Single Of The Week: “Midnight Snacks” by Kelis

Did you know that Kelis’ “Milkshake” is 20 years old? It made me feel pretty ancient. Luckily Kelis isn’t very interested in wallowing in the demise of youth and instead embracing maturity. That’s where “Midnight Snacks” comes into play… It’s the spiritual sequel to “Milkshake,” still embracing the food metaphor, but a song that’s much more intimate, much more profound, much sexier than “Milkshake.” The groove is solid and sticks with you, right down to the intense, processed guitar solo that either winds you down or hypes you up, depending on what you need it to do. 

You can enjoy “Midnight Snacks” in all the usual places. And if you want to take the song literally or need something to eat after taking the track for its symbolic meaning, Kelis is partnering with Bounty & Full to send you your own box of Midnight Snacks. And for those of you heading to Outside Lands, Kelis was *just* added, and she’s playing The House by Heineken on Saturday, October 30th. Yes, the same day as Lizzo. 

Spinning Platters’ Guide to the 2017 Noise Pop Festival

Noise Pop 2017 is upon us. For eleven straight days, we will be enjoying the finest in film and music that the scene has to offer. There is literally too much to do, and there is no way you can be everywhere at once, so here is a quick guide to the best of the fest. Of course, you may disagree with my choices, and if so, there’s the full schedule to choose from.

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/29/14-5/28/14

Wednesday at The Independent
Wednesday at The Independent

Thursday, May 29th Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/29/14-5/28/14”

SXSW 2014: A Recap in Photos

Washed Out
Washed Out at Hype Hotel was the perfect way to end a long week. Also, kudos to the Hype Machine for only permitting badge/wristband holders to attend night shows, thus effectively keeping overcrowding at bay.

I haven’t been to SXSW in four years. I can’t say I was too sad about that fact, though. Ever since 2007, the festival has changed dramatically, and not necessarily for the better. To paraphrase, I don’t agree with Lady Gaga’s comment, during her keynote, that corporations are what make this festival remarkable or even possible. SX thrived long before big business descended upon Austin in droves, and will be just fine if some decided to pull out in the future.

That being said, I did enjoy seeing Big Freedia and my new Houston hero, RiFF RaFF, perform in the Doritos-sponsored tent. Yes, it was as crass an atmosphere as you could imagine from a brand targeting youth with their mass-produced, processed food; but the free chips and ample lounge seating were a relief after a long day of walking. Damon Albarn’s set was a bit disappointing at Stubb’s, largely due to the incompetence of the crew setting up between gigs, but he brought the real thunder, in the form of original Gorillaz’ members, Del tha Funky Homosapien, De La Soul, and even Snoop, at the Levi’s-sponsored Fader Fort.

Overall, I had a wonderful time. This is partly due to the fact that I was in good company alongside Michelle Viray and Dakin Hardwick, who wrote quite the remarkable review of all the bands we took in during our four-and-a-half-day sojourn. Though it’s not quite possible to see every act on one’s list, having a wristband does help in certain circumstances (like getting into the Hype Machine’s Hype Hotel for evening shows). I still wish we had discovered this guy, though. Without further ado, here is a collection of some of my favorite photos taken last week.

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Spinning Platters SXSW 2014 Report: 34 Instant Band Reviews

Photo By Kara Murphy
Photo By Kara Murphy

I didn’t go to SXSW last year. And I, literally, spent all of 2013 being sad about it. SXSW is like live music Disneyland. Sadly, complete with the lines and the getting frustrated about all of the people with Fast Passes cutting ahead of you. However, if you play your cards right, you can see an obscene amount of live music. In four days, I got to enjoy 34 bands. And I didn’t even try that hard this year.

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Show Review: Robyn, Kelis, and Dan Black at Mezzanine, 7/24/10

Robyn and Kelis share a hug during the final encore song.

On a chilly Saturday night, I exited my car, parked on 6th Street and Howard, clad in black stiletto ankle boots and a form-fitting black/white striped dress accented with a scant red cardigan that provided a bit of warmth en route to Mezzanine – located a few blocks away. Normally, I’m a jeans and hoodie kind of gal when it comes to attending live shows. However, since my Spinning Platters colleague, Dakin Hardwick, and I were meeting Dan Black, one of the opening acts on the All Hearts tour, co-headlined by Robyn and Kelis, for an in-person interview, I felt an overwhelming urge to dress up.

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 7/22/10-7/28/10

You can color in your own Bear In Heaven on the way to the Rickshaw Stop on Monday Night!

The last week of July is looking pretty crazy… Tons of amazing shows going on this week, including two very rare 4-band shows that are worth arriving early and staying late. Time to buy some Red Bull!

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