November was one hell of a month for live music, and the reliably brilliant Subs brought it to an appropriate close last Saturday night. "We're The Beer Band," joked Kang Mao as she took the stage at Zhijiang Dream Factory. "We're not milk and we're not coffee." Not that it would be possible to confuse them with cutesy indie-pop band Milk@Coffee who performed at YYT the same night. Subs showed just why they're regarded as one of the best live bands in the country, bringing the house down as always with a brilliantly executed and powerful set.

Before them, The Molds had disappointed with their Lou Reed-like post-rock and out of tune, echo-laden vocals. Having delayed the start of the gig due to an hour and 45 minute soundcheck, they were completely upstaged and made to look amateurish by opening act Pinkberry. "All four of us have got colds today," declared Pinkberry lead singer Xiao You, but it didn't seem to affect their performance. It's not often the crowd demand an encore from an opening act, but Pinkberry are no ordinary band. Despite their youth (Xiao You was born in 1990, the rest of the band aren't much older) and the fact they only formed three months ago, they are improving with every show and deliver their short bursts of pop-punk with confidence. It's confidence that is well-deserved too; they are fast becoming one of the best bands around. You'll have to wait a while for the next Pinkberry show as they're heading to the capital soon for the AsiaBeat China final (good luck to them). Xiao You has assured me that there'll be plenty of shows and some new songs once they're back in two weeks time.

As for this week, Wednesday will see the first of two shows from Swedish guitar-pop maestro Jens Lekman. With a catchy sound in a similar vein as The Magnetic Fields or Morrissey, Lekman will first be at JZ on Wednesday (¥60, 10pm), then at Glamour Bar on Thursday (¥100 including one free drink, 9pm).

Also on Thursday, Hawaiian thrash metallers Corrupt Absolute will be at YYT (¥40, 9pm) with support from Five-Pointed Star and Loudspeaker.

Friday night is the night for the long-awaited Indie Top showcase (¥50, 7.30pm). The new local label is putting on a gig with a host of bands from their roster. That means some of the best local bands around including Little Nature, Momo, and Crazy Mushrooms. The show is celebrating the release of Indie Top's first compilation CD, which also features IDM duo IGO amongst others. Anyone with even a passing interest in live music should make it to Zhijiang Dream Factory for this show.

Another young Shanghainese band to watch out for, Candy Shop, are headlining their own show at Live Bar on Saturday (¥25-30, 8.30pm). Yes, Live Bar is a trek and kind of awkward to get to, but rest assured the rap-rock six piece will make it worth your while.

Lastly, a little trail for the magazine's cover feature this Friday. Last week I met with the female members of Bang Bang Tang, Candy Shop, Momo, Moongazer, Pinkberry, and Torturing Nurse for a fascinating talk about typical Shanghai girls, the local music scene, and KTV. Check it out this Friday.