I know, I know, I know… We are all so very sick of COVID lockdowns and masking and social distancing and everything. And with recent news from the CDC saying that vaccinated folks drop the masks and live life like it’s normal should mean that we should stop seeing new postponements, right? Yet, just today, the Hella Mega Tour featuring Green Day, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, and The Interruptors just got pushed out a few more months, starting July 24th, 2021 in Dallas. This, along with recent news of Bikini Kill, Motley Crue, (which, if you don’t immediately scream to yourself “I’m gonna win that Motley Crue mirror if it fucking kills me” when you see those two band names together, then what are you even doing reading this blog?) and Rage Against The Machine pushing their late Summer / early Fall 2021 shows even further down the line, it’s gotta be a little frustrating, right? Continue reading “In Defense Of: One Last Postponement”
Author: Dakin Hardwick
Book Review: Lily’s Grooves
Full Disclosure: I write about music and sometimes comedy. I am not an expert on literature, and, specifically, I’m not an expert on Children’s Literature. I am also married to an expert on Children’s Literature, and I really should have asked her to write this review, but I didn’t. However, currently, I am living life as a stay-at-home Dad to an amazing toddler that demands that I read to her several times a day. This kid also loves music, records, and cats. So, when I opened up my mailbox and found a copy of Lily’s Grooves, the story of a record store cat, I decided that it wasn’t really my opinion or even my partner with a master’s in Children’s Literature opinion that mattered. Just the kid.
Single Of The Week: “Ladies and Gentlemen” by DVNCT
DVNCT is a modern R&B duo from New York. Or maybe New Jersey? It wasn’t clear from their bio. What is clear is that their latest single “Ladies and Gentlemen” is a dark masterpiece that’s closer to TV On The Radio or Algiers than most anything you’ll hear on mainstream radio today. It’s a classic soul heartbreak song only your heart isn’t merely broken. It’s pulverized.
“Ladies and Gentlemen” can be heard in all the usual places. There is more to come in the near future from these folks, so be sure to follow them around on all of the socials!
Single of the Week: “NPC” by Ghoulies
Australia has been absolutely killing it the last few years. Like, seriously- all of the best acts seem to be coming from there: Courtney Barnett, Camp Cope, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, the list goes on. Heck, the only rock band to graduate to arenas in the last five years is the Aussie psych combo Tame Impala. For the next wave of acts to break across the Pacific, I give you Ghoulies. They do keyboard-driven, hyperactive punk rock, and they do it well. All the hooks you need and enough spunk to get the pit open, but songs so short that you aren’t likely to get hurt. “NPC” is the hookiest song on their upcoming 7″ full-length Reprogram. (7 songs in under 10 minutes!)
Reprogram is out in the digital world NOW and is coming out on vinyl on May 24th, 2021. It’s also Bandcamp Day, so if you preorder from Bandcamp today, the band gets EVERY PENNY!
Single Of The Week: “It’s Too Late” by Dana and the Wolf
This song is absolutely bonkers. It takes you on such a wild journey that I don’t even know where to begin! “It’s Too Late” by Dana and the Wolf is a potent autobiographical track the digs deep into the emotions that lead a couple to decide to stay a couple but no longer remain monogamous. Sonically, it’s a triumphant R&B torch song and a country heartbreak ballad at the same time, with a french horn riff that rips your heart out.
“It’s Too Late” can be found in all of the usual places. Dana and the Wolf’s debut LP, LA FADE, is coming out this fall on VERO Music.
Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” Season 2, Episode 5 with DJ / Podcaster / Superhero Mo Herms
Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” is available almost everywhere you enjoy podcasts. You can find us and subscribe here!
Mo Herms has done pretty much every job in music you can imagine… From record store clerk to radio programmer to journalist to licensing to, well, just imagine it and she’s done it. Mo is currently the Music Editorial Lead at 1021 Creative, but we got to talk about all of it. From the first time she fixed a record her sister destroyed to getting hit on by, um, Ike Turner. It was a fun chat, and I think you’ll enjoy it. You may also enjoy the playlist she made of important songs from throughout her career.
Mosswood Meltdown Line Up Announcement!
Remember late 2019 when the amazing Bikini Kill announced they were touring again, and those dates included an appearance at Burger Boogaloo in Oakland? And remember how excited we all were? And then a self-destructive GOP gambled away anything possibly enjoyable in 2020 by deciding that “COVID-19 will just go away on its own” instead of doing something bold and decisive and fast, and over a year of our lives was stolen from us?
