Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
The summer blockbuster movies season is still a few weeks away, but in the interim two very different smaller pictures featuring female protagonists open today. Are they worth seeing? Read on to find out!
Continue reading “Film Reviews: “Babes” and “Back to Black””
Yes. I consider myself a fan of “punk rock.” But I will admit I’ve spent very little time with this decade’s reigning punk rock kings. It’s not to say that I’ve completely avoided them- I definitely adore their aesthetic and agree with their stance of what is essentially “aggressive positivity in the face of oppression.” It’s a group of five white guys with guitars that seem to be fully aware of their privilege and what to do with it. I like that. It’s just, well, there is so much quality music out there being created that I will often simply disregard anything by “five white guys” as something that I don’t need.
That being said, IDLES live proved that I’ve been missing something magnificent this entire time. Opening their set with the intensely atmospheric “IDEA 01,” I still wasn’t sure what to expect. This really wasn’t “punk,” as I have known it in the past. It was clearly something “new,” and I am here for it.
The band spent the next literal two hours going in and out of shadows onstage, with guitarist Lee Kiernan periodically flinging himself off stage. Singer Joe Talbot danced like the drunkest uncle at the wedding while dryly uttering the most profound lyrics I’ve heard in a long time. Despite being on tour to promote this year’s TANGK, they pulled equitably from their entire catalog, all while speaking about positivity and pushing for a Free Palestine (including donning a “Free Palestine!” hat thrown from the crowd, which Talbot said something along the lines of “this message is worth getting lice for”) Not long after this comment, we ended up with an a capella rendition of Mariah Carey’s classic “All I Want For Christmas (Is You),” always unexpected, but much less expected in May.
Anyway, that was a lovely, sweaty good time. I even tripped over Lars Ulrich, of all people, who was dancing and singing along and enjoying himself a great deal without any attention being brought to his presence. It was a lovely time, and I expect this band to share a lovely time with folks for many years.
Review by: Alan Ralph @AlanHasPicks
Cover photo by: Jim Louvau @jimlouvau
“It’s gonna sound like Slayer without it being Slayer.” (Paul Bostaph, August 27, 2020, Metal Injection)
“[O]f course it’s gonna sound like Slayer; I wrote 90% of the last record [Repentless].” (Kerry King, May 13, 2024, Revolver)
After an eighteen-month ‘final’ tour, Slayer called it quits on November 30, 2019, and it surprised absolutely no one that Kerry King would be back. Even the guitar picks that he threw out from the stage every night on the final tour said: Kerry King will be “Reborn” in “2020”.
Continue reading “Kerry King (of Slayer) ‘From Hell I Rise’”
Man. Summer keeps getting busier and busier!! Stern Grove just announced its 2024 lineup, and it’s EPIC!!! Opening weekend, June 23rd, has Tegan and Sara with SP faves King Isis opening. Other highlights include Chicano Batman on the 30th, The freakin’ COMMODORES on July 17th, Alex G with another SP favorite, Fake Fruit on August 4th, Herbie Hancock gets the “competing with Outside Lands” slot of August 11th, and closing out the whole thing is a full weekend with Sylvan Esso & Poolside on August 24th and Chaka Khan on August 25th.
Tickets are FREE, but you’ve got to RSVP to get in. RSVPs open EXACTLY one month ahead of time at 2 p.m., so the June 23rd show goes up on May 23rd at 2 p.m., the June 30th show goes up on May 30th at 2 p.m., etc. You can grab those tickets and purchase a picnic table at SternGrove.org.
Full schedule:
I was looking for a good single-of-the-week contender, and there have been quite a few. But I wanted to check out the new Hinds before committing to something. When I went to search for it, this track came up. I rarely give Macklemore much time, although I always appreciate him. That being said, I wasn’t expecting THIS. Of all the major traumas in this world, folks are struggling to make any big, bold statements about the treatment of the Palestinian people. “HIND’S HALL” is that. I have yet to hear such a bold, heartfelt, earnest track. This song needs to be everywhere. We will be studying these lyrics for generations to come.
“HIND’S HALL” can be streamed in all the usual places. The single’s proceeds are being donated to UNRWA, so stream often.
