MV Monday: Joyside, The Yours, 929, Moonface

The myth behind one of Chinas first indie rock bands Joyside is ridiculous  – go to School any night of the week and you can feel the impact the band fronted by Bian Yuan had on the place. And like many bands of yesteryears it\’s time for a one-off reunion as the band comes together ten years after their debut, Drunk is Beautiful – and my guess it\’s gonna get wild. To further solidify the myth, a mini documentary, clocking in at 45 minutes, entitled ‘Otherside’ chronicles the rise of Joyside and the \’Gang of Gin\’, the collective of musicians, friends, and promoters who emerged during from that period of time. It\’s a nice slice of history, one that gets me excited for Fridays’ reunion. Solid.

Another celebration commencing Friday night is indie label Maybe Mars’ seven year anniversary. They going in style with a day time bash at XP which will be followed by a evening showcase of the labels new signees – Hong Kong noise rockers The Yours. The band has been prominent down south for a few years now, but this is their first mainland record. In addition, the band has a slew of music videos online – their latest is for their single ‘Spunk’ and features some wicked dance choreography shot beautifully in black and white. Simple, effective, and appropriately trippy. Gonna get me some of those pants.

Plenty of international talent rolling through the city this week – the artist I’m most excited to catch is Moonface aka Spencer Kruger of Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown fame – whose bringing his piano and vocal driven project to Yugong Yishan this Wednesday, courtesy of Spilt Works, who are killing it this fall. To get a taste of how the surely intimate show will play out, check out this music video for his 2013 single ‘Julia with Blue Jeans On’. Some seriously moving stuff here.

Last, for those looking for some pop-driven Taiwanese pop – then check out 929 – described as urban folk online. But really, this is pop boys and girls. With a bit more polish and nuance than your average Mainland pop group, but pop nevertheless. Their just released video is for their single ‘When You Forget’ – the title track from their most recent release – uses a single setting, throws Chinese characters abound across the scene, and has all the mopey love-stricken characters you can handle. Cute.