Two years ago I posted a Viva-Radio playlist called Strange Kicks featuring a new Chinese band called Car-Sick Cars. I wrote:

2. Car-sick Cars-Rock & Roll Hero
One of the great benefits of myspace.com, other then the free Macy’s gift card and the photos I can’t believe she would post them online, is the random friend requests from bands. I know you got 10 yesterday and they all sucked. Well I run a record label, which means I got 100 yesterday and they all sucked. Believe it or not, this particular post-punk reissue label is not interested in your heavy-metal emo trip-hop band from Moscow. But I try to take the time to check out the bands because for every clueless act that wants to get signed, there’s actually bands who are familiar with the music Acute has released, maybe they’re even fans.

One day I received three friend requests from bands/acts in Beijing, China. A bit of research led me to realize the common thread was an artist named Shou Wang, who seems to be a central figure in what is being called the “No Beijing” scene. The three pages were for himself, a project called White and the Car-sick Cars. The range of influences listed on the White page and his own page are wide-ranging and faultlessly hip, not to mention very much in line with my own. Einsturzende Neubauten, TG, Glenn Branca, Steve Reich, La Monte Young, etc. The music on those two pages are an eclectic selection of noise and minimalist inspired pieces.

I was more excited, however, by Car-sick Cars, his rock band. This particular list of influences pretty much sums up a large selection of my record collection. Branca, The Clean, The Fall, Joy Division, Neu!, Sonic Youth, Suicide, Swell Maps, Theoretical Girls etc. The music they make is noisy indie-rock with the minimal, chiming riffing of the early 80s post-punk and NZ bands and big accessible hooks like Daydream-era Sonic Youth. According to his myspace page, Shou Wang has played with Glenn Branca, Elliot Sharp, Neubauten and Car-sick Cars even appropriately opened for Sonic Youth. Hopefully they’ll get a full-length out soon, maybe they’ll even come play in NY. Check out all their songs on the myspace page, they’re great.

Now they are finally playing in New York City, along with another Chinese band, P.K.14, who I first heard rep’d by Mike Watt online. They are playing three shows in NYC, Thursday in dumbo at Powerhouse Arena to celebrate the release of a book, Sound Kapital, about Bejing’s music underground, Friday night at Glasslands with the awesome Soft Circle and These are Powers, and Saturday night at Santos Party House “with special guests”. The Glasslands “vibe” is probably preferred, and Glasslands supposedly has a new sound-system, however Santos also has Dinowalrus and the Fixed 5 yr party w/ Basement Jaxx, though those may be 2 other parties that you’d have to pay separately for. These shows are presented by Maybe Mars in collaboration with the Arts Initiative at Columbia University.