Let’s talk about Noise Pop 2026 in San Francisco, where a lively gaggle of badge-wearing music fans and industry folks zigzag across the city each night trying to see as many shows as humanly possible in a single week. Since its founding in 1993, Noise Pop has been one of the city’s most beloved independent music festivals, built around the small venues and a musically inclined spirit that define San Francisco’s culture. What started as a modest gathering of indie and underground bands has grown into a weeklong celebration that still feels intimate, with shows scattered across rooms like Bottom of the Hill, Swedish American Hall, and Great American Music Hall. This year’s lineup carried that tradition forward, featuring artists including Jeffrey Lewis, Stephen Malkmus, Rogue Wave, illuminati hotties, Black Marble, Sun Ra Arkestra, and many more. I had the pleasure of catching several of these sets as both a writer and photography guest, bouncing between venues and soaking in that unmistakable Noise Pop energy where the whole city briefly feels like one interconnected stage. Continue reading “Noise Pop 2026: A Reminiscing…”
Category: Features
JESUS H CHRIST, LOOK AT THE OUTSIDE LANDS LINEUP!
Seriously. Look at it.
Charli XCX is finally making good on her 2020 scheduled appearance, and she’s headlining. Fuck Yes. The Strokes are playing. Wet Leg is playing. Ethel Cain. Lucy Dacus. Fucking Turnstile is going to kick us all in the heads. But only if you survive Die Spitz. What a genuinely great lineup!
There is still time to sign up for the 12pm presale TODAY. Additional ticket info here!
Noise Pop Review: The Fiery Furnaces with Spacemoth. at The Chapel, 2/26/26
I’ve seen The Fiery Furnaces just once before. Opening for The Shins at The Warfield just about 20 years ago. I was taken aback by their joyful weirdness… So many layers, and it was magic. And I’d yet to have an opportunity to see them again. So when Noise Pop added them to The Chapel, one of the most stunning spaces in SF, I jumped on tickets. Yet, I had no idea what I was in for…
Before Eleanor Friedberger and her brother Matthew, the sibling duo that leads The Fiery Furnaces, took the stage, we were treated to a rare solo performance by local psych hero Maryam Qudus. Better known by her stage name, Spacemoth.. She treated us to layers of samples and washes of guitar and synths, all played by Qudus herself. She crafted blissful pop symphonies, effectively replicating the full-band sound of her debut record, No Past No Future. Early in the set, she played “This Shit” with its chorus, “When is this shit gonna end? Gonna End?” a statement that resonates really well in the current climate.
Matthew sat at the piano, and Eleanor picked up the mic. Fiery Furnaces treated us to… An acoustic duo set! The layers were stripped away, and the songs were brought to the forefront. They played a career-spanning set, hitting almost every album. But, instead of the big, experimental songs, we got cabaret. Eleanor’s voice was in fine form tonight, sending chills at the right moments. Matthew played a delicate balance of jazz, showtunes, and pop on the piano. It was a fantastic show, despite not being the show I expected.
OUTSIDE LANDS ANNOUNCES 3/3! TICKETS ON SALE SOON!
PSST: I heard a secret from a little bison this morning:
Outside Lands is changing it up a bit this year. The biggest news? THE LINE UP IS COMING TUESDAY, MARCH 3RD. Which is GREAT for someone like me who is very impatient and likes planning early.
Second? No Eager Beaver. Nobody will be able to buy tickets until after the lineup drops. Instead, there will be a Loyalty Sale starting March 3rd at noon (presale signup here by Tuesday, March 3 at 11:00am PT to receive their Loyalty Presale code). Then, a Ranger Presale starts at noon on March 4th (Signup for the Ranger Presale remains open here, through Tuesday, March 3 at 4:00 pm PT).
Additionally, Outside Lands is pleased to offer a Chase Presale exclusively to Chase cardholders beginning Tuesday, March 3 at 12 pm PT and running through Thursday, March 5 at 11:45 am PT via sfoutsidelands.com. Signup is not required.
The General On Sale begins Thursday, March 5, at 12 pm PT, with tickets available to the public while supplies last via sfoutsidelands.com.
This is a lot. I know. But it’s exciting. And, always, three days in Golden Gate Park is amazing. So get your layers packed, your sunscreen and dancing shoes ready for August 7-9 for another amazing Outside Lands.
