Funky Brothers (放客兄弟)
April 6 at 10:50pm, Purple Mushroom Stage
A 10-piece funk band, are you kidding me? Channeling Parliament-Funkadelic, Kool and the Gang and other strains of 1970s funk, disco and soul, this is a party on wheels with soul diva Airy in the driver’s seat. Taipei bars know how dependable the group is when it comes to packing the house, and its reputation continues to grow.
Photo: Steven Vigar and Garret Clarke
www.indievox.com/evelevel
— David Frazier
Dog G (大支)
Photo: Steven Vigar and Garret Clarke
April 6 at 11:40pm, Rock Monkey Stage
Tainan’s Dog G started as a sideman for MC Hotdog (熱狗), but has long since come into his own as Taiwan’s number one rapper. He’s now plugging Ren (人), his first solo album in eight years. For lyrical delivery (and X-large clothing), think Notorious B.I.G., but instead of rhyming about hos and money, his bombast is about being Taiwanese.
www.indievox.com/doggpeople
Photo: Steven Vigar and Garret Clarke
— David Frazier
Otaku 3 (三宅一聲)
April 6 at 11:40pm, Green Snake Stage
Not only is this Taiwan’s best dub reggae band, adapting old Taiwanese nakashi (那卡西) tunes to a dub beat, its members also run the Spring Scream campsite year round, grow their own food and try to live without spending any money. Taiwan’s true (and probably only) rastas!
www.indievox.com/otaku3
— David Frazier
The Clippers (夾子電動大樂隊)
April 6 at 9:10pm, Green Snake Stage
With his band The Clippers, frontman Hsiao-ying (小應) emerged with LTK, also known as Loh Tsui Kweh Commune (濁水溪公社), as a leading force in Taiwan’s underground scene of the 1990s. He’s since done TV variety shows, film acting and standup comedy, but he’s never abandoned his music, which is full of synthesizers, political parody and taike (台客) posturing.
www.indievox.com/clipper
— David Frazier
Inhuman (非人物種)
April 7 at 5:50pm, Yellow Crab Stage
Playing straight-ahead punk rock and dressing like the Blues Brothers, this is a four-piece that you can mosh or skank to — just take your pick. They are also one of the tightest punk bands in Taipei’s scene, which is a credit considering how drunk they get.
www.indievox.com/inhuman
— David Frazier
Mary Bites Kerry (瑪莉咬凱利)
April 7 at 11:40pm, Blue Butterfly Stage
Definitely the most underrated ska band in Taiwan, and for my money they are also one of the best. With a punk core and full horn section, the music cuts the perfect edge between happily hiccupping ska grooves and tight punk energy. Get ready to dance.
zh-tw.facebook.com/MaryBitesKerry
— David Frazier
Aphasia (阿飛西雅)
April 7 at 7:30pm, Blue Butterfly Stage
After about a decade of pioneering instrumental post-rock as The Nipples, this band decided it was time for a new start, so it changed its name to Aphasia. In doing so, the group’s members left behind early Sonic Youth influences and developed a much more mature, powerful and noisily meditative sound — enough to turn a few heads at last year’s SXSW.
aphasiaband.com
— David Frazier
Aurora
April 7 at 8:20pm, Purple Mushroom Stage
Taichung-based group Aurora’s lineup comprises Scottish singer-songwriter Alan McIvor, Spring Scream founder Wade Davis, drummer Peter Holmes of .22 and Sean Luo on electric banjo. The band’s sound ranges from emo to pop and rock to hip-hop with McIvor’s vocals hitting highs and lows that are only matched by his visage, which morphs from teen idol to angst-ridden. McIvor’s moody, emotional and sincere presence is balanced by the talented group of veteran musicians backing him up.
www.indievox.com/aurora
— Alita Rickards
Totem (圖騰樂團)
April 6 at 6:40pm, Green Snake Stage
What’s incredible about Taitung’s Totem is how it’s brought Aboriginal chants and rhythmic sense into songs that are structured like indie rock. It’s six young dudes giving you all the stuff you love from Abo-folk, but it feels more contemporary and upbeat. For musicianship and stage presence, Totem is 100 percent on the money.
