Spinning Platters – Page 328 – Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds

Outside Lands Festival Journal: Log 1, Day 2

Here’s my Outside Lands story. You may already be asking yourself why I am starting on Day 2. The answer is simple. I did not attend the first day. I went last year on Friday, and was so annoyed by the set up of the festival, that I did not attend again, and I was considering not doing it at all this year. I felt that security was far too sparse throughout the inside of the venue, and I also felt that they layout of the stages made it difficult to navigate through the venue. The biggest issue from 2008 was placing Radiohead on the main stage immediately after Beck played a side stage, which was about 15 minutes away by foot on a normal day, but they also made the walkway between the two stages about 2 people wide. To make matters worse, the audio kept cutting out during Radiohead’s set.

Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Journal: Log 1, Day 2”

Emiliana Torrini at the Great American Hall, 8/18/09

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Running as fast as I could from the Studio on the Tenth Floor on New Montgomery, after the newest Spinning Platters podcast recording (cough), I made it to the bus stop only to find myself hoping I wouldn’t miss Emiliana Torrini’s first song. Long story short, I gave in, hopped a cab, and made it just into the middle of song two (sorry, I know I know, Blur pun….I couldn’t help myself). Continue reading “Emiliana Torrini at the Great American Hall, 8/18/09”

Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 3 — Saturday, 8/29/08

Like watching TV on the Radio in my backyard

I was excited to wake up and find my cold had subsided, and off I went back to Golden Gate Park for an early afternoon of volunteering and listening to bands chosen especially for me based on their proximity to my volunteering site. My exciting adventures for today included potentially getting food poisoning, a random passerby saying some really strange stuff to me, and almost getting into a fight. Join me on Saturday at Outside Lands. Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 3 — Saturday, 8/29/08”

Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 2 — Friday, 8/28/09

You know how when you have a little cold and you take cold medicine, and when the medicine finally kicks in, your cold breaks? And you get really sweaty? Now what if you were taking cold medicine on a hot day at a sunny music festival? You’d be having my day. So for me, and surely for many others, Friday at Outside Lands was a fun, sweaty time. Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 2 — Friday, 8/28/09”

Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 1

I have to know this backwards and forwards

Some news organizations get full access to festivals like Outside Lands. They get a photo pass, backstage access, free tickets, free food, special parking, and other forms of special treatment. Some blogs get a lower level of access to these festivals, which would include free tickets, and perhaps a photo pass. And finally, there’s up-and-coming, fast growing music sites like Spinning Platters, who work for a ticket. This will give you an entirely different perspective on Outside Lands, access be damned. We’re not here to hobnob, we’re here to have a good time. And answer your questions at the info booth. Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 1”

Album Review: Frankmusik – Complete Me

If you want good dance music that isn’t hip hop or R&B you aren’t going to find it in the USA. Once again I turn to the dear UK for great new dance music. On August 17th the “next big thing” in UK electropop dropped on the scene. Frankmusik’s first album Complete Me is the musical brainchild of singer/producer/beatboxer Vincent Frank. Is it all that it’s cracked up to be? Is he the next Lady Gaga? Probably not, but I still can’t stop listening.

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Spinning Platters Podcast: Episode 4 – Outside Lands Festival

Episode 4 of the Spinning Platters podcast is now available below, and in iTunes. Dakin, Gordon and D.P. are joined on this episode by Carlos Rodela of Mevio. You can see him weekly on Rad on the Web and Press Pause, or hear him below. This week’s topics are:

What we’ve been listening to
Outside Lands Festival Cage Match — We put bands playing at the same time up against each other to decide who you should be seeing
Rad on the Web, and what other joy you’ll find on the Mevio Tech channel

Click on to listen, or even better, subscribe to the Spinning Platters podcast on iTunes. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Podcast: Episode 4 — Outside Lands Festival”

Sing It Hasselhoff: Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson Break Up

Last year, Scarlett Johansson released a record called Anywhere I Lay My Head, a moody collection of Tom Waits songs arranged by David Sitek. He put together a band consisting of members of TV On The Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, and the Celebration. Reviews were very mixed, but I enjoyed the record a great deal. The record has its fans, but in the end was a bit of a flop. I don’t think anybody expected her to put something out again, especially so quickly.

Continue reading “Sing It Hasselhoff: Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson Break Up”

Album Review: Golden Silvers – True Romance

Golden Silvers - True Romance

Once again I get the chance to review an album from a band that I have not heard before and, in this case, a new band. Golden Silvers are a band from London signed to the independent label XL. The line-up consists of vocalist and keyboardist Gwilym Gold, Ben Moorhouse on bass guitar, and Robden Alexis Nunez on drums. The band gained recognition by winning Glastonbury’s prestigious New Talent competition in 2008. Their debut album, True Romance, was released in the UK in April 2009 and has hit the US this week Continue reading “Album Review: Golden Silvers — True Romance”

Spinning Platters Picks Six: Reasons to Like John Mayer (But Not His Music)

John is too cool to care what you think of this article.

It’s popular among music nerds to dislike John Mayer. I don’t know why this is.

OK, I do know why this is. It’s because his music is characterized by this sugary weepiness that seems borrowed from the worst of Dave Matthews. “Your Body Is a Wonderland” and “Daughters” are primary offenders. This makes the girls cry, and next thing you know, he’s dating a never-ending stream of actresses and models. Then he goes out and decides he wants to be a blues guitar legend, and people bow down to him like he is one. And finally, he’s the token white guy at the Michael Jackson memorial, playing a smooth jazz instrumental version of “Human Nature,” and the circle of hate is complete.

But even with all of that, I realize I kinda like John Mayer for a few reasons. Here’s why you might, too. Let me know in the comments what you think of him when you’re done reading. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Picks Six: Reasons to Like John Mayer (But Not His Music)”