If you have ever thought to yourself that you would really like to hear Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” covered in the Hunan dialect by Chinese retirees dancing with young women in miniskirts playing traditional Chinese instruments…then this amazing video will be your dream come true.
Category > music
Variations on a Theme: I Want Your Love
1950s Chinese actress, singer and superstar Grace Chang (葛兰 Ge Lan) really deserves a post that is devoted entirely to herself, but I’m going to start here with just one song. Recently, I spent a rather enjoyable morning watching Grace Chang clips on YouTube. My favourite is 我要你的爱 I Want Your Love. It’s a Chinese [...]
thumbgirl: the aesthetic of cute
卜算子 陌生的尘埃MV from ThumbGirl’s latest album, 伤花怒放 Based in Beijing but tracing its influences back to the UK’s Sarah Records, ThumbGirl (拇指姑娘) is China’s first tweepop band. Like their name – a translation of Thumbelina – their sweet and gentle music evokes a child’s sense of wonder. This is a band that makes Belle and [...]
a room with a view
A follow-up to this post, this delightful little room is upstairs over at Sugar Jar 白糖罐, an indie record store in the 798 / Dashanzi area. As you can see from the photo, the ground floor comprises the record store itself, with an excellent selection of the local indie rockists. Although it’s uncertain if the [...]
You Say Party! We Say Die!
Last night we went to a brilliant night of indie rock at D-22 in Wudaokou. The headliners were Canadian band You Say Party! We Say Die! with three fantastic opening bands from Beijing: Candy Monster, Guai Li, and Ourselves Beside Me. It was the attack of cute female lead singers channelling their aggression through music! [...]