www.indievox.com/totembass
— David Frazier
88 Balaz (88顆芭樂籽)
April 7 at 10pm, Green Snake Stage
One of Taiwan’s best live bands, 88 Balaz has been perfecting high-energy stage antics and breakneck, skuzzy rock ’n’ roll for more than a decade. Lead singer Ah-Chiang (阿強) is one of the few in Taiwan who can belt out songs Jerry Lee Lewis-style — full of emotion and spraying sweat into the crowd.
www.indievox.com/88blaz
— David Frazier
Enno (鄭宜農)
April 7 at 4:10pm, Rock Monkey Stage
Daughter of a well-known film producer, Enno Cheng (鄭宜農) is perhaps the next Cheer Chen (陳綺貞), a singer-songwriter with a girlishly confident voice who plays her own guitar and sings about precious moments in life. She’s got a considerable following of college-aged “culture youth” (文藝青年). Expect them to line up for autographs after the show.
www.indievox.com/enno
— David Frazier
The Hsu-nami
April 6 at 10pm and April 7 at 11:40pm, both at Rock Monkey Stage
New York-based group The Hsu-nami is back for a second tour of Taiwan with Kou Chou Ching (拷秋勤), The Chairman (董事長樂團) and Three Sheet. The band’s weird post-rock, hardcore music is led by Taiwanese American Jack Hsu (許正杰), who makes his erhu (二胡) wail like a banshee. The group rocks out with head thrashing, energetic stage antics and anthemic instrumental songs.
www.indievox.com/hsunami
— Alita Rickards
Kou Chou Ching (拷秋勤)
April 6 at 9:10pm and April 7 at 9:10pm with Three Sheet, Rock Monkey Stage
Kuo Chou Ching embodies a fusion of traditional Taiwanese folk influences and fresh MC rhymes from duo Fan Chiang (范姜) and fishLin. The group layers scratching over tracks, raps in several of the languages spoken in Taiwan and plays traditional instruments like the suona (嗩吶). The lyrics convey anti-establishment messages that question authority and cultural barriers while maintaining a cheeky sense of humor.
www.indievox.com/kou
— Alita Rickards
Three Sheet
April 6 at 10:50 pm and April 7 at 9:10pm with Kou Chou Ching (拷秋勤), Rock Monkey Stage
In a reader poll in The Coast last year, Three Sheet was voted the best band in Halifax, Canada. The live hip-hop group has toured extensively over the past year promoting its second album, Sheet Music. The band — a guitarist, bassist and three vocalists — prides itself on creating fully live music, with no samples, loops, or synthetic drum beats. The lyrics move from meandering chilled out spoken-word with a retro 1970s feel to popping emceeing from Matthew Kliffer and Vanessa Furlong. Add to that pounding beatbox rhythms by Eric McIntyre and dance-enhancing funky guitar and bass lines from Ryan O’Quinn and Kevin Tilley, respectively, and you’ve got a full sound that has won the group numerous award nominations.
www.indievox.com/threesheet
— Alita Rickards
High Tide
April 7 at 10pm, Red Centipede Stage
High Tide’s soul-influenced reggae, funk, live dub and ska and Moshe Foster’s warm, smooth crooning never fail to fill the dance floor. The guitar riffs put out by Foster and Alexander John Ives (lead guitar) have a narcotic influence and Mike Tennant’s bass lines get the hips moving. The horn section punctuates and uplifts the tempo, with Andy Francis on trombone, Macgregor Ian Wooley on saxophone, and Wesley James on trumpet. Gregory Russell takes care of the beats on both live drums and sample machine.
www.indievox.com/hightide
— Alita Rickards
Chthonic (閃靈)
April 7 at 9:10 pm, Green Snake Stage
Chthonic (閃靈) brings black metal back to Spring Scream during a break in the band’s heavy touring schedule. Wildly popular at live shows across North America and in Europe, the musicians, led by Freddy Lim (林昶佐), are as much political activists as rock stars, promoting Taiwan independence and the rights of Tibetans. Black-and-white face paint accentuates the grimaces and growls of the group’s members as they wail and pound out a metal fury of anger, injustice and angst.
