While the Chinese Net Nanny has ensured that accessing Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and even Danwei is nearly impossible, there is one site that might make you feel lucky to be surfing the web in China: Google.cn.

Following in the steps of Baidu, Google has jumped on the free music bandwagon, offering downloads to users in China only. But Google has avoided the possibility of Baidu-like lawsuits by teaming up with the big record labels that will get a share of the advertising pie. However, this situation is less than ideal for both Google and the record companies. Forbes said the “music industry’s decision to turn over their catalogs in exchange for a share of such a measly new revenue stream illustrates the desperation of record labels in China.” And you can be sure Google is making the move to increase their 29% share of the Chinese market.

Whenever Google does something, they do it big and do it right. Google China offers more than a million songs from both Chinese and foreign artists. Google’s interface looks much better than Baidu’s and is easier to use too. Searching songs on Baidu will bring up a huge list of stuff you don’t want, whereas Google has more relevant search results and displays whole albums that can be added to playlists or downloaded directly. But the best thing about Google’s free downloads is the speed; you can download an album faster than you can find what you’re looking for on Baidu.

Links & Sources:

Google China Music Homepage

New York Times: Google and Music Labels Bet on Downloads in China

Wall Street Journal: Keep An Eye On Baidu’s Competition

The four-piece band, Battles, are lined up to play a kick-ass show at Mao Live House on March 27th. Playing a strange, but stellar sonic synthesis of math-rock, jazz-fusion, and cyber-metal, Battles will be sure to show up the local opening band, PK-14. The Battles’ line-up includes ex-Helmet drummer John Stanier, ex-Don Caballero guitarist Ian Williams, ex-Lynx guitarist Dave Konopka, and Tyondai Braxton, who works wonders on the warped, chilling vocals.

This show is sure to be as good as their last album, Mirrored, which is a masterpiece. Pitchfork dealt out a 9.1 (rather generous for their standards) for the album and said that “what makes Mirrored’s merry melodies really stand out isn’t the crazy quilt structures or needlepoint precision of the playing. It’s the frenzied gibberish of Braxton’s pitch-shifted and electronically processed vocals– a kind of ecstatic robot that’s speaking in cartoon tongues.”

Show info:

Friday, March 27 @ 9 pm

Mao Live House 111 Drumtower Avenue, East Dongcheng District (鼓楼东大街111号)

I had seen this guy on TV before, but never really noticed exactly what he did until I came upon Crossing the River (guò hé-过河), a musical skit about a woman reluctantly taking her pint-sized suitor named  Gāo fēng (高峰) across the river. Seriously one of the coolest skits I’ve seen, it is a performance style called èr rén zhuàn (二人转), where a man and a woman sing, dance, and have dialogues (which sometimes get a little racy).

Like the 二人转 skit-style, Pan Changjiang originates from Northeast China and has been called the Mr. Bean of China, though far more verbose. He is multi-talented, having been in several feature films and dozens of skits and music videos. He sings and dances well too. The skit 过河 has a fun song and dance (below) where the woman tests 高峰 on his knowledge of farm life to see whether he is suitable for marriage or not. Pan’s character comes up with witty answers to all of the questions, and finally insulting his questioner.

Other good clips of Pan Changjiang:

双簧 (Super funny clip of 赵本山 and 潘长江)

好人好梦 (Pan Changjiang and his daughter sing a duet)

过河 Original version

过河 Flash version

Kuaiban (快板) is a literary art form accompanied by a rhythm produced by the lyricist himself. Like a beat-boxer and MC all in one, 快板 is Chinese hip hop, not to be confused with the guys walking around in baggy pants with a vague sense of rhythm and poor lyricism.

I watched in absolute amazement as the Kuai Ban master tapped out complex rhythms and recited a story that must have taken ages to commit to memory. The rhythm follows the story line with the nuances and crescendoes of an orchestra, bringing the story to life like modern hip hop rarely does.

From a Western perspective Kuai Ban is mysterious. It doesn’t adhere to any strict time signature, or even tempo for that matter. Each stanza is a different length than the previous and following one. Almost like spoken word, where artists stray from the predictable 4/4 rhythm that we are all so used to, Kuai Ban is free. Rather than starting from a beat, like hip hop does, Kaui Ban is based on the lyrical content and the mood it creates. The rhythm serves as punctuation. It is the period and comma, semicolon even. But it is more than that. It is a display of years of hard work and practice.

Picking up a set of paiban (拍板) for the first time will give you a real sense of respect for the Kuaiban master. For someone that prides themselves in understanding rhythm fairly well, the paiban flopped around like a spastic fish dying in my hands. For now, I will resign myself to being a fan, not a participant.

Nietzsche once wrote, “Without music life would be a mistake.” But I would like to humbly make an addition: Without creative music life would be a mistake.

