Gift Guide For Music Nerds: DJ Hero

All the cats are groovin' to DJ Hero
All the cats are groovin' to DJ Hero

Here’s the situation: I am a video game novice. My girlfriend owns a Wii. I use it to practice yoga. I don’t consider myself to be a very competitive person, so most games don’t really appeal to me. On a handful of occasions, I have played the various different versions of the music games Rock Band and Guitar Hero, and I usually enjoy myself, since I don’t practice on a regular basis, I generally am humbled by the experience.

You may ask then, why am I discussing DJ Hero with you? Well, at this point, anybody that is an experienced music gamer has already read plenty of reviews of this, and more likely than not, either pre-purchased it months beforehand, or has already decided that it’s lame. I’m not writing for those people. Our audience is music nerds, and as a music nerd, my job is to tell you if this product helps feed the nerd or if it talks down to them.

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: November 25th-December 1st

Peach Wallpaper is just one of several options this week...
Peach Wallpaper is just one of several options this week...

Happy Thanksgiving from Spinning Platters. I’ve got a lot of things for you to do other than shop this week. Maybe buy some merch for your little cousin? And, seriously, Black Friday may be the best show day in ages. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: November 25th-December 1st”

Show Review: Fiery Furnaces with Cryptacize at Slim’s, 11/20/09

Not In Frame: Harry Partch or Harry Patch
Not In Frame: Harry Partch or Harry Patch

The Fiery Furnaces have been in the press quite a bit lately. Not because they put out a record of Fiery Furnace covers, but because of their mythical feud with Radiohead & Beck. My relationship with this band is a little strange. I saw them open for The Shins many years ago, and they blew me away. I ran out to purchase their current record at the time, Rehearsing My Choir, and was taken aback even more. They reminded me of everything the band Caroliner was trying to accomplish, only without the distraction on the costumes. I was hooked for months to this record, but never went further. I kept missing out on new releases, for one reason or another, and whenever they came around, I couldn’t make it. So, this cold November night, I decided to finally see them again. Continue reading “Show Review: Fiery Furnaces with Cryptacize at Slim’s, 11/20/09”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: November 18th-November 24th

Not playing Cafe du Nord on Monday, but their legacy is...
Not playing Cafe du Nord on Monday, but their legacy is...

So, it looks like the people of the ABC are getting super angry, and are doing some nasty things to our DNA. It also looks like the economy is laying to waste one of San Francisco’s greatest venues at the end of the year. So, please, please help keep live music alive by going to a show or two this week. And next week is Black Friday, a day that you will be shopping early in the morning. I suggest all of our readers power shop, then power nap, and then attend an all ages show somewhere in town, then head to Annie’s Social Club afterwards for some late night punk rock karaoke. But, we won’t have an extensive Black Friday show guide until next Wednesday. Until then, here’s this week:

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: November 11th-November 17th

Opening for Electric Six!!!!
Opening for Electric Six!!!!

More things to do in the Bay Area. All of them good. The greatest band ever is playing the Warfield on Friday, but here are better things to do.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: November 11th-November 17th”

Show Review: Paramore, Paper Route, The Swellers at The Warfield 11/10/09

This is what Paramore looked like a couple of days ago
This is what Paramore looked like a couple of days ago

Last month, I posted a review of the band Heart at The Warfield. In the review, I mention the band Paramore in a very positive light. In the comments, somebody posted this question:

Question: What is the importance of a band like Paramore? (Serious question — I’m 38 years old. :) )

When I wrote this review, it was expected I would have already written quite a fair amount about this band, and the kind reader would not have been confused. But, this show was moved from the beginning of the tour to the end of the tour, and I had yet to write a review of the new record, brand new eyes. Well, since this show has finally happened, I think it’s fair of me to, within discussion of this performance, to help describe why the band Paramore is truly important, and additionally, why a 38 year old Heart fan should know what his/her niece already understands.

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: November 4th-November 10th

Playing Sunday Night At The Hemlock Tavern
Playing Sunday Night At The Hemlock Tavern

I have returned from Florida, and I am back to control your life… Here are a few suggestions:

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Show Review: Heart at The Warfield, 10/22/09

Gravity is optional.
Gravity is optional.

Why review Heart? Why now? They haven’t been relevant in quite a long time, and the last round of hits were arguably pretty hokey power ballads.

Well, there are a number of reasons to revere Heart. Primarily, they were the first rock band where women called all of the shots. They had complete creative control over songwriting, as well as marketing. Even if Heart were terrible, they still deserve a place in Rock n’ Roll history. (Seriously, Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. I love the punk rock, but how aren’t Heart inducted yet?)

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: October 21st-October 27th

Dragonette are playing Popscene this week!
Dragonette are playing Popscene this week!

We’re changing things around a bit, and I’m gonna start posting this on Wednesdays now. Which means: we missed Tuesday. The good news is, the best show of last night is getting repeated tonight, and the show that you were going to go to wasn’t so good, so we I think we did you a favor by not posting. So, on with the shows!

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Show Review: Brandi Carlile and Katie Herzig at The Fillmore, 10/20/09

Nope, not a still from a performance on Hee Haw that was lip synced.
Nope, not a still from a performance on Hee Haw that was lip synced.

I have difficulty, sometimes, when it comes to getting out to do certain things that are common. I rarely see movies or plays because the numerous showings mean that I don’t have to pinpoint a particular time and day to do it, which inevitably means it doesn’t happen. The same often happens with touring musicians that come around a lot. Brandi Carlile is one of those artists. San Francisco has rarely gone more than a year without her coming to town, and more often than not, it’s closer to every six months. So, of course, I look at my schedule and decide it’s inconvenient for me to see her this time around, so I’ll just catch her next time. I’ve put her off for about for years, and tonight I finally decided to stop stalling and check her out. Continue reading “Show Review: Brandi Carlile and Katie Herzig at The Fillmore, 10/20/09”