[DISCUSSION] Some Chinese indie music worth checking out - Part 4

I’ve been digging pretty deep into Chinese indie lately and keep stumbling across newer bands that I can’t stop replaying. A lot of these artists are still early in their run and don’t get much exposure outside their local scenes, but there are some exciting stuff happening. I wanted to share a few tracks that have really stuck with me instead of keeping them to myself.

城市溃疡 • 左排道

This song carries a quiet heaviness tied to place. It’s rooted in Dalian, a city that feels overlooked, worn down, and full of things that can’t always be said out loud. The track feels personal and collective at the same time, like speaking for a city that’s been holding its breath for years.

昨天晚上我可能死了 • XTX (Xie Tianxiao), 韩泰阳与太阳不能

This one is intense and dramatic in the best way. The vocals stretch across huge emotional swings, moving from quiet tension to chaotic release. There’s a strong sense of storytelling here, with sudden shifts that feel unsettling and theatrical. 

水母街道 • 河边走

This song feels like drifting through memory. It starts from a very ordinary street and slowly turns surreal. The pacing feels unhurried and dreamlike, as if the song exists slightly outside the real world. Soft, strange, and beautiful.

i need you right now (此刻我需要你) • The Beneficial Society

This track keeps expanding as it goes. It starts with power-pop energy and a repeating chorus that might make you think of bands like Jimmy Eat World, then slips into a long psychedelic section with guitar solos and wild saxophone lines. By the time it returns to the chorus, the emotion feels fully built up and released.