Chinese American Bear – Turn Up The Radio
Chinese American Bear, the duo of Anne Tong and Bryce Barsten, today have shared their new single “Turn Up The Radio,” the final preview of their upcoming album Dim Sum & Then Some, due out May 8th via Moshi Moshi Records.
“We often write these songs that verge on being kids songs, and this is one of them,” Barsten explains. “I love this contrast of it sounding so childish, but then we do things in the production that throw it off from being real ‘Kids Music.’ ‘Turn Up The Radio’ is like a kids song for adults, a line we often like to blur. It’s all sunshine and good vibes, a true bop, bubble-gum pop, with a hint of psychedelic sunshine magic.”
The track follows LP singles “Mama,” “No No Yeah Yeah (不不好啊好啊)” and “All The People (所有人).”
Tong elaborates: “This was a fun and quick one to write! Since this song has a happy upbeat vibe, we decided that we wanted to list all of our favorite things in the verses that bring us joy, instead of telling a story. It was a little bit inspired by ‘My Favorite Things’ from ‘The Sound of Music.'”
The sounds on Dim Sum… are more musically dense and exploratory, marking a sonic evolution for the duo. The band finds themselves delving much further into experimental territory, while also incorporating more traditional pop elements than they ever have. There’s a mix of sonics on this album, featuring warbly guitars, hints of psychedelia, pop, disco, and strings, while also incorporating synth driven, electronic, sounds, as well as droney, hypnotic elements. The LP is a true reflection of the Chinese American Bear ethos: open, curious, and lighthearted.
Chinese American Bear today have announced additional September European tour dates, after recently announcing North American and European tours–including dates at Berlin’s Kantine am Berghain (5/17), NYC’s Bowery Ballroom (6/21), Los Angeles’ The Echo (7/16), London, UK’s Oslo (9/24), and more.
Chinese American Bear – Tour Dates
5/14 – Brighton, UK – The Great Escape Festival
5/15 – Amsterdam, NL – London Calling Festival
5/17 – Berlin, DE – Kantine am Berghain
5/19 – Oxford, UK – Jericho Tavern
5/20 – Sheffield, UK – Yellow Arch
5/21 – Margate, UK – Where Else?
5/23 – Bristol, UK – Dot to Dot Festival
5/24 – Nottingham, UK – Dot to Dot Festival
6/16 – Washington, DC – Pie Shop
6/17 – Philadelphia, PA – PhilaMOCA
6/20 – Boston, MA – Red Room @ Cafe 939
6/21 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
6/23 – Toronto, ON – Baby G
6/25 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean
6/26 – Minneapolis, MN – Cloudland Theater
7/11 – Spokane, WA – BID Festival
7/14 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge
7/16 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
7/19 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
7/21 – Boise, ID – Shrine Social Club
7/23 – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall
7/24 – Vancouver, BC – Fox Cabaret
7/25 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
8/7 – Sicily, IT – Ypsigrock Festival
9/17 – Copenhagen, DK – Ideal Bar
9/18 – Hamburg, DE – Reeperbahn Festival
9/19 – Cologne, DE – Artheater
9/20 – Utrecht, NL – TivoliVredenburg
9/21 – Paris, FR – POP UP!
9/22 – Brussels, BE – Botanique
9/23 – Brighton, UK – The Hope & Ruin
9/24 – London, UK – Oslo
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