Fans of the disbanded Beijing punk group Hang On The Box (HOTB) should be glad to hear that lead vocal Wang Yue (aka Gia) will release her solo debut this Saturday (November 21) at Mao Livehouse. But before you get all excited, diehard punk fans, weep your tears - the one-time punk-girl-of-the-nation has turned bossa nova in her upcoming album The Brilliant Gia. Chanting gently with lighthearted melodies and soft guitar riffs - it’s hard to imagine this is the same person who trashed the stage while shouting shabi and caodan to the streets.

Some acts are so big you feel you should see them live at least once, while some bands pull you back over and over again. As the cultural center of China, Beijing regularly offers both kinds of performers, sometimes even on the same night. Tomorrow night, Akon displays his charms at the MasterCard Center. Across town, the Mongolian rockers of Hanggai will cook up a musical feast with Spanish rumba band La Pegatina. Although I'm totally looking forward to the passion and joy of the multicultural double-bill, I'll feel a little sad knowing that I'm missing out on Akon singing his hit “I Just Had Sex.” Still, since that song has already made its way into Beijing's KTV parlors, I can perform it for my friends anytime.

While you can still spot the remnants of Spring Festival in the occasional red decorations in the streets, Beijing gets back into operation real fast –maybe a little too soon, for some people. Are you overwhelmed all over again by the massive crowds? This weekend's live music gigs are set up to calm your nerves with jazz musicians and folksters leading the way. In addition to the regular jazz sessions, such as the ones at Wudaoying Hutong's V.A Bar and Houhai's East Shore Live, we have Nancy J. Brown from England presenting her debut album, and Japanese jazz master Shinichi Osawa, who wants to make you dance.

With fire crackers still keeping the city loud and noisy, it seems reasonable for our local musicians to rest for another night. If you really have the urge to see a gig tonight, a pop punk tribute to Bob Marley at Gulou Dongdajie's MAO Livehouse might be enough to re-warm your rock and roll nerve. Apart from that you don't have many options. But don't worry - the music scene will start its post-chunjie revival on Saturday.

Local record label Maybe Mars is a bit obsessed with distinguishing generations lately. Their new release Generation Six just came out recently, twelve songs from four bands (Rustic, Birdstriking, Flyx, Old Fashion) make up this album; left people wondering what the other five generations are. Half of the question is getting answered tonight. Three bands of three different generations gather at Yugong Yishan tonight: Mr. Graceless didn't make their songs to the Generation Six album but got to represent them with Carsick Cars and Post-rock icons P.K. 14 representing two older generations.