Author: Dakin Hardwick

Single of the Week: “The Dock (Bill’s Song)” by Lila Wolfe

Life is weird. I’ve been waiting for Lila Wolfe to follow up “Seafarm” for a really long time. And I had no idea this was specifically in the queue. “The Docks (Bill’s Song)” is hitting hard for me today… I’m not sure the writer’s original intent, but a week and a half out from my mother’s abrupt passing, hearing a heavy song about the complex relationship you can have with someone who is no longer with you? 

Phew! 

Thank you for gifting this song to me and to the world. Stream this single here. And you can send her encouraging messages to keep her putting out music via Instagram. 

Single of the Week: “Summer Sweat” by Hannah Cohen

Hannah Cohen is a name that I’ve been noticing for a while, but, for one reason or another, I haven’t really given her the listening time. And, yes, my “Single Of The Week” column can sometimes run a bit like personal diary. But I’ve been dealing with an abrupt passing of my mom this week, and I haven’t really been able to focus on anything at all. Then my kid go the flu and everything became messy. I wasn’t even going to do a column this week. But I put the kid down for a nap, and had a moment of silence where I decided to take a look at my inbox and saw this Hannah Cohen email sitting there unread for two weeks. I clicked on the track and listened. I took in a beautiful and bright piece of music and for the first time all week, I was able to feel a sense of peace. So, yeah, thank you Ms Cohen. Thank you, “Summer Sweat.”

“Summer Sweat” is off Hannah Cohen’s latest record, Earthstar Mountain, available now from Congrats Records. 

Vinyl Reissue Spotlight: “Come Out Come Out” by cub

The day was August 31st, 1995. A group of friends and I made our way to The Warfield in an attempt to catch the final SF Ramones concert. Sadly, the show was sold out. And not a scalper to be found… At least not a scalper our broke teenage wallets could work with. Outside the venue, someone was yelling, “Free Punk Show.” It was a Lookout Records showcase with The Queers, The Potatomen, and the band that blew my teenage mind clear off, a group of Canadian women that called themselves cub. I was transfixed. I used the little cash I had on me to buy their 7″ “The Day I Said Goodbye.” I wore it out. I went deep into the catalog. I sadly never got to see cub again. I missed them opening for They Might Be Giants, but was thrilled that They Might Be Giants covered “New York City.” 

I love this band. But I NEVER put on their first two records. Mostly because, um, they released them as 7″ collections instead of long players. This morning, I opened up my email and saw a press release that made me ever so happy… cub’s sophmore record, Come Out Come Out, has been remastered by original guitarist Robynn Iwata (who eventually moved to SF and starting the experimental band i am spoonbender and opened the legendary record store Open Mind Music), and is being pressed as a 12″ record! YOU ONLY HAVE TO FLIP IT ONCE! And she found a bunch of art from the period, and is going all out on a fancy, deluxe reissue from Mint Records. It’s coming out January 15th and can be preordered from cub’s Bandcamp page! 


 

Single of the Week: “MOLLY” by Ecca Vandal

The best thing about the current nu-metal resurgence seems to be that, unlike the first time around, ownership isn’t focused on white men. Some of the best stuff coming out these days that sounds like that era is coming from women of color- I adore The Warning, Pinkshift, and Rico Nasty. But the one act that’s consistently the BEST at combining metal, punk, hip-hop, pop, funk, and whatever else she pleases? Ecca Vandal. And, hot off her heavily talked about set at Dia De Los Deftones and as a warm-up for her performance at Camp Flog Gnaw this weekend, she’s presented us with her strongest track yet. “MOLLY” is a brilliant single that works equally well in the mosh pit and the club. 

You can enjoy “MOLLY” in all the usual places, and I’m hoping for a full-length next year. She’s touring Mexico and South America with Limp Bizkit in December, and I’m hoping we finally get a full stateside tour when she makes her Coachella debut next April. 

Single of the Week: “The Perfect Girl” by Elise Trouw

Elise Trouw has proved her chops as a musician many times over. She can sing, and she plays every instrument under the sun. Her YouTube page is littered with fun and inventive videos, both original tracks and covers, where she loops herself. “The Perfect Girl” proves that Trouw is more than an abundance of technical skill- she is a brilliant songwriter. This track is a witty play on incel culture, and I bloody love it.  

