myspace band of the week

It’s been a while since J-Rock Explosion left Japan.  So I thought I’d check out the only Asian band on MTV Iggy’s 25 Best New Bands In The World list.

Carsick Cars has been gaining steady attention overseas lately, thanks to their appearance at SXSW earlier this year, not to mention opening for  Sonic Youth in 2007 in Europe.  The trio formed in 2005 in Beijing.  Their music sounds very much like their listed influences: Sonic Youth, Joy Division, etc.  So far they’ve released two albums, Carsick Cars in 2007 and You Can Listen You Can Talk in 2009.

The first song on their myspace “Zhong nan hai,” apparently their favorite brand of cigarettes, is a good place to start.  It’s catchy, if not overly repetitive, but succumbs to some nice guitar riffs in the latter half.  “Mo Gu” is another catchy Chinese song.  Songs like “Pan,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Hero,” and “You Can Listen You Can Talk” showcase their ability to write songs in English.  Luckily they’re just as catchy as their Chinese ones. Some songs are more experimental like “Invisible Love”  and “C,” but for the most part they play accessible indie rock.  Carsick Cars is one of the most talked about underground Chinese bands worldwide and I can see why.

Free mp3: You Can Listen You Can Talk

http://www.myspace.com/carsickcars