From the breezy halls of Tagteam Towers, Beijing’s premier indie record label plans the most rocking music jam of the summer.

Like all great ideas, Tagteam started as a result of excessive drinking. “I was part of several drunken conversations with Matt [Kagler] where he posited the idea ‘Dude, we should start a label. It'd be totally rad.’ Lo and behold, he did!” recalls Ian Sherman, who handles graphic design for the fledgling record label. Two years later, Tagteam represents seven of Beijing’s best bands, touring two of them (Lonely China Day and Rebuilding the Rights of Statutes) in the United States this spring. “My favorite moment was watching a flight attendant seal the door to the 747 which brought me back to Beijing after tour managing a 7,000 mile jaunt across the United States with Lonely China Day and Re-tros,” recalls Kagler. “That or watching Ian fall off the same bar stool six times after one of our DJ nights at Kai while reading about Lonely China Day in the New York Times.”

Tagteam now has as many employees as bands, an office in the U.S. and distribution all over North America, but it remains a clan affair. “Working with my best friends and family is great,” Kagler explains, “but mostly it just gives me something to do besides watching Battlestar Galactica or driving my cherry-red Porsche around the south of France while wearing fine cowboy shirts.”

Lonely China Day

Sound like:

The Album Leaf, Mogwai, Sigur Ros

LCD have a sound of their own. In fact, songwriter and lead singer Deng Pei hadn’t even heard of any of the above bands until sometime last year. Their website is the most visited band website in China and their live shows are minimalist, ethereal, breath-taking experiences that swell and move better than the ocean at sunset while high on mushrooms.

Tagteam:

“Lonely China Day play music for people with big souls. Deng Pei cheats on his guitar with his laptop, but nobody gets hurt, everybody gets healed.”

Re-building the Rights of Statues

Sound like:

Joy Division

One of China’s most impressive bands, Rebuilding the Rights of Statues (or, Re-tros) released their American debut album on the Tag Team label. Reminiscent of ‘70s experimental kraut-rock group Can, Re-tros are fluid and exhilarating on stage and not to be missed, no matter what.

Tagteam:

“Monster bass-driven music to be scared by. Hua Dong yelps about monkeys and television, but it all makes a weird, twisted kind of sense.”

Arrows Made of Desire

Sound like:

Palace

Impossible to pigeon-hole, but excellent precisely for that reason, half-Dutch, half-Chinese singer, songwriter, musician and all around genius man-child, Joewi Verhoeven, creates deliciously inventive, distinctive rock music with influences taken from everywhere.

Tagteam:

“He plays sprightly, perky music at brain frying volumes. Imbued with pre-war jazz and blues, Arrows somehow make everything sound like it comes from next week.”