Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Afrobeat is having a serious, significant renaissance right now. So much good stuff coming out of the genre, and “Push” by Naomi Sharon is a track that has definitely been pumping the serotonin for me this week. It’s a simple, sexy, easygoing groove that feels utterly relaxed and somehow, well, “hot” at the same time. I love it.
“Push” comes from Sharon’s debut album, Obsidian. You can find it at your favorite DSP!
I’ll be frank- I miss Tilly & The Wall. There is nothing more pleasing to me than taking the art of tap dance and using it as the primary percussion instrument in pop music. Sandra Kluge is the tap dancer/vocalist that’s filling the void right now. Although Tilly gave us indie and folk rock accompanied by tap, Kluge is squarely rooted in the jazz tradition, creating a sound that may be a bit more pure but still very inventive. “Misty Rose” is a great song, with layers of beauty propelled by the tap rhythms.
“Misty Rose” can be found in all the usual places. I can’t wait for more from Sandra Kluge!
12 years ago, while wandering around Outside Lands, looking for something to enjoy, I was drawn in by a captivating Brit that I’d never heard of before that moment. Her name was Ellie Goulding, and I was mesmerized by her entire set. I’ve been wanting to recapture that joy, but also have been worried that it wouldn’t quite be the same. However, when it was announced that she would be doing a short stretch of shows backed by symphony orchestras, I decided that I needed to make this one happen.
Continue reading “Show Review: Ellie Goulding with SF Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall, 11.20.23”
Way back in 2019, I ended up seeing Phil Collins with SF Sketchfest founder David Owen, and I told him that all I wanted at SF Sketchfest was to get a reunion of The State. Well- in 2024- WE ARE GETTING THE STATE DOING A WHOLE SET OF NEVER BEFORE SEEN SKETCHES AND “MIS-FIRES”!!! WHOA! 12 year old me is SO STOKED!!!! We are also getting two different shows from The Kids In The Hall, as well as an evening with Monty Python’s Eric Idle. So the “Sketch Comedy forever warped my pubescent brain” trifecta WILL BE REPRESENTED!
On top of that, we will also get an Amber Ruffin Tribute, Paul Giamatti’s CHINWAG Podcast, Actor Michael Shannon alongside Jason Narducy doing REM’s Murmur and Reckoning albums (!), Pylon Reenactment Society which is pretty much as close as we are ever gonna get to a Pylon reunion, a return of kid’s programming with Mo Willems doing a story time with W Kamau Bell, Dulce Sloan, and Weird Al Yankovic (!), Tim Capello doing the music from The Lost Boys with the Red Room Orchestra and too much more for me to even begin to highlight. As usual, we will get our Nerd’s Guide up in early 2024. Tickets for all shows are on sale Sunday, November 19th at 10 am.
Here’s a full list of all the wonderful stuff they’ve got in store. I literally haven’t been able to take in all of it: Continue reading “SF SKETCHFEST 2024 LINE UP!”
Originally, I was 100% on board with making the single off Andre 3000’s instrumental flute record by single of the week. BUT- He didn’t drop a single by press time. So how do we one up a record where all the leads are flute? How about this fire of an exotica jam from Molly Lewis, where the primary instrument is… WHISTLING! Holy crap! This song is genius, and I don’t want to stop listening to it!
“Lounge Lizard” is the first single from On The Lips, coming your way on February 16th! You can always learn more about professional whistler Molly Lewis here. (No snark there. I legitimately think this is super rad) And, of course, if you need some wind TODAY, Andre 3000’s New Blue Sun is available to you immediately.
It’s been 15 years since Mary Timony last graced our ears with a solo record. In that time, she’s been very busy, showing off her mad guitar skills in her own band, Ex Hex, as well as out-shining fellow guitar heroes Carrie Brownstein in Wild Flag and Mark Cisneros in Hammered Hulls. The fascinating thing about “Dominoes,” the lead single from her upcoming Untame The Tiger? It’s a tight, catchy, pop-rock song. There isn’t a blazing guitar solo. It’s warm and catchy and, dare I say, hit-worthy? It’s a great song.
Untame The Tiger is due to hit your eardrums on February 23rd. Preorders are available here! She also puts on an amazing show, and tour dates can be found here!
SOUND THE ALARM! It’s time to start planning your 2024 ALREADY!!! Noise Pop dropped their Phase 1 lineup, and it goes on sale TOMORROW! Highlights include two nights of Snail Mail at Great American Music Hall (including one night with The legendary Softies opening!), The Mountain Goats are doing a stripped-down, solo acoustic set (at Grace Cathedral, of all places!), Nine Inch Nails’ (and first ever Italian to get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, in case you were wondering) Alessandro Cortini is playing Gray Area, and many other Spinning Platters favorites like Cherry Glazerr, chokecherry, Kendra Morris, Thee Sinseers, Roman Candle and more! Full lineup below! Tickets for single shows are on sale 11/10 at 10am here. A limited number of badges remain and you can grab those here!
My first thought, before I even took a chance with an artist called “King Isis,” was, “That’s an awfully brave name!” Digging deeper and learning that King Isis is named after the ancient Egyptian goddess and adding the gender play to that would definitely deeply offend that other organization that ruined the word. So, yeah, I’m already impressed. And the song? It’s a guitar-driven, slightly sludgy, yet incredibly catchy song that doesn’t remind me of anything, and it’s great. And the video is dark and weird and clearly filmed in Oakland, so it’s a bonafide win all around.
“Make It Up” is available in all the usual places. More to come, of course… And you can find all that out here!
On October 24th, 1993, my uncle brought me out to see my favorite band, Belly, as an early birthday present at The Warfield. I was *just* about to turn 13, and it was tradition for us to be taken to our first concert by our uncle. (My sister, a few years earlier, was treated with REM on the legendary Green tour. We are all pretty nerdy kids.) That was literally 30 years ago. Since then, I’ve probably gone to 100s of shows at The Warfield (especially since I worked there for a spell), and live music has essentially been a cornerstone of my life ever since. However, I wasn’t expecting to return to the place where it all started, WITH the band it started with, in time for that anniversary. On top of that, they would be supporting The Breeders! The Last Splash is a record that I know by heart, and although I never got to see them in their original go around, that record was one of my initial “Buy 5 for the price of 1” BMG record club picks! (The rest? Pork Soda by Primus, Human Wheels by John Mellencamp, Stone Free: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix, and Ramonesmania.) Continue reading “Show Review: The Breeders with Belly at The Warfield, 10/23/23”
Somehow, in the many years I’ve been doing this column, we haven’t awarded IDLES with the Single Of The Week prize. THAT CHANGES THIS WEEK! Amazingly, the politically charged UK punk band gives us a song that’s just plain fun? I genuinely appreciate music and dancing, and it’s warm and fuzzy and fills me with great joy.
“DANCER” is the first single off IDLES’ upcoming full-length record, TANGK, coming to you on February 16th. Preorders and such can be found here.