“The Perfect Girl” is the second single off her upcoming record, The Diary Of Elon Lust, which is coming out on February 13th. Presave here, with physical preorders coming soon from Buy Before You Stream. Her Spring tour went onsale today, and tickets are available here!

SF Sketchfest 2026 Initial Line Up HAS DROPPED!!!!!

Our dear friends at SF Sketchfest have, once again, given us reason to look forward to the January doldrums. They’ve put out a bonkers lineup that I’ve barely scratched the surface of. (As an esteemed member of the press, I did get this a day early, which might not have been enough time to digest this.) 

As usual, you’ll get my full “Nerd’s Guide.” My early nerd view reveals a few amazing bits. Like, are you a fan of both The State and melodramatic singers from the 80’s? GOOD NEWS! You have your choice of Ken Marino & David Wain & Friends doing the music of Billy Joel, OR Thomas Lennon & Friends doing the music of Morrissey & The Smiths. Like your music legends more subversive? Devo legend Mark Mothersbaugh is taking us on a tour of his film score work with the excellent Red Room Orchestra. 

A few other surprises include “The Women of SNL,” which, in addition to Sketchfest regular, Laraine Newman, we have rare appearances by Ellen Cleghorne (!), Julia Sweeney (!), Robin Duke (!), Cheri Oteri (!), Rachel Dratch (!), and Ana Gasteyer (!) sharing a stage which, really, is just warming my Gen-X, TV addicted heart. Panels with the creators of Doug and Futurama, as well as Smoke Show with Jodie Sweetin (A beauty pagent for comedians?), will do that, too. 

Anyways… I can go on forever. However, I digress – take a few hours to review the schedule here. Tickets go on sale for EVERYTHING this Sunday, November 16th, at 10:00 a.m. PST. 

Single of the Week: “Leftovers” by Mato Wayuhi & Black Belt Eagle Scout

We love Black Belt Eagle Scout here at Spinning Platters. She’s released 3 albums that balance between the gentle and the loud in ways that would do Neil Young very proud. She’s unafraid to push boundaries as an artist, but “Leftovers” was probably the last thing I was expecting. It’s a bright and sunny song that borders on reggae. It’s a hopeful, joyful piece. Her collaborator on this song, Mato Wayuhi, and effortless singing/rapping interplay work nicely with BBES’ delicate tones. 

Black Belt Eagle Scout is hitting the road, doing a short run of West Coast shows alongside the legendary Julie Doiron, before heading East with Wayuhi. Tickets and the schedule can be found here. 

Single of the Week: “Hundred Aces” by Noname

NICE! It’s been a bit since the last Noname track graced our eardrums. And the song she gave us? “Hundred Acres” is the kind of immediate head-nodder track that could be your guiding light through the dark winter ahead. An infectious piano riff, effortless delivery, complex rhyme schemes, a hook that rings in your head, and it’s just plain a killer track. 

“Hundred Acres” is the first release from Noname’s upcoming album, Cartoon Radio, which I’m eagerly anticipating. Until then, why not join Noname’s book club? 

How Did Black Polish Get Here?

20-Year-Old Jayden Binnix, aka Black Polish, just released their second album, YUNA, a concept album about a succubus that feeds off the souls of men. It’s pretty bonkers and amazing, and we had a wonderful chat about this record, their early work, being a non-binary artist on a major label, and, as usual, a bunch of nerdy wormholes were stumbled upon.

YUNA  is out TODAY from BMG. Stream it at your favorite DSP!

Single of the Week: “Cost Of Living” by Jewelry Exchange

There are a few musical tricks that I love more than a song that is just a continuous build-up of anxiety. “Cost Of Living” by Jewelry Exchange is *almost* that. It’s weird, because it’s both anxious AND hopeful, which is a line I keep finding myself balancing these days. It’s so bloody good, and the end? It just leaves you feeling dropped. Much like, well, life in 2025. I’m still not sure what I’m supposed to feel with this song, but I’m going to put it on again in hopes that I find it. 

“Cost of Living” is the first single off Jewelry Exchange’s upcoming album Bedazzled. You can prepare yourself for its arrival at this link. 

They’ve even blessed us with a short West Coast tour next month!

11/7: The Valley in Tacoma, WA

11/8: The Crypt in Olympia, WA

11/9: Bad Bar in Seattle, WA

11/10: Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR

11/12: The Knockout in San Francisco, CA

11/13: Thee Stork Club in Oakland, CA (SEE YOU THERE!)

11/14: Vine in Long Beach, CA