Show Review: Arctic Monkeys with Screaming Females at Terminal 5, 12/10/09

Taking a clear photo when getting pushed by rabid Arctic Monkeys fans? Nope.
Taking a clear photo when getting pushed by rabid Arctic Monkeys fans? Nope.

I’m in New York this week for some family stuff, and dinner went too late on Thursday night to try to pay over $100 for some Broadway tickets, so while looking for something to do, I came across the Arctic Monkeys show happening across town. A friend of mine had flown out from San Francisco solely to see their two shows in town, and I asked her what the scene was like, and she made it sound like a good idea. So my first full Arctic Monkeys set was going to be a spur of the moment thing. Continue reading “Show Review: Arctic Monkeys with Screaming Females at Terminal 5, 12/10/09”

Show Review: Marié Digby with Alpha Rev at The Hotel Utah, 12/9/09

Marie captured in scattered blacks and whites
Marie captured in scattered blacks and whites

The Hotel Utah may very well have been an early stop on a train just beginning its journey.  One might have considered Marié Digby’s cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” in 2007, which is now up to almost fifteen million views on YouTube, a sort of one destination train.  Yes I did say fifteen million.  A gold record is five hundred thousand units sold, and platinum is one million.  Granted these were one time views and not purchases, but if I owned a record label, those are numbers I simply could not ignore.  Since 2007, Marié Digby has been busy releasing two albums, one in Japanese, to some fanfare.  While her new record, Breathing Underwater might eventually garner up enough interest to fill up a train station, it was enough to completely stuff a venue up so much so, that you could not even get into the room she was performing in. Continue reading “Show Review: Marié Digby with Alpha Rev at The Hotel Utah, 12/9/09”

Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 11.5 – Heather Locklear 1997

We're like the Melrose Place gang
We're like the Melrose Place gang

In Episode 11.5 of the Spinning Platters podcast, we continue talking about our favorite albums of the year.  We also mercilessly pick on the editor in chief, shamelessly promote the website, announce our next business venture, and say goodbye to a podcast member that gets voted off. Click the big button on the left to subscribe, or continue on to listen now. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 11.5 — Heather Locklear 1997”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: December 9th-December 15th

Opening For The Aquabats on Saturday Night
Opening For The Aquabats on Saturday Night

It’s a really big week this week, mostly because this is widely viewed as the last week people can get down and party before focusing their attention (and finances) the the wretched beast known as “Late December Holiday Season.” So, for all of you out there that wish to blow all that money you’ve been saving on a nice new golden chariot for grandma, here are a few really great shows for you to attend:

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: December 9th-December 15th”

Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 11 – Everybody Votes

We take this ballot thing very seriously
We take this ballot thing very seriously

In episode 11 of the Spinning Platters Podcast, our regular hosts are joined by six additional Spinning Platters staffers to talk about our favorite albums of 2009. Also, D.P. talks about his day at the SF Music Tech Summit, and we head gloriously off course, as usual. The recording session took more than two hours, so we’ve broken the podcast up into two parts. Come back soon for part 11.5, but until then, enjoy the show! Continue reading “Spinning Platters Podcast Episode 11 — Everybody Votes”

Forever The Sickest Kids with The Rocket Summer at The Regency Center, 12/4/09

FTSK10

It’s fair to say that the target audience for tonight at The Regency Grand Ballroom is significantly younger then normal. In fact, looking at the fans that were up against the barricade for tonight’s show every single one of them had the mark of under 21, big Sharpied-on X’s on the tops of both their hands. Continue reading “Forever The Sickest Kids with The Rocket Summer at The Regency Center, 12/4/09”

Show Review: J. Tillman with Pearly Gate Music at The Great American Music Hall, 12/4/09

IMG_8424
J. Tillman haunting the GAMH

Things started off looking kind of gloomy over at The Great American. It was 8:30pm, the opening act was set to go on at 9:00pm and there were approximately 30 people in the room (I counted). Sitting by myself at one of the tables that lined the floor, I couldn’t help but sulk at the fact that I was basically working on a Friday night. It took all my energy to keep from putting my head down on the table and taking a nap. Even my trusty sidekick, iPhone, couldn’t help ease my growing boredom. I shirked out of my responsibilities of doing any research prior to the show, so I basically had no idea what to expect. Continue reading “Show Review: J. Tillman with Pearly Gate Music at The Great American Music Hall, 12/4/09”

Show Review: Morrissey at The Paramount Theater, 12/02/2009

Moz Points
Shirt number one

Alternate titles for this post are:

What, no shirt?

and

The View From the Back of the Balcony

So, tonight I saw Morrissey for somewhere between the 15th and the 20th time. I lost count during the 2007 tour when I followed him around California and saw almost all the shows he played there, plus two in Reno. Continue reading “Show Review: Morrissey at The Paramount Theater, 12/02/2009”

Spinning Platters Picks Six (x2) – 12 Most Important American Pop Songs of The Last Decade

TigerBeat-JustinBieber P1As the decade comes to an end, it means it’s time for lists. Lots of lists. All making a vague attempt at condensing the most pivotal parts of our popular culture, and spitting them out in a haphazard form. This is a list of what I, personally, consider to be the most important pure pop musical moments of our decade. You will be upset by things on this list. You may think I am a complete idiot for missing “____” by The _____’s. Just remember, this is a list of POP songs. I will not mis-estimate the importance of Radiohead, AR Rahman, The Strokes, Arcade Fire, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, and other acts that will appear on every other best of the decade list. This is just a pop list. I don’t have room for the Fleet Foxes, I’m sorry.

Please Read, then begin arguing about my picks in the comments area (In no particular order):

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Picks Six (x2) — 12 Most Important American Pop Songs of The Last Decade”