Author: admin

…And The Nominees Are…

The China Rock Midi Awards are set to be handed out this weekend, stepping up the proceedings by having the event at M-Space, the club attached to Beijing’s MasterCard Center, the arena formerly known as Wukesong and kitted out post-Olympics by international massive sports and entertainment presenters AEG. Big ups to Rock in China for their breakdown of the details, and history of the event and its producer. In Red Rock and here on this blog, I’ve moaned about the Awards in the past, but I’m optimistic, as I mentioned in my first post in this two-part series.

Alas, let’s turn to the nominees, which, you’ll note, line up almost exactly nothing like my picks. Almost. So I’m re-picking the folks I’d like to see win…

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My Midi Awards Nominees

As year-end lists are compiled, yaogun gets its own list, thanks to China’s newest and rockiest awards to be handed out. From the people that brought us the Midi School of Music and then festivals across the country, the folks at Midi Productions have, three times, issued awards for the best yaogun in the country. The shortlist for the Fourth Annual China Rock Midi Awards (中国摇滚迷笛奖) has just been announced, yet again inspiring, erm, feelings across a wide spectrum…

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Leonard Lopate Rocks…

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting the WNYC studios, for a chat with Leonard Lopate on his eponymous noontime NPR talkshow. In between authors of books on 17th-Century priest-scientists and the Kennedy family, we talked rock.

As of this writing, there was not yet the chance to stream my segment, but hopefully by clicking here often you will be able to check out what all we talked about.

New York has one more chance to hear from me: At NYU’s Asian/Pacific/American Institute TONIGHT, Dec 11 at 6.30pm when I’ll be screening the excellent yaogunmentary, Rock Heart Beijing.

 

A Yaogun Cover

It’s not often that yaogun tunes get covered. Back a few years, we had yaogunners take on Cui Jian – with mostly not-great results. Don’t get me started on rap-metal act CMCB’s butchery of “Nothing to My Name,” but let’s just say I might well be more partial to Michael Learns To Rock’s version. But I stumbled into a cover worth sharing…

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NYC and Yaogun Yappin…

Next week, Dec 7-11, I’ll be in the Big Apple for talks across the NYC-area. So tell all your New Yorker friends…!

Here’s the skinny:

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2012, 7pm
In conversation with former Time Out Beijing music editor, Jennifer Conrad
Ran Tea House
269 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, New York 11211
Facebookers should join up here

MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2012 2.30pm
Dean’s Symposium: Asian Media and Popular Culture: Chinese State Television and Rock ‘n’ Roll
A panel discussion on the development of state media and popular culture in China, alongside Ying Zhu, author of Two Billion Eyes
College of Staten Island
1C – Green Dolphin Lounge
2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island
More info here

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 at 6.30pm
Colloquium for Unpopular Culture at NYU
Campbell introduces and discusses the amazing yaogun documentary Rock Heart Beijing (2008), which follows the adventures of Beijing-based garage-punk band SUBS as they tour China and Europe.
Room 471, 20 Cooper Square (East 5th and Bowery)
New York University, New York, NY 10003