Category Archives: ROCK

happy new year i’m sorry i love you protect your cock

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so i took my dad around shanghai to see some real shit yesterday afternoon. the area a few blocks away from Laoximen metro station (Line 10) gets REAL, ya heard. raw meats in the street, fish flopping around in kiddie pools, feral dogs, 90+ grannies knitting on tha block, feral kids.. [almost] no foreigners.

and this is only two metro stops from “the concession.” btw, please stop calling it “the concession” – that is fucking lame, and almost as bad as people saying “Shangers” – that is the worst. come on white people…

反正, we were at this market that sold everything from free weights to digital scales, power drills, USB keys, GUCCI x LV gear, and DVDs, and this uncle came up like “yo i got dat shit” and busted out a couple vials of DRVGS. The top of the box said “AUSTRALIAN VIAGRA” but the side said “MADE IN AMERICA.” he wouldn’t let me take a good picture cause i wudun’t buyin’ nothin (thas wut he said), but i snapped this shot 4 he left, ya heard.

my dad and i stepped outside and met this lady selling fake gold chains, USBs, and some pipes that looked like they was 4 smokin’ ice. she yelled “hello! sorry…” then pointed a gun-shaped lighter at my cock and said “bang!” and “保护你的东西!! (protect your thing)” then “ooooo, sorry. haha, happy new year! I LOVE YOU! sorry..” think she was smokin dat shit in those pipes she was selling…

anyway, it felt like summer this weekend. this song reminds me of summer. it’s a blend of “Eyes Without A Face” and Cassie’s ” Me & U.”

love this one.

Cassie // Mijimisha // Elash Gorilla – All The Way Down

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happy nondenominational holidays

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posted up in the Chicago Hilton lobby cause I don’t wanna drop $12.99 for interwebs in ma room. ate so much turkey and beef wellington + pumpkin pie/pecan pie/chocolate mousse at The Drake. Hilton needs to step their toothbrush game up though.. I almost swallowed like seven bristles.

saw beautiful black girls on the direct flight from Shanghai and remembered what ass is. forgot my new neck pillow on said plane. got a really awkward look and “no…” response from the stewardess when i asked for gum like yo that isn’t really an unusual request, it helps combat the ear pressure issues. she jokingly offered me nicotine gum. got a ride to downtown Chicago from an eccentric, mid-50s Croatian female cabbie who drove a white Scion filled with Felix The Cat toys. we talked about women, mostly. she convinced me that i definitely need to fire my maid, who curses at me and is set in her ways. great convo.

back to kalamazoo tmmr, and for the first time i won’t meet my main homie Ziggy Stardust, cause he died of cancer in May..

u had a good run mang. almost ten years and u was always a tru motherfucking g. this track goes out to u dogg.

David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust

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also, do what you can to kill the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) – if this law passes, blogs like this will no longer exist, and wolves like me might go to jail 4 copyright violation.  google SOPA, do some research, and contact your local lawmakers. seriously fuck this bill.

#THA_COLONEL

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stayed out way too late last night thanks to the ROM crew and my main homeboy Colonel Sanders.  about to be a big weekend..love bang #12 tmmr and my first chinese wedding on sunday evening.

i need serato – burning CDs is ruining my social life. hate turning friends down for dinner and house parties because i “have to make CDs.” it’s also ruining my diet cause i just holler at my boy THA COLONEL.

and this sunday..basically a young Colonel Sanders cause he spreads so much love – Xiao Zhong from PAIRS, one of my favorite Shanghai rock bands, is throwing an AFTERNOON show at Yuyintang from 2PM – 5PM. it’s only RMB20, which is like, not even a Spicy Chicken Breast Combo.

plus, all the bands are made of at least 50% university students. peep the whole article with MP3s over at SmartShanghai

so if you love live music, get up out of your sunday love nest and get down to YYT. shit’s important for the scene.

these are some rap tracks, because Xiao “Extra-Crispy” Zhong sometimes sings Tupac’s “Ambitionz of a Ridah.”

G-Side - Im Sorry :( (feat. P.H.)

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G-Side - Came Up (feat. S.L.A.S.H.)

