Before shows like The Big Band《乐队的夏天》brought Chinese rock bands to the forefront of mainstream music culture, Carsick Cars were making waves of their own in the early 2000s. Formed in 2005, the band emerged out of Beijing’s underground music scene through releases via labels Maybe Mars and tenzenmen, going on to open for Sonic Youth in Prague and Vienna during their 2007 European tour, and performing at the SXSW music festival for three consecutive years (2010-2012).

They are veterans and it shows—now at a little more than 20 years old, the band is a well-oiled machine, even as their sound continues to evolve. While here for Baybeats 2025, the band showcased the breadth of their sound with songs from different eras: You Can Listen, You Can Talk (2009) and《松》(Sōng) (2024).

Audio recording: Studio Novo
Audio mixing: 4th Wall Studios
Video: Lee Jing Wei