Raffi Youssoufian – Page 2 – Spinning Platters

Show Review: PJ Harvey at The Warfield, 4/14/11

PJ Harvey is simply an artist. It just so happens her medium is music. Every tour for each new record is an engrossing sensory experience, completely different than the last. Having seen her perform at the Warfield for every record, minus White Chalk, (she left SF off the tiny tour), since 1998, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to experience more than my share.

All of the shows up until now, have been full of the energy, gusto, and a hauntingly excitable sound that had left fans floored. Every show ends with just about the biggest display of genuine applause I’ve ever seen or been apart of for an artist. PJ Harvey fans seem to connect with the music fully in both a primal, intellectual, and emotional level, which doesn’t always happen with most artists.

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Show Review: Morcheeba at The Warfield, 3/5/11

About thirteen years ago, while waiting first in line to get in to a Portishead show at the very same venue, a girl gave me a promo cassingle, yes, a cassingle, of “The Sea.” Some months later, I found myself at the The Fillmore, having one of the best times, seeing Morcheeba having one of the best times, performing that night. It was during the height of their most treasure release Big Calm, and the at the peak of their buzz. They shared a ridiculous amount of energy on stage, and that spark reflected mutually with the audience. I can’t remember one person who wasn’t dancing that night. Most often it’s very difficult for trip-hop bands to translate their sound in a full, warm, and lush manner, but somehow the simplicity of the music and the wizardry of the Godfrey brothers set them apart. Continue reading “Show Review: Morcheeba at The Warfield, 3/5/11”

Show Review: Nicole Atkins, Cotton Jones, That Ghost at Cafe du Nord, 2/16/11

natkins1 — The beautiful Nicole Atkins and her much more beautiful hat.

Earlier that day, not knowing who Nicole Atkins was, I listened to two songs on YouTube. On record, she has a strong, beautiful, and towering voice. I would probably like it to Stacy Dupree, the lead singer of Eisley, every bit as pretty and powerful, but just a tad lower and a little more soulful. It was enough for me to decide to check out the show that night. I walked in expecting a well-defined showcase for that wonderful voice and a fairly relaxed atmosphere. I’m not sure I received any of it, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

There’s always a war within a smaller venue show for an artist with a great voice. Do you soften up everything else and let the voice shine, or do you just say forget it, and rock out? I’ve seen both sides of the equation many times and have been disappointed by both. Most often, I tend to side with the showcase of the voice. When a voice is gorgeous, it almost feels like a waste for it to be muddled by guitar, bass, and drums that are turned up too loud. But tonight was a night for rocking, and that is, exactly what happened.

Continue reading “Show Review: Nicole Atkins, Cotton Jones, That Ghost at Cafe du Nord, 2/16/11”

Show Review: Atoms For Peace (Thom Yorke) at the Fox Oakland, 4/14/10

I think we’ve reached the point where if Thom Yorke’s name was attached to a juggling festival, the show would be sold out in three seconds flat. Nobody in music today holds the same trust in the eyes, ears, and hearts of fans more than he does. All Radiohead fans seem to blindly follow, and with good reason, whether it’s his own project, or if he’s simply recommending some new music. As one of those followers, although I do like to think I have my eyes open (I haven’t purchased every piece of music he’s recommended, or own every b-side put out!), I was there at the beautiful Fox Theater with everyone else ready to lose ourselves in the live version of the mostly electronic The Eraser. Continue reading “Show Review: Atoms For Peace (Thom Yorke) at the Fox Oakland, 4/14/10”

Album Review: Goldfrapp – Headfirst

If Olivia Newton-John was one possible destination in Goldfrapp’s continuing journey that began on the steps of the majestic Felt Mountain, then it seems like she’s inching closer and closer to that point. I might be panicking. I might be overreacting. Still in love with that first album, her subsequent records up to date, although dancier and poppier, still satisfied me in some way. But her newest release, Headfirst, has me thinking a hot tub time machine might have been involved in the recording process somehow. Continue reading “Album Review: Goldfrapp — Headfirst”

Noise Pop Show Review: Atlas Sound with Geographer, Nice Nice and The Magic Wands at Great American Music Hall, 2/26/10

There are some shows you don’t want to end, and then there are some shows the artist never wants to end. This show was a definite love/hate relationship somewhere in between. Everyone was more than excited to see Atlas Sound, maybe for the second Noise Pop year in a row, but for all of the reasons they loved and wanted more of him, I can’t say I could have taken another minute. Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: Atlas Sound with Geographer, Nice Nice and The Magic Wands at Great American Music Hall, 2/26/10”

Album Review: Holly Miranda – The Magician’s Private Library

Listening to Jealous Girlfriends’ front woman Holly Miranda’s first solo album, I couldn’t help but think of an old Bjork interview referring to Debut and Post as her greatest hits albums. They stood as a sparkling mesh of every style of music that piqued her interest. And that is the energy trying to burst out here, traveling with Holly from one sound scape to the next. Continue reading “Album Review: Holly Miranda — The Magician’s Private Library”

Gift Guide For Music Nerds: The Best Records of 1997

This is how you would have had to search for music in 1997. It's easier now.

Have no clue what to do? Has a large green creature come and snagged all the good presents away? Don’t fret because the Spinning Platters elves have present ideas to fill up Santa’s sleigh…

It seems it’s that time of the year when the days in number
seem to fall off the calendar into slumber.
And there is only one thing you could possibly find,
that wouldn’t be on kind people’s minds.
It’s better than socks. It’s better than butter. It’s better than delightful hot cocoa with a candy marshmallow ring.
It rocks so hardly in summer,
maybe even some with a mutter,
and it’s let you go along, allowing you to dance and sing.
It’s pure but complicated, not dirty or replicated.
It’s as tasty as fresh warm bread
even those that are of leaven,
it’s just what you always thought it was, it’s the music of 1997!

Here are the Top 15 most important reasons…or in some cases, non reasons, to buy your loved one, or enemy for that matter (the holidays don’t discriminate) an awesome gift from 1997! Continue reading “Gift Guide For Music Nerds: The Best Records of 1997”

Show Review: Marié Digby with Alpha Rev at The Hotel Utah, 12/9/09

Marie captured in scattered blacks and whites

The Hotel Utah may very well have been an early stop on a train just beginning its journey. One might have considered Marié Digby’s cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” in 2007, which is now up to almost fifteen million views on YouTube, a sort of one destination train. Yes I did say fifteen million. A gold record is five hundred thousand units sold, and platinum is one million. Granted these were one time views and not purchases, but if I owned a record label, those are numbers I simply could not ignore. Since 2007, Marié Digby has been busy releasing two albums, one in Japanese, to some fanfare. While her new record, Breathing Underwater might eventually garner up enough interest to fill up a train station, it was enough to completely stuff a venue up so much so, that you could not even get into the room she was performing in. Continue reading “Show Review: Marié Digby with Alpha Rev at The Hotel Utah, 12/9/09”

Show Review: La Roux at The Great American Music Hall, 10/18/09

You had to wonder how much love was left for La Roux, going up against the Treasure Island Music Festival closing with The Decemberists and The Flaming Lips, just a few miles away on the very same night. But all bets were off, because whatever it is that gets people started, whatever it is that makes your booty want to shake, and whatever it is that you can never quite put your finger on about an artist, La Roux has it. Continue reading “Show Review: La Roux at The Great American Music Hall, 10/18/09”