The Inspector Cluzo
This French rock duo features the guitarist-and-drummer format made famous by punk-blues bands like the Black Keys and the White Stripes. Several members of Fishbone produced Cluzo’s debut album, and the influence shows in the frantic, funky grooves and zany but soulful vocals. Add to that some post-Spinal Tap humor: the band has a song called Fuck the Bass Player.
www.myspace.com/theinspectorcluzo
Money Shot Horns
Currently Taiwan’s favorite party band, this “supergroup” of eight expat musicians will have audiences dancing this weekend with funk, soul and R ’n’ B. Lead vocalist Dooley Chandler slips Mandarin phrases into his singing without missing a beat.
www.myspace.com/themoneyshothorns
88 Balaz (八十八顆芭樂籽)
This four-piece indie-rock outfit has grown up with Spring Scream. Lead singer Ah-Chang (阿強) was 17 years old when the group made its festival debut; he was so excited (and drunk), he rode a bicycle from the stage into the crowd. The band will surely impress this weekend with on-stage madness, but its tight, energetic guitar rock will steal the show.
balaz88.pixnet.net
Deserts Chang (張懸)
She seemed to come out of nowhere, having gone from solo performer and part-time sound engineer at Taipei’s Witch House (女巫店) to revered indie-folk icon. The 27-year-old released her debut album in 2006 through Sony BMG, which has been smart enough to let her do her own thing. Expect a large crowd for her set.
www.myspace.com/desertsmusic
Kou Chou Ching (拷秋勤)
This is a trio of two MCs and a DJ that are into social causes and their Taiwanese roots. The group calls its music “Taiwan traditional hip-hop style”: they often rap in Hokkien and Hakka and sample everything from Taiwanese opera to Nanguan (南管) and oldies.
www.myspace.com/koucc
Space Cake (太空蛋糕)
This four-piece band has one foot in post-rock grooves and the other in pop. The result is fun and quirky music full of guitar distortion, playful electronica noises and chirpy vocals from singer Squidgirl.
band-spacecake.blogspot.com
Rising Hedons
This is a blues-rock band, but with djembe and tablas. The grooves are laid-back, but the energy is intense. Lead singer and guitarist Bradley Tindall clearly loves being on stage, making for an entertaining show. It would be surprising if the group didn’t play its ode to the Spring Scream locale, Kenting Sunset.
www.myspace.com/therisinghedons
Nevada 51
Get your rage on with this South Korean rock and hip-hop group, which describes its music as “rock with conscience.” They list bands like Limp Bizkit and Red Hot Chili Peppers as influences, which can be clearly heard in their music. The band plays several sets throughout the weekend.
www.myspace.com/bandnevada51
Neon
These guys were “indie” before indie became too artsy. Many of their songs are driving guitar rock with a melancholic tinge. Lead singer Jun Lee’s (李昀熹) soaring, husky voice has a magentic pull that few can resist.
www.neonband.com.tw
Europa Huang and Agonist (黃建為與興奮劑)
It’s easy to forget that there’s more to Spring Scream than loud bands with electric guitars. Huang is an up-and-coming folk singer with sharp pop sensibilities. His acoustic-based music leans toward safe melodies and heart-on-sleeve lyrics, but he delivers them well and with sincerity.
blog.roodo.com/europa
— DAVID CHEN
Collider
Although Collider has a vocalist (Leon LaPointe), the music is instrumental as he uses his voice as a sound machine. Post-rock with a haunting, soulful quality, the band’s profoundly moving and cyclical melodies take listeners on a dark and beautiful journey.
www.myspace.com/colliderrockband
Point 22 (.22)
This dynamic trio is composed of veterans of the Taiwan music scene Pete Holmes, Steve Taylor, and Wade Davis, one of the founders of Spring Scream. Their songs range from alt-country to psychedelic rock, with hip-hop influenced vocal rhythms and original, wickedly funny lyrics.
www.myspace.com/point22
The Juicy Bows (東京多汁的弓子)
Composed of members of two beloved Japanese bands that appeared at previous Spring Screams, Miracle Saru and Mimi Chan, The Juicy Bows are a tripped-out, pastel and metallic wrestler-costumed ensemble guaranteed to bring a psychedelic experience to even the truly square.
