very much a homegrown quality to their output that never feels beholden to anyone other than their own tastes and eccentricities. One of my favorite releases has been Wuhan-based electronic musician mindexxx’s A Bleary Elapse, which seemed to find that beautiful intersection between classical and electronica with acoustic instruments (such as piano and clarinet) weaving in and out of grainy samples, buoyant blips and engulfing modular synthesizers. And to catch the artist live in ELEVATOR on a Sunday afternoon on a couch with candles dimly lighting the room – bliss! 

Yunjing云镜 (Yuyintang 2021.08.13)

With a sound that evokes everything from 70s psych rock to Seattle-era grunge rock at its most combustible, there’s a primitive almost animalistic charisma to their brand of punk rock that’s loaded with sardonic wit, high-wire energy, and old school rock and roll magnetism…or better yet, reckless abandon with a set that tipped into blind debauchery ending with its frontman collapsed on the floor crawling his way back to civilization. Good work fireballs. 

KAOS at C’s (2021)

It’s been a hoot popping into C’s throughout 2021 for the monthly series – ‘a neon-smear collage of DIY art, thrifty attire, sweaty rock and rock, and regretful tattoo decision-making’. There’s something both endearing and radical about the convergence of Shanghai’s offbeat subcultures, sharing with the people their strange little obsession. No judgement, no gimmicks – and always a hell of a good time with musical lineups full of surprises.  Their birthday was a particular highlight with An Corporation squeezing between sweaty patrons to give a whirlwind performance and Rat King turning the floor into a war zone as my body became a rag doll for the masses to have their way with. KAOS reigns supreme.

Little Wizard 小巫师 (Yuyintang 2021.09.05)

Canvassing from math rock theatrics to psychedelic rock conjuring – Little Wizard seems to relish switching gears every few minutes – often times within a song itself, pulling out the rug from underneath just to reveal a surprising jangle-filled epilogue or a minute long meltdown. An exhilarating kaleidoscope of instrumental rock and roll that left nothing on the floor (except for a broken glass or two) – leaving audiences with a full spread of concise, chiselled and loaded tracks that ignite as soon as they leave the stage. 

Wu Zhuoling 吴卓玲 (Heim 2021.09.10)

I don’t go to clubs too often anymore (fatherhood will do that to a man) but I did go out of my ways a couple times to catch acts I knew I’d enjoy. Case in point – being floored by Chengdu based Wu Zhuoling in Heim, whose cosmic electronica wavers between rich, delicate melodies and multi-layered dance rhythms, whilst combining modular synth sounds with ethereal vocals. So good that a few months later I ran over to SYSTEM to do it all over again. 

8 Hour Rock n Roll Club 八小时摇滚俱乐部 (Happy Potion 2021.09.19)

8 Hour Rock n Roll Club took over Happy Potion – a tiny alcove at the bottom of a massive apartment complex and just hidden enough away from the hustle and bustle of the Main Street – for an unplugged punk fest complete with fist-pumping anthems, debauched sing-a-longs, free-flow craft beer, and yours truly scrambling together a DJ set. Music came courtesy of a ragtag group of musicians from the various punk scenes around the area. Low-key yet boundless in the enthusiasm brought by everyone involved, it was a joyous, surly occasion. The true theme to emerge from the evening was that of finding your ‘home’ away from home – a place cut off from the pressures and soul-crushing routine of city life, as we each try to find that balance between living and surviving. The punk scene and in particular the 8 Hour Rock Fest has become a place of solace for the misfits of society. And a place I’ll be gladly head to again and again. 

JiMaoXin鸡毛信 (LoopyLive 2021.09.20)

It’s not often I go into a gig completely unaware of what I’m about to see. And not for lack of trying – what scant info I could drudge up simply left too much to the imagination. So when I heard the Jimaoxin 鸡毛信 kicking off from below, little did I know I was gonna step into perhaps my favorite live act of the year. Leaning into the cosmic and jazz-heavy end of the psychedelic genre – with an almost irrelevant madcap edge to their formation – JiMaoXin 鸡毛信 are essentially a multi-faceted jam band who got bored of being likely lounge room mercenaries and started honing their skills into something more orchestrated, sonically ambiguous, and indefinitely more fun. Its quirks and instrumental intricacies barely disguise the melodic pop sensibilities that makes one wonder if Jimaoxin could have been a hit Japanese band from the late 70s. Yeah – it was a wavelength that I fell right in line with – and combined with the element of surprise – has rendered their set one of my favorites of the year. 

AIRSFX x Zilu 子路 (2021)

Punk is alive and well in Shanghai – look no further than AIRSFX and Zilu – two bands who embody the anarchic spirit that this city almost seems incapable of anymore. Toeing the line between boozy arousal and pointed aggression, I could watch these two bands self-destruct gloriously on repeat. American flag jumpsuits, glittered blue spandex that leaves little to the imagination – they encapsulate different corners of punk rock, with AIRSFX chasing the dragon of no wave inflected street punk with reckless abandon and a penchant for bodily fluids. Meanwhile, Zilu seems like a descendent of Top Floor Circus, with a sneaking bleeding sentimentality lurking underneath its cockeyed tongue-in-cheek mashup of punk, grunge, and pop balladry. 

Sadkids Club ((Portal 2021.10.10)

The phrase ‘Sad bitch moment’ will forever be with me thanks to my jaunt to Guangzhou over the Golden Week. It’s hard to describe Sadkids Club’s act – endearingly self-deprecating yet strangely affectionate, with some slick lo-fi production lurking underneath the surface. The performance held at Portal, the new distro/art space/studio from some of the faces behind Qiii Snacks Records, EGGs, and Vinyl House Cafe, was akin to a post-breakup confessional KTV breakdown. A sad bitch moment that will live on in eternity. 

Shanghai Qiutian X SLATE (Fortune Theater 2021.11.28)

Shanghai Qiutian – whose invigorating, sweeping, and playfully affecting math rock arrangements have enraptured fans for years, have had a hell of a year thus far, one that kicked off with the release of their double LP release Home: Revolution. The band, known for their open-hearted melodies and unmatched live performances, stepped it up this year as they invited multi-national contemporary dance troupe SLATE and string quartet Senza Quartet to reinterpret their debut release with a special theater show at Fortune Theater. I wasn’t sure what to expect, to be honest, but I was game. And as soon as those curtains opened I knew I was in for a treat – invoking both the set-morphing fun of Stop Making Sense, the simplistic aesthetic pleasures of the music video medium, and the interpretative contemporary dance stylings of SLATE the show was both a feast for the eyes and the ears.

COOKIES系列 (SYSTEM 系统 2021.12.9)

In my opinion SYSTEM, the new livehouse/club/art space/theater space – located on Middle Huaihai Road, still has a few tweaks to work out – most revolving around sound. Growing pains. Nevertheless, I love a lot about the venue mainly its commitment to forging new ground and offering a home to some of the scene’s more offbeat characters. Case in point – COOKIES – the new weekday series hosting experimental, improvisational, and then some. It’s everything I love about experimental shows wrapped in a warm blanket of discovery. Besides getting my yearly vaccination of Torturing Nurse (a must for everyone) I was also floored by Dong Yifan – particularly for his masterful performance on the flute and saxophone – and for simultaneously throat singing and playing the flute.  

Yu Ren 与人 (Modernsky Lab 2021.12.17)

Where have you been all my life Yu Ren? A pointed, cunning and delightful comedy rock troupe that’s been around for two decades (good luck finding their music on streaming sites) I was flabbergasted I had never heard of the band – despite their cult status. The crowd was alit with some patrons unable to even handle their giddiness and receiving the scorn of security. A cock-eyed blend of Quyi and campus rock, there’s something subversive about how the band packs so much into their tracks – embodying their roles and attacking each song with mischievous precision. Most of all though, it simply rocks – plastering a shit-eating grin on my face from moment one.

One more round 2022?

– Will

The post 2021 Best Shows first appeared on .