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and as i vented on Harvard Connection.. Shanghai Fun – please stop sending me texts or I’m finna have THA COLONEL go holler @ u, and no one wants that. not interested in your cleverly-themed parties at Bar Rouge. actually i’m offended.

happy friday ya’ll.

This Saturday @ LOGO

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yo. remember Logo? parties with bands and DJs together?? elderly women busting through the door at 4am, wielding hammers and ready to smash the DJ mixer??? BEAT BUFFET gwan come back from d dead at some point i promise, but until then…

it’s going down this Saturday. really excited about this as these are my friends’ bands. it’s only RMB30, not bad for three bands and one DJ (I’m playing four sets…one Motown, one Dubstep…don’t know about the others).

but fuck DJs, there’s actually people playing music – come down at get messy on Saturday; you know there’s street beers on every corner…

flyer by Ivan from Death to Giants -

reasons to go to yuyintang this week

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There’s great music there over the next few days – get down there tonight and Friday for sure.

Tonight = [another!] album release, this time by friends Boys Climbing Ropes, doing a split album with X is Y. I don’t know anything about X is Y but it’s my friends’ label [PAUSE:MUSIC] and their quality control is mega-high so I’m sure they aight.

Boys Climbing Ropes, a classic Shanghai band (for me). Think they’ve been together as long as I’ve been here. Just really good rock and roll. I stole this track from another website..apologies go out to a certain Desert Fuck Eagle.

Boys Climbing Ropes – Grow Up Stop Fucking Around

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And this band, who I haven’t seen since 2008 – Demerit. Really in the top, top tier of Chinese bands I’ve seen here, both live and on their excellent “Bastards of a Nation” LP that came out in 2008. It’s punk (think Anti-flag) with a lot of metal influences (everyone else said it but yeah, Iron Maiden). Was wondering what happened to them and apparently they just got back from touring around the US including gigs on the Vans Warped Tour.

They’re fucking good, on an international level. Like, I really can’t think of many Chinese bands that can fuck with them. I posted this track two years ago and I’m posting it again because a) it’s great and b) i lost the CD and have no idea how to buy it again so this is the only track I have. If anyone has it holler at me, I want it. Sorry this song cuts off at the end but you get the idea. Peep more of their tunes at their MySpace. Unfortunately I’ll be in Hangzhou for this show, but those in Shanghai on Friday – don’t sleep on this.

Demerit – Beijing is Not My Home

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skate classics part one

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Got to DJ at the world’s biggest skatepark last Saturday, and got paid. would have done it for free.

Only weird part was that all the winners of the skate competition, who looked 18 years old or under for sure, received a free bottle of Absolut Vodka. Like, “hey kids, keep doing awesome at sports! here’s some drank!”

But there was also free Harbin beer, like hundreds of cans, for everyone there and it’s not like kids were walking around all crunk or anything. I did get pretty crunk and chatted up some Harbin model girls who moonlight as KTV waitresses. Dem not so bright though.

Was a great day, despite the rain. Gonna post some of my favorite tracks from skate videos (I used to skate for like thirteen years, until I shattered my leg/ripped some tendons when I was nineteen, and pretty much called it quits).

Misfits – Night of The Living Dead

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Misfits – Skulls

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Metallica – Seek and Destroy

Iggy & The Stooges – Search and Destroy

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HEALTH

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there’s ATMs in almost all the subway stations in Shanghai. at least half of them don’t work. lots of stores/small restaurants don’t take bank cards either, nor do McDonalds and other fast food friendz..

but you don’t need any money to see HEALTH this Thursday at Shanhai, early as fuccck at 7PM. you do need a ticket though, which requires registering at the Converse website (didn’t have any luck there), going to a Converse store (apparently not many tickets left), hollering at the promoters (STD), or possibly talking your way in, etc..

but hopefully that works because they’re really good..been listening to them for about four years now and play out tracks from both HEALTH//DISCO albums on the reg. never seen them live but heard it’s great. noise rock you can dance to. They’re also on the Lovepump United label, home to another favorite – Pictureplane, who’s remixed some HEALTH tracks too.

