Spinning Platters – Page 33 – Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds

Show Review: KMFDM and Chant at the Belasco 05/17/2023

“KMFDM/Better Than the Best/Megalomaniacal and Harder Than the Rest…”

As is typical of working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, my live concert experiences are constantly in flux with my day job. So it was after a seven-week run of live theater work that I finally had my evenings back to cram in some concerts, with KMFDM and Chant at the Belasco to kick off what would become a whirlwind two weeks of live music before jumping right back into more theater work and officially losing my social life for the next six or seven weeks. Self-pitying aside, it was a great night to head into Downtown LA with a friend to finally see the truly legendary and outstandingly prolific KMFDM for the first time!

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Film Review: “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”

A bounding thrill ride caps off the iconic hero’s adventures in pure escapist fashion

Let’s first recall that Indiana Jones films were inspired by campy serials and pulp novels of the 1930s and 1940s, thus an unperturbed sense of adventure and eagerness for escapism has always been key to enjoying each film. Regarding suspension of belief, every viewer’s tolerance may vary, perhaps hitting a ceiling somewhere between powerful holy relics and extraterrestrials. That being said, the enjoyment of any given Indy film is not all on the viewer’s shoulders. An Indiana Jones film needs to be filled with adventure, introduce us to exotic locales and archeological lore, and look good while doing so. Of course, it also needs the willing participation of Harrison Ford. The first three films, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade have all these ingredients and are universally considered iconic examples of the action-adventure genre (even if Doom remains polarizing). The fourth film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, featured a sixty-five-year old Ford, underdeveloped side characters, and a plot that aggressively pushed the boundary between escapism and ridiculousness, with mostly cringeworthy results. But even Crystal Skull has its defenders. Not here. Not today. With a great sigh of relief, then, I’m happy to report that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth and final Indiana Jones film, manages to deliver a thrilling adventure and an emotional send off, even as it doubles down on its own outlandishness.

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Single of the Week: “Questions” by Maeta

This groove is infectious. I almost didn’t listen to this one, and I even had a single of the week ready to go! And then I found myself with this track on repeat for an entire day and then some. This Kaytranada-produced track (a producer that I don’t normally even like) is a late entry in the “Song of the Summer” race, but you really shouldn’t sleep on this one. And the video? Possibly the sexiest beach video this side of “Wicked Game.”

“Questions” is the latest single off Maeta’s most recent EP, When I Hear Your Name, which is out everywhere you can stream music!

Film Review: “The Flash”

The Flash crumbles under the weight of its own tonal multiverse

Disclaimer: The arrests, allegations, and controversies surrounding Ezra Miller can’t be ignored. Many other actors, especially women and POC, have been punished for much less, their completed and upcoming work stripped away. My one sentence regarding Miller in The Flash is this: Their shtick is irritating in large quantities, having previously served in the DC Universe (DCU) as a quippy supporting character, and the film would be more successful (for many reasons) with a better leading actor. The rest of my review will ignore Miller, focusing instead on the merits and demerits of the film as a whole.

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Film Review: “Flamin’ Hot”

Longoria’s feature film debut tells warmhearted tale of popular snack’s origin

Richard (Jesse Garcia, l.) and Clarence (Dennis Haysbert) celebrate the production of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Actress Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame made her directorial debut last year with La Guerra Civil, a thoughtful and well-told documentary about Mexican-American boxer Oscar de la Hoya. She’s now helming her first feature film, and the results are more mixed. With Flamin’ Hot, Longoria tells an inspiring rags-to-riches story that, while a bit cliched, features enough strong performances and heart to recommend it.

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Film Review: “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”

Barely enough heart and humor to scratch through the mess

If only the Transformers film series began in 2018 with Bumblebee, a compelling audience-pleasing character introduction akin to 2008’s Iron Man, and then expanded the Transformers universe from there. Instead, we have five noisy, forgettable, often offensive Transformers films directed by Michael Bay between 2007-2017 in the back of our minds. Bumblebee successfully stripped the franchise back down to its essential parts and concentrated on a Spielbergian 1980s character-driven story with impressive robot action set pieces sprinkled throughout. It functioned as an effective standalone film and baseline for how to tell these stories in a cinematic way. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts functions as a sequel and a new series starting point, continuing a few important elements from its predecessor, like emotionally relatable characters and unique robot personalities, but it runs well off the rails by introducing far too many plot devices and ending with a long, no stakes CGI mess.

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HOW DID I GET HERE with Louise Post

Louise Post is the co-leader of Chicago rock icons Veruca Salt, an important distinction that she does, indeed, correct me on in this episode. We spoke about her influences, her process, and her time in both Veruca Salt and solo. Her debut solo album, Sleepwalker, is out today and is available to purchase ?here? or at your local record store. ?North American tour? starts June 12th in Vancouver, and VIP Packages are available ?here?!

Find and subscribe to How Did I Get Here? on your favorite streaming platform by going here!

Single of the Week: “One Hit Wonders” by Jenn Grant featuring Ria Mae

“One Hit Wonders” is just a nice, solid groove. The track reminds me a bit of Luscious Jackson at their funkiest, with “rapping” that sounds like a ultra John McCrea of Cake. There isn’t much to be said about this song, but it feels really good. Pop it on and get your Summer kicked off properly!

“One Hit Wonders” is the 4th single from Jenn Grant’s upcoming record, Champagne Problems, coming your way June 21st!

BE YOUR OWN PET! NEW ALBUM! WEST COAST TOUR DATES! NEW SONG! FUUUUUUN!

The Be Your Own Pet comeback remains the least expected return of 2023, but I’m ALL IN! We’ve got a second single that isn’t quite the JoltColaCore of their first two records, but we all have to grow up sometime? And if growing up for BYOP means embracing your darkest and most controversial desires and expressing them in the form of rock n roll, that’s not a bad way to channel maturity. “Worship The Whip” is that very song, and it’s off their third album (15 years after their genius sophomore record Get Awkward), Mother, which is headed your way on August 25th. Prepare for this date the way you see most fit by clicking here! I’m a tad overwhelmed by my preorder options, TBH. We will see what I end up buying!

Oh- and I promised tour dates that go on sale this Friday. Looks like a sweaty good time for all:

9/16 – Third Man Records Blue Room – Nashville, TN

10/18 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC

10/19 – Union Stage – Washington, DC

10/21 – Elsewhere Hall – Brooklyn, NY

10/22 – Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA

10/23 – Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH

10/24 – Third Man Records – Detroit, MI

10/25 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL

10/27 – The Back Room at Colectivo – Milwaukee, WI

10/29 – Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY

11/8 – Soda Bar – San Diego, CA

11/9 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA

11/11 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA

11/12 – Moe’s Alley – Santa Cruz, CA

11/14- Harlow’s – Sacramento, CA

11/16 – Star Theater – Portland, OR

11/17- Neumos – Seattle, WA

11/18 – The Pearl – Vancouver, BC