Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Remember Lost Highway Records? The label behind O Brother, Where Art Thou and all sorts of great bluegrass and alt. country tracks in the 00’s. Well, looks like they are still around and signing… GREAT ROCK ACTS? “Hands Tied” by Emma Ogier is reminiscent of Juliana Hatfield and Liz Phair and is a bloody great little rock song.
“Hands Tied” is off her upcoming release Fly 1111, coming out, you guessed it, November 11th!
Carly Rae Jepsen is a favorite of Spinning Platters. I mean, we road-tripped to her intimate EMOTION show at the Troubadour last year. That record was also #2 on our top albums of the 2010’s. We love her. Night & Day is her best record in a minute (which is saying a lot, since Dedicated and The Loneliest Time are both excellent). Suffice it to say, we are STOKED that Ms. Jepsen has gifted us with a Spring tour next year. I CAN’T WAIT!
Sign up for Artist Presale Access HERE by Sunday, October 4 at 11 pm ET. Public onsale Thursday, October 8th at 10 am local time. Tour dates below: Continue reading “CARLY RAE JEPSEN 2027 TOUR DATES”
God. Kate Nash with loud, meaty guitars is THE BEST THING. “Spilt Milk” is an amazing and refreshing cut from her. It’s the first single off her heavily Irish-influenced new record, Cailin, coming out in January of next year. The good news is that she’s doing a small North American tour THIS NOVEMBER. Yes, Kate Nash, playing tiny little rooms, NEXT MONTH.
2026 North American Tour Dates
Tuesday, November 3: Somerville, MA @ Arts at the Armory
Wednesday, November 4: Philadelphia, PA @ The Lounge at World Cafe Live
Friday, November 6: New York, NY @ Joe’s Pub
Saturday, November 7: Washington, DC @ The Hamilton Live
Monday, November 9: Toronto, ON @ Paradise Theatre
Tuesday, November 10: Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch
Wednesday, November 11: Chicago, IL @ Martyrs’
Thursday, November 12: Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
Saturday, November 14: Los Angeles, CA @ Sid the Cat Auditorium
Sunday, November 15: San Francisco, CA @ Swedish American Hall
Monday, November 16: San Diego, CA @ Music Box
It’s never too early to plan your summer, yes? Well, the good people at Another Planet have already announced their first Golden Gate Park show of 2027. And it’s the return of the mighty Slipknot! It’s their first Bay Area appearance since 2019 and their first San Francisco show since their visit to Regency Ballroom in 2002. (I was there! I’m OLD!)
Show is Sunday, August 15th with support from Bring Me The Horizon, Motionless In White, and LOATHE. Doors are 2:30, music begins at 4. Tickets on sale Friday, October 2nd at 10am here.
GA – starting at $179 all-in ($149 + $30 fees)
With your GA ticket, you’ll have access to a stacked day of music at the Polo Field in historic Golden Gate Park.
GA starting at $179 all-in ($149 + $30 fees)
VIP – starting at $399 all-in ($359 + $40 fees)
Odie Leigh’s debut album, Carrier Pigeon, is one of my favorite debuts of the decade. It’s been two years since that excellent record was released, and Leigh has spent the time since touring ended busy working on, well, pretty much every kind of project that ISN’T releasing music. I thought she was a one-and-done genius, à la Sex Pistols. Then, today, “Miss Leave Me Alone” dropped in my feed, and it sounds NOTHING LIKE HER DEBUT. It still has her excellent lyric writing, but the tempos are ramped up and the best new folk singer of our generation just dropped a fierce pop-punk jam. AND IT’S FANTASTIC.
Follow Odie on her immensely entertaining Instagram, and all the deets about the single and any future news will be dropping here.
Tonight was my first time back at The Castro since the controversial renovation, which turned it from a classic Art Deco repertory movie palace into a classic Art Deco live music venue. I begrudgingly admit that they did an excellent job. The concessions moved from the lobby inside the theater, the bathrooms improved dramatically, and the sightlines for music were nearly perfect. It was a bit confusing that the men’s and women’s restrooms were switched on the main floor, almost causing what would have been a disturbance in a space less accepting of the gender spectrum.
Continue reading “Show Review: Melanie C with Sur Beck and Lady Camden at The Castro, 9/22/26”
How have I not written about Lambrini Girls yet? This generation’s finest political punk band has gifted us yet another mosh-friendly jam. An earworm assault on the senses that could, potentially, make its way to mainstream alternative radio in the States if programmers were willing to take the chance.
“Bang Bang Bang” is the first single of Lambrini Girls’ upcoming album, No Refunds, coming out just in time to miss all the best of 2026 best of lists: January 8th, 2027!
Regular followers of Spinning Platters will notice that we largely ignore dance music. Why? Because I strongly dislike electronic dance music. Yet, somehow, I’ve gone to Portola twice and had a fantastic time both times I went. And this year looks exceptionally good. Why? Well, it might be due to the significant number of Swedish acts on the bill, the best pop music country in the world. I mean, ROBYN IS HEADLINING?!?!? She hasn’t played the Bay Area in seven years, and her comeback album, Sexistential, is amazing. Plus, we also have 2026 breakout star Zara Larsson, sleaze pop icon Tove Lo, and, of course, the biggest Swedish act since ABBA, Swedish House Mafia! Who else? The first SF Solo Appearance by Beastie Boys legend Mike D! Bay Area legend DJ Shadow playing his Entroducing… record from front to back. An actual Spice Girl, Melanie C. And my personal favorite find from 2026- Idaho’s brilliant Gelli Haha.
Tickets are still available, but are going fast. Those can be found here!
It’s been quite a long time since we’ve gotten a new Carissa’s Wierd cut. They last dropped a 7″ in 2011 and faded away as emo bands do. But, since everything that’s truly good comes back again, Jen Champion and Mat Brooke are back together with an absolutely stunning single, “No One Lives Here Anymore.” Their harmonies are as strong as ever, as are their adventurous arrangements. This song is a stunner.
Next year gives us the first full length Carissa’s Wierd record in 25 YEARS! (Which makes me feel, like, painfully old saying). Somewhere Further Than Far Away comes out January 8th, 2007, making it your first record preorder of next year!
Stones Throw Records really doesn’t get the credit it deserves. They started out as a hip-hop/funk label, but lately have been pumping out some of the best “under the radar” bangers that seem to defy genre in almost every way. The latest is “Feelin’ Wee” by Japan’s Kiko Mizuhara. This spacey psychedelic pop jam harkens back to the days of Grand Royal Records, and it shares a spiritual home with the likes of Cibo Matto, Bran Van 3000, Luscious Jackson, and, yes, even The Beastie Boys at their most lounge.
“Feelin’ Wee” is Kiko’s first EVER single. It’s one hell of a debut, and I can’t wait to hear what else is coming from her. Follow her on Instagram and Bandcamp!
