Noise Pollution: Birdstriking Homecoming at YGYS, Bolt69 at School, VaVa at Tango

Another week on the board, another week closer to our demise, and no better way to celebrate than treating yourself to the array of sounds that make up the music scene here in Beijing. From impassioned noise-pop to avant-garde doom metal, from streetwise hip-hop to world music from Buryat – there's a wavelength out there for each and every one of you.
 

Friday, Nov 24

Birdstriking, white+, JaJaTao at Yugong Yishan
One of my personal favorite bands, noise-pop outfit Birdstriking, return from an extensive nationwide tour but not without a homecoming show where they’ll brandish their bruises and show off their rich and melodically pleasing latest, Holey Brain. Supporting them will be fellow Maybe Mars cohorts white+ and grunge opera revisionists JaJaTao, who haven't played in some time – expecting good things from their new set. RMB 100

project:IMPAIR (KR), Wu & The Side Effects, Ghetto Blaster at Temple
The riotous Korean 'gugak' drums-and-guitar duo are getting their fill of Beijing with a rollicking stop at Temple Bar, where they'll join acid blues rock staples Wu & The Side Effects and the up-and-coming Ghetto Blaster, a band I’ve been trying to catch again. Expect spirits high and righteously rowdy – plus, Temple will be sporting their new system, which is all kinds of awesome. FREE

Bolt69 (RUS), Struggle Session, Discord at School
Melodic hardcore punk outfit Bolt69 (a naughty word in their mother language) outta Russia storm through School Bar, stirring up all hell with their visceral pulse-pounding take on punk alongside veteran street punks Discord and theatrical hardcore troublemakers Struggle Session. Best stretch beforehand. RMB 60

Ying Shui Di Jiang at DDC
While the experimental outfit Ying Shui Di Jiang, a Buddhist fusion folk troupe headed by Nanjing musician Zhao Yuan, have been recording music for a decade, they have only ever performed live once. This second performance at DDC will be a rarity both for the band and for fans of eccentric, experimental, ambient music with folk leanings. RMB 80

King Lion Miguel (Cameroon), Inno Pablo, Fila Killa, Abel X, Rawhk, and Kooj at Soi Baochao
Soi Baochao goes all-in for this massive dancehall/reggae/hip-hop party featuring some legit talent from all parts of Africa – including King Lion Miguel from Cameroon, Rawhk and Kooj from Zambia, Fila Killa from Ethiopia, and Inno Pablo from Malawi. Expect this one to get appropriately off the hook. RMB 40

Paradise at Tango
Heavyweight hard rock outfit Paradise, one of the original yaogun bands, will celebrate a staggering 25 years as a band with a blowout show at Tango that’ll likely be packed to the gills with rock and roll royalty both on and off the stage. RMB 200

Secret Club, Self Portrait, Syndrome, Opposite Children at Yue Space
Pop rock, Britpop, punk rock, and all the gooey adolescent feelings in between – catch some of the longest-standing, hardest-working indie-pop and pop-punk bands this side of Gulou including DOG's Secret Club, Self Portrait, and more. RMB 100

Anuar Kaldekhan at Fruityspace
Kazakh folk musician (and a former member of IZ)  brings his unique instrumentation, voice, and "küy", the philosophy of Kazakh music which involves a high degree of sensibility achieved with sound, through the contemporary sound expression to explore the music with modern consciousness. Psychedelic sounds and environmental improvisation. My kind of jam. RMB 40

Tulegur at Jianghu Bar
Tulegur, the veteran Mongolian folk-rock duo whose grungy revisionist take on Mongolian music has won acclaim both here and abroad, performs tonight at the hutong mainstay Jianghu Bar. RMB 80

Ember Swift at Yichang Cafe
Known for her unique, jazz-influenced guitar playing and elastic vocals, the Canadian-born, Beijing-based singer-songwriter Ember Swift has been a fixture of the Beijing music scene for years. Just returning from a tour, she’ll be giving her first concert in China after her travels through England, France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Looking forward to seeing how her solo tour experience translates into her music. RMB 80 (8pm start)

Chaji Yang at Beijing SiLingLing Theater
The contemporary indie-folk singer-songwriter from Dali, Yunnan performs at the new Wangjing space, the Beijing Silingling Theater. Dude sounds good and it's always nice to discover new joints, especially in Wangjing which needs more love. RMB 100 (7pm start)

Liu Dongming at Mogu Space
Folk-rock singer-songwriter Liu Dongming – a prominent figure in the folk world for years, and whose album with his band The Sand recently was awarded the Best Folk Album Prize from Douban’s Abilu Music Awards, goes solo in Xizhimen. RMB 66

Nancy & The Fantastic at Modernista
The multi-national outfit Nancy & The Fantastic, festival favorites all around Asia, bring their intoxicating blend of rock, pop, dance, and R&B, and classics, old and new, to Modernista – a class act in talent and style. FREE

