Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
starring: Freida Pinto, Hiam Abbass, Alexander Siddig, Omar Metwally, Yasmine Elmasri, Ruba Blal, Willem Dafoe, Vanessa Redgrave
written by: Rula Jebreal
directed by: Julian Schnabel
MPAA: Rated PG-13 on appeal for thematic material, and some violent content including a sexual assault.
starring: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, Andre Royo, Linda Cardellini
written and directed by: James Gunn
MPAA: unrated Continue reading “Film Review: “Super””
Uh Huh Her, a.k.a. Camila Grey (formerly of Mellowdrone) and immortal lesbian crush-girl Leisha Hailey (of The Murmurs and The L Word), are on a small club tour testing new material from their upcoming sophomore LP. Last night they introduced some new jams, as well as fan favorites from their 2008 debut album, Common Reaction, to a small but devoted crowd at Great American Music Hall. Did the audience respond favorably to the new tracks? Could anyone hear the new tracks over the incessant shrieks of Ms. Hailey’s name? Did she finally admit to killing Jenny? Look after the jump to find out.
Continue reading “Show Review: Uh Huh Her at Great American Music Hall, 3/29/2011”
Yeah, so normally I put a funny pic that makes fun of the name of some band playing this week. But, instead, we are giving away a pair of tickets to see the Metalliance Tour at Mezzanine on Sunday, April 3rd. It will be an amazing night of non-stop metal madness, capped off by the great HELMET! Simply email promo@spinningplatters.com by Friday at 3 PM, and one lucky winner will be picked at random. Just give me your name, email, and phone number and in the subject, put METALLIANCE CONTEST. Winner will be informed by email. And if you don’t win, tickets are for sale here!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/31/11 – 4/6/11”
The last time I saw Jay Nash live was August of 2009. Truth be told, I was there to see Tony Lucca, and I’d never heard of Jay Nash (or Matt Duke) before! Fast forward to going on two years later, and I’m hooked on this guy’s voice. Since then, the trio has formed the occasional band TFDI, released an EP, and as yet evaded the Bay Area (as a band, anyway). So as you might imagine, I wasn’t going to let a little rain stop me from getting to the Cafe du Nord to see Jay on Sunday night, even if he was without his cohorts! Lucky for me, opening act Milk Carton Kids helped to fill any imaginary void. Continue reading “Show Review: Jay Nash with Joey Ryan & Kenneth Pattengale at Cafe du Nord, 3/27/2011”
Welcome to my annual tradition of answering the SXSW questions you didn’t know you had! And here are this year’s questions.
1. What over-hyped band was the first one I saw, and surprised me by being excellent?
2. Who brought horns and a bunch of new songs, and got me to see them twice?
3. Who is still my favorite new band discovery of 2009, even as they totally destroy in 2011?
4. What hip-hop performer made even this hip-hop-know-nothing stand up and take notice?
5. What band blew the circuit breaker — twice, got cut off for time, and got to finish their set after the crowd yelled for more?
6. Who had the most frustrating technical difficulties?
7. Who’s possibly the best live act in the world today?
8. And if it’s not them, who is it?
9. What greatly anticipated import lived up to my expectations, and then some, but then got screwed over?
10. Who was the best guitar player in Austin during SXSW 2011?
11. What Kaiser Chiefs song was I honestly singing while waiting for Death From Above 1979 to play on Saturday night?
12. What’s this I hear about overcrowded, over-commercial SXSW? Is it true?
Click for the answers! Continue reading “Gordon Answers Your 2011 SXSW Questions”
starring: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Scott Glenn, Jon Hamm
written by: Zack Snyder & Steve Shibuya
directed by: Zack Snyder
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving sexuality, violence and combat sequences, and for language.
As an actor, Tom McCarthy is that guy you know you’ve seen somewhere. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but he was definitely a cop/lawyer/scientist/reporter in something. And in his 20 years as a screen actor, McCarthy has indeed worked with an impressive roster of directors, including George Clooney (Good Night and Good Luck), Peter Jackson (The Lovely Bones), and Clint Eastwood (Flags of Our Fathers). He also had key arcs on acclaimed TV series Boston Public and, perhaps most notably, the final season of The Wire. But it is McCarthy’s work as a writer and director which has earned him the greatest praise.
After breaking out with the 2003 Sundance favorite The Station Agent, in which Michelle Williams took one of her first major steps toward becoming the indie queen she is today, McCarthy directed the celebrated drama The Visitor, which scored an Oscar nomination for lead actor Richard Jenkins. And now, after receiving his own Oscar nomination for co-writing Up, McCarthy is back with the highly anticipated Win Win, the crowd-pleasing tale of a down-on-his-luck high school wrestling coach (Paul Giamatti) who unwittingly discovers a talented young wrestler (newcomer Alex Shaffer) while engaged in some shady business dealings. McCarthy recently sat down with Spinning Platters to discuss the plight of wrestling in New Jersey, how he nearly turned down The Wire, and the creative liberation of costarring in 2012.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Tom McCarthy on “Win Win””
It feels like SXSW just ended yesterday… I still haven’t quite caught up on my sleep, and my SXSars has kicked in pretty brutally, but nonetheless, I can’t stay away from the live rock n roll for very long… Check this week out! It’s pretty amazing!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/24/11 – 3/30/11”
This year I probably saw even less buzz bands than the average blogger than last year. My priority was to have a good time, whether that be hanging out with friends or watching great music. So this list is a testament to all the artists, people and venues that made my time in Austin memorable. Continue reading “Marie’s Best of SXSW 2011 Awards”