Artist: China Pop 2007 Compilation
Album: Look directly into the sun
Label: Invisible China
Year: 2007
Reviewed by: Woodstock Slim
If we could... focus our attention.... to the city of Beijing. Yip! That is where it is all happening! If you have not yet gone out there and bought a few compilation or you don't have Carsick Cars(touring Europe at the mo) in your collection your lagging behind again. Don't
worry. Emo's wont like this shit, no worries. This is punk just the way you liked it, post Sex Pistols all the way up to the TV Killers who put France on the punk stage for the first time a few years ago. Yes sir. This all brought alive by Martin Atkins, then drummer for Pigface, also drummed for PILL and Ministry and a host other well knowns.
He went to hang out at the D-22 club in Beijing and recorded lots of fresh talent. Signed lots and rolled out a few good new fresh pants for us to pull on over out worn out army boots.
They way they make punk back in Beijing is nothing like the Jap stuff, UK, Europe or American stuff. It's what I call alien music. You have no reference in your head for what it sounds like. All you can do is go and listen to it here. It's like nothing I've ever heard before. Ok, ok... ok... I'll try... It sounds like Melvins mixed with The Fall a few drops of PJ Harvey, the rest is alien man, for real... it's fresh I can tell you that. It haunts like hell, its 70's Surf moans and psychedelic ripps here and there, it has Von Sudenfed type breaks. They play their guitars with such precision and respect it's delicate-weird, as opposed to the abandoned way the Pistols played. It's also not deep and bass driven like UK Subs but delicate and light often like The Surf Coasters. Still... haunting!
"I think it had something to do with the idea that I didn't know
anything about the scene or the country — that I'd be un-plugged
from any connections??? I'm still trying to make sense of it — VERY
pleased I went though!" - Martin Atkins
It's hard to put forward my top 5 bands off the compilation. Ok, it's impossible, there is not even a song I half like. I digg them all, some more than others but changes every time I listen to the compilation, phrooaaar!!
Track Listings
1. Close Your Cold Eyes (Snapline)
2. JaiJung (China MC Brothers)
3. Mario And Peaches (Caffe In)
4. Storm Eyes (PK14)
5. Yellow Cab (China Dub Soundsystem)
6. Dang (Joyside)
7. Take Me Home (TooKoo)
8. What More (Subs)
9. ShangHai (Hang on the Box)
10. Song 5 (White)
11. Love of Sun (Ruins)
12. Nasty (the Scoff)
13. Fight Your Apathy (Demerit)
14. Hold The Line (Queen Sea Big Shark)
15. Light (Honey Gun)
16. Chian (Voodoo KungFu)
17. Panda (Carsick Cars)
18. We Just Free (Rococo)
