McCarthy’s newest is pas mal, thanks to Damon and Cottin
Oklahoman Bill (Matt Damon) navigates the complex city of Marseille as he tries to help his daughter.
Stillwater is a strange movie that somehow works in spite of itself. It tries to be many things: a murder mystery, a character study, a redemptive father/daughter drama, a romance, and a fish out of water culture clash, to name just a few. Some of these elements are strong and some are weak, but, taken together, they create a whole that is worth more than its parts, and make the picture worth a look despite its flaws. Continue reading “Film Review: “Stillwater””
The funny thing about Sleigh Bells is that they seem to time new material to the exact moment when I feel like I need it. And, my god, it’s felt like I needed it for the last year and a half, but I really REALLY needed “Locust Laced” this week. Badly. The band has actually dialed up the noise for this track, giving you pure sonic catharsis. I’ve played this song ever so loudly too many times this week. God bless Sleigh Bells.
“Locust Laced” is out now in all the usual places. It’s the first track off “Texis,” their latest full-length album which is sliding into your ears on September 10th. Also, make sure you and your community get vaccinated ASAP because I really need a Sleigh Bells show with a mass of sweaty people and I’ll be damned if the anti-vaxxer community forces these shows to get pushed.
Becoming visible as a new artist for the last year and a half has been a tricky game. The most practical option is to tour and get your music in front of as many live faces as possible. Or befriend as many DJs as you can and get them to spin your tracks in front of an audience. Neither of these things have been an option for most of 2020 and 2021, and although live events are starting to wake up a little, so is the Delta variant, so we could possibly lose these shows any moment now. (GET VACCINATED NOW!)
It’s been important to get creative and think outside the box. Or, in the case of Revenge Wife, aka Elizabeth Nistico, focus your energy on the last art form that really drove artist discovery: THE MUSIC VIDEO. Nistico has made an amazing, captivating series of music videos that all tie into each other, creating one cohesive story. “Dream I Had” is the latest chapter, following “Home,” “Earthquake,” and “Manifest.” Please watch in that order. And subscribe to her VEVO channel, because the story isn’t over yet.
All of these tracks can be found on Revenge Wife’s recently released EP, Background Songs for Your Boring Life, Part 1, which can be streamed/purchased in all of your favorite streaming and purchasing portals.
Charