Girls Are Waiting To Meet You (GAWTMY) 女孩们在等你

Though they’ve only been around for a little over a year, Girls Are Waiting To Meet You (aka GAWTMY) has already seen a few band member changes. Luckily, that hasn’t kept them from recording their debut. An amalgam of Irish melodies, Swedish indie pop, mellow blues-rock and gypsy tunes, this self-titled album showcases an adventurous collective from all corners of the globe, willing to play music on the subway with no regard for the police – not an easy task with a seven-man band playing instruments as diverse as the flute, saxophone and ukulele.

The ten songs alternate between cheerful and gloomy; scattered throughout are smidgens of harmonica and piano. Some listeners might be amused to find sound-bites from a certain CCTV-9 show on “Early Findings,” a brave attempt at the ultimate act of punk-against-the-machine, where violin (rather than electric guitar) does the job. WG

Kitsch
by 10

Korea and Japan have never exactly been the friendliest of neighbors. In fact, their rivalry can get quite intense: land disputes, resentment over past wars, a history of colonialism. And let’s not even get into baseball. That’s why one gets a nice warm feeling inside when folks like Marqido and Itta (the bi-national duo otherwise known as 10) collaborate, though that nice warm feeling could also be a result of the serene music they create.

Avant-garde electronica is not for everyone. Still, it’s quite easy to get trapped into Kitsch’s dreamlike soundscapes, which can be simultaneously surreal (“Mimi, Ua”) and frightening (“Ma, Boo”). Marqido’s instrumental sequences strike an interesting equilibrium between celestial and machine-like, and Itta’s vocals likewise can be both heavenly (“Soleil”) and perplexing (nonsensical lyrics, childlike chatter, Peking Opera-style vocal sliding). Parts of Kitsch are questionable, artistically and qualitatively; still, this second effort’s otherworldly attributes definitely bring something new to the table. LL

Lovers 情儿
by Second Hand Rose 二手玫瑰

It might be somewhat of a stretch to liken Liang Long to David Bowie, but Second Hand Rose certainly deserves equal regard in Chinese rock history.
And like David Bowie, lead singer Liang’s cross-dressing tendencies may annoy some people, but then again, he’s just that type of rock star.

This EP combines the band’s rock elements and folk leanings, offering a decent introduction for someone who’s never heard Second Hand Rose before. The first track, “Unofficial History,” can be seen as the band’s very first attempt to create a social epic by using marching rhythm guitar and metaphoric lyrics, while the acoustics of “Lovers” brings a softer approach. Finally, in “Youth,” the band gets back to what they do best – pretending to be serious while being sarcastic about everything, notwithstanding their trademark suona solo. It’s only a few tracks, but just enough to leave you longing for more. WG