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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Film Review: “Barbie”

Gerwig delivers with a playful and clever Barbie movie

Margot Robbie is Barbie.

First, here’s a bit of context and factoids for your next trivia night: Barbie (the doll) was created by Ruth Handler and manufactured by the toy company Mattel, Inc. in 1959. A live-action Barbie movie had been rumored and tossed around in studio purgatory for many years before landing in the hands of Warner Bros. and director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird; Little Women). There are over forty previously released Barbie movies, most if not all straight-to-video and all animated, but Gerwig’s vision was bound to be different. With each new set photograph, marketing ad, and interview released, anticipation grew to a fever pitch. Now it’s finally arrived: Barbie the live action blockbuster summer movie! And it’s as playful as a child could want and as incisive as everyone older yearned for. 

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Show Review: Overkill Scorched San Francisco

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @AlanHasPicks

It is fairly common knowledge that thrash metal originated from here in San Francisco starting in the early-mid 1980’s with most of the heavy hitters like Metallica, Death Angel, Testament, Forbidden, Exodus, and Vio-lence, among others.  The east coast, however, also had some major thrash metal bands brewing, with Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, and Overkill leading the pack.  Cut to today, and most of these bands are still around and still continue to rage, almost as good or better than they did all those years ago!

One of those bands actually travelled 3,000 miles from their east coast home to begin their tour here in San Francisco.  Hailing from Old Bridge Township, New Jersey, the seminal 1980’s band Overkill came to town to show-up their Bay Area thrash metal brethren, and in the process, laid waste to the Great American Music Hall, proving that after 43 years and 20 albums, they still thrash as well or better than most of their Bay Area metal counterparts… and everyone else!

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Single of the Week: “Tiny Garden” by Jamila Woods featuring duendita

Jamila Woods never ceases to surprise me. Her heavy lyrics are always full of layers, often political or spiritual, or a mixture of both. So, after spending hours with “Tiny Garden,” trying to determine what she’s getting at, only to find that she’s gifted us with… A straight-ahead love song? A stunning, honest love song, centering on the work and the joys of being in a long-term relationship. And that middle lyric: “If I’m awkward, let me rock,” sent shivers down my spine. It’s the most real, relatable, and kind song I’ve heard on a while. 

“Tiny Garden” is the first single off Wood’s upcoming album, Water Made Us, which is sure to dominate all of the end-of-the-year lists. So do the prep work to make sure you are ready for it on October 13th here! 

NEW CHERRY GLAZERR ALBUM OUT SEPTEMBER 29TH!!!!

Cherry Glazerr has been a Spinning Platters favorite for a while… For years, a photo I took of them from SXSW was our Facebook image. (Does anyone use Facebook anymore?) Anyways… We are stoked that they are back with their first record in four years! I Don’t Want You Anymore is the name, and it’s in stores and streaming on September 29th. Preorder/presave here! And enjoy the scorcher of a first single, “Soft Like A Flower”

 

Film Feature: Preview of the 43rd San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

The 43rd San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (the world’s longest running Jewish film festival) will take place July 20 – Aug 6, 2023, with screenings at theaters in San Francisco and Oakland. The festival will showcase 67 films from 18 countries, all touching upon the complexities of Jewish life, history, and culture. 

For a full view of special awards and opening and closing night events, check out the complete festival film guide. Tickets can be purchased  here. 

Below is a preview of the festival, featuring brief looks at six films: Continue reading “Film Feature: Preview of the 43rd San Francisco Jewish Film Festival”

Film Review: “Joy Ride”

Joy Ride is the funniest summer movie in years

Stephanie Hsu as Kat, Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, Ashley Park as Audrey, and Sherry Cola as Lolo in Joy Ride. Photo Credit: Ed Araquel

Sex comedies are officially back! Maybe they never completely left, but the sub-genre felt as if it were suffering, scarce, or diverted to streamers as limited series. Over the last decade, only a few exceptions like Girls Trip (2017) and Blockers (2018) broke through and made a splash. Now, hot on the heels of the R-rated sex comedy No Hard Feelings doing impressive business at the box office, Joy Ride hits theaters. Joy Ride is the feature directorial debut from Adele Lim (co-screenwriter of Crazy Rich Asians) and comedy producing super duo Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (This is the End; Neighbors). It’s a raunchy road trip movie that doesn’t shy away from explicit content – so let’s be perfectly clear: it’s super dirty, and f*cking hilarious!

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