Noise Pollution: Casino Demon at YGYS, Japanese Breakfast at Yue Space, Bloodz Boi at Fruityspace

And just like that, we've entered December. Time to start making up for those lost months you fell into the vortex that is Netflix or did that one-month sugar detox. Cause you’re gonna regret having Stranger Things II or Detox August as your most memorable experience of 2017. So ruffle some feathers and lay it all out there at one of these kick-ass gigs this weekend.
 

Friday, Dec 1

Casino Demon, Penicillin, AJ at Yugong Yishan
They are times when School Bar gets too big for its own drawers, and when they do they rent out their bigger classier (but not by much) brethren Yugong Yishan. Well, tonight's the night as indie rock favorites (and one of School's many house bands) Casino Demon, fresh off the release of their newest single, return after a year hiatus, alongside Britpop favorites Penicillin and renegade Xinjiang folk singer AJ, a national Chinese TV favorite. Gonna be a rowdy one. RMB 120

P-Town, Hangnail, Underdog at School
Over at the home base, School shows no signs of taking it easy as they host long-standing Hefei ska-punk outfit P-Town who'll be releasing their third LP Vendetta! Never Forget! – their first album sung entirely in Chinese. The band, who are on a nationwide tour, will be joined by the fearless and reckless Hangnail and ska supergroup Underdog, who may or may not be adding a trombone into the mix sometime soon. RMB 60

SHA!, Sardine is Between and the Bowls are Spinning, Li Eryang at Soi Baochao
Two improvisational outfits, the psychedelic more orchestral SHA!, made up of Peter Stone, Jukka Ahonen, and Huihan Lie, join an abridged version of Sardine is Back and the Wheel is Broken, as well psych guitar player Li Eryang. Expect the unexpected. FREE

Djang San at Temple
East-meets-West fusionist and veteran show stopper Djang San – a jack of trades including ‘zhongruan player, philosopher, poet, composer, guitar hero, DJ, one-man orchestra, and explorer of new sounds’ bring their hypnotic buck-wild tunes to the one and only Temple before their frontman hits up Japan and Korea on a tour. FREE

Residence A, Next Door Band, New School Punk Band, 14K, Panda Eyes at Yue Space
Get your dose of high octane pop rock with this hard-hitting lineup of past and new favorites - from the U2-aping Residence A, to the Green Day-aping swoon-worthy Next Door Band, to the electro-metal-pop mashup of 14K – you either need this in your life or you don't. RMB 150 (7.30pm start)

Windsor Forest at DDC
Indie band Windsor Forest, whose earnest, melodic folk-tainted Britpop has garnered them quite the fanbase, are celebrating the release of their latest album with a special performance at DDC before they kick off their nationwide tour. RMB 80

Joker’s Belief at Modernista
Just as the jesters and jokers of medieval times were required to bring levity to the court and to meet the Kings requests, the five-piece fusion of funk, rock, and neo-soul, made up of five different nationalities, Joker’s Belief will meet the demands of Modernista! FREE

WHAI at Jianghu Bar
Everyone’s favorite prog-rock group WHAI, who have been together since 2012, have committed themselves to their heavy, offbeat brand of psychedelic rock and roll and now find refuge in the cozy hutong spot. RMB 80

The Radio Cassettes (JP), Dongxiang Jingzi (JP), Laihushan Zhizhizhu (JP), Shi Cun Shunping (JP) at Omni Space
It’s J-Pop Night! And like the cuddly, folk-pop kind. From a trio of singer-songwriters from Kagoshima, Kyoto, and deep Kansai, performing guitar pop to the upbeat Tokyo rock band The Radio Cassettes, if you’re looking for that sweet, sweet J-pop sound look no further. RMB 50

Gabriel Garzon-Montano at Blue Note
The Brooklyn born French-Colombian singer Jardín comes on the heels of three intense years of touring, writing and recording including supporting rock legend Lenny Kravitz, indie rockers Glass Animals, having his song "6 8" sampled by Drake and performing at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits – he’s the real deal. Catch him at Blue Note. RMB 380

Qi Ming, Dan Dan, Tang Luyao at Mogu Space
A trio of female singer-songwriters with diverse voices and styles bring their acoustic guitar to Xizhimen for a night of storytelling. RMB 66

Masaaki Kishibe (JP) at Peking University
Osaka-raised guitar finger-picking legend Masaaki Kishibe, who's been a star since his 1995 debut, gives a special performance at Peking University. RMB 300