HEALTH - Tabloid Sores (Nosaj Thing Remix)

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HEALTH - Perfect Skin (Curses! Remix)

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HEALTH - Severin (Small Black Rmx)

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PAIRS album release tmmr nite

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`

a lot of people will travel to the netherworld of Pudong to see DJ Shadow play tmmr night. And yeah, Entroducting was really ill, he’s a legend, etc…

but for me, the show at Yuyintang looks much better. for one, i’m sick of seeing DJs. need to see some proper live music. two, PAIRS are my favorite live band in Shanghai. it’s the homeboy Rhys on drums and vocals, and F on guitar. Simple arrangement, really intense set. roughly 25 – 30 minutes of fucking raw rock and roll. there’s other bands playing too.

and it’s only RMB20, with their new album Summer Sweat available for donations. that + street beer > going to fuck-all pudong.  PAIRS are on at about 11. Suggest earplugs and aforementioned street-beers.

——–

Here’s a couple tracks from that new album:

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PAIRS – Chiko

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PAIRS – Cloud Nine

—-

I asked Rhys three questions yesterday.

1. Heatwolves: if you had a playlist called sexual seduction, what would be the top five tracks on there?

Rhys:
1. Kes Band – Gentle Elf

2. Outkast – Ms. Jackson

3. Shellac – Prayer to god

4. The National – Conversation 16

5. Royal Headache – Honey Joy

2. Heatwolves: If you were in charge of black rabbit, which five acts would you bring (remembering that the festival tries to cater to everyone)?

Rhys: Not sure how I feel about this cater to everyone. Broad strokes are good, but I’d get worried about spreading myself too thin. I’d pick Royal Headache, The Go!Team, Li’l Wayne, Slipknot and Fuck Buttons.

3. Heatwolves: PAIRS gets to tour the world, and you can stop at any place, at any time, e.g. London 1213 then Tokyo 2056. Which five spots do you go to? also why, if possible.

Rhys:
Shanghai 2006 so I could hassle for a Dirty Three support.
Bendigo, Australia 2060 – just to see what’s not happening and what hasn’t changed.
Tianjin 3000 – visit the old haunts and swing on that swing chair in 13 Club.New York, anytime – just gotta go there, really. Sex and the City tour.

Shanghai 2011 so I could be part of the Hotter Then Teppanyaki set again, Fuck Pairs.

#SONGBRO

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real quick post fo’ i grab my chicken sandwich and get on the train.

hopefully i won’t run into songbro and his female accomplice again. it’s all good if people want to sing songs/dance/do backflips/tell stories for money – this is much, much better/more respectable than outright begging. but people shouldn’t sing songs for donations if they’re in a bad mood.

songbro brought the vibes down big time on Line 10 last week. just a halfhearted, “why am i even fucking doing this” affect. literally no one gave them money.

like i said, i’m all for people singing songs in public as long as:

a) songs aren’t typically tragic Chinese love songs
b) (even more important) the singer is in a good mood/fakes a good mood

wish Hype Williams would show up on Line 10 and do an impromptu performance. their shit is brilliant. this track is the Pokemon theme song slowed way down.

Hype Williams – Rescue Dawn

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and again, late pass on this but new Rapture track. their album’s coming out on DFA soon. looks good.

The Rapture – How Deep Is Your Love?

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birfday

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yeah today’s my birthday. not one to make a big deal of birthdays. as long as i:

a) don’t have to go to work

b) can eat some fried foods (OR mexican food)/cake

c) go swimming

and all of that is about to happen.

My favorite song about birthdays, “Birthday” by Shanghai band PAIRS

“I spent my birthday with a bunch of cunts!!”

PAIRS – Birthday

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But this still won’t be as good as my 21st birthday, when my friends and I got way crunk and (pause) got into a ketchup and mustard fight at a burger restaurant. I got mustard all over my madghetto argyle NY cap (class). Luckily, the bro at LIDS also sold me on some “FITTED CAP CLEANER,” which lifted the mustard right out. I left the hat out on my back porch to air out, cause you know, FITTED CAP CLEANER be toxic.

Well I tell you what, I came back not one hour later and that hat was gone. I knew that someone out there had taken a dirty shortcut to upgrade their swagger. I hoped the mustard stain was still there.

Oh and it was. You see, this wasn’t the last time I met my argyle NY fitted cap (pause).