Castle at Mao Livehouse
From the UK and back, Castle, a Chinese rock band that performed in the old Sanlitun days in the '90s and then found its way to England, has returned and are looking to bring some of that old-time feeling back to Wukesong. RMB 50

Desmond Mc Garry, Richard Todd, Heike Wyler at Caravan
For the 17th edition of Caravan’s singer/songwriter night, the Moroccan joint will host a trio of Beijing legends to go solo including Blackwater’s Des, Randomk(e)’s Richard Todd, and the very busy cellist Heike. RMB 60

Lesi Mei, Todd Rewoldt at La Plantation
Chinese pianist Lesi Mei – "philosophical yet uplifting" joins alto saxophonist Todd Rewoldt from the US – "from the mosh pit into an original saxophone style that is all his own" – join forces this evening for a special recital at La Plantation. RMB 200

Lacrimosa (Switzerland) at Omni Space
Lacrimosa is a duo led by German-born Tilo Wolff, the main composer, and Finnish Anne Nurmi, currently based in Switzerland and founded in 1990. Originally geared toward the style of neue deutsche todeskunst (New German Death Art), their musical style has shifted much more towards hard rock and neo-progressive rock with gothic influences. RMB 550
 

Saturday, Nov 25

Nekroma, Noise Arcade at Yichang Cafe
Yi Chang Café and Nasty Wizard Recordings present "Visions in the Night," an evening performance that explores the relationship between sound and visuals, with film and illustration being juxtaposed with ambient and experimental soundscapes in a live setting. Interactive live painting (for both performers and audiences) paired with the avant-garde doom opera of supergroup Nekroma (the sultry fusion of Guiguisuisui and Nekoma) and the pedal heaven and loop orgy of Noise Arcade. RMB 40 (tickets available via Showstart only; scan QR above). 7pm start

Zuriaake, The Samans, Bloody Woods, Die From Sorrow, Silent Elegy, Deep Mountains, Nower, S.A.W, Ephemerality, Noblemen, Dark Haze, Dissident, Moth Massacre, Nerve Resistance at Tango
Yup – here we are again. Another metal music festival. With another epic lineup featuring a who’s who of the metal scene – you want thrash (Dissent)? You want neo-folk (Bloody Woods)? You want melodic death metal (Die From Sorrow)? How about black metal with a bunch of dudes cloaked in robes and rice hats (Zuriaake)? If metal is your jam, this is heaven, baby. RMB 366 (3pm start)

EXBJ, Oldy Baby, Boss Cuts (DJ Set), ADDJ at Caravan
Moroccan food restaurant staple Caravan gets downright devious with this wild 'n' out lineup featuring rising punk outfit EXBJ, the blitzed blissed-out rock-o-rama of Oldy Baby plus DJ sets from surf-rock dude Boss Cuts and ADDJ spinning vinyl late into the night. RMB 50

Namgar, Rid at Mao Livehouse
World music label Stallion Era presents Namgar – one of the most symbolic, cross-over musical acts of the Buryat minority (stuck between Russia and Mongolia) – who will be having their first show in Wukesong’s new MAO Livehouse, along with Rid, the lively outfit who mix traditional Mongolian music and reggae into an infectious blend. Intriguing sounds for sure. RMB 120

project:IMPAIR (KR), Starrr69, Feline at DDC
The Project Impair ran by Jun Roh from WHOwho (guitar&vocal) and Eun Ho Lee from Egloo Bay (drum), who perform a mix of traditional Korean music called “gugak” (composed of three beats) and the blues. Catch the riotous duo at DDC with two fresh faces on the scene, the female-led ethereal electro-pop outfit Starrr69 and indie-rockers Feline, two bands to keep an eye out for. RMB 60

DJ Quaver, Odd Couple, 双棒儿, Drop Science Crew, SLAN.G, LOFTHESTAR, Reatmo (JP) at School
It’s an underground rap party at what looks like hip-hop’s new home, School Bar, which really goes to show just how far the hip-hop scene has come in the past year. And screw it, I’m ready! Local rap boy-girl duo Odd Couple join the Drop Science Crew, Lofthestar, Reato from Japan and DJ Quaver for an evening of hard-hitting beats, rapid-fire rhythms running to turn at the drop of a hat, and plenty of swagger. RMB 80

Limousine, Division Control, C60 at Temple
Shanghai indie-rock outfit Limousine get down and dirty at Temple alongside the theatrical Tianjin post-punk quartet Division Control and Beijing’s own alt-rock group C60. FREE

Campus Band Competition (Round 2) at Yue Space
After the first round last month, the city-wide campus band competition is back for round two with a narrowed down list of contenders from all over the city – from the female pop-punk stylings of OK Beng to the more established Gentle Grapes (wonder what the parameters are for this) and plenty more fresh faces like EatWithChina and Getting Better – it’s anyone’s game at this point. RMB 50

