Streets Kill Strange Animals — so leave your pet at home

Event preview by Jordon Shinn, published in REDSTAR magazine, November 2013, Qingdao, China.

If the name “Streets Kill Strange Animals” sounds bloody and bizarre, then you’re on the right track. A ‘noise rock’ trio from Beijing, SKSA loses itself somewhere in the chasms between surging metal guitar riffs and angst-filled pop music. Their unique brand of rock reveals a darker, aching side of Chinese youth that is much less beautiful than it is, well, noisy.

For those who want to headbang to something different, however, there is a diversity of musical influences brewing beneath the surface of SKSA’s sound. Rockers with a trained ear will definitely find their style interesting, if not enjoyable. In a video interview with CRI’s Sound Stage, SKSA bandleader Leng MeiYo cites Sonic Youth, Fugazi and Yo La Tengo as his musical influences. “However, you can also hear elements from noise pop, noise rock, lo-fi and experimental,” Leng said.

Leng, who plays guitar and sings for the band, founded SKSA in 2008 in his native Nanjing. He then relocated to Beijing in search of greater acceptance for his sound. SKSA follows in a similar vein as fellow Southerners PK14 and Hua Dong who also moved north, in favour of Beijing’s flourishing indie music scene. The band released its debut album Plan B: Back to the Analog Time in September 2012 under the Modern Sky record label.

When Streets Kill Strange Animals comes to Downtown Bar this month, expect a noisy, high-energy performance that pushes the edge of amplified sound while managing to stay melodically tasteful and entirely Chinese. Still not convinced? The bassist is a chick.

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This episode is also available as a blog post: https://jordonious.wordpress.com/2021/08/11/event-preview-streets-kill-strange-animals/