Features – Page 13 – Spinning Platters

Outside Lands 2018: 48 Hours After The Line Up Dropped

It’s the same story every festival: In the days and weeks leading up to the line up announcement, people try to predict the line up. Then folks get their hopes set super high with some imaginary Beatles / Smiths / Talking Heads / Mozart & Salieri reunion, and then nothing else is ever good enough. Then they complain about how it’s never as good as it was in 2013, or 2009, or 2017, or whenever that time you last complained about how bad the line up was.

As expected, the internet was flooded with complaints about the 2018 line-up, which goes on sale today at 10am. If you want to experience pure frustration, feel free to peruse the Outside Lands’ Reddit page. I, however, believe that this might actually be one of the most exciting and riskiest Outside Lands bill yet.

Here’s why: Continue reading “Outside Lands 2018: 48 Hours After The Line Up Dropped”

Film Feature: SFFILM 2018 Festival Spotlights #1

61st annual San Francisco International Film Festival opens this Wednesday, April 4th

The 61st annual San Francisco International Film Festival begins this Wednesday, April 4th, and will run almost two weeks, until Thursday, April 17th. This year’s Festival features 186 films from over 40 countries, and will include eight world premieres, five North American premieres, and six U.S. premieres. Of special note is that over a third of this year’s selected films are directed by women. Tickets and more information about films and programs can be found here.

To help you plan your Fest schedule, we’ll start you off here with five Festival film spotlights (three narrative features and two documentaries). And be sure to bookmark Spinning Platters and check back frequently, as we’ll have more coverage throughout the Festival.

Continue reading “Film Feature: SFFILM 2018 Festival Spotlights #1”

In Defense Of: No Jack White, The White Stripes Weren’t “Like A Solo Project”

I’ve been a fan of Jack White for a while now… While working at Wherehouse Music in the early ‘00s, I made sure we were the first chain store to stock The White Stripes in the Bay Area, and I’ve been following White’s career closely ever since. And, yes, he’s a little idiosyncratic. He can be a bit of a jerk. Heck, he took his kids out of a school because his arch rival, Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, also sent his kids there! But, despite these quirks, I’ve always had a bit of respect for him. He always elevated female musicians, especially female side players. Most importantly, he would always defend his original drummer, Meg White.

Well, he always did, until now. Continue reading “In Defense Of: No Jack White, The White Stripes Weren’t “Like A Solo Project””

Noise Pop Show Review: Nilbog with Chaki at Rickshaw Stop, 2/26/2018

I’d like you to close your eyes for a moment and think of the nerdiest concert you can imagine. What do you see when you do this? Apocalyptica Plays Metallica by Four Cellos? The Fair Maidens Play Iron Maiden by Four Ukuleles? Queensryche doing Operation Mindcrime AND Operation Mindcrime 2? Well, my fellow music nerds, I am here to report that I have a concert nerdier than my wildest dreams, and it was wonderful.

Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: Nilbog with Chaki at Rickshaw Stop, 2/26/2018”

Noise Pop Review:Too Much Johnson and Oddsac

Too much Johnson in my Oddsac

Joseph Cotton shows absolutely no respect for his suit.

Let me say right here, at the outset of this double review, that I had no intention of deliberately pairing Too Much Johnson and Oddsac together for any comedic purposes. Yes, it’s very easy to “put too much Johnson into the oddsac” or snickeringly flippant to say something like “too much Johnson, the story of oddsac’s life.” Nope, not having it. You can’t pin it on me. Sure, accuse me of being wildly naive, but when I looked through the film offerings when the Noisepop 2018 schedule was released, I picked these two purely for what I thought was their cinematic possibilities. Too bad the best things about these two offerings are the many jokes that can be made from their titles.

Continue reading “Noise Pop Review:Too Much Johnson and Oddsac“

Film Feature: Spinning Platters Heads to the 2018 Cinequest Film Festival

Maverick Spirit Award recipient Nicolas Cage

This week marks the beginning of one of California’s favorite film festivals, San Jose’s Cinequest. Running from 2/27 – 3/11 in a series of South Bay venues, this year Cinequest will present 229 feature and short films, including 74 world premieres over its two-week span. And you know what else? Nic Cage is going to be there.

Continue reading “Film Feature: Spinning Platters Heads to the 2018 Cinequest Film Festival”

Film Feature: Carrie and Chris Pick the 2018 Oscars

Film critics Carrie and Chris on who will – and who should – win the 90th Academy Awards

The 90th Academy Awards air this Sunday, March 4th on ABC at 5:00 pm PST (pre-show festivities start well before, if you want to weigh in on Oscar fashions). Spinning Platters film critics Carrie Kahn and Chris Piper share their predictions – and hopes – for the major categories, and discuss their reasoning for six of the biggest categories in the podcast below. Will there be another Moonlight/La La Land fiasco? Tune in on Sunday to find out – and to see how we – and you – do on the big night!

Continue reading “Film Feature: Carrie and Chris Pick the 2018 Oscars”

Noise Pop Review: The Album Leaf, Vákoum, Indy Nyles at Swedish American Hall, 2/23/18

I’ll start by telling you that I have The Album Leaf’s emblem tattooed on the inside of my right wrist. Let’s just say, my love for their music runs deep, and my respect for them as musicians is significant. I’ve been able to see them perform live several times over the years, each time special and important to me – and Friday night’s show was everything I wanted. From the opening acts until the last note of “Lights” at the end of the evening, it was intimate, emotionally powerful, and beautifully passionate.

Beginning the evening was Indy Nyles, with a compact-but-complex set up on a table in front of the stage. It was an interesting dynamic to be on the same level as the performer, with no barrier to audience members seeing every cord connected, each individual button and key selected. I was impressed with his ability to capture the audience’s attention, forming a quiet energy while building and layering the arcs of his music.

Continue reading “Noise Pop Review: The Album Leaf, Vákoum, Indy Nyles at Swedish American Hall, 2/23/18”

Noise Pop Review: Amy Shark, BOWER, MILCK at The Independent, 2/21/18

Last night’s performances were raw, emotional, and beautiful. You know that feeling you get when someone chooses to open up to you, sharing a personal experience that may have hurt them deeply, but also helped shape them into who they are? All of the performers chose to open themselves up to a room full of strangers, connecting us to each other with emotive lyrics and personal stories of the human heart – both in their song lyrics, and in the backstories while introducing the next song. Continue reading “Noise Pop Review: Amy Shark, BOWER, MILCK at The Independent, 2/21/18”

Noise Pop Review: Jay Electronica, Michael Armstead, Sylvan LaCue at Mezzanine, 2/20/19

I walked into Mezzanine as the DJ played My Neck, My Back, and I saw the smallish crowd of early arrivals start to dance to the familiar song. The DJ transitioned to other fun, nostalgia-inducing songs, the crowd grew, and energy started to fill the room.

Continue reading “Noise Pop Review: Jay Electronica, Michael Armstead, Sylvan LaCue at Mezzanine, 2/20/19”