I think this may be the final impetus for my trip to Japan: Among Björk’s newly announced tourdates:

02-19 Tokyo, Japan - Budokan
02-22 Tokyo, Japan - Budokan
02-25 Osaka, Japan - Osaka Castle Hall

As promised here is a video clip of experimental saxophonist Li Tieqiao (李铁桥) from his show with Xiao He (小河) at D-22 this week. Here, he plays the mouthpiece without the horn. Later, he played the horn without the mouthpiece, apparently creating sound trumpet-style directly into the neck.

Xiao He (小河) is a prominent experimental and folk musician here in Beijing. He’s been part of several groups variously described as bands, troupes, etc. Last night, I saw him live for the first time at D-22 in a show with a saxophonist named Li Tieqiao (李铁桥), who made sounds with his horn very few have ever heard before. I’ll post a video of Li later, but for now, enjoy Xiao He’s animated foot.

I have a review of Björk’s new album up on CampusProgress.org. Check it out:

Dozens of critics, from the Associated Press to Yeshiva University’s The Commentator to the New Straits Times in Malaysia, have described Björk or her music as “other-worldly.” With the opening track of Volta, she comes right out and admits it: “We are the Earth intruders; we are the sharp-shooters.” Great. Not only is she an alien, she’s a sniper. We’re all screwed.

But Volta, Björk’s seventh wide-release album and her first since 2004’s a cappella creation Medúlla, is decidedly Earth-bound. Despite the lyrical theme of “Earth Intruders,” the brutal backbeat of “Innocence,” and the Aphex Twin-style scream-fest “Declare Independence,” most of the album is intimate and cinematic in the tradition of Selmasongs, the 2000 soundtrack for “Dancer in the Dark,” which starred Björk herself.

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