Date: Feb 27th 2014 2:13p.m.

Contributed by:
me4in

It’s hard to keep track of bands in Shanghai, and that’s coming from someone who is both interested and paid to keep track of them. In one way, people coming and going so frequently is kind of cool — you’ve always got a new band to check out.

 

But of course, you also lose good bands for no other reason than someone is moving back home or on to somewhere new. Below are some newish bands and musicians that I think are worth seeing.

 

The Machinery of Other Skeletons

 

Full disclosure: I’ve never actually heard The Machinery of Other Skeletons play — they’re a really new band — but I’ve heard recordings of their practice sessions. They’re hard, loud and so not what I’m normally into (death metal, anyone?) with indecipherable lyrics and tons of distortion.

 

Think of them as our own local version of Napalm Death — whom some people worship, not me. Check out our interview with the band.

 

SLV

 

SLV is a collaboration between producers Hamacide and Downstate, both of whom have been playing and producing around Shanghai for a while. Together they’ve created some nice electronic, glitch, post-dubstep, ambient beat…stuff.

 

I actually just put nonsense words together there — I don’t really know how to talk about electronic music the way a DJ does. But I do know that I like what SLV is doing and can’t wait till they’re back at the Shelter.

 

The Psyders

 

You know what Shanghai has been missing since the beginning of time? An awesome surf and garage band. I’m not even kidding about this, people. The Psyders consists of some Shanghai rock veterans you might recognize: Momo (formerly of Tinderbox), Rina (formerly of Beat Bandits) and Misuzu (formerly of Beat Bandits …