SPELLLING Presents: Through The Looking Glass Festival

Another day, another festival announcement… But this one is special, mostly because it’s bound to be the loveliest and weirdest event of the Fall. Atlas Obscura, the only travel website that I ever use, has teamed up with Sacred Bones Records and Oakland’s very own SPELLLING to curate a very special evening in, of all places, Children’s Fairyland. 

There will be art; there will be amusements; there will be tarot readings; there will be SUN RA ARKESTRA, for crying out loud! And, of course, SPELLLING, and LA’s Sasami (possibly the most dynamic performer I’ve ever seen on a stage), and so much more! And did I mention it’s at Children’s Fairyland from 7 pm-11 pm on Saturday, September 16th? 

Tickets are $70 and available here. Only 1200 tickets for sale, so buy fast so you don’t miss out! 

Outside Lands Set Times Announced!

It’s the time of year again!! When you get to stress over the Outside Lands, schedule for a week and a half, attempting to both optimize your experience and agonize over clashes. Not only that but there are now TWO dance music areas instead of one… So get ready to figure out the fastest way between the SOMA Tent and Dolores’ stage. Feel free to plot your own schedule here. And, obviously, if you are foolish and haven’t picked up tickets yet, you can still get Sunday GA and Golden Gate Club tickets here. 

Now, on with the schedule: Continue reading “Outside Lands Set Times Announced!”

Film Review: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”

“Mutant Mayhem” is packed with undeniable T-U-R-T-L-E power!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series and three feature films of the early 1990s that centered around the reptilian mutant fighting foursome were hugely successful and spawned a multimedia franchise of toys, shows, and comics for decades. The hype was tempered by three mediocre films between 2007-2016, with the latter two misfires produced by Michael Bay. Nostalgia was keeping the franchise afloat, despite diminishing returns. So with a huge sigh of relief and a heart full of nostalgic glee, I’m happy to report that the series reboot Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is an energetic and artistic cinematic take on what makes the Ninja Turtles brand so fun.

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Single of the Week: “Under The Sun” by SPELLLING

Oakland’s SPELLLING has released two of the most impressive dark-pop records I’ve ever heard, and the cries of “this generation’s Kate Bush” are all well deserving. She’s also been on the road for about two years straight with an AMAZING live band that has given these tracks a bigger, more organic energy. Instead of doing a live album, she’s brought that band into the studio to record “live” versions of these tracks, and this version of “Under The Sun” is a world away from the lofi synth of the original. 

SPELLLING & The Mystery School is coming to your eardrums on August 25th, and preperations for it’s arrival can be made here. SPELLLING is bringing her band and other friends as well as a myriad of other oddities and exciting things to Children’s Fairyland in Oakland on September 16th for a very, very special evening of… Well, it’s co-presented by Atlas Obscura, so your guess is as good as mine. Tickets for that are available here! 

Top 10 from the Bottom Half of the Outside Lands Poster 2023

It’s late July / early August, which means it’s time to start plotting out your Outside Lands plans! This means you get to hear MY OPINION on the best acts from the “lesser known” half of the poster! There is a lot of good stuff happening early in the day, so get your money’s worth, load up on coffee, and get to the park when the gates open! A full slate of performers can be found here, and there are still *some* tickets left as of press time, and those limited ticket types can be found here. 

In addition to the list below, Outside Lands added a new, gay-centered stage named after every hipster’s favorite Castro-adjacent park, Dolores‘! On Friday the area is being taken over by Fake & Gay. On Saturday, SF Drag Laurette, D’Arcy Drollinger is bringing her club, OASIS, to the park. And on Sunday, the most legendary local party, Hard French will be making sure you feel very French all Sunday long.  Continue reading “Top 10 from the Bottom Half of the Outside Lands Poster 2023”

Show Review: Scorching the Psychotherapy Sessions in Florida

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @AlanHasPicks

Ten days after attending, photographing, and reviewing Overkill, Exhorder, and Heathen at Great American Music Hall, Spinning Platters’ resident metalhead took a trip to the extremely sunny, hot, and occasionally rainy shores of Florida to ring in his 50 years of existence with a weekend of metal with The Pyschotherapy Sessions at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa and another Overkill show at House of Blues in Orlando! 

Continue reading “Show Review: Scorching the Psychotherapy Sessions in Florida”

HOW DID I GET HERE with Bethany Cosentino

You may know the name Bethany Cosentino as 1/2 of the popular LA duo Best Coast. After nearly 15 years of plugging away, they decided it was time to take a break. In the meantime, Cosentino has recorded a brilliant solo album on par with the best of Linda Rondstadt and Jenny Lewis. We had a lovely opportunity to chat with Bethany about her time in Best Coast and her noise band Pocahaunted. We talked about having a famous cat, about always being in the eye of the indie rock press, and about what she’s doing now.

Bethany Cosentino’s debut solo album, Natural Disaster, is in stores and online on Friday, July 28th, and can be preordered / presaved here.

Film Review: “Talk to Me”

Old school filmmaking leads Talk to Me to chilling results

When it comes to the horror genre, A24 has excelled in its decade long output. The studio has championed unknown filmmakers and launched mind-bending, risk-taking titles into the pantheon of the genre’s greatest entries, like Ari Aster’s Hereditary and Midsommar, Ti West’s X and Pearl. Once again, A24 has backed a feature film debut with Talk to Me, an old school horror film directed by Australian twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou. Filled with practical effects and a quietly pervading sense of dread, Talk to Me is a chilling throwback horror flick that also serves as a calling card for a handful of fresh talent.

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Picks Six Reasons To See Paramore This Year

Last Saturday night, I was moments away from calling a Lyft to take myself to the Chase Center after one of the most exhausting Saturdays I’ve had in years. Literally right before I was going to “Select Lyft” button, I got a text from a friends letting me know that the show had been postponed. Someone appears to have gotten sick in the touring party. OH NO! The worst part about it was that I was kind of relieved… I ended up introducing my four year old to Oliver & Company instead that night, and it was an excellent decision. The SF Show was moved to August 7th, as well as Seattle moving to the 9th, Portland to the 10th, and the 2023 tour is now closing up in Seattle on the 13th. This is sad news for most people, but excellent news for folks that were sold out of these shows, as the postponed shows are allowing for refunds for a week. You can snag those tickets as they become available here! 

In the meantime, here are my six favorite tracks from Paramore’s catalog. Continue reading “Picks Six Reasons To See Paramore This Year”

Film Review: “Oppenheimer”

Physics, war, and the father of the atomic bomb: Nolan’s biopic captivates

General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon, l.) confers with Manhattan Project scientific director J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy).

Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man, Greek mythology tells us, and for that he was punished for all eternity. While physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s fate wasn’t quite as brutal, it proves nearly as tragic, as we see in Oppenheimer, writer/director Christopher Nolan’s epic new film about the father of the atomic bomb. 

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