THOMAS PODVIN’S FREELANCE WORK
Freelance writer - translator - Editor

P.K.14's trademark guitar feedback and snaking bass lines aren't by any means typical of Chinese pop-music – there's no threat of a sugar-induced diabetes attack with this group. Indeed, P.K.14 delivers raw and energetic rock (somewhere between garage and punk circa 70s/80s UK) that will get your blood pumping. Influenced by Joy Division, David Bowie and The Cure, Yang Haisong's lead vocals somehow combine the best of all three. Add to the mix noise samples, emo music and elements of 80s US indie rock and you end up with a sound that is totally wired. Formed in Nanjing in 1997, this foursome (three Chinese plus a Swedish drummer) relocated to Beijing in 1999. In 2002, they signed with the Beijing-based label Badhead/Modern Sky and released their second album Who Who and Who Who Who. In early 2005, just prior to the recording of White Paper, the band took part in the Stockholm Culture and Art Festival and toured eastern and northern Europe. In September, they toured China. If Cui Jian is the godfather of Chinese rock, then P.K.14 might be his honorable offspring. That is if headshaking is an attribute passed on through DNA.
Badhead/Modern Sky

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

Godot/Geduo, one of the founder's of the alternative music scene in Shanghai, took their name from Samuel Beckett's absurdist play Waiting for Godot, wherein Estragon says: "Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it's awful!" The same can't be said of this band's live performances that combine simple instrumental indie rock (read punk/post-punk and experimental) with synthesizer. First and foremost, Godot is a live band, and the energy level on this studio-produced album doesn't compare with the adrenalin rush provoked by Godot in concert. True, the six tracks included here do run at concert-level length, clocking in at between 6-13 minutes each. What's more, each track contains several melodies, each worthy of singular exploration. Overall, the absence of vocals and excess of ideas tend to blur the effect, and the experimental concept makes for difficult listening. But perhaps that is the point. Be that as it may, Godot.I would benefit from a more disciplined producer, though given the general lack of imagination in the local scene the band deserves credit for thinking out of the box.
Godot Records

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

Norah Jones needs no introduction, unless you've been in hibernation the last four years. But for the few of you who are thawing out, well, here's a brief bio to bring you up to date. Jones is the daughter of Indian-sitar master Ravi Shankar - mentor to the late George Harrison – and her brand of pop-jazz is extremely popular on long wave, medium wave, indeed any waves you choose. Her music combines elements of American country/jazz/blues and influences as diverse as Johnny Cash, Billy Holiday and John Coltrane which may come as no surprise: the 26-year-old Texan began singing at age five, and has dedicated her life to music. In 2001 Jones signed with the New York-based Blue Note label and has not looked back since. The 2002 release Come Away with Me was one of the biggest sellers of the year. And she practically owns the Grammy awards. This deluxe edition of Feels Like Home includes a 16-track CD, as well as a DVD featuring a live performance, several music videos and an interview with the singer taped in London. In sum, if you've never heard Jones this release is the place to start; if you have, then pick it up for the extras.
EMI

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

Easy-listening music à la française might be considered a cure for insomnia, but Borel enlivens the mix with her Gallic wit. Featuring acoustic guitar, violin and flute, this release on the Taiwan-based label Hinote Records, just might win over fans in China. And why not? All things French appear to be quite trendy in the PRC these days. Schmaltz included. Indeed, Borel's "Oserai-je t'aimer?" ("Will I dare to love you?") surpasses Hélène's schmaltzy "Je m'appelle Hélène" in the cornball department. But for those of you with no grasp in the language of Molière, Borel's wordy romanticism matters not. A pity, because a close listen reveals more than wistful goo – at times, her lyrics equal those of the late, great Serge Gainsbourg. Indeed, Borel's collaborator, composer Jérémie Lefebvre, who also provides backing vocals on a few tracks sounds remarkably like Gainsbourg. And Borel herself displays the same caustic sense of humor on a number of cuts. Note: this CD contains one English-language track, a sensual cover of Madonna's "Get into the Groove" sung with heavy French accent. Mon Dieu!
Hinote Records

French version/version française
(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
December 2005 issue

Armed with a new contract with Capitol Records, Faith Evans makes a fresh start with this release. Evans is not a new face, of course; she's worked in the industry for a decade, first as a songwriter and backing vocalist with the famous and infamous (Mary J. Blige, Usher, Notorious B.I.G.), and later as a platinum-selling solo artist. On this, her fourth release, the 32-year-old Grammy winner, has written and arranged each of the 12 tracks and regained control of a career that had seemingly gone sour. In 2004, she was married (and divorced) to the late Notorious B.I.G and arrested on drug charges. Clearly, she's put all that behind her, and the title The First Lady speaks of self-confidence and dignity. The result is an album of her best songs to date, an exquisite collection of warm soul, R&B and funk, with hooks that will reel in the listener. Who says life doesn't offer a second chance?
EMI

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

This Swedish band of four, Caesars, formerly known as Caesars Palace, has been trying to revive 60s rock and retro garage for a decade now, dusting off the sounds of McCartney, Lennon, the Sonics, The Stooges and so forth. In large part, their success depends upon the degree of nostalgia one holds for this period. Listening to the Caesars certainly evokes a sense of déjà vu, though it is difficult to pinpoint the exact source of this queer feeling. The fuzz-box filtered vocals and the retro-psychedelic organ definitively sing of the 60's but there's an element of sound that suggests 'now'. Paper Tigers was mixed by sound engineer Michael Brauer (Coldplay, The Rolling Stones), adding a Brit touch to an already very English sound. Perhaps he's also responsible for the band's modern sound, so modern that Caesars' catchy "Jerk It Out" was sampled for an i-pod TV-commercial. This fourth album, supposedly their most mature, offers a number of potential hit singles, in spite of the fact that each track might have been in the top forty, forty years ago.
EMI

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
December 2005 issue