Category: Features

SF MusicTech Summit 7: Why Attend and How to Save on Admission

In less than a week, the seventh installment of the biggest and best day-long music technology conference to ever grace the Bay Area will take place on Monday, December 6th at Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco’s Japantown district. If you’re an artist, music journalist, or involved in any facet of the industry, then you certainly don’t want to miss out on the sessions or, quite frankly, the abundance of opportunities to network and learn from some of the leaders and innovators in this space. After the jump, find out more about the event and how you can save money simply by being a reader of Spinning Platters…

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Staff Picks from Treasure Island Music Festival – Sunday 10/17/2010

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Monotonix did not get the memo on the San Francisco weather

I sent out an email to everyone from Spinning Platters that went to the Treasure Island Music Festival on Sunday. I asked them to send me back something about their favorite act from the day. From some people, I got nothing, but from nearly everyone who responded, I got the same news. Belle & Sebastian was their favorite act.  So you’re about to read mainly a Belle & Sebastian love-fest, and look at a whole lot of pictures of Monotonix. And other than the rainy, windy, cold conditions and some energetic sets from Surfer Blood, Superchunk and Rogue Wave, that’s my biggest takeaway, too. Continue reading “Staff Picks from Treasure Island Music Festival — Sunday 10/17/2010”

Day 1 of Treasure Island Music Festival 2010 – Instant Band Reviews

Nick Offer of !!! wants you to read this now!

Sure, one could write hundreds of words about each band on the bill at the Treasure Island Music Festival, but then the entire comment section would be filled with a lot of “tl;dr” comments, which aren’t much fun. And I could write a “best-of” post, which basically translates to “I took a nap during Jamaica’s set.” Instead, in the tradition of our fan-favorite Instant Album Reviews columns, I instantly review Saturday Treasure Island Music Festival, with the help of some great photos from David Price. Continue reading “Day 1 of Treasure Island Music Festival 2010 — Instant Band Reviews”

The Insiders’ Guide to the Treasure Island Music Festival (Updated for 2010)

No, I'm not sure how to get to where this picture was taken.
Still no idea how to get to where this picture was taken.

(This post is about a year old, but I’ve made some updates for 2010)

This weekend’s Treasure Island Music Festival has quickly become my favorite musical event of the year. There are no conflicting set times, so you can see everyone on the bill. The size of the festival is fairly small, so it’s easy to get around. The setting in the middle of San Francisco Bay is absolutely stunning. And something about all of these combine to keep the people going in a relaxed, pleasant mood that makes being there all the more enjoyable.

Now, you might think going to this festival is as easy as hopping in your car and going to the festival to enjoy some music, but you’d be wrong. Read on, and I’ll teach you how to avoid rookie mistakes. Continue reading “The Insiders’ Guide to the Treasure Island Music Festival (Updated for 2010)”

Channel Surf the Blogosphere for the latest tracks with Shuffler.fm

Go ahead. Don't be shy. Select a genre and get going.

It seems like every other week, a new music service is launched with the intention of being the ultimate, one-stop “music discovery tool.” Truth be told, any savvy music aficionado will own up to the fact that they use at least two or more tools to find, stream, and download new and classic music alike.

Since there’s always the promise of “the next big thing” looming, whether it’s the rather failed impact Ping (the social extension of iTunes 10) had on consumers or Google’s forthcoming music service that’s reportedly making a grand debut on Christmas day, I decided to spend some time with Shuffler.fm, which I discovered through a feature on Mashable, to see if it’s something I’d actually use on a consistent basis. The answer, quite surprisingly, is “yes” and “daily.”

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Flux Summit 004: How to get your music licensed in video games, film, and television

This past Thursday, I attended the fourth installment of Flux Summit – a free, single-evening event that unites up-and-coming electronic and hip hop artists with professionals for an open discussion on the evolving dynamics of the industry. Hosted at Pyramind Studios, the session featured three panelists doling out expert advice on how you can get your music licensed in television shows, video games, and film.

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In Defense Of: The New Lilith Tour

Once upon a time, in the late 90’s, a struggling singer-songwriter was finding it difficult to get her music heard. She was too edgy for Adult Contemporary radio, but too light for Alternative Rock radio. She also noticed that both of these genres were awfully male-centric. So, her solution was to find a group of like-minded female musicians and take them on the road with her. The basic idea is that there is strength in numbers, and with the marketing push of several artists, it could be good for everyone, much like Lollapalooza managed to accomplish in the early 90’s. That artist was Sarah McLachlan, and the tour was called The Lilith Fair, named after Adam’s first wife. Continue reading “In Defense Of: The New Lilith Tour”

The Top 4 Reasons you should attend High Sierra Music Festival

The twentieth Annual High Sierra Music Festival, which takes place in Quincy, CA, is almost upon us and if you’re still seeking out plans for the long weekend of July 4th, then you should consider heading up to the mountainous town located eighty miles North of Reno to experience four days of music, exercise, workshops, parades and much, much, more.

Formed in 1991, the family-oriented, kid-friendly festival attracts between 7,000 – 8,000 attendees as well as a myriad of influential music acts that span across neo-hippie jam band-friendly genres including roots rock, electronica, afrobeat, jazz, bluegrass, and funk. There’s a lot of entertaining options offered up on the Plumas Sierra Fairgrounds to consider so without further ado, here are the top four reasons you should attend High Sierra Music Festival (HSMF)…

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SFIFF Film Review: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with Stephin Merritt at Castro Theater, 5/4/10

Oh Captain Nemo, you know how to bring the crazy!

Although I knew nothing about the silent film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I had high expectations for this evening, all of which were piled on Stephin Merritt’s shoulders.  His amazing ability to craft the perfect quirky pop song seemed well suited to the project: creating a live score to a silent film.  This is a mainstay of the San Francisco International Film Festival, after last year’s The Lost World with Dengue Fever, and I’m very happy it is.  It is a great opportunity for a songwriter/composer to showcase his song-craft and experiment, but composing almost 2 hours of music that will enhance someone else’s work? It’s a tall order for even the most talented and interesting songwriter. Continue reading “SFIFF Film Review: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with Stephin Merritt at Castro Theater, 5/4/10”

The Music Room SF International Film Festival

Of all the movies playing at the San Francisco International Film Festival Jalsaghar (The Music Room) was what I wanted to see most.

An Indian film from 1958 that has been recently restored is not your usual popcorn popping movie. It’s more of a privilege to see and everything about my experience was just that. Continue reading “The Music Room SF International Film Festival”