The China underground music scene has many genres and trends, like any other. Big at the moment is either Kinks/Libertines/you-know-what-I-mean Brit rock or post-rock experimental. However, with a seismic change about to happen back in the UK, it may be Hedgehog that have the last laugh.
As odd as it sounds, there is a Yorkshire grunge scene and its best bands are now coming out with records. They range from obviously Nirvana-esque to a bit more musical in the Soundgarden vein. And they're all great.
So, while I'm supposed to be not posting for two weeks, here are some more listens for you:
Hedgehog (Beijing)
Yorkshire Grunge:
Dinosaur Pile-up - "My Rock'n'Roll"
The Old Romantic Killer Band - "Trouble Causer"
The Tempus - "Theives and Lovers"
Wonderswan - "Cut It"
Pulled Apart By Horses - "I Punched a Lion in the Throat"
Read this Guardian article about the same thing.
Hedgehog as grunge? Noise Hit World sounds like power-pop to me.
Hi man,
They cite their influences as a combination of grunge and eighties Brit rock. Their page says Nirvana and The Cure for example.
Happy Idle Kid is a clear example of that and I think their like of The Cure and Joy Division comes through on Noise Hit World.
Where as a track like 'Wink' is straight up quiet-loud grunge rock style, you hear the other influences come out on the second CD with the use of the phaser pedal and non distortion riffs.
Also, no band who is influenced by a particular scene has to sound exactly like it. What I'm saying here is that if these bands in the UK do what people think they are going to do to the UK scene, then Hedgehog are definitely going to seem 'in' while all the postrock, Coldplay-esque and Libertines-esque bands will become dated. Not that it matters much and not that's a reflection on intent from the band themselves.
Take AV Okubo. I saw them lately and felt like I was back in the 80's at a pop-rock show, right down to the hair and jackets. It was so self consciously done. Wrong choice. Unless, of course, the Yorkshire thing doesn't hit big and the next big thing is bands who worship Bryan Ferry. That's the danger of being a band like, say, New Pants, where you take your 'knowledge' and kind of pick and choose styles.
I love to say the China scene is free from this kind of thing and that everyone does their own thing and it's cool, but we have distinct genres here too and the bands certainly know their shit.