Spinning Platters – Page 219 – Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds

Spinning Platters Interview: Andrew W.K. on Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg

Andrew W.K. with Marky Ramone, playing this Saturday at The Independent

This Saturday night, a ridiculously fun show is coming to The Independent in San Francisco. Marky Ramone, former drummer of New York punk legends The Ramones, has tapped Andrew W.K., professional partier, to sing Ramones classics with his band. Because this might be the most incredible concept in the history of fun, we decided we needed to talk to Andrew W.K. about it. Our conversation touches on the brilliance of simplicity, and I also ask him for some marriage advice.

Gordon: Are you just preparing for the tour right now? Are you in rehearsals?

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Show Review: Fiona Apple and Blake Mills at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, 10/8/2013

Fiona Apple & Blake Mills played anything they wanted at Zellerbach Hall

Fiona Apple isn’t interested in how anyone thinks she looks. I know because when I found myself back on my alma mater’s campus at Zellerbach Hall earlier this evening, she said she was on “the tip of ‘don’t fuck with people for how they look.'” Whether this is because she recently asked security to remove an audience member in Portland for heckling her appearance, or because she’s heard controversy over her waif-like physique since her “Criminal” video circa 1996, I don’t know. What I do know, though, is that none of that matters much to me. I didn’t go out this evening to gawk at a skinny woman, nor to speculate on why she’s thin. I went to hear her sing, because she’s a strange, dark little songbird that sings a haunted melody, and I wanted to experience it live. I didn’t know of Blake Mills, with whom Apple shared the stage, but I liked that they chose to call this tour “Anything We Want” after her song of the same name, and I went ready to see just what it was they wanted. Continue reading “Show Review: Fiona Apple and Blake Mills at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, 10/8/2013”

Film Review: Gravity

An exhilarating, suspenseful, emotional thrill ride unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

Sandra Bullock takes on the universe in Gravity.

It’s hard to describe Gravity without using a superfluous amount of positive adjectives. The action drama directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien), is a somewhat simple story of two astronauts who are marooned after their craft is left battered and adrift after being struck by debris from a botched Russian satellite dismantling. The film is more complex than that though, tapping into an unimaginable terror unlike any film has done before. It’s nice to have a visual spectacle of this magnitude also feature incredible performances. The visuals can only bring the audience in so far, but the stellar performances by George Clooney and, especially, Sandra Bullock help seal the deal. I can’t stress this enough — you are PULLED into this movie and firmly grasped for 90+ minutes! You won’t believe the wizardry of what you see on screen. And you won’t be able to shake the emotions for a while.

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 10/3/13-10/9/13

Rocktober is already in full swing this year. Early Rocktober is starting with a lot of folk music and a two rare public appearances by groundbreaking 80’s bands. It’s gonna be a good one!

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Mill Valley Film Festival Spotlights

Film fans can relish eclectic offerings at 36th MVFF

There’s something for everyone at the MVFF, which opens on Thursday.

The 36^th Mill Valley Film Festival opens this Thursday, October 3, and runs until Sunday, October 13. The Festival is featuring early views of some hotly anticipated fall films, including August: Osage County, Nebraska (opening night film), Dallas Buyers Club, 12 Years a Slave, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, among others. Here at Spinning Platters, though, we thought we’d spotlight some of the lower profile films that may not be getting as much attention. Full schedule, tickets, and more information available at: http://mvff.com

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Album Review: Melt-Banana – Fetch

Melt-Banana are one of those bands that I consider to be a rite of passage for anyone that is a serious music listener. They essentially invented the genre of music known as “spazz.” At one point in time, a friend of mine referred to them as “Barely listenable. Which is why I insist in listening to them frequently.” They’ve recently released their 9th studio record, Fetch, their first record in five years. They are also about to embark on their first tour of the US as only the core duo: vocalist Yasuko Onuki and guitarist Ichirou Agata, which their breakneck drum parts being performed by a computer instead of a human. The band will be hitting The Oakland Metro Operahouse on November 16th. Tickets available here!

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WIN TWO TICKETS TO ICEAGE AT RICKSHAW STOP ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9TH!!!!!!!!!!

Have you every felt the deep desire the mosh? Like, really, really badly? Because it happens to me. And when I do it, it feels good. It feels so good that I want to extend that blissful feeling to one of our lucky readers. So, on Wednesday, October 9th at Rickshaw Stop, Denmark’s Iceage will be helping you get your pit on. They are coming around in support of their excellent new record You’re Nothing. It’s even an all ages show, so ANYONE CAN COME!!!

Click here to enter to win two tickets! Contest ends on Thursday, October 3rd at midnight. Winner will be notified in the afternoon on October 4th. Of course, if you don’t win, you should still buy a ticket here!

Film Review: Rush

Rush is a fantastic, tense drama, and character driven.

Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl revving their dramatic chops

I don’t care for racing. It doesn’t interest me and I think the culture surrounding it is silly and uninviting. That being said, if I were forced at gunpoint to choose a type of car racing to watch, it would be Formula 1 racing. There’s a dynamic of risk and impending disaster, along with more beautiful environments, in Formula 1 racing. Rush, the new movie from director Ron Howard about a 1970’s rivalry in Formula 1 racing, is not only a great racing movie and a great sports movie, but a great drama. Spearheaded by solid direction and terrific performances, Rush also contains all the right pieces fitted together to complete the whole package — impeccable editing, strong writing, and thrilling cinematography.

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Show Review: Depeche Mode at Shoreline Amphitheatre, 9/26/2013

Best I could do without photo creds... — Best I could do without photo creds…

In 1993, I was introduced to the music of Depeche Mode by a girl who lived across the hall from me at boarding school. Of course I was already familiar with hits “People are People,” “Strangelove,” “Enjoy the Silence,” and the phenomenal “Personal Jesus.” It was this friend’s influence, however, that led me to fall for what’s still my favorite Depeche Mode song today: “Somebody.” Sure, it’s easy for a 14-year-old girl to love a wistful song, but twenty years later I still adore it (almost thirty years after it was released). And I know, it might be such an obscure favorite that I wouldn’t hear it live, but I didn’t really care: I knew better than to pass up a ticket to see such an iconic band when given the chance. And so I made the trek down to Shoreline Amphitheatre last night to catch their Delta Machine tour (named for the recent album of the same name) – a journey which turned out to take me four hours from home. (Twice what it should be, thanks to an insane parking situation at the venue that will likely keep me from going there any time I can avoid it!)

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Show Review: Zola Jesus with JG Thirwell and Magik*Magik String Quartet at Palace Of Fine Arts, 9/26/13

I distinctly remember my first experience with Zola Jesus. She was a side effect of my obsession with trying to see every Canadian band. It was July of 2010, and I was set to enjoy Wolf Parade, not knowing that they would be splitting not long later. Zola Jesus was the first of two support acts, and a most surprising one before a rock band. Zola Jesus, the nom de plumb of Nika Roza Danilova, was the most unassuming frontperson. She was backed by a pair of synth players, and simply stood their and let her voice handle all of her performance duties. It was fantastic and beautiful, and very brave. I enjoyed the set immensely, and, somehow, forgot about her a few months later.

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