Feminist punk rock that’s a riot, twisted skweee sounds to goof to, and a summer ode to some of the finest daydreamers out there – here’s the latest from Ugly Girls, Tentacles of Miracles, and Sheng Jian Records.
Ugly Girls – Welcome to the Suck
Newly formed Shanghai riot grrl outfit Ugly Girls take a sledgehammer to the paradigm that is our modern society and culture on their candid, enraged, not to mention, incredibly fun debut Welcome to the Suck. It’s also one of the most pointed, spirited takedowns of gender stereotypes and discrimination against females and the LGBT community, that takes everyone from gym bros to ‘fuck bosses’ to task. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself kneeling over in laughter to the quote-worthy lyrics (“Is it hard to swallow when you don’t have a neck“) or the very matter of fact way they breach a topic (“thank you for not raping me”) – the truth never hurt so good.
Bandcamp: https://uglygirls-shanghai.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-to-the-suck
Various Artists – Summer Acoustic
Summer may be over but that doesn’t mean we can’t carry a bit of it in our ears for the rest of the year. Summer Acoustic, the newest compilation from the also new Shanghai based label Sheng Jian Records (who are having a hell of a coming-out year) has gathered some of China’s most laid back dream pop, shoegaze, and ‘slacker rock’ artists to give their beautifully low key takes on some of the best contemporary singles in the past thirty years. Covers of Mazzy Star, Sparklehorse, Slowdive, and even Beijing’s own Hedgehog from bands and artists from across China including Soft, Sound and Fury, Default, The Sculptor, The Cheers Cheers, and much more. An endearing, affectionate ode to the influences which have pushed these artists forward.
Xiami: http://www.xiami.com/album/2102866976
Tentacles of Miracles – Fossil Lights
Though separated by ‘a vast ocean and several thousand kilometres of tundra’ the two electronic producers, Beijing based FLØØØD and Toronto based Vurado Bokoda, have managed to fuse their sonic sensibilities together on the gloriously twisted piece of bubblegum techno Fossil Lights. Put together over the course of four years whenever the two producers could convene and submerge themselves in a pool of ‘drum machines, synths, pedals, minds and medicines’ – the six track release, off of 87Fei87, is a springy, offbeat offering of skweee sounds and other exotic ‘bleeps and beats’ that’s deliciously ludicrous.
Bandcamp: https://87fei87.bandcamp.com/album/fossil-lights
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