Not since 1967, when Shanghai legend Li Jinhui, the “Father of Chinese popular music,” died during his Cultural Revolution exile, has the local music scene been so depleted.

The annual summer hiatus is largely to blame. During this heat, a large percentage of Chinese students and expats depart for more desirable climates. But the combination of Shanghai Expo fever and the recent World Cup madness has made summer 2010 one of the driest seasons for music in history.

In order to put an end to this drought , local promoter Split Works enlisted the help of its favorite Canadian boy / girl indie duo, Handsome Furs, who play Yuyintang on Friday, August 6, as part of their “Asian Tour ... Redux.”

“It’s really important for us to return to the places we love, to try to build a fan base, to try to understand what the music and art scenes are shaped by, and to try to learn,” explains Furs beat master Alexei Perry.

While the Furs’ popularity in North America, has been trumped of late by main man Dan Boeckner’s indie rock quartet Wolf Parade, the furs managed to dent the local indie scene last September when they played three dates on the Chinese Mainland.

“We were both so taken aback by the kindness of everyone we met and the wildness of the crowds and the awesomeness of the other bands we played with,” adds Perry. “[It was] better than I could ever have imagined.”

So inspired was Perry by her time in China that she returned of her own accord in early 2010 to soak up the local climate.

“I love Beijing with my whole heart. It is such an exasperating and exhilarating city ... I would very happily move there permanently,” she says. “We’d have to sort out a few kinks to make a permanent residence work but I’d really love to.”

It seems far fetched for an established band to relocate to China, but last year’s maiden voyage was so important to Handsome Furs that they were not only inspired to write “a few new tunes with China in mind, as a thank you for changing [their] lives for the better,” but they also heavily impacted a group of local musos.

“The sincerity that they brought to that show last year has been unrivaled since,” comments Boys Climbing Ropes guitarist Jordan Small. “The thing about the Handsome Furs is that you can see that they are simply two humans reaching out for a connection with other humans, and they do that through their music.”

Check out Handsome Furs, supported by local duo Pairs, this Friday at Yuyintang.

DETAILS

Who: Handsome Furs

When: 9PM / Friday August 6, 2010

Where: Yuyintang / 851 Kaixuan Lu, Changning / www.yuyintang.org

How much: RMB 70 (advance) / RMB 80 (door)