I may be fatalist and pessimistic, but I have given up on Chinese music. Perhaps I should be more clear. I have given up on a Chinese music industry that churns out pretty faces that only sing love ballads and shun real musicians that push the boundaries of musicianship.

It wasn’t always this way. A few talented, edgy, creative musicians came on the scene and started to get pretty big. There was a glimmer of hope with the raw, gritty, thoroughly-Chinese rock (he plays a gu zheng on stage!) of 谢天笑 (XTX). Then there was the kitschy, upbeat, electro-disco-punk-rock of New Pants (新裤子). And there was Hedgehog (刺猬), with catchy hooks and perhaps the cutest little drummer ever. But there is no hope for acts like these in the Chinese music industry. As big as they seem to be, I’ll bet all of the RMB in my wallet that they all have day jobs.

These diamonds in the rough weren’t enough to give me faith in the Chinese music scene. There are far too many cookie-cutter Ken and Barbie’s with glorified KTV resumes dominating the music industry. The songs they sing are an endless stream of pop love ballads that are hardly distinguishable from one another. With a knack for singing, that’s all they are: singers. There is a fundamental difference between a singer and a musician. Singers sing, musicians make music.

Talking with a Chinese friend about this phenomenon, 王力宏, the ABC-Chinese-Taiwanese pop superstar came up. My friend said, “He writes his own songs,” as if it was an amazing feat. Amazing feat it may be, but citing a New York-born, Berklee College of Music grad to save the face of the whole Chinese music scene is a stretch to say the least.

The simple fact is that the few original, creative musicians in China are being overshadowed and cast out by the music industry that puts lip-syncing pin-up dolls on every TV channel. Not once on Chinese television have I seen a real band playing real music, excluding those 12 girls and the folks that play the Beijing Opera jams (though I have seen bands pretending to play their instruments…imagine that). For now, any musicians with potential are relegated to inaccessible record labels or semi-obscure websites.

So I’ll remain pessimistic, but in the meantime, turn off your TV, dig through underground music, and let me know if anything comes up…

Merry Mart supermarket (美廉美 - měi lián měi) is officially Beijing’s first supermarket to be sued over their background music. Some workers from the Music Copyright Society of China (音乐著作权协会 - yīnyuè zhùzuòquán xiéhuì) brought along a small recording device to show that Merry Mart was infringing copyright law by playing Candlelit Mama (烛光里的妈妈) by 毛阿敏, a sappy song about a mother and daughter growing old.

The Music Copyright Society of China demanded 10,000 yuan for usage of the song and 6000 yuan for legal costs. Unfortunately for them, the judges in the HaiDian court only made Merry Mart pay 500 yuan for using the song and 1700 for legal fees.

This may have been the first supermarket targeted by copyright crimefighters, but it wont be the last. In the midst of piracy and copyright issues popping up in China, there are sure to be more legal battles like this in the future.

And, for your listening pleasure, Candlelit Mama with lyrics! Enjoy!

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妈妈我想对您说，
话到嘴边又咽下，
妈妈我想对您笑，
眼里却点点泪花。
噢妈妈，烛光里的妈妈，
您的黑发泛起了霜花，
噢妈妈，烛光里的妈妈，
您的脸颊印着这多牵挂。
噢妈妈，烛光里的妈妈，
您的腰身倦得不再挺拔，
噢妈妈，烛光里的妈妈，
您的眼睛为何失去了光华，
妈妈呀，女儿已长大，
不愿意牵着您的衣襟走过春秋冬夏。
噢妈妈，烛光里的妈妈，
您的腰身倦得不再挺拔，
噢妈妈，烛光里的妈妈，
您的眼睛为何失去了光华，
妈妈呀，女儿已长大，
不愿意牵着您的衣襟走过春秋冬夏。
噢妈妈相信我，
女儿自有女儿的报答。
噢妈妈相信我，
女儿自有女儿的报答。

Links & Sources:

• The Beijing News - 新京报
• Merry Mart
• Music Copyright Society of China

Not too long ago, the Laonei Team threw a bluesy bash to celebrate the photo contest winners.

The party was held in quite possibly the snazziest bar/live music venue in 798 Art District  - The Acoustic House. The sound system was a musician’s delight, bumpin’ the blues a la Mr. Mojo, a veritable staple in the Beijing blues scene. There was also some kitchy prizes (some quite useful, like the baijiu and cigarettes seen in the video below) and free Qingdao to boot. And I ought not forget about the cool people and photographs on display!

In honor of Yang Peiyi, the little girl with crooked teeth and a “flawless voice,” we give you “Ode to The Motherland,” a live recording from the Opening Cermony last week. And in honor of Lin Miaoke, the little girl with straight teeth and flawless lip-syncing skills, we give you the lyrics in Chinese and pinyin. Enjoy!

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