Renminbi pitch

Aug. 10 2008

Also, re-sending this pitch, which might be more timely while all TV

eyes are on China:

I've impressed by the following album; not sure which song I'd

pick, but here's what I got so far:

Renminbi is led by guitarist-vocalist Lisa Liu, and her group is named

for Chinese currency, which makes our maxxed-out world go 'round (or I

might say: "keeps our deficit and out prosperity afloat," thinking of

Wal-mat sweatshops etc). Appropriately, on Renminbi's first full-length

album,The Phoenix, voices and lyrics are distant distress signals,

carried along by the melodic sweep, swoop, and crash of guitar, drums,

and synthesizer (no bass guitar needed, not with the incisive shadings

of SMV's keyboards). About half the tracks are instrumentals, but they

all bring the sound of your strongest doubts, faintest beliefs, all sides
of the coin, into a butt-thumping, obsessively well-timed post-punk workout.