Anzi & Jiumei at Omni Space
Folk-pop troupe lead by the adorable bossa nova charm of its two leads Anzi and Jiumei bring their bubbly pop-rock jams to Omni Space. RMB 120

Juan Ni, Dan Dan, Wan Qing at Mogu Space
A late afternoon folk filled session with three extremely talented singer-songwriter ladies including Dan Dan, Juan Ni, and Wan Qing. RMB 60 (4.30pm start)

Parakeet at Soi Baochao
Multi-national pop group Parakeet whose style is a mix of smooth jazz, funk and soul music perform tonight at Blue Stream. FREE

Anuar Kaldekhan at DDC
Kazak folk musician, former member of IZ,  brings his unique instrumentation, voice, and “küy”, the philosophy of Kazak music which involves a high degree of sensibility achieved with sound, through the contemporary sound expression to explore the music with modern consciousness. Psychedelic sounds and environmental improvisation. RMB 60 (3pm start)

Lost In Space, Blood Rainbow, Goodbye Sunset, The Tek Dead at Laifu Livehouse
Shuangjing brings some high-octane, black coated madness to its district with this heavy lineup featuring hardcore outfit Lost In Space, emo rockers Goodbye Sunset, and of course a band with a name like Blood Rainbow (for the win!). RMB 80

Zhang Yang at La Plantation
The piano maestro Zhang Yang, whose musical abilities have brought him all over the world, performs Rachmaninov this evening. RMB 20
 

Sunday, Nov 26

Solaris, Rhonda at DDC
Psychedelic mood setters Solaris, who have slowly become one of the most beloved outfits of its ilk out there, return to DDC after months in the studio - and from the sound of it, it’s gonna be something quite special. Catch give a special performance along Rhonda, who have risen through the ashes this past fall and are ready to unleash instrumental glory upon audiences. RMB 60

Octopoulpe (KR), Struggle Session, ZPax at Temple
Everyone’s tentacled favorite, the Seoul-based one-man drum punk extravaganza, Octopoulpe, is back in town and leading to wreck havoc upon Temple with partners in crime hardcore aerobatics Struggle Session (on their third show in a row!) and hardware freak Zpax. Scrappy dirty Sunday evening mischief. FREE (8pm start)

All Unknown, Bobby’s Satellite, Pure Band, Toy Soldier at School
Alternative rock and pop-punk, reggae grunge and psych-folk-rock – it’s a grab bag of styles and sounds this evening with established pop-punk band All Unknown and Toy Soldiers joining fresh faces Pure Band (hearing good things about these cats) and rockers Bobby’s Satellite (formerly Plateau). RMB 60

VaVa at Tango
Female underground hip-hop sensation VaVa, who's been on all the shows and programs, even getting dubbed ‘China’s First Female Rapper’ brings her dirty south swag and killer production to Tango as she tours the nation in support of her debut hit 21. Read our recent interview with VaVa here. RMB 260

Grey, The Fuse, RapaciouszC, Trice, Dian Mu, Wu Gan at 80 Music
Looks like that Pinganli venue 80 Music is back in business – and they’ve tossed together a grab bag lineup of young, eager to please rockers looking to put their stamp on the city. RMB 50 (2pm start)

Emma Re (IT) at DDC
Italian singer whose voice was invited by the Olympic Committee of Beijing for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. During the same year, she returned to China to perform for the inauguration of the indoor stadium of Beijing which led to her singing on the opening track of the movie The Legend of Bruce Lee. So yeah, China digs her quite a bit. Catch her at DDC. RMB 60 (5pm start) 

Death Penalty, Eternal Power, Armor Forest, Sky Fire, Death Pact at Omni Space
It’s a mobile game release party, cause of course it is. The game is titled ‘Guilar Metal’ which is not a typo and involves, of course, metal music. For the occasion, the designers have invited some of the metal bands who gave a helping hand. So cute. RMB 80

Lu Yiming and Gao Chenwei at Yue Space
Independent singer-songwriter brings some indie-pop flavor to Yue Space as he and Gao Chenwai present their ‘Candle Smoke’ tour with an array of finely tuned, down-to-earth pop jingles which he himself describes as ‘white pop’ (Wonder Bread pop might be more appropriate).

Terry Heish Quartet at Modernista
Modernista closes out their month-long anniversary with a night of high-quality jazz by some of the best musicians in the city - Terence Hsieh on trombone, Liu Xiaoguang on tenor saxophone, Antonio Fusco on drums and Ivan Xing on bass – a chordless, swinging quartet, that brings a creative and fresh approach to improvisation. FREE

The Beijing Bandits at Blue Stream
Made up of a group of Texans The Beijing Bandits reflects their homeland with interesting blues, jazz, and traditional rock elements. Catch them at the Gulou centric venue. FREE

Want more? See all of our live music listings here or go dancing with this weekend's Beijing Beats here.

Images: Live Beijing Music, courtesy of the organizers