Glad I was able to distill some fear and panic amongst some of you after going off the grid last weekend. Hong Kong heat drained me of all responsibilities. But I’m back and LBM is here to stay who dig in the newly updated calendar, check out our latest reviews, and dig into to what the weekend has in store for us.

Friday June 5^th

Dr. Smartass, aka Cool Ghoul, aka Shanzhai Laowai, continues his reign of terror this weekend with a double dosing of rock and roll’s finest up and comers. First up – a pre-fest dozer at Temple – with one of Beijing’s most cherished outfit – street punks Demerit – taking the stage once again to present new material. They’re joined by Hardin ragers Cut Frenzy, making the trip down, as well as instrumental heavy hitters Nakoma, on the cusp of their debut release, and finally a super duper secret guest. The only people who know have already been dealt with accordingly (with a sledgehammer I presume). Any takers? The Meridian Space continues killing it over at Meishuguan with some highly distinct multi-media events that defy classification. Case in point: tonight they host acclaimed performer and composer Guillaume Antonini and Jacopo Baboni Schilingi, we’ll provide audiences with a original recitals, improvisational sets, and most intriguing, a live transcription for the violin and live computer of Jimi Hendrix’s Woodstock performance. Whatttttt. A marriage of classical and electronic, I really have no idea what all this could possibly sound like, but then again, that’s partly the reason why I’m fixated on seeing this. Full details here. One of the first ‘swag’ packages I received in the mail was Changsha post rock outfit Summer Fade Away’s album, We Meet the Last Time, Then Departure. Stuck with me that one – good mix of traditional Chinese instruments with modern post rock elements. Atmospheric, epic, and well, if you know post rock, you get the picture. Looks like the band is ready to unveil their latest album in accordance with a nationwide tour. They hit up Mako Livehouse alongside local post rock up and comers SNSOS and The Grinding Ear – both who have been steadily releasing tracks within the past year. Solid showcase – expect the usual parade of post rock junkies getting at it. #LivingNepal continues going strong, showcasing a variety of live events and performances in an effort to help the Nepalese earthquake victims. And what a lineup they’ve conjured over at Ball House (in Gulou/Drum Towewr area). Here’s the breakdown: “Psy DJ D.A.S (India) warms up with ambient trance from 9-10:30pm, followed by a contemporary dance performance by Italian artist Martina Morrocchi, and concluding with a live performance by electronic music producer Himalayan Shaman (Nepal), performing his new album, Cymatics.” Nice diverse selection of grooves on display here. Hot damn! Mao Livehouse goes all in for it’s annual Nuclear Resonance Festival, a two day showcase of everything heavy. Packed to the brim with sets. Friday leans toward the hardcore crowd with sets from staples Unregenerate Blood, screamo kids The Reason, Tianjin metalcore outfit 641 (still going strong!) Chaos Kills The Pain, a brand spanking new hardcore band I’m quite excited to catch – as well as Saving Molly, Return The Truth, The Last Resort, and Whisper. Organized as a show to promote the return of bike riding and a slower speed to life here in our fair city of Beijing, Hot Wave, Li Yan, Red Cash, and Jin Gai Er are set to entertain and channel the spirit of the occasion at School. Playing a mixture of blues, rock, funk, soul, and pop, The Rotten Five places a heavy emphasis on jamming and improvisation – catch them alongside Bar Code at DDC. Get your rock on at XP with Auburn, Skin Bad, and more.

