New Releases: Do Hits!, Chui Wan, Voice of Wuhan, Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes

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The electronic scene’s hottest compilation returns! Maybe Mars rising stars go live! The greatest band name ever present their swan song! And a collection of Wuhan’s up and coming talent! It’s the newest grab bag of releases to plug your headphones into and jam out to. Here’s the latest from Do Hits!, Chui Wan, Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes, and Voice of Wuhan.

One of Shanghai’s most dazzling acts, the ridiculously and aptly named Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes, may have called it quits already, but if there ever was a more beautiful swan song then I’ll be damned. Self-described as the breakup album of all breakup albums, A Million Farewells, takes the initial delicate shoegaze pop template put forth by singer Sharon Cee-Q and guitarist Xiao Zhong (of Pairs and other awesome tomfoolery) and double downs, turning their sound into a blistering, transfixing sprawl of indie rock. The addition of drums and bass certainly helps, giving the band complete control of their sonic, dreamy, and dynamic world. Charged is the best way to describe it – the four have nothing to lose and that go-for-broke spirit makes up the backbone of the album. Breathlessly electrifying and intoxicating it’s easily one of the best releases of the year. Grab it on vinyl (or digital) through Genjing Records’ bandcamp.

The Do Hits! crew, founded by Beijing electronic mavericks Howie Lee Jason Hou, Guzz, Dokedo, and Zhi16, return with Do Hits Vol. 3, their third installment of addictive, culturally-       perverse electronica that further puts the spotlight on some of the scene’s breakthrough artists, including Soulspeak, Linfeng, Sonia Calico & rgry, Gooooose, Harikiri, Jeanie, Anti-General, and more. An eclectic ragtag team once again, with an emphasis on finding ways to implement China-centric sounds into each artist’s model of electronic music. Unique, compact, and invigorating – grab the free compilation over at bandcamp.

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Despite what some may think, Wuhan’s music scene continues to strive, and they gonna let the rest of the country know. Already in it’s third edition, The Voice of Wuhan, is a compilation series highlighting some of the city’s blooming talent. Volume Three introduces five new bands to the scene – hard rock outfit Burning Heart, tender folks bluesmen Busanbusi, electro rockers CodNew, punk rock pick-me-uppers Aberration, and new wave dance punks Da Cat. Each gets two tracks to strut their stuff, and while these may not the most original sounds here, it’s solid stuff – particularly dig the shameless genre mashup of Da Cat, and the instrumental (for the most part) pull of CodNew, though the name is all kinds of awful. All in all, another compact remained that Wuhan is alive and well. Spin The Voice of Wuhan Vol. 3 on xiami and douban. Props to VOX Livehouse for putting the comp together.

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Beijing psych rockers Chui Wan, who had a fruitful summer spent aboard return with a special live recording conducted by the well-known Illinois recording studio Horseshack, whose Daytrotter Sessions have hosted countless popular and up and coming indie acts since starting in 2006. Recorded during the band’s stint in the USA back in May, the Daytrotter Session, entitled A Spilled Dream Matter, was the site’s first Chinese band. While the recordings made not have the oomph of catching the band in the flesh, it’s a solid entry and archive for the band’s sound and is full of lush deviations from the band’s earlier sophomore release. Grab it for free on Daytrotters’ webpage.

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