Noise Pop Review: Death Valley Girls, Forty Feet Tall, Grooblen at Kilowatt, 2/23/26
Photos by Emily Anderson
You know how some venues seem to have the right “vibe,” and you can feel the fun as you walk in? It seems that the classic Mission District bar, Kilowatt, has that energy. Because there was an intense joy that I felt from the moment I walked in. To my right was the perfect long bar with silly things behind it, including Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I understand why the folks of Noise Pop have gone all in on this space. And with the loss of Thee Parkside and the impending death of Bottom Of The Hill, I felt optimistic that SF won’t be without a small rock n roll venue. I bought a $15 cocktail that was a very strong pint of Mexican Mule because it seemed right, and the price was clearly right, and from a time long ago in SF. I window shopped the merch, and then found a spot right in front of the stage, ready for some rock n roll. Continue reading “Noise Pop Review: Death Valley Girls, Forty Feet Tall, Grooblen at Kilowatt, 2/23/26”
Noise Pop 2026: Spinning Platters Tells You What To Do
Noise Pop is celebrating its 33rd iteration, and it’s 34th year (DAMMIT COVID!), which means it’s the 33 1/3 Noise Pop. Not really, but I prefer to label it as such. Because of records. But it could also take 33 1/3 years to dig through the lineup. Feeling like some Noise Pop (or, as Swami John Reis referred to it at Bimbo’s in 1999, “popping noise music”) but don’t want to do the work? Here’s what I like. The full schedule is here. Badges and limited individual tickets are still available for many shows.
Continue reading “Noise Pop 2026: Spinning Platters Tells You What To Do”
MOSSWOOD MELTDOWN 2026 LINEUP IS BONKERS!!!!!
My partner and I named our kid after Corin Tucker. Once the doctors and nurses cleared the room, on the day they were born, we decided we needed to sing them a song. After being awake for like 36 hours, there was only one song we could remember the words to. That song? “The KKK Took My Baby Away.” That hospital? Kaiser in Oakland. It was magic. Today, Mosswood Meltdown released a lineup that brings this all full circle. Because The Return Of Jackie & Judy is a Ramones cover band comprising of Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, plus Toko Yasuda of St Vincent on bass, and Fred Armisen of Trenchmouth on drums, playing directly across the street from the very hospital I first sang a Ramones song to my Corin.
Oh yeah, and there’s like Iggy Pop, Bikini Kill, Otoboke Beaver, The Dead Milkmen, Scowl, and SO MANY MORE AMAZING BANDS. And of course, it’s being hosted by the legendary John Waters. Tickets on sale NOW!
MOSSWOOD MELTDOWN PREPARTY! PAVEMENT, WEDNESDAY, VIVIAN GIRLS TAKE OVER MOSSWOOD PARK
We are waiting patiently for our good friends to unveil the Mosswood Meltdown 2026 line-up. In the meantime, they tossed a fun little surprise our way! The night before Mosswood, they are bringing us a pretty impressive, stacked indie rock line-up: the delicious Sonic Youth meets classic country of Wednesday, the return of power pop legends Vivian Girls, and headlining is the pride of Stockton, PAVEMENT! All hosted by John Waters.
Tickets are on sale NOW! $99 for GA, $165 for VIP (with special viewing area and ins & outs), and those prices are fee-inclusive!
I CAN’T WAIT FOR JULY!!!
Film Feature: Carrie’s Top 10 Films of 2025
With Oscar nominations announced in just a few short weeks on January 22nd, Spinning Platters closes out the year by weighing in with our own Best Films of 2025! Check out fellow critic Chad Liffmann’s Top 20 here, and read on below for my Top 10:
Way back in March, I boldly predicted that this understated but powerful film would secure a spot on my Top 10 list. Despite the many outstanding movies that followed since then, I always remembered this well-told, empathetic story about loneliness, unexpected connections, and found family. Released early in the year, the picture seems to have been forgotten at awards time, which is unfortunate. It deserves a wide audience.
Continue reading “Film Feature: Carrie’s Top 10 Films of 2025”
Film Feature: Chad’s Top 20 Films of 2025
What a sneaky good, but not great, movie year. 2025 was full of major blockbuster disappointments (Mickey 17, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Tron: Ares, The Running Man, Wicked For Good) and a few five-star masterpieces. But there was a plethora of three-and-a-half to four-star fare, some good and some great, that made moviegoing a memorable experience. The honorable mentions will be many this year, but here’s my ranked list of the twenty best films of 2025:
20. FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES
The sixth film in a series is rarely, if ever, as good as, if not better, than all previous installments. Bloodlines refreshed the ‘90s horror franchise in inventive new ways, killing off a plethora of death-cheaters.
19. THE NAKED GUN
Pure comedies can still be good, and still make money! The reboot of The Naked Gun had some of the funniest lines of the year, and produced the rare pleasure of joining in raucous laughter with a moviegoing audience. Continue reading “Film Feature: Chad’s Top 20 Films of 2025”