Saturday June 6^th

Stage two for Dr. Smartass’s takeover – it’s the return of the Beijing Drunk Fest – an all day punk showcase which promises ten days over ten hours, with cheap beer and rock and roll comradery. The kind of event, which DMC’s stripped down, offshore, junkyard charm lives for (get a sense of the space here). Really – once you’re there, it’s just a music love fest through and through. And what a nice diverse lineup too, with a bit of something for everyone. From the tweaked out mathy punk of Fake Weed, to the shit-eating grin charisma of Chinese Modern Guys, the poppy punch of Maoxuewang, the female-powered chords of Free Sex Shop, the politically tinged theatrics of the Bastards of Imperialism, the sweet drunken serenades of the Bedstars, as well as Guiguisuisui, Cut Frenzy, The Flyx, and Diseased Fruit, it’s a colleague of punk’s possibilities. No escape – embrace it folks. Get there early. Maybe Mars’ shining star, Chui Wan, fresh off a batch of shows in the USA – which went quite well from the looks of it – are back on home turf and ready to officially release their much talked about sophomore release. It’s pretty damn good. Psychedelic, transcendent, vigorous, and with plenty of groove to spare, the band is painting on an even larger canvas than before, and it shows. Catch them at Yugong Yishan alongside The Eat, a bunch of young indie kids with bonafide chops. Expect to hear a lot about them by year’s end. New Beijing label Borderless throws a coming out party tonight at the Hot Cat Club, a venue that hasn’t popped up on my radar for ages. The vision behind Borderless is to “to help International bands grow within China, and Chinese bands grow internationally”, something I’m totally down with. Check out AWEH’s interview with the label’s head Tingting. For their inaugural event they’ve tapped retro-electro-rock outfit Pacalolo, indie rocking expat trope Disaster Chat, and electronic-guitar duo Sealed Jar, a band I’ve recently got on board with. Support the up and comers, support the label, and lay on the good vibes. Day Two of the Nuclear Resonance Festival at Mao Livehouse is all about the metal with deathcore biggies (and Wacken attendees) The Falling, Nanjing post-hardcore kids From The Red, Inner Mongolian screamers Mary Dolls, Noise Door, Keep Silent, Stabbing, Forced Pose, and Seven Light Years. These are the kind of shows you best come prepare for —- you’re gonna get a solid cardio workout. Work that neck. The Harridans, those psych-folk minstrels with enough funk to get your dead grandma moving, returns to Temple once again as they gear up for the release of their debut album. Was able to sneak a listen of their first single ‘Moon Tiger’ and it is my new weekend jam already – very excited for that one. To coincide with said single release, the band will be bringing on stage a whopping nine members, playing all sorts of zany instruments. Seriously, these guys are insane. Loving every second of it. Get my fuzz on I will. Beijing’s premier record store fRUITYSHOP gets back in the live showcasing and they’ve rounded up quite the treat for you electronica freaks of nature. You’ve got indietronica courtesy of Wen Liang and thruoutin, as well as some new age electronica from some dude named Three, and of course it wouldn’t be an event without some improv set from some concoction called Ton Bequeathed by Octopus, which wins on name alone. Go for the whiskey and record hunting, stay for the tentacled improvisational guqin electronic set. Rockabilly masters Rolling Bowling, one of my absolute favorites, get down and dirty at the ever cozy Jianghu Bar. One of the most consistently entertaining bands around, and one that never ceases to put a smile on my face. According to their new violinist, they’ve been trekking down the bluegrass avenue since they signed their souls over to Modern Sky, so expect tons of new material tonight as well. They’re joined by rockabilly up and comers Icy Whiskey, who I’ve heard aren’t too shabby themselves. 69 Café takes over XP for a showcase of indie pop with sets from Deepspace Cowlas, Remedios the Beauty, The Sleep Walkers, The Plum Trees, and Farina Jia. From doo-wop to grunge to pop to straight up rock n\’ roll School has got you covered as Candy Monster, Me Guan Me, Mr. Odd, Incisors, Rhonda, and Large Magellanic converge on the Wudaoying fave. Singer-songwriter Cosy Bottle brings the indie pop to La Bas as a part of her nationwide tour. Tap your feet tonight at DDC with the help of Beijing’s premier gypsy jazz outfit The Hot Club of Beijing.

Sunday June 7^th

Head on down to Yugong Yishan to experience a completely new take on Chinese folk music with singer / songwriter, Haozi , who will give a rare full banded performance alongside various guest artists and musicians from across the country. Haozi’s music branches out like a tree through many styles and genres such as; epic atmospheric post rock, meaningful folk and head nodding, reggae just to name a few. Hailing from Boston, hardcore bands Dent and Skinny Pigeons are currently on a 3-week tour that is taking them to 14 cities – catch them tonight at School for an evening of rock n\’ roll that will no doubt end your weekend with a bang. Yunnan folk singer Zaidali serenades audiences at Jianghu Bar. And finally, head down to Mako Livehouse as Australian melodic hardcore outfit Hand of Mercy kicks off their China tour – with support from Chaos Kills The Pain.