One of mainland China’s most well-known rock bands “New Pants” announced their first US mini-tour dates which includes a coveted spot at music festival Coachella. New Pants are among the brightest, original and most adventurous artists operating in China today. Four boys from Beijing formed the band in 1996. Peng Lei and Pang
Kuan are founding members and remain the core of the band. Their music was originally heavily influenced by the Ramones, but has since added elements of disco, pop, electronica, and Chinese local sounds. Major US music festivals often do not look to Asia for exciting artists, being more focused on the Americas and Europe. This year is an exception; New Pants is the first band from mainland China to be invited to play such a large festival!

New Pants will play at Coachella on Sunday April 17th. They will follow this performance with two shows in the NY area.

Sunday April 17th – Coachella – Indio CA
Monday April 18th – The Mercury Lounge – NYC
Thursday April 21st – The Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn NY

You can get their music on .

Last year, we saw another rock band from Asia testing the US waters for a crossover. Yoshiki & X-Japan played at Lollapalooza. Will Asian rock bands succeed where Asian pop could not?

Go East by New Pants

Bye Bye Disco by New Pants

More about New Pants
Formed by 4 teens; Peng Lei, Pang Kuan, Lo Bo, and Shang Xiao; from the hutongs of Beijing in 1996, New Pants are one of the most revered bands in China’s modern music history. New Wave and Punk Rock, particularly the Ramones, influenced the band’s early sound. Recently their sound and style has evolved to an 80’s/disco/electro/indie-rock collage. Leaders Peng Lei and Pang Kuan studied film and graphic design at Beijing Art University – Peng is an accomplished filmmaker/animator, Pang a renowned graphic designer. Peng’s clay animation film “Beihai Monster” from 2006 was a hit in Chinese indie-films, while Pang, a commercial designer, is responsible for some of Modern Sky Records’ best album artwork. New Pants’ flamboyant, theatrical live shows are representative of their artistic backgrounds.

New Pants’ self-titled debut album in 1998 ranks among the best-selling rock/pop albums ever in China and was listed second in the “Top Ten 90’s Albums” list compiled recently by Hong Kong magazine MCB. Their follow-up in 2001, Disco Girl, garnered “Best Music Video” and “Best Rock Single of the Year” awards at the Channel V/ Pepsi Music Awards. She’s Automatic, New Pants’ third album, brought home the “Best Video” award from the 2003 MTV Asia Awards for the single “She’s Automatic”. In 2006, the band released Dragon Tiger Panacea in China and Australia, which won Feng Yun Music Awards honors for Best Rock Album and Best Rock Band. A short tour in London followed. Equal Love was released to acclaim in late 2008, followed by Go East! In 2009, which caught the eye of New York’s Vice Magazine and led to the band’s subsequent involvement with Vice’s The Creators Project in 2010, a partnership with Intel (the band performed at The Creators Project event in Beijing, which also featured several of Peng Lei’s short films and videos).