Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur, known for his edge-of-your seat survival adventure pictures like Everest and Adrift, might not be the first name you’d think of to adapt a romantic mystery for the big screen. But with Touch, his adaptation of fellow Icelander Olaf Olasson’s 2022 novel of the same name, Kormákur proves he’s just as skilled at plumbing the depths of the human heart as he is the drive of the human spirit.
First came X. Shortly after came the prequel, Pearl. And now, MaXXXine, writer/director Ti West’s end cap on a remarkably gory, provocative, homage-filled horror trilogy. Mia Goth is at the center of all three films, an actor who has transcended “scream queen” status to become a bona fide megastar of the genre. She deserved an Oscar nomination for her performance in Pearl, and arguably an earlier nomination for her dual roles in X. In MaXXXine, the creative pairing of West and Goth complete their trilogy in entertaining, if not spectacular, fashion. MaXXXine is an overt homage to the wide-ranging horror genre birthed from Hollywood between the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, from the prestigious to the grimy. Continue reading “Film Review: “MaXXXine””
Screenwriter Christy Hall makes her directorial debut with Daddio, a script she originally conceived of as a stage play. That theatrical quality is evident in the film, an emotionally rich two-character study that takes place in near real time. Featuring stellar performances from Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn, Daddio is the sort of understated but affecting drama that often gets lost in the summer blockbuster shuffle but deserves to be seen.
Both the original A Quiet Place and its follow up, A Quiet Place Part II, made my Top 10 lists for 2018 and 2021, respectively. A Quiet Place: Day One, the new film in the series, however, falls far short of achieving that honor this year. A prequel to the original movie, this third film in the franchise offers audiences nothing new, and merely repeats elements that made the first two movies so successful.
Oakland’s King Isis keeps getting better. “Dissonance” truly is a perfect title for a track that blends both sonic dissonance and lyrical dissonance. It’s a magic piece of work, and I can only see her stock rising with time.
“Dissonance” is available in all the usual places. She’s also bringing her band to The Emerald Cup, happening August 17th-18th, kicking off the reopening of Oakland’s historic Henry J Kaiser Center.
Bumbershoot’s big return last year was one of my life’s most magical concert moments. I don’t think I’ve gotten more hugs and mutual tears of joy with strangers than the Sleater-Kinney set. Well, they dropped the daily lineups for this year, and Labor Day weekend at the Seattle Center will be another packed weekend of fantastic music. Saturday is getting closed out by Pavement but also features SP faves Cypress Hill, Aly & AJ, TEKE::TEKE, Black Belt Eagle Scout, k. flay, Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry, and so much more. Sunday has James Blake headlining, along with electronic music weirdo Marc Rebillet, Courtney Barnett, Kurt Vile, BADBADNOTGOOD, Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, Automatic, Pom Pom Squad, The Polyphonic Spree and too many others to list. There also will be comedy, drag, food, film, and even something called “Burleskaraoke” that I did last year, and, yes, was definitely sensory overload and highly recommended. Tickets are available here, and the full daily breakdown is below. Continue reading “BUMBERSHOOT 2024 DAILY LINEUPS!”
Mosswood Meltdown is just over a week away, and we CAN’T WAIT!!!! I’m so excited to cross Go Sailor, Bush Tetras finally, and, of course, The B-52’s off the old bucket list. Tickets are going quickly, so buy them ASAP!
SATURDAY JULY 6TH
B-52’s 8:15pm-9:45pm
Redd Kross 6:45pm-7:30pm
Hunx & His Punx 5:30pm-6:15pm
Peaches Christ Drag Show 4pm-5pm
Pansy Division 3pm – 3:40pm
Go Sailor 2pm-2:30pm
Wifey 1:20pm-1:40pm
Trap Girl 12:30pm-1pm
Hot Laundry 11:30am-noon
SUNDAY JULY 7TH
Mummies 9:00pm-9:45pm
Pure Hell 7:45pm-8:30pm
Big Freedia 6:45pm-7:30pm
Gibby Haynes 5:30pm-6:15pm
Egyptian Lover 4:15pm-5:00pm
Bush Tetras 3:00pm-3:45pm
Die Spitz 2:00pm-2:30pm
Space Lady 1:00pm-1:30pm
Gumby’s Junk 12:00pm-12:30pm
Oh, man. It feels like 2024 is just flying by, and Outside Lands will be here before you know it. I know many of you are still trying to reconcile the fact that Tyler, The Creator, won’t be returning this year. However, who wouldn’t want to experience the literal song of the Summer in a giant field in the middle of Summer? In the meantime, Outside Lands have announced their Night Shows, which means it’s coming up soon.
And, well, things are looking pretty epic. Sturgill Simpson at The Independent?!?! Romy of The xx at 1015 Folsom?!?!?! And Corinne Bailey Rae bringing her Black Rainbows show to Bimbo’s will be magic. Outside Lands ticket holders get the first crack at tickets on 6/27 at 10 am. Tickets for night shows are here, and if you need a presale password, buy your Outside Lands passes here before they are gone! Continue reading “OUTSIDE LANDS NIGHT SHOWS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED”
Self Esteem one half of the great UK duo Slow Club, and has been putting out witty, inventive pop tracks for the better part of the last decade. Moonchild Sanelly is an inventive genius from South Africa. The one thing these two have in common? Nobody knows them in the US. That’s our loss, of course. But this song might be the thing that fixes that? It’s a genuinely sweet song about appreciating a solid partner that also isn’t too saccharine. I kinda love it.
“Big Man” is currently available in all the usual places. Can we expected more form both Sanelly and Self Esteem? I certainly hope so.
Director Jeff Nichols has been on an impressive streak of memorable dramatic films that directly or indirectly involve the culture of middle-America, including Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter, Mud, and Loving. The Bikeriders is his latest dramatic piece of cinematic Americana (or, “Ameridrama”, to coin a phrase), stradling the median between mainstream drama and niche historical fiction. The Bikeriders is a surprisingly charming piece of old-school storytelling, buoyed by an impressive script and strong performances. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Bikeriders””