I put this track on and was immediately entranced by this voice. I hear the phrase “honey-soaked” used rather liberally, but Victoria Bigelow sounds like sonic honey. But within the sweetness is rich, emotionally dense delivery. And the lyrics? “Going Blue” is such a vivid autobiographical tale of addiction that is both personal and widely relatable. This one is a stunner. I expect tears when I finally get to see her live.
“Going Blue” is a track off Bigelow’s upcoming release, Songs For No One, Vol 2, out May 10th!
Loosely based on the 1980s television series starring Lee Majors, The Fall Guy is an ode to stunt work. Stunt teams have been providing the thrills of action sequences since the era of silent movies and Buster Keaton, to the present day Mission: Impossible and Fast and Furious franchises. Director David Leitch, who has helmed numerous stunt-centric projects, such as Atomic Blonde, Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, and he even co-directed the first John Wick, is the perfect figure to pay homage to the stunt profession. In doing so, The Fall Guy is also properly kicking off the 2024 summer movie season. The movie highlights movie stars, aka the beautiful celebrities recognized worldwide, as much as it highlights stuntmen and stuntwomen, aka those who likely aren’t recognized anywhere. It wouldn’t work without two top-of-their-game A-list actors with incredible chemistry, and it wouldn’t work without great stunt work. The Fall Guy has all the ingredients of an escapist popcorn flick, and rises to the occasion. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Fall Guy””
Many years ago, there was a Saturday Night Live sketch about a DJ who refused to let the beat drop. It was presented as a bad thing, but I kept imagining a song where the tension continuously builds without release and thought- “YES!” And Nilüfer Yanya does it on “Like I Say (I runaway),” and it’s better than I could imagine.
This also means that Nilüfer Yanya is active again, and I can’t WAIT for the rest of the album, a tour, and everything else. For now, you can enjoy “Like I Say (I runaway)” in all the usual places.
There’s a LOT of music out there. I try to take as much of it as possible and be present with whatever is going on right now. BUT- sometimes you miss something. I really loved the dance-punk movement of the ’00s and saw Peaches and Gossip and Lovemakers many times over, like my fellow Xennials did during the Bush years. However, with all my nights logged at Popscene, I never actually sunk into the joys of Brazil’s CSS. And I certainly never got to see them live. Luckily, I can finally live my 20s the way I wish I did and get to see CSS live. North American tour dates begin a week from today in Washington, DC! And, yes, I will see you at The Independent on May 14th—tickets for all dates at cssmusic.club.
Please remember to wear sensible shoes and drink plenty of water.
My initial “hot take” on the Outside Lands 2024 lineup? It’s by far and away the most interesting and diverse of the 2024 “big fests.” First, the top line… Not only do we have Tyler, The Creator, one of the most intriguing acts in all of hip hop, as well as modern New Wave hitmakers, The Killers, we’ve got Sturgill Simpson, a leader of the modern Outlaw Country movement, and an all-around unexpected twist. He also hasn’t done a headlining tour since the plague broke out! Below him? Well, an All-Country set from Post Malone, a very rare performance by the legendary Grace Jones, and the folks behind SubPop’s selling record, The Postal Service. What else am I excited about? Well, there’s the Regina George herself, Renee Rapp. Shoegaze innovators Slowdive. Killer Mike. Tyla, of course, will help us remember to hydrate. Punkers Men I Trust will be there despite the fact that there aren’t any. Australian punks Amyl & The Sniffers for a little danger element. SP favorites K. Flay and Corinne Bailey Rae are both hot off the best records of their storied careers. And for those who need some UK Twee with a side of UK goth, there’s The Last Dinner Party. And, most importantly, if you need someone to throw your underwear at, Idris Elba is, indeed, DJ’ing the SOMA Stage, which has been moved outside because, for those who went last year, we really did blow the roof off the sucker.
Tickets are on sale 4/24 at 10 am for GA, GA+, VIP, and, of course, the super swank Golden Gate Club, which I SWEAR I’ll visit someday. More fest details here, and the lineup is below the jump: Continue reading “OUTSIDE LANDS 2024 LINE UP DROP!!!!”
