Single of the Week: “Wax & String” by Shannon & The Clams

Shannon & The Clams KEEP GETTING BETTER! “Wax & String” is a one-off 7″ following up their best record yet, The Moon is in The Wrong Place. And while The Moon… was a contemplative and almost melancholy affair, “Wax & String” is a psych party jam, exhilerating in a way that seems almost innappropriate for 2025. 

“Wax & String” is available to stream now, with a 7″ coming March 7th. Preperations for it’s arrival can be made now. Shannon & The Clams have recently been added as the Day 2 Headliner off Mosswood Meltdown. Other additions include the great Bleached, La Luz, Giuda, and, performing in Oakland for the first time EVER- L’Trimm. (Yes, “The Cars That Go Boom” band!) Tickets are available NOW!

Film Review: “Wolf Man”

Wolf Man has a simplistic horror appeal, but is that enough?

Charlotte (Julia Garner) stares into the increasingly lupine eyes of Blake (Christopher Abbott) in ‘Wolf Man.’

From Leigh Whannell, the Australian director of Upgrade and the masterful modern-day reimagining of The Invisible Man, comes his new take on a Universal Monsters horror classic, Wolf Man. Distilling the werewolf mythos into a visceral it-all-happens-in-one-night movie, Wolf Man is efficient in its pacing and scares. However, the film lacks the emotional gravitas of a romantically strained family trying to reconnect during extreme circumstances. So, because Wolf Man clocks in at under two hours, is pleasantly ultra-predictable, and contains quality thrills, it’s a great choice for a frivolous movie night. Continue reading “Film Review: “Wolf Man””

SF Sketchfest Spotlight: How Did Demi Adejuiygbe Get Here?

Most people know Demi Adejuiygbe as the mastermind behind the legendary “September” videos. You may not know that he was a writer on The Good Place, possibly the greatest TV show ever, as well as The Amber Ruffin Show. As per the usual, we talked about his career, how he works, and, of course, there is a healthy dose of cat talk, complete with advice on how to properly AirTag your feline.

Demi has a sold-out show at Great Star Theater on Friday Night as part of SF Sketchfest doing his classic one-man show Demi Adejuyigbe Is Going To Do One (1) Backflip, as well as appearing as part of Stamptown! at Club Fugazi on Saturday, January 18th. A limited number of tickets are available at the door, so I suggest you line up now for any and all of his SF Sketchfest appearances.

A Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest 2025

I LOVE writing the Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest. It’s probably my favorite piece to write and research, and I always find something interesting and cool. (Special Thanks to Gordon Elgart for writing up Sup Bro & Albert Brooks)  This year is no exception, and I’m pretty excited to share it with you. More shows than usual are selling out early, so please act quickly! The full schedule is here. 

I will also note that a big chunk of the SF Sketchfest family is based in Los Angeles and is somehow STILL putting this thing on while their home is experiencing great tragedy. For those looking to donate, I am a big fan of Mutual Aid LA and their work, and I trust them to put your donations to good use. And folks in the Bay Area can bring items to Hella Positive to get them to our neighbors. Continue reading “A Nerd’s Guide to SF Sketchfest 2025”

Festival Preview: BottleRock Napa Valley 2025

It’s that time again, music festival fans: BottleRock Napa Valley has announced the lineup for 2025’s festival, which will take place this May 23-25 near downtown Napa.

Headlining this year’s event are Noah Kahan, Green Day, and Justin Timberlake. I’ve seen Kahan once, but am happy to catch him again. I’ve never seen Green Day and can’t wait to finally get my chance! I’ve seen Timberlake many times, but it’s been nigh on two decades since then (not since 2007/ FutureSex/LoveShow days). I’m definitely curious to see how his performances have evolved over the years, as I haven’t really followed his music much (unless Trolls counts)…

Anther act I’m looking forward to checking out is Khruangbin (though I would have loved this even more if the powers-that-be had arranged it when Leon Bridges was there as well, so they could perform together a little). I’m hoping to arrange my schedule to catch some of the following artists as well: Cage the Elephant, Ice Cube, Sublime (loved them with Rome, but I’m really excited to see Jakob Nowell as the new frontman), Goose, Sofi Tukker, 4 Non Blondes, E-40, Flo Rida, Kaleo, Allen Stone, Sharon Van Etten, Two Feet, Kate Hudson, and BBY.