Live China Music’s Carpe Diem returns with a vengeance this weekend, welcoming in 2022 with a bang. For the occasion, we’ve rounded up a motley crew of unruly, defiant, and ruthless bands that’ll turn the neon-soaked halls of C’s Bar into a moshpit of wild-eyed debauchery, uproarious disorder, and fist-pumping comradery as Hangzhou punk outfit Against All joins Shanghai’s own hardcore ruffians Rat King, pop punk renegades Taco Tuesday and grunge-inflicted alt rockers Kill Automation. 

LCM主办的Carpe Diem系列演出本周末即将复仇归来，要给2022一记重击。这种局不来几个狠角色就撑不起C’s霓虹饱和的地下角斗场：杭州的朋克乐队Against All将与上海的硬核流氓Rat King、流行朋克新贵Taco Tuesday以及另类摇滚中坚Kill Automation会合。

Special guests for the evening are Hangzhou’s Against All – a no-frills punk band that keeps it authentic – a triumphant rallying call for China’s new generation of punk rockers trying to cut their teeth in the soul-crushing routine of city life, fist defiantly in the air. 

当晚的特别嘉宾是杭州的Against All（对尖），新一代朋克青年的胜利集结号，试图用原味朋克去抵抗吞噬灵魂的城市庸常。 

Joining them will be Taco Tuesday, whose upbeat, frenzied pop punk keeps the energy high and the good times rolling. They’re tight, they’re wiry and seem to be enjoying over second of it – something that’s too often missing in bands these days. 

随后，Taco Tuesday出场。欢乐流行朋克警告！全程高能一秒起蹦！最近这种乐队真不多见。

Combustible hardcore outfit Rat King return! Aggressively in your face, with a mischievous edge that reminds you we’re all here to have some twisted fun, they’re a manic one-hundred-meter dash of blistering rock and roll that’ll leave necks reeling. 

接着，硬核乐队Rat King回归。他们在你面前咄咄逼人，戏谑玩笑，让你在摇滚乐的疯狂百米冲刺之后继续甩头。

Rounding out the evening are grunge-inflicted three-piece alt rockers Kill Automation. Surviving for over three years in the underground rehearsal rooms of Shanghai, rock and roll is in their blood and they intend to collect their due tonight! 

压轴乐队是Kill Automation，低调的另类油渍摇滚三人组，在上海地下排练室蛰伏三年之久，血液流淌的都是摇滚。今晚他们终于要登台了！

Seize the day! 

抓住机会！抓紧时间！

LiveChinaMusic presents Carpe Diem Vol. 3

Date 时间

01月08日 9pm

Line Up 阵容

Against All 对尖 

Taco Tuesday 

Rat King 

Kill Automation

AfterParty

Florida Man

Thee Baron

DJ Fancy Hobo

ADD地址

C’s Bar

685 Dingxi Lu 定西路685号

TICKETS 扫码购票

60 RMB (w/drink)

The post Upcoming: 1.8 C’s ▶ Carpe Diem 抓紧时间 Vol. 3 first appeared on .

Seize the day! Live China Music returns with their second edition of Carpe Diem next Friday, December 10th to C’s – cooking up once again a full spread of dangerously alluring sounds within the cavernous walls of the legendary venue – honoring the brave souls who venture willingly forth into the neon-coated corridors in search for enlightenment. For the second installment, a blitz of sharp-edged post punk, cold wave and morbid pop music courtesy of SINK, COOLFASIONMUSIC., and Seafill 填海.

Rising indie outfit SINK, bring a steely detached cold wave layering to their steady, churning post punk sound that’s slowing burning and atmospheric – an apt departure from the scene’s most prominent figures – relying instead on its carnivalesque undercurrent that’s foreboding and alluring all at once. 

Joining them will be the ever-delightful and decadent audiovisual tag team COOLFASHIONMUSIC., who utilize everything from text-based live-coding to retro keyboards, and even a musical saw to flesh out their twisted, cynical and morbid ‘pop music’. 

Rounding out the night is fresh-faced post punk outfit Seafill 填海. The young blooded band have been wreaking havoc in university rehearsal spaces across town and now they’re ready to introduce their brooding, confrontational, and propulsive grooves to audiences.

Seize the day! 

抓住机会！抓紧时间！

The post Upcoming: 12.10 C’s ▶ Carpe Diem 及时行乐 Vol. 2 first appeared on .