www.indievox.com/chthonic
— Alita Rickards
Skycruiser
April 5 at 12:50pm, Blue Butterfly Stage
Skycruiser is a Ween tribute band that is so catchy and sincere even the most hardcore cover-song-bigot can’t stop dancing. Lead singer Toby Garrod has come along leaps and bounds. Best claim to fame? Ween, a phenomenal band whose songs span multiple genres, is a fan of Skycruiser’s Facebook page. With Ben Smith (formerly of Roxymoron) on bass, Greg Russell on drums, Stewart Haston on rhythm guitar, fashionista Crystal Shien (線世瑋) on keyboard, and rock-poster-boy Alexander John Ives on lead guitar, the band is irresistible.
www.indievox.com/skycruiser
— Alita Rickards
My Skin Against Your Skin
April 6 at 10pm, Purple Mushroom Stage
The team of lead vocalist and frontwoman Andrea Huang (黃盈誼) and Yu Si-lu (尤世儒) on bass has created a fully developed sound. The group’s new EP is based on the idea of a soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t yet exist. These polished rockers have an uber-cool stage presence and composure, which make Huang’s occasional on-stage descents into madness so much more exciting.
www.indievox.com/msays
— Alita Rickards
The Chairman (董事長樂團)
April 7 at 10:50pm, Rock Monkey Stage
Currently on tour with Kou Chou Ching (拷秋勤), The Hsu-nami and Three Sheet, Taiwanese indie-rock group The Chairman has been playing since the late 1990s. With lyrics in both Hoklo (commonly referred to as Taiwanese) and Mandarin, the award-winning group blends electronic, punk and post-rock sounds with traditional instruments that add a folk sound to the music. The group has eight albums under its belt.
www.indievox.com/chairman
— Alita Rickards
Dark Eyes Gypsy Jazz Band
April 8 at 6:40pm, Green Snake Stage
Dark Eyes Gypsy Jazz Band plays old-time music with subtle charm using instruments that include the double bass, accordion and clarinet. The big band sound of these National Taiwan University students is happy, mellow and charming. Perfect for sundown as the festival wraps up.
www.indievox.com/darkeyesjazzband
— Alita Rickards
When the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese forces 50 years ago this week, it prompted a mass exodus of some 2 million people — hundreds of thousands fleeing perilously on small boats across open water to escape the communist regime. Many ultimately settled in Southern California’s Orange County in an area now known as “Little Saigon,” not far from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, where the first refugees were airlifted upon reaching the US. The diaspora now also has significant populations in Virginia, Texas and Washington state, as well as in countries including France and Australia.
On April 17, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) launched a bold campaign to revive and revitalize the KMT base by calling for an impromptu rally at the Taipei prosecutor’s offices to protest recent arrests of KMT recall campaigners over allegations of forgery and fraud involving signatures of dead voters. The protest had no time to apply for permits and was illegal, but that played into the sense of opposition grievance at alleged weaponization of the judiciary by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to “annihilate” the opposition parties. Blamed for faltering recall campaigns and faced with a KMT chair
Article 2 of the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China (中華民國憲法增修條文) stipulates that upon a vote of no confidence in the premier, the president can dissolve the legislature within 10 days. If the legislature is dissolved, a new legislative election must be held within 60 days, and the legislators’ terms will then be reckoned from that election. Two weeks ago Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) proposed that the legislature hold a vote of no confidence in the premier and dare the president to dissolve the legislature. The legislature is currently controlled
Dull functional structures dominate Taiwan’s cityscapes. But that’s slowly changing, thanks to talented architects and patrons with deep pockets. Since the start of the 21st century, the country has gained several alluring landmark buildings, including the two described below. NUNG CHAN MONASTERY Dharma Drum Mountain (法鼓山, DDM) is one of Taiwan’s most prominent religious organizations. Under the leadership of Buddhist Master Sheng Yen (聖嚴), who died in 2009, it developed into an international Buddhist foundation active in the spiritual, cultural and educational spheres. Since 2005, DDM’s principal base has been its sprawling hillside complex in New Taipei City’s Jinshan District (金山). But
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