Show Review: Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven at The Independent, 12/28/09

I got there too late to really see the band...

Cracker is a good band.  They have nice fun upbeat songs, all the musicians are more than capable, their songs don’t all sound the same, and there is decent stage banter.  The music is pretty straight forward likable rock.  Much the same could be said about Cracker’s counterpart Camper Van Beethoven, especially since they basically have the same band members (take Camper Van Beethoven, subtract a violinist/guitarist and add a female back up singer to get Cracker).  There really is no logical reason not to enjoy their live show, yet somehow, I spent the entire evening vaguely wanting to die.  Why? Continue reading “Show Review: Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven at The Independent, 12/28/09”

Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 13 – Eric Frederic of Wallpaper and Facing New York

We invited Ricky Reed and Arjun, too, but they couldn't make it. So instead, we're running this photo.

On episode 13 of the Spinning Platters podcast, we welcome Eric Frederick of the bands Wallpaper and Facing New York. We discuss his music, other people’s music, and for once, stay mainly on topic. Thanks to Eric for joining us, and we recommend checking out Wallpaper on New Year’s Eve at Club 1994. Click the giant button to the left to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, or listen below.

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Top Albums of 2009: Our Staff’s Individual Lists

We'll let anyone make a list, even these guys.

Recently, we published our Official Top 15 Albums of 2009 list. This represented the combined opinions of many of our writers here. Everyone was then invited to provide an individual list of their favorite music of the year, in any category. Look for your favorite writer’s list, and if you don’t have  a favorite writer, find your favorite list. That may then lead to your favorite writer. Each writer gets their own page, so be sure to read them all! Continue reading “Top Albums of 2009: Our Staff’s Individual Lists”

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Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 12 – The gift of Sonic Living

When Low is a high

For our holiday episode of the Spinning Platters podcast (released after the holiday), Dakin, Gordon, and D.P. welcome Amy Miller of Sonic Living to talk about some of our favorite Christmas songs before going into an in-depth discussion of Sonic Living, which of course leads us off in a million different directions. Click the giant button on the left to subscribe, or you can download or listen below. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 12 — The gift of Sonic Living”

Spinning Platters Guide To New Year’s Eve in the San Francisco Bay Area

This is what I am wearing to see Wallpaper. I should be easy to spot.

Our weekly column has been pre-empted for the following special announcement. New Year’s Eve is slightly more than a week away, and if you are like me, you have absolutely no idea what to do. Well, I’m just about to make it harder for you.

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Album Review: Yeasayer – Odd Blood

The immediate reaction to the opener on Yeasayer’s upcoming release Odd Blood, “The Children,” is that it sounds like the band decided to play a joke on downloaders by starting with a song designed to make the listener feel as uncomfortable as possible. It’s a weird cacophony of bells and creepy vocal processing, all played at a lumbering pace, seemingly built to frighten. What the heck happened to Yeasayer? Continue reading “Album Review: Yeasayer — Odd Blood”

Looking Forward: My Twenty Most Anticipated Albums for 2010

‘Tis the season to be bombarded with more requisite year-end “Best of” and “Top Album” lists than one person could ever possibly absorb. MOG took notice and created a list culled from over eight hundred blogs that are affiliated with their network. On the other hand, Pitchfork found it necessary to add in a section titled “Honorable Mention” on top of their “Top 50 Albums” roundup. To top it all off, as the first decade of the 21st century comes to a close, we have a whole new beast to contend with: The “Best of the Decade” lists. Do not get me started with how completely and totally out of touch Billboard magazine is with the current musical landscape. Nickelback is not the ‘band of the decade.’

Instead, I’d like to take this opportunity to look towards, not to mention forward, to the future. From what I’ve heard throughout the musical blogosphere of strategically leaked singles, 2010 is going to be an incredible year for releases from some of my favorite artists. This revelation alone has inspired me to share a list of my twenty most anticipated albums that will be legally available in the first few months of next year. One honorable mention goes to a band I personally don’t care for too much but most everyone else seems to go crazy over. Without further ado, here we go….

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Show Review: Brian Setzer Orchestra with Lavay Smith at The Warfield, 12/20/09

This cat brings his "vixens" out to play.

I emailed a friend talking about how I was about to see Brian Setzer, and she responded, “is he still around?” Well, thank goodness he is, because last week he collapsed on stage, making me wonder if the tour would go on. It got me looking him up on Wikipedia to see that he’s 50 years old, and that it was 15 years ago that he put out the first Brian Setzer Orchestra CD. He’s had a long and varied career, and he’s definitely still around. So how’s he holding up? Continue reading “Show Review: Brian Setzer Orchestra with Lavay Smith at The Warfield, 12/20/09”

Spinning Platters Picks Six: Christmas Songs It’s Okay to Like

Even a Grinch would like these songs

I’m not that much of a Grinch when it comes to Christmas, I’m actually a bit of a nerd and enjoy it quite a bit, but even all the Christmas songs start to drive me crazy after a while. So here are my six songs I think  it’s ok to like, or that won’t drive you crazy (I hope). Feel free to leave your favorite non-annoying Christmas song suggestions in the comments. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Picks Six: Christmas Songs It’s Okay to Like”

Show Review: Rickie Lee Jones at The Fillmore, 12/19/09

www.denaflows.com
Rickie Lee Jones at the piano a few weeks ago

“Does she still look like Janice from The Muppets?” asked a friend when I mentioned I was seeing Rickie Lee Jones at The Fillmore last night. There’s certainly a resemblance, that’s for sure. It’s been 30 years since her chart-topping debut single, “Chuck E’s In Love,” but Jones, 55, is still very much the picture of laid-back, blonde, heavy-lidded California cool. And if she feels slowed down by age, she certainly didn’t show it during her marathon two-and-a-half-hour set.

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