Olivier Hutman (FR), Jonathan Orland (FR) at La Plantation
French pianist, composer, and arranger Olivier Hutman joins fellow countrymen and saxophone maestro Jonathan Orland for a French jazz duo, the best of all jazz duos, right? RMB 200
 

Saturday, Dec 2

Japanese Breakfast (US), Nocturnes at Yue Space
Kicking off Saturday nice and early - Split Works bring their latest export, the sensual and ethereal American synth-pop soothsayers Japanese Breakfast led by Korean-American Michelle Zauner whose latest album Soft Sounds From Another Planet, full of "burbling synths, extra-terrestrial ambiance, and tales of robot love" has become a critical darling. Support from atmospheric indie-tronic duo Nocturnes, who have a hell of a year so far and are set to release their debut LP later this month. My recommendation: grab a Japanese brunch down the street at Suzuki Kitchen (one of best lunch deals in town mind you) beforehand. Bam! Read our recent interview with Zauner here. RMB 140 (1.30pm start)

Bloodz Boi at Fruityspace
The rap game is here to stay and I couldn’t be happier. While on the mainstream level there are more than enough posers to leave a bad taste in your mouth, the underground circuit is chock full of hungry, impassioned rappers giving it their all. Bloodz Boi lies at the intersection of these two worlds. Having cut his teeth for years in Beijing, the young trap rapper has become more and more prominent in the hip-hop scene, from collaborations to even a slot at last year’s Concrete & Grads festival. He rolls up his sleeves and presents his latest set this evening at Fruityspace which is kinda a dope place for hip-hop. Expect plenty of special guests both on and offstage. RMB 88

Amber, Acid Accident at Omni Space
Post-rock label 1724 Records celebrates eleven years of holding the post-rock torch high and proud and for the occasion, they’ll send out one of their bands Amber, regarded as one of the most romantic and graceful post-rock groups in years, on their first-ever tour. They’ll hit 12 cities and perform new material from their forthcoming album. RMB 90

Kingdom of Rain (TW), WHAI, Rhonda at Temple
Taiwanese post-punk outfit Kingdom of Rain bring forth their psychedelic, introspective, atmospheric rock alongside Temple regulars WHAI and hard-edged instrumental arousers Rhonda. A fist-pumping evening for sure. FREE

D.O.J City Blues, Anxt, 5th Dimension, Electric Lady at DDC
Old-school rock and roll faces off with ambient synth-pop as stoner rockers Electric Lady team up with fresh-on-the-scene psych blues group D.O.J and go up against electronic producer Anxt and synth wave pop duo 5th Dimension. RMB 60

Tomorrow Wanted, The Sino Hearts, Boss Cuts at School
Chengdu rockers Tomorrow Wanted bring their American style retro rock goods – a grab-bag of styles and influences – from Red Hot Chili Peppers to Rage Against The Machine – to School Bar as they promote their debut album New Motivation. Support from ones of 2017’s break out stars – surf-rock troupe Boss Cuts and power pop duders The Sino Hearts. RMB 80

Nathan Borofka, Seven at Yichang Café
Join two talented musicians at the cozy courtyard café including American folk/punk singer Nathan Borofka (of Sardine is Back, Oldy Baby) and the lyrically beautiful Qi Ming aka Seven. RMB 60

Gabriel Garzon-Montano at Blue Note
The Brooklyn born French-Colombian singer Jardín comes on the heels of three intense years of touring, writing and recording including supporting rock legend Lenny Kravitz, indie rockers Glass Animals, having his song “6 8” sampled by Drake and performing at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits – he’s the real deal. Catch him at Blue Note. RMB 380

Black Mint, FM.E, Bye Bye Noise, Atomic Prophecy, Zeus at Yue Space
Long-standing melodic hard rock outfit Black Mint join the Strokes-esque Bye Bye Noise, and more for an evening of straight-up non-diluted rock and roll. RMB 100

Xiao Qiu (TW) at Yugong Yishan
The Taiwanese singer-songwriter Chuanying Chuang (Xiao Qiu) made her debut in the band katncandix2 but broke away to become a singer, actress, and songwriter. She appears with her debut solo album, bringing her unique voice and powerful stage presence to audiences across China. RMB 200

Dorji & Impression Oriental Dance Company at La Plantation
Dorji, the chairman of Chooriin Duu & Urtiin Duu Association of Abaganar, brings the polyphonic traditional Mongolian music form, which mainly consists of two vocal sections intended to sing in two-part high-pitch, low-pitch harmony, to La Plantation. RMB 200

