Shoe gazer in Shanghai

This Saturday, the Qianshuiwan Culture Center will welcome American folk singer Anna-Lynne Williams. Although many know Williams as the former lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of US indie rock band Trespassers William, this multi-talented performer has been making waves on her own for years with her soulful lyrics and haunting vocals.

Going by the stage name of Lotte Kestner - derived from the heroine of Goethe's tragic novel The Sorrows of Young Werther - Williams' solo album debut came in 2008 with the release of China Mountain. This initial release was soon followed up by a host of other well-received albums, including Stolen and The Bluebird of Happiness, all of which have been praised by listeners and critics for their skillful melding of folk styling with shoe-gazing sensibilities.

This weekend's concert in Shanghai is part of Williams' first ever tour of China, which will also include performances in Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. For Williams, this trip offers the chance to not only connect with local fans, but to have a personal encounter with the country itself.

"Most of my impressions of China come from Zhang Yimou's movies, I suppose. I bought the soundtrack for Shanghai Triad. This sounds silly, but I loved the film Big Bird in China when I was a child. It was probably my favorite movie when I was little," she told the Global Times. "My boyfriend and I are so excited about the shows themselves, and getting to be tourists at the same time in a place we thought we'd never see … we feel very lucky."

Many of Williams' songs are recorded at her home with the help of a computer, a preamp and a couple of microphones. Besides the guitar, Williams also plays the keyboard and the harmonica on her songs as well.

"I like the freedom of being able to record a vocal immediately after I've written a song, while it's still really emotional rather than to wait for months to get into the studio. It's also more private and much cheaper, but I do think it's time to get back into the studio for some of my future recordings. I've done so many home recordings with the same equipment I've had for a decade now."

American folk singer Anna-Lynne Williams Photo: Courtesy of the singer

Date: Saturday, 8 pm to 9:30 pm

Venue: Qianshuiwan Culture Center

浅水湾文化艺术中心

Address: 79 Yichang Road 宜昌路79号

Tickets: 80 yuan($12.96) for presale and 100 yuan at the door

Call 6266-1110 for details

Hakka soul

Taiwanese singer Lin Sheng-hsiang and his band will take the stage at Mao Livehouse Sunday, bringing their own distinctive brand of folk music to fans in Shanghai.

Born in 1971 in Kaohsiung, Lin has been described by critics as one of Taiwan's most important singers and songwriters. Although his songs are steeped in the local Hakka culture and language, Lin's music draws from a range of global music traditions, including Afro beat.

Lin is known as well for his work in Labor Exchange, a popular Taiwanese musical act that was active between 1998 and 2003. Following the group's dissolution, Lin continued his collaboration with band mate Chung Yung-feng, and the two have won a string of Golden Melody Awards for their own albums such as Getting Dark, Let us Sing Mountain Songs, The Night March of the Chrysanthemums, and Planting Trees.

Commenting on Lin's songs, many of which are performed in dialect, Beijing-based music critic Zhang Xiaozhou has said that "even if you can't understand Hakka and don't know the meaning of the lyrics, you will still be moved - that is the power of this music."

Lin Sheng-hsiang (second from right)and his band

Date: Sunday, 8 pm to 9:30 pm

Venue: Mao Livehouse

Address: 3/F, 308 Chongqing Road South 重庆南路308号3楼

Tickets: 100 yuan for presale and 120 yuan at the door

Call 6445-0086 for details

Fantastic trip

Looking ahead to August 15, The Shelter invites local partiers for a night of hip-hop presented by celebrated American DJ Zach Sciacca, better-known as Z-Trip and the winner of the America's Best DJ Award in 2009.

Raised in Arizona, Z-Trip started mixing music while still in high school, and over the past 20 years as an active performer, he has gained acclaim for his mashup skills. Although his roots are in hip-hop, Z-Trip has never been shy about veering into other genres and styles. Named by DJ Times magazine as one of the top 10 DJs in the US, Z-Trip performed along side drummer Travis Baker in a collaborative performance with hip-hop legend LL Cool J at the 55th Grammy Awards.

Next week's event will be co-presented by The Shelter and Redbull Thre3style World DJ Championships, a competition to crown the world's best DJs. Z-Trip himself will serve as one of the contest's final judges.

Acclaimed Chinese DJs, including Ceezy, Monk, V-Nutz and HBD, will join Z-Trip at The Shelter to keep the music bumping into the early hours.

American DJ Z-Trip Photos: Courtesy of the venues

Date: August 15, 10 pm

Venue: The Shelter 庇护所

Address: 5 Yongfu Road 永福路5号

Tickets: 100 yuan

Call 6437-0400 for details