About two weeks later, I went to CVS (mid-sized pharmacy/supermarket chain) to buy a pound of red Twizzlers and Vitamin Water. The store was crowded, as many sought refuge from the summer sun in the cool cool air conditioning of CVS. As I stood behind nine people in line, debating whether to open my pound of red Twizzlers, a haggard old black man walked through the door to my left.

He was wearing my argyle NY fitted cap.

I walked over to him and said “hey what’s up?” and looked for signs of mustard penetration on the cap. Oh yes, mustard indeed.

“That’s a nice hat you’re wearing. Where’d you get a hat like that?”

At this point, several customers had focused their attention in our direction, some looking mildly concerned.

“I got this hat down at the mall.”

“Did you? Well check it out man. I know the deal. I know what’s up. Now, I’m not gonna make a big scene, and I’m not gonna take the hat back, but I just want you to know, that I know what’s up.”

“I don’t know what you talkin bout.”

“Oh I think you do. I KNOW WHAT’S UP.”

At which point I went back in line and bought my pound of red Twizzlers and Vitamin Water. No one said a fucking word.

And that was the best birthday ever. Mexican food and swimming here we come.

thisislogo

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This used to be Logo Bar, on Xingfu Lu. If you just moved to Shanghai this year, that means nothing. But this was a special place.

Aside from the crowd who frequented it, what made Logo special is that basically anyone could go there and play music, and there would usually be someone to listen. Saturday nights were a guaranteed dance floor till at least 5AM, no question.

Logo closed last fall, and I understand why. I felt bad for the elderly neighbors who lived above and dealt with the…externalities on the daily. It’s a legitimately disconcerting feeling stumbling out of a den of sin, into the sunlight, and crossing paths with people my grandparents age just starting their day.

So this space will soon be a fruit shop. I’m not mad about that. The fact that this space is two minutes from my house and now provides fruit instead of gateways to excess has immeasurable implications for my good health. I’m just fucking happy it’s not turning into a real estate office. I’d probably have lost it, no joke.

No, the new Logo isn’t like the old Logo. It’s in a yuppie neighborhood (Taikang Lu) and looks like a cabaret. But the spirit of the old Logo is still alive. If you wanna go play music there, just ask Maxime or Taipei, and you probably can if you’re not half-retarded. There’s convenience stores two minutes away and the sound is much better than Lune too.

Just remember that Shanghai is a revolving door, and that goes for both people and buildings. There’s not a ton of places in the world you can just walk in and get a show, so be thankful.

As I get a bit older, this band makes more sense.

The Walkmen – The Rat

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The Walkmen – Wake Up

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The Walkmen – Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone

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Shanghai Glasses Market/Problemas de los Ojos

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People always tellin me, “yo Heatwolves, you always tell me where the ill party be at, but I’m blind/my Ayi broke my glasses/my cab driver drove off with my bag, which contained my passport and glasses/I want ‘smarter’ frames,” or some shit.

Lucky for you, the folk at the Yanjing Shichang (Eyeglass Market) can make new glasses for you in about thirty minutes. Should cost about RMB150 ($25) or less, unless you want some fancy German turtle-shell, hounds-tooth titanium, but really though?

Just bring your prescription (English is fine) and take Metro Line 1, 3, or 4 to Shanghai Railway Station (NOT South, NOT Hongqiao). There’s no English sign, but across from the train station there’s a large fruit store on the first floor (peep the sign in the picture below). You can also enter the market from the second floor of the KFC. Take the elevator to the 5th floor and dey it go, glasses everywhere. Some peeps even speak English. Lots of bootleg makeup and electronics on the 3rd and 4th floor, and again, delicious KFC on the 2nd floor. If you get lost, just ask peeps “Yanjing shichang zai nali?”

Remember – frames cost almost nothing to make here. Bargain hard, but keep in mind that if you have really bad Mr. Magoo eyes, you will need to pay a bit more for thicker frames. Feel good about your bargaining skills if you walk away with two pairs for RMB300 – 400 total.

For my contact-wearing peoples, don’t let anyone remove/insert contacts for you. Bring your own contacts case and solution too.

Some rock musics. This brings me back…way back.

Modest Mouse – A Life of Arctic Sounds

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