Well, I’ve got some good news for you. Coming to Mosswood Park on July 2nd and 3rd, 2022, is a brand new festival, rising from the ashes of Burger Boogaloo. The event organizers have cut all ties with Burger Records and are bringing you two days of punk rock fun, and John Waters is still on board as the master of ceremonies! It’s called Mosswood Meltdown, and your original Burger Boogaloo tickets will still be good for it!
Who is playing? Well, the legendary Bikini Kill is making their first Bay Area appearance since the late ’90s. Belgium’s new wave pioneer Plastic Bertrand is playing their first Bay Area EVER. The Carbonas are playing their first Bay Show in over a decade, too! Rounding out the first wave of bands are my favorite modern band, BLEACHED, local icons Shannon Shaw, Pansy Division, and Rubinos, as well as The Fevers, The Younger Lovers, and Midnite Snaxxx. Plus many more to come, including what is rumored to be an absolutely amazing second headliner. 2 Day GA and VIP Passes as well as single-day tickets are ON SALE NOW!!!
Vinyl Re-Reissue Spotlight: Group Sex by Circle Jerks
So, this reissue’s first pressing sold out in like a day or so. BUT!!! They are doing ONE MORE PRESSING, and then it’s gone. And, for the next 48 hours, they will also be selling a nifty looking t-shirt from an old flyer. GO HERE TO RESERVE YOUR COPY OF BOTH!
2020 was going to be a great year. My concert calendar was pretty much full for the year by the end of February. One of the most exciting things for me was that Bikini Kill and Circle Jerks, two of bands from my most formative music experiencing years, were going to grace the world with full tours for the first time in decades. Circle Jerks were due to play their debut record, Group Sex, in it’s entirety on this tour. Sadly, I sold my CD of this long ago, back in my most broke days. So, to celebrate, I found myself using Spotify (I know…) to get amped for this tour, as well as introduce my 18-month-old kid to this music. Which did make for epic dance parties throughout the house during the early days of “Shelter In Place,” while awaiting for us to get our act together and stop transmission of the virus so we could enjoy our Summer.
Sadly, as the pandemic progressed, hopes were dimming for that tour to come to fruition. THEN- THE WORST THING HAPPENED!!! Group Sex abruptly disappeared from streaming services. Sure, there are other fine Circle Jerks records, and a live album from the 80’s that features many of these tracks, but it wasn’t the same. (Thank god we can still listen to their Debbie Gibson collaboration!) There was a giant, gaping hole in my child’s hardcore education. But, fear not- it’s coming back! ( Continue reading “Vinyl Re-Reissue Spotlight: Group Sex by Circle Jerks”
Outside Lands Daily Lineups & Single Day Tickets
I’m forever grateful that the good folks of Another Planet and Superfly are working hard to make Outside Lands happen this year. And I know many of you loyal readers are sad that they missed out on buying 3-Day passes. Or didn’t buy them because they were waiting for the daily lineups to see if they can cancel their usual Halloween plans for this.
Well, cancel those Halloween plans because Outside Lands announced their single-day lineups, and, well, Tame Impala, Brittany Howard, Kehlani, and freaking Nelly are playing on Halloween! Also, whoever decided to book Neal Francis and Neil Frances for the same day deserves a prize. The rest are below the jump. Single Day Tickets are on sale Thursday, April 29th at 10 am! Continue reading “Outside Lands Daily Lineups & Single Day Tickets”
Soccer Mommy is dropping tour dates, too? WOAH! Could this thing actually end this year?
We all saw the sad news that My Chemical Romance and Rina Sawayama both decided to push their Fall tours to 2022. It made me feel a little nervous about the tours and festivals betting on getting out of this by Fall. And then, I opened my inbox to see that Soccer Mommy, who put out one of my favorite records of 2020, color theory, is making a go out of touring this year, and it made me feel a LOT calmer. Tickets and on sale dates can be found here! Purchase, stream, or download color theory HERE(you won’t regret it!).
TOUR DATES
9/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *
9/16 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
9/17 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar *
9/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
9/19 – DC @ 9:30 Club *
9/21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
9/22 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club *
9/23 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club *
9/25 – Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre *
9/26 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre *
9/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *
9/29 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
10/1 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom *
10/21 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall ^
10/22 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s East ^
10/23 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater ^
10/26 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom ^
10/27 – San Diego, CA @ Music Box ^
10/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre ^
10/29 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore ^
10/31 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre ^
11/1 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall ^
11/2 – Boise, ID @ Olympic ^
11/4 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre ^
11/6 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room ^
11/7 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue ^
11/8 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre ^
11/9 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall ^
* w/ Squirrel Flower
^ w/ Emily Reo