LiveChinaMusic cooks up a full spread of dangerously alluring sound within the cavernous corridors of C’s for our debut showcase – aptly named Carpe Diem – to honor the brave souls who not only venture into the mouth of madness but the bands who find comfort in the neon-coated walls of the legendary venue. For their first edition, we’ve invited so of this year’s most exciting, shocking, and delectable bands who revel in rock and roll’s splendor – touching on post punk, new wave, grunge, and punk.

LiveChinaMusic 在 C’s 空旷的场地中为他们的首次演出准备了一整套危险而诱人的声音：这个系列被无比合适地命名为了 Carpe Diem ——以纪念那些不仅敢于冒险进入疯狂之口，并且在这个传奇场地的霓虹灯下得以找到安慰的乐队。在系列第一场，我们邀请了今年最激动人心、使人震惊、令人垂涎的乐队，他们完全陶醉于摇滚乐的美丽之中，从后朋、新浪潮、垃圾摇滚到和朋克。

Heading from Suzhou are Yinmachi 饮马池 (formerly Broken Knee) who have shed all remnants of their ska rock days, and instead, have dived headfirst into the high-wire crackle and the post punk world, injecting their sound with propulsive magnetism, chugging guitars, and infectious zeal. Slick, robust, and with a rhythmic pull that’s hard to turn away from. They’re fresh off their debut EP which showcases the depth of their bag of tricks.

来自苏州乐队饮马池 (前身是 Broken Knee) ，他们已经摆脱了 Ska 摇滚时期的所有残余，相反，他们一头扎进了高能爆裂的后朋世界，他们在声音中注入了动感的磁性、颤动的吉他和感染力十足的热情。顺滑的，强劲的，节奏十足的推进，其中富有有很多乐趣：从他们可怕的冲浪摇滚之中迂回（最接近于 Broken Knee 的形态）到它单调的冷潮抒情，都表面乐队具有深厚的技巧。

Joining them are the Nantong’s AIRSFX – also fresh off their devilishly fun debut EP – who bring scrappy hooliganism and beer-soaked charisma to the stage as they feverishly pogo from jagged new wave to pummeling 80s street punk with the swashbuckling energy of a band with nothing to lose – convicted in their path and the power of rock and roll.

与他们一起演出的还有南通的 AIRSFX 乐队–他们也刚刚完成了他们魔鬼般有趣的首张EP，仿佛浸入了好斗的流氓行为和啤酒的魅力中。这张专辑展示了乐队在鲁莽、放纵和狂热基础上的，不留余地的摇滚乐，它是一份紧张、扭曲和魔鬼般的颓废的大餐，给你更多启发。然而，在所有的欢快的混乱中，乐队仍然像以往一样紧密相连，让你坚信着他们的道路和摇滚乐的力量。

Meanwhile, Trash Panda have quickly become the talk of the town for annihilating stages left and right with their ‘take no prisoners’ sets of hard-hitting grunge-punk tunes ‘that put your hair in the air and your feet to the beat’. Blood, sweat, tears and shirts are expelled in the pursuit of glory.

同时，Trash Panda  已经迅速成为了城里的话题，他们以 “不留情面 “的方式，以硬派的 grunge-punk 曲调，” that put your hair in the air and your feet to the beat “，在舞台上横冲直撞。在他们追求荣誉的过程中，血、汗、眼泪和衬衫都被通通排出。

Rounding out the DIY genre-thrashers Zilu, whose candid, vivacious, and volatile punk rock is has returned with a vengeance this fall as the supergroup picked up a motley crew of Shanghai’s most fierce musicians, including members of Conch and Chick Eye. Concentrated chaos and a gut punch that just may leave you gasping for air.

在 DIY 类型的猛客中，子路乐队的直率、活泼和躁动的朋克摇滚在今年秋天复仇般地回来了，这个超级组合由了上海最凶猛的音乐家组成，包括 Conch 和 Chick Eye 的成员。将会带来最为集中的混乱，以及让你喘不过气来的肠胃冲击。

Seize the day! 

抓住机会！抓紧时间！

The post Upcoming: 11.6 C’s ▶ Carpe Diem 及时行乐 Vol. 1 first appeared on .