www.myspace.com/thejuicybows
Monkey Pilot (猴子飛行員)
Monkey Pilot put on an engaging rock show with charismatic lead singer Tony (王湯尼) and kick-ass drummer Erin (王昱人). The band’s grunge-rock sound wanders into pure metal noodling and occasionally Tony gets so hot he literally steams (as seen at The Last Hoorah show in Tucheng in November last year).
www.myspace.com/monkeypilotgo
High Tide
Winner of ICRT’s 2008 Battle of the Bands, High Tide is a reggae outfit with original lyrics and a feel-good vibe that gets the crowd up and dancing. With ska and dub influences and heartfelt lyrics and harmonies, they bring sunshine to the dingiest Taipei watering holes.
www.myspace.com/hightidetw
Divebomb
Divebomb’s punchy rhythm section, catchy guitar riffs, and funny, creative and audible lyrics set them apart from other punk bands. They have a garage-rock sound in some songs and an irreverent, early-1980s-Descendants feeling in others.
www.myspace.com/divebomb86
Go Chic
While Go Chic are definitely a girl-power band, the “chic” part seems equally relevant — they combine fashion, youthful attractiveness and a thumb-up-the-bum disregard for convention to put on a refreshing and amusing show.
www.myspace.com/gochictheband
Fullhouse (富而好施)
Tainan-based rockabilly/psychobilly band Fullhouse have an energetic stage show with Elvis-inspired hip-shaking sound and gravity-defying hair in equal amounts. The term “stand-up” bass gets taken literally, with the band members jumping up and riding on the instrument’s curved side.
www.myspace.com/fullhouserockabilly
Skunkrice
Dark and heavy electronic Japanese band Skunkrice bring a hard rock and psychedelic-trance edge to Spring Scream before going on tour in the UK in May. With a synthesized, danceable and lean-on industrial sound, they’ll bring a taste of something different to live music fans.
www.myspace.com/skunkrice
New Hong Kong Hair City
Coming out of a brief hiatus after losing their bass player, NHKHC are back with two new members and material from their upcoming third CD. Funk-rock, female vocals and Black Sabbath coming out of a saxophone are what set them apart.
myspace.com/newhongkonghaircitytw
— ALITA RICKARDS
[Rickards will be appearing at Spring Scream in Rock In Hose Burlesque Troupe, a five-person outfit that aims to satirize “anything that takes sexuality too seriously. On the Net: www.myspace.com/rockinhose.]
Taiwan, once relegated to the backwaters of international news media and viewed as a subset topic of “greater China,” is now a hot topic. Words associated with Taiwan include “invasion,” “contingency” and, on the more cheerful side, “semiconductors” and “tourism.” It is worth noting that while Taiwanese companies play important roles in the semiconductor industry, there is no such thing as a “Taiwan semiconductor” or a “Taiwan chip.” If crucial suppliers are included, the supply chain is in the thousands and spans the globe. Both of the variants of the so-called “silicon shield” are pure fantasy. There are four primary drivers
The sprawling port city of Kaohsiung seldom wins plaudits for its beauty or architectural history. That said, like any other metropolis of its size, it does have a number of strange or striking buildings. This article describes a few such curiosities, all but one of which I stumbled across by accident. BOMBPROOF HANGARS Just north of Kaohsiung International Airport, hidden among houses and small apartment buildings that look as though they were built between 15 and 30 years ago, are two mysterious bunker-like structures that date from the airport’s establishment as a Japanese base during World War II. Each is just about
Two years ago my wife and I went to Orchid Island off Taitung for a few days vacation. We were shocked to realize that for what it cost us, we could have done a bike vacation in Borneo for a week or two, or taken another trip to the Philippines. Indeed, most of the places we could have gone for that vacation in neighboring countries offer a much better experience than Taiwan at a much lower price. Hence, the recent news showing that tourist visits to Pingtung County’s Kenting, long in decline, reached a 27 year low this summer came
The female body is a horror movie waiting to happen. From puberty and the grisly onset of menstruation, in pictures such as Brian De Palma’s Carrie and John Fawcett’s Ginger Snaps, to pregnancy and childbirth — Rosemary’s Baby is the obvious example — women have provided a rich seam of inspiration for genre film-makers over the past half century. But look a little closer and two trends become apparent: the vast majority of female body-based horror deals with various aspects of the reproductive system, and it has largely been made by men (Titane and The First Omen, two recent examples