Sonic Youth collaborators and Beijing’s hottest export, Carsick Cars, are racking up critical praise for their genuine, youthful, and empowering brand of garage rock. In June of 2009, the group released its second album, You Can Listen, You Can Talk, on the Maybe Mars label, with songs in both English and Mandarin. Less aggressive and angsty than the band’s self-titled debut album of 2007, You Can Listen is sophisticated and well-produced. The influence of the late-’80s, early-’90s postpunk/ alternative from groups like The Pixies and garage/punk bands like Nirvana is apparent. “There’s something I know, that perches in my soul,” frontman Zhang Shouwang sings in a voice that these days sounds a lot like Lou Reed. Carsick Cars’ first hit and the current “anthem” of the Beijing underground, “Zhong Nan Hai,” shares a name with the Communist Party’s central headquarters. But it’s also a brand of Chinese cigarettes, and Zhang maintains the song is about tobacco. The album solidifies Carsick Cars’s status as the leaders of the Beijing rock scene, which now has a fast-growing following among the capital’s university students.
This sounds like it will be awesome, sorry won’t be able to catch it! Looking forward to the show with AV Okubo this weekend in Shanghai though!!!!!!