Shanghai has recently been bombarded with bands, international and local. Problem is, a lot of people have no idea which local names to grab tickets for. This is where we come in. Not to brag—OK, maybe a little—but last year, we named Banana Monkey as the band to watch and our predictions were spot on. Think we can be that good again? Here is the office release of this year’s "Bluelist" Bands to not only talk about, but catch as often as you can.

First off are the kids of Muscle Snog. They sent shockwaves through Shanghai when they opened for Carsick Cars and got named as the opening act for Sonic Youth. STD promoter and fan, SS, says, "Muscle Snog is basically the most promising band in China. They write songs that blend chaos and harmony, noisy and melodic." Think The Breeders meeting My Bloody Valentine in a very noisy flat. Although it's a foreign-heavy band, Pharaoh is an innovator and brought Shanghai what it has never had–funk. Obvious followers of anything by George Clinton, this four-piece group not only held their own with the more experienced Lab crew in collaboration at 4Live, but packed Mural’s floors the next week. "We are a live funk band–funk, soul and disco of course are in the mix, but also we're inspired by hip-hop, house and electronica," says keyboardist Dane Urry. "We're trying to combine a lot of music together; it's kinda like sampling but without using a sampler."

I can’t have this Bluelist without Cold Fairyland. This is the only band doing what will make a Chinese band cross borders–combining Eastern and Western traditions. They were the first rock band to play at The Shanghai Music Hall. This year's sound has a slight change, "The songs are written in sonata form using only pipa, cello, bass, guitar and drums" says front gal Lindy, "This was done to promote the Chinese music side of the fence before having a heavier, keyboards-oriented album."

Ending with a traditional pick, I-GO recently released their sophomore album (electro-pop) that continues to impact this guitar-laden town. Vocalist JJ says, "This year has been all about maturity and re-programming our songs to make them sound different from the album." This sound might be what gets them into the Western market.

Aric Queen