On top of all this fantastic music, remember you can always count on BRNV to provide an endless stream of insanely delicious food and wine choices (this is Napa, after all), plus craft beer & cocktails, shopping, BottleRock Spa, Silent Disco, the Williams-Sonoma Culinary Stage (the lineup for that will be announced as we get closer to the actual event, but it’s always a good time), and much more!

I’m ready now, but the event is still months away. To pass the time, check out this year’s BottleRock Napa Valley Preview Playlist here: I hope you enjoy listening as much as I do! If you don’t have tickets yet, you can get them here. See you in May in Napa!

Film Review: “The Last Showgirl”

Anderson triumphs in sobering tale of an aging showgirl

Shelly (Pamela Anderson) ponders her future after learning her Vegas showgirl gig is ending.

Demi Moore just picked up her first Golden Globe in a 45+ year career for her ferocious performance as an aging, cast-aside starlet in The Substance. That Moore, a 62-year-old former 1980s it girl herself, so deftly inhabits that character speaks to the power of an art-mirroring-life role. Now Pamela Anderson, the 57-year-old former 1990s it girl of Baywatch fame, follows in Moore’s footsteps, turning in an exceptional, unforgettable performance as an aging showgirl in the far less bloody but no less affecting The Last Showgirl.

Continue reading “Film Review: “The Last Showgirl””

Film Review: “Better Man”

Once in a millennium, I recommend spending one of your lazy days watching a biopic 

Please don’t call him a CGI monkey. That’s an entirely different CGI animal than an ape. I know you really want to reference his song “Me and My Monkey,” but you’ll just make a monkey of yourself!

Biopics are hard. Music biopics are harder. Typically, both of these are my least favorite type of movie. So why was I so excited to see and review this particular movie? Because I love a new take on the formula, which this movie promised to do. I also love Robbie Williams’s music, so it seemed like a match made in movie heaven. Was it as strong a movie as expected? Continue reading “Film Review: “Better Man””

Single of the Week: “T&A” by Blondshell

Sabrina Teitelbaum did it again. Nobody does uncomfortable imagery like her, but “T&A” takes the cake this time. I spent the whole song thinking, “Do men really talk like this to women?” I mean… “If you stop drinking, maybe I could find you attractive”?!?!? “Your tits and ass don’t really hurt”?!?!?!?!?!? AND THOSE ARE THE COMPLIMENTS!!!!!! Sometimes, I really hate cis-het men, and I AM ONE! 

Anyways, “T&A” is from the sophomore release by Blondshell, If You Asked For A Picture, which is coming to you May 2nd, and preorders are available here. Everyone is aware of the horrific conditions happening in LA right now, and if you are looking for an organization to donate to, I am a fan of Mutual Aid LA, and you can find ways to donate and resources for finding help here. 

 

Top 10 Albums of 2024!!!

By The Spinning Platters Team

Yes. I know everyone else had their lists finalized and posted in, what, May? Sheesh. Spinning Platters is meticulous and democratic about our process; sometimes, that takes longer. (We’ve also been hard at work on a nice new logo, and I hope you like it!) But you will see some names that are not on anyone else’s lists. And some names that are on everyone else’s because you know what? There have been some solid, instant releases this year that hold up on repeated listenings. So, without further adieu, here it is- the Spinning Platters Top 10 of 2024!

Continue reading “Top 10 Albums of 2024!!!”

Film Feature: Chad’s Top 20 Films of 2024

It’s been an odd year for movies, partly due to the lasting effects of labor strikes. There are very few masterpieces, and just as few disasters. Instead, 2024 featured a lot of solid 3-3.5 out of 5 star films, a healthy selection of entertaining fare that enabled the theater industry to finish the year far ahead of what many analysts had feared (box office-wise). Well, without further ado, here’s my ranked Top 20 best films of 2024 (and don’t forget to check out Carrie’s Top 10 Films of 2024 as well):  Continue reading “Film Feature: Chad’s Top 20 Films of 2024”