Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
With hands thrown in the air and fists slapping the sky, fans of all ages bobbed along, banging heads to the “ultra heavy beat” at the Masquerade in Atlanta on March 6, 2024.
KMFDM opened its 40th anniversary tour with the first track off the 2022 release, Hyëna.
Continue reading “KMDFM celebrates 40 years of kickin’ ass in Atlanta with start of LET GO tour”
The Kung Fu Panda franchise has been a reliable family-friendly brand since the first film was released in 2008, spawning three sequels and a few television series. What could be more thrilling than adorable animals displaying kung fu moves if you’re a child? And for adults, kinetic animated action sequences and efficient running times are welcome. Despite the noticeable absence of some major characters, Kung Fu Panda 4 continues the series’ consistent level of fun, once again embracing its charismatic central protagonist while featuring abundant colorful fight sequences.
We, the music nerds of Spinning Platters, love K.Flay (aka Kristine Flaherty). So much so that after I submitted Mono as one of my top 3 albums of 2023, she not only made the final top ten (as voted by all of us), but she won the whole damn thing! Despite all of this, I had only seen her perform twice: once opening for Imagine Dragons and once at a LoveLoud festival in Salt Lake City. So when I saw that she was going to be playing back-to-back shows at a tiny SF venue, I jumped at the chance to finally see K. Flay headline a show! Continue reading “Show Review: K.Flay with Cam Kahin at The Independent, 3/27/24”
Sometimes disparate elements can come together and make something more beautiful than you’d ever expect. “Moving” by Bay Area-based dream-popsters Torrey is equal parts dreamy and loud in all the right ways, making for a perfectly head swimmy 3:39 that will satisfy your need to disconnect from the horrors of reality while still helping you thrive within those horrors.
Torrey’s self-titled full-length is out March 8th on Slumberland Records. Preordering can be done here. They are also playing the stacked Oakland Weekender at Thee Stork Club, happening June 6th – 8th, alongside twee legends #poundsign#, All Girl Summer Fun Band, Seablite, Kids On A Crime Spree, and many, many more.
When Denis Villeneuve first revealed that his adaptation of Dune was going to be divided into two parts (kept relatively secret for some reason until the first part’s release in 2021), the news was somewhat disappointing. Was the justification for two parts simply another studio cash grab? Would the first part contain enough story to justify its existence? The answer, as you may know, was that Dune: Part One blew away everyone’s expectations, establishing Villeneuve’s vision as unique, monumental, and cinematically astounding. The stakes were high for Dune: Part Two, since Part One was a critical and box office success and even made a push for the Best Picture Oscar (which it lost to CODA, yeesh). Now Dune: Part Two has finally arrived after a long delay due to the WGA strike last year, and it’s a masterpiece. The new film expands upon the original’s narrative scope, delivering nearly three hours of stunning visual storytelling and character arcs, placing it among the best sci-fi epics of the last fifty years, and making it perhaps one of the greatest sequels in cinema history.
Following in his big brother Joel’s footsteps, Ethan Coen steps outside the pair’s successful filmmaking partnership with Drive-Away Dolls, his first solo narrative feature. Unfortunately, Ethan doesn’t do as well as his brother did with his 2021 award-winning The Tragedy of Macbeth. Drive-Away Dolls probably won’t win any awards, but it’s a serviceable, if mostly forgettable, attempt at a retro, low-brow comedy.
Isobel Campbell’s first release since the passing of her longtime collaborator, Mark Lanegan, is really surprising. It’s an immensely bright and sunny single, and it just feels good to listen to. It might be the single most energetic release of Campbell’s career, and I am ALL IN. This is an exciting release, and I’m eager to hear the rest of this record.
“4316” is the first single from Bow To Love, coming your way on May 17th. Preorders are happening here!
OMG! This song is so heavy that I need extra creatine to listen to it. Brennan Wedl, a recent addition to the Kill Rock Stars roster, has brought “Kudzu,” named for the invasive vine that destroys native plants. And this song is so blistering, it’s almost dangerous. Lyrically, it’s a reflection on religion and what it’s like to be raised in something you don’t believe in, which is also infinitely relatable.
I can’t wait to hear more from Wedl. This track can be found in all the usual places.
(Photos by Dakin Hardwick)
I am a new fan of Jamila Woods, having just discovered her through Spinning Platters’ intense and wonderful Album of the Year process, and I’m so glad I did. Jamila Woods is an amazing writer, and her music fills the soul. On the stormiest Sunday California has seen in a long time, I trekked through the almost deserted streets of San Francisco in the hopes that music would take away the wet and soggy feelings I’d had all weekend. Continue reading “Show Review: Jamila Woods with Madison McFerrin at August Hall, 2/4/24”
There is something about the cartoon series Avatar: The Last Airbender, almost twenty years old now, that was always unusual. Aside from being coined the first American Anime, it was nothing like any other cartoon on Nickelodeon or any other station for that matter. Taking place in a completely fictional world made up of societies and lands corresponding to the four main elements: Earth, Fire, Air, and Water, the story was a continuous adventure full of growth that built to a huge climax at the end of three seasons. But the most startling aspect of this story, for something supposedly targeted at kids, was that it was rampant with extremely adult themes, such as war, genocide, loss, and conflict. But at no point was the plot relegated to hopelessness. There was an idea of balance woven into the fabric of the story’s DNA. Countering all the negative hardships the characters have to live through, there was a cornucopia of warm moments popping up and bursting in the episodes, full of love, hope, friendship, laughter, caring for your fellow person, and fighting for what is right. Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Bracing The Elements: Avatar The Last Airbender Podcast Live at The Great Star Theater, 1/28/24”
