Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Although many of our friends will be hanging out at SXSW this week, we’ve still got plenty of good times in store. Time to enjoy our deserted city and enjoy a few shows without crazy crowds.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/12/15-3/18/15”
Let’s get what’s good about this movie out of the way quickly. It won’t take long. The effects are amazing. It’s incredible to think about how far we’ve come with effects, where you can watch a robot walk, talk and fight, and never for a moment think that it’s just a CGI creation. The visual effects team nailed it, and I would be absolutely OK with them winning whatever awards, or garnering any accolades, because they deserve it. Holy crap. The rest of the movie? I can’t believe I made it to the end.
Maybe it’s weird to be excited to stalk your favorite local band to Texas, but what can I say? I’m pretty weird and I have a long history of practically stalking The Velvet Teen. So what if it’s been almost 5 years since they’ve released any music? Unfortunately, that has kind of been their pattern since I discovered them in 2001, so why would I lose my faith now? The real question is, how do I convince you to have the same faith that this is where you should spend your precious SXSW time? I think the only way is to take you through, step by step, of how this band has changed, and been great every part of the way. Continue reading “Countdown to SXSW: The Velvet Teen”
Here’s a tough one. I have no idea if I’m a fan of Big Data or Joywave. Maybe I’m a fan of both. What I do know is that their single, “Dangerous,” has been on heavy rotation for me since the first time I heard it blasting out of my car’s speakers on Live 105. The main riff is just so driving and infectious, the wandering drums that punctuate the beats are addictive, and the vocal melody fits perfectly. So who do I actually like? Big Data or Joywave? Let’s figure that out together. Continue reading “Countdown to SXSW: Big Data and/or Joywave”
Watching bands get announced for SXSW is always fun. These giant lists, featuring hundreds of bands each, get released, and if you’ve heard of a handful of them before seeing the list, you deserve a prize. So what I do is start throwing the bands that sound promising into a giant playlist, and weed these thousand-or-so bands into a few dozen. Then I add them to My Schedule on the SXSW site, and as their showcases get announced, the website sorts them by time and date for me. Thanks, website! Continue reading “Countdown to SXSW: Sorting Out an Eight Band Clash”
Today, Will Butler released his debut solo album, Policy. Longtime Arcade Fire fans have vastly differing opinions on the less famous Butler brother. Some think of him as a coattail rider, acting like a spaz on stage with a band with which he has no business being on stage. Others, such as myself, look at him as an important multi-instrumentalist and bringer of manic energy. His behavior in the early days was crazy, even a little scary, and I’ve always enjoyed him. What he’s done with his solo career is a surprise by any estimation. Continue reading “Countdown to SXSW Music 2015: Will Butler”
In our first countdown to SXSW post, we celebrate the amazing pairing of Spoon and Charles Bradley, who will be playing back-to-back at Auditorium Shores on March 19th. The shows here are free to everyone, although anyone without a SXSW credential needs to pick up a guest pass in advance. Now, on to the music! Continue reading “Countdown to SXSW Music 2015: Spoon and Charles Bradley at Auditorium Shores”
I love a good con man movie. My favorites are The Sting, The Spanish Prisoner, House of Games, and Diggstown. Each of these movies features both the players in the film being conned as well as the audience. Focus doesn’t enter the realm of classic cinema, but it’s stylish, fun, and full of joyous reveals. Everything else I’m about to say is unnecessary exposition. Who wants to know the details of a good con?
What’s the best music venue in San Francisco? Ask this question in a crowd of concert junkies, and everyone will have a different answer. Then mention Swedish American Hall to them, and you’ll probably hear something like “Oh that place was so great!” And it was, it is, and will continue to be, as the fine folks at Noise Pop have taken over events curation there, and will be bringing their taste to what was always the most tasteful place for music in the entire city. This is like a euphoria of tastefulness. And last night’s kickoff event with Ben Gibbard and Zach Rogue was just the beginning. Continue reading “Noise Pop 2015 Has Arrived, and It’s Brought the Best Music Venue in the City With It”
The 87th Academy Awards air this Sunday, February 22nd on ABC at 5:00pm PST (red carpet coverage begins at 4:00, if you want to dish on fashion highs and lows). There are some tight races this year – Best Picture and Best Actor are especially hard to call. Here are Carrie and Chad’s predictions – and hopes – for the major categories:
Continue reading “Film Feature: Carrie and Chad Pick the Oscars”