Two momentous events this week: The eighth annual Shanghai International Literary Festival kicks off this Friday, but more importantly, our new Bookcast goes live. In the pod this week: we talk with historian Andrew Field about Shanghai's heady days of dance halls and gangsters and his fascinating new book Shanghai's Dancing World: Cabaret Culture and Urban Politics. Yeah. We know. It seems no matter how hard we try to pass as intellectuals here, we still end up talking about nightclubs and bar girls. Some things never change, do they? Also, our who's who of the Lit Fest list as well as a few friendly etiquette tips. 

It's been a mad dash for the editorial deadline this week. Thankfully, the bossman has unchained Phil, Ned and Justin from their desks to bring you the Urbanatomy podcast. Lucky you! This week they test Shanghai's fire safety ordinances by cramming a whopping 4 guests into the pod. Chinese fire drill, anyone? They talk with Three Chord Truth's Carl Siegel about the upcoming Dance for Haiti benefit concert and then Ivan Yoong, Germain Le Nay and Paul Hicks of Half Bar stop by to plug their new bar OZNZ (that's pronounced Oh Zee En Zee, kids). Also, Eduardo Vargas gets too big for his britches and has to close a branch and Justin learns the etymological roots of the term 'Yankee.' Listen and learn, ladies and gentlemen...

 You can listen to the pod right here. Or you can download it to your computer right here (right mouse button - Save as...). Or you can subscribe on itunes here - and then it will automatically hit your mp3 player every fortnight. Lovely stuff.   

After a cheeky bonus podcast last week with the New England Patriots' Cheerleaders, we're back in the studio... And lovely and cozy it is too. We talk about all things coming up in Shanghai in the next couple of weeks, a couple of weeks that include Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day - so a lot of events then...

Phil is joined in the pod by partner in crime Ned Kelly and Food & Drink extraordinaire Justin Fischer back from his winter sojourn in the States to see what deals are on offer and to have a very special chat with Chinatown Charlie. Yep, the big boy's in the pod. And what a performance ahead of the premiere of the film The People's Republic of Chinatown on February 11 at Chinatown... And Gary Wang is on the phone from Shelter ahead of their Web site launch.

Listen here

Mentions in the pod go to the best Sex shops in Shanghai article here, the Valentine's Day promotions article here and a load of other stuff to find online.

You can listen to the pod right here. Or you can download it to your computer right here (right mouse button - Save as...). Or you can subscribe on itunes here - and then it will automatically hit your mp3 player every fortnight. Lovely stuff.   

Who said we don't give you enough?

We thought we'd give you an extra special treat - an extra podcast. As Shanghai is starting to get NFL fever ahead of the Superbowl on Monday morning. The New England Patriots cheerleaders were in town to, erm, dance and hang out and stuff. So what did we do? We sent Ned Kelly. He's the man for the job. It didn't really take much asking...

So meet Superbowl veteran Dinna (pictured), Lindsay, Jillian and Amanda, four of the Patriot's finest cheerleaders to discuss who will win, who they'd rather have: George Clooney or Brad Pitt and whether the myths are true about cheerleaders...

Look out for more following their appearance at Malone's and for some great event photos...

You can listen to the pod right here. Or you can download it to your computer right here (right mouse button - Save as...). Or you can subscribe on itunes here - and then it will automatically hit your mp3 player every fortnight. Lovely stuff.     

It's a bumper weekend of entertainment, events, live music and stuff. So here is a bunch of people to tell you what's going on in Shanghai for the next two weeks. Not specific enough?

Well Editors Ned Kelly and JFK Miller join Phil Boyle in the pod to discuss Andrew Bird, Boys Climbing Ropes, Matt & Flo, LIons of Puxi, the Haiti Relief Party, Chopschticks, the latest issue of That's Shanghai, and much much much more...

Joining that motley crew in the pocast are Lystia Putranto from BEAN Shanghai ahead of this Saturday's fundraiser at Cotton's and Boys Climbing Ropes bassist / Smartshanghai.com editor / Renaissance man Morgan Short ahead of Boys Climbing Ropes EP launch on Saturday night. It's a cracker indeed.

For the Andrew Bird interview you can read it here. For the feature on Battle of the Bands in Shanghai read that here.

You can listen to the pod right here. Or you can download it to your computer right here (right mouse button - Save as...). Or you can subscribe on itunes here - and then it will automatically hit your mp3 player every fortnight. Lovely stuff.