The Best So Far: The Aughts

In these, the first few hours of the Year of the Dragon, we continue on from our last look back over the course of yaogun, part II of one man’s view of the best records to come out of China’s rock scene takes us into the new millennium. Chronologically we go…

Cold-Blooded Animal by Cold-Blooded Animal, 2000

Less inspired by Kurt Cobain than his embodiment, Xie Tianxiao, the band’s singer/guitarist who now goes by the name XTX, was a force of nature live, and though he still retains some of that energy, in the early aughts he was at his peak. Here, “Who Was it That Brought Me Here”, live at CD Cafe in Beijing in 2003.

 

Second-Hand Rose by Second-Hand Rose, 2003

Yeah, singer Liang Long dresses like a girl. But when you listen to the album, it doesn’t matter, and that’s the true test. “Gathering Flowers” showcases the bridge bewixt traditional China and modern rock.

 

Ma Music featuring Glamourous Pharmacy, Ruins and Wooden Pushmelon, 2001

This posse of bands led the early-aught alt scene, often infusing art into their performances, which signaled a commitment to more than just music. Xiao He, who walks both sides of the fine line separating idiot from genius in his current solo work, led GP; Ruins singer Zhou Yunshan first  added his name to the band’s and now just goes by his name; WPM’s Song Yuzhe makes great folk music. Listen to the whole record via this link, which may be in Chinese but is easy enough to navigate.

“How Steel Wasn’t Tempered” – Wooden Pushmelon by jWc

 

The World is a Noise Garden by Sound Fragment, 2002

Spacey and dreamy, the record showcases the empty spots even more than the titular noise. One of yaogun’s rare headphone records. Here, the lead track, “Deceive One’s Self” (ziqi).

Xin by Wang Lei, 2004

Wang’s first decade-plus in the arts saw him move from breakdancing to pop-rock to freak-folk. In the new millennium, he took to industrial music briefly, then discovered dub and fell in love. This record is the peak of that fascination, mixing traditional and contemporary sounds from a range of different traditions to create a minimal, groovy and bounce-along-able record.
“Again” – Wang Lei by jWc

 

P.K. 14 White Paper, 2005

Post-punk quartet P.K. 14’s third album sees the band in top form, just in time for the mid-decade “indie” boom. The video for “Them,” below, is one of several greats the band produced.

 

 

Omnipotent Youth Society by Omnipotent Youth Society, 2010

Singer Dong Yaqian may not look like he’s having a good time while performing “The Not-So-Omnipotent Comedy,” below, but the song, as evidenced by the singalong, is fun in a way that is rare (even if you wouldn’t know it by watching frontman Dong Yaqian); ditto, the album.

Sorrow, 2006
This Readily Assimilative People, 2010
by Lonely China Day

Two records made for headphones, and two records more representative of Twenty-First century China than any other yaogun album.

“One” from Sorrow

“Rise Up” from This Readily Assimilative People

L & R by Wang Wen, 2010

This Dalian-based post-rock group has a sizable following cross-country, and is helping fertilize the local scene by example and involvement through record label (Fox Tail) and venues (several short-lived spots).

 

Cang Lang Xing by Zhaoze, 2011.

Like their brilliant fellow (now former) Guangzhou resident Wang Lei, they seemed to have suffered somewhat from being outside of Beijing, not receiving anything remotely like the appreciation they ought to. But, like the two post-rockers mentioned above, they have a seriously intense fanbase. Below, “Cang Lang Shui Yu You” live in Hong Kong, May 2011.

Newness @ jWc.com and Beyond

It’s not just Red Rock: The Long, Strange March of Chinese Rock & Roll season. It’s also new content at jonathanWcampbell.com season, as well as high time I lead you to some jWc/Red Rock news Out There on the world-wide interweb.

First, at “home”: You’ll find a new section at jWc.com: RED ROCK: THE BONUS TRACKS. Unlike Red Rock: The Liner Notes, which give more footnote-type illuminations on the text of the book, the Bonus Tracks bring elucidations of a multi-media kind. I’m time-releasing these bad-boys, to let you do some reading before you dive deep beyond Red Rock‘s pages. Oddly enough, I’ve opted to start with Chapter 1.

Next, “Out There”, where word is slowly starting to spread:

The Library Journal said very nice things about Red Rock. Read those things here.

The China-based Global Times newspaper ran a story about yours truly and Red Rock. That story is here. A companion piece on yaogun’s journey is here.

PopMatters.com published an excerpt of Red Rock‘s first chapter.

Not long ago,the Taipei Times ran a lukewarm review of Red Rock. The same author wrote a warmer review for the South China Morning Post, which is behind a paywall.

I appeared on web-tv channel That Channel’s Liquid Lunch in late September. You can see the video of the entire episode here.

The Beijinger, an English-language events magazine, ran a profile in their tenth anniversary issue, viewable online here.

As previously mentioned, Time Out (Beijing) asked me to chart Five Major Moments on yaogun’s path.

And don’t forget: Red Rock is available via Amazon:

Librarians Dig Red Rock

Librarians can rock with the rest of us, despite their reputation. To wit: They used the following words, in a recent Library Journal issue, to describe Red Rock: The Long, Strange March of Chinese Rock & Roll:
Indepth“, “Thoughtful“, “Well-written“, “an especially welcome addition

The full review (which is from their website):

One does not usually associate rock ‘n’ roll with China, but a passion for this music has been growing there since the post-Mao era, when yaogun (Chinese rock) began to emerge, speaking to the confusion and frustration of the younger generation. From certain defining events, including a landmark 1986 performance by Cui Jian, to the latest Midi Music Festival, musician/promoter and journalist Campbell traces the history of this phenomenon. He discusses the behind-the-scenes workings of groups that molded music from a different culture into something uniquely theirs that they can, in turn, introduce to the world. Drawing from a wealth of sources and personal experiences, Campbell explores the individuals and their philosophies, the cultural conflicts, and the singular challenges inherent in this musical movement—from the artistic to the political—and raises provocative questions about how far yaogun has come and where it is going. VERDICT This in-depth, thoughtful, and well-written book will appeal to those with an interest in rock ‘n’ roll and related genres of contemporary music on an international level. An especially welcome addition to world music collections.—Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