Wang Lei, Yi Le at Mao Livehouse
The hard rock world music fusion act Wang Lei, joined by keyboardist Yi Le, will perform from his catalogue of albums this evening in Wukesong. Think of it as new-age folk with an old-school Chinese rock and roll twist. RMB 100

Cluster Cuss, Black Magic at Soi Baochao
Offbeat ukulele indie-folk solo project from Resse, Cluster Cuss, joins "pure" blues outfit Black Magic for some light-hearted fun on Baochao Hutong. FREE

Uighur Sama at Modernista
A mixture of traditional Arabic songs and lively Spanish rumba classics, with lyrics both in English and Uyghur, Uighur Sama continue bringing the energetic sounds of Xinjiang to China´s capital. FREE

Hummingbird, Latitude-30°N at Jianghu Bar
Roots hard rockers Latitude-30°N join the Britrock, pop punk, melodic metal, and funk outfit (yes, that’s a lot of genres rolled into one).

Skolar, Bai Zhou at Mogu Space
Skolar is a Beijing-based experimenter blending acoustic song with electronic beats. Bai Zhou is a unique voice in the indie scene, playing classical-style guitar in a contemporary way. Catch these two this Saturday afternoon (4.30pm start). RMB 60

Pu Han, Wu Gui, Zhang Hao Nan at Mogu Space
The tunes keep on coming over at Mogu Space as Pu Han, playing a unique blend of Kazakh and Tuva folk singers, jazz and folk, singer-songwriter joins southern China folk singer-songwriter Wu Gui and more. RMB 60

The Coin Locker, DayxDay, Li Shangyin, Mo Zhui at EA Livehouse
EA Livehouse continues to mix it up and throw their weight around 206 Gulou Dong Dajie and that ain’t all too bad – there’s a low key charm to the place and it’ll be nice to see these young and eager bands getting in their licks. RMB 40

Joker’s Belief, DizzyDi at Kirin Place
Rock and roll with a heart of funk – Joker’s Belief take over the Kirin Place in Wangjing (which I’ve seen pop up more than a few times over the past couple months) alongside DizzyDi throwing the afterparty. FREE

Olivier Hutman (FR), Jonathan Orland (FR) at DDC
French pianist, composer and arranger Olivier Hutman joins fellow countrymen and saxophone maestro Jonathan Orland for a French jazz duo performance. RMB 50 (3pm start)

The Beijing Bandits, D.Cortisol at Blue Stream Bar
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 alongside funk rockers D.Cortisol. FREE

Re-Schedule, Flower Wall, Man Tuo Luo, Yin Ming Yuan at 13 Club
Young rock and rollers take over the Wudaokou hub for music, 13 Club. RMB 80
 

Sunday, Dec 3

All Unknown, Mr. S, Anti Tune, Need A Name, Yu Guo at School
Pop-rock Sunday with a horde of established pop rockers taking the stage including Shijiazhuang’s Anti Tune, pop punk mischief makers Need A Name, psych newcomers YuGuo, and more. RMB 70

Dawanyier at DDC
Formed in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia in 2014, the hard rock outfit Dawanyier, whose music blends everything from post-rock and grunge to funk and acid blues, hit up DDC with their latest critically acclaimed album. RMB 80

Horse Feather, Elliot Zon & Friends at Temple
Funk it up this Sunday with folk alt-rock funksters Horse Feather keeping things light alongside Elliot Zon and his merry band of odd friends. FREE

Our Mayday at Yue Space
The pop-rock group Our Mayday pays tribute to the Taiwanese group Mayday, known for their alternative rock, pop-rock and Mandarin pop styles at Yue Space this Sunday. For true Mayday fanatics. RMB 60

Sam Comerford Quartet at Modernista
Sam Comerford is an improviser and composer from Dublin, Ireland. Active on the European scene, he specializes in creative improvised music, playing tenor and bass saxophone. Catch him with his band this Sunday at Modernista. FREE

Floating, Jingji, Bei Baoxie, Zhang Ziwei, Yu Zijun at DDC
Sunday folk guitar club party – yup, catch an assortment of folk act bring acoustic goodies and indie pop charm to DDC this afternoon. RMB 50 (3pm start)

Susu at Mogu Space
From light jazz to warm folk, with influences that range from Coldplay to Bach, catch singer-songwriter Susu perform tonight in Xizhimen. RMB 60

Images: Live Beijing Music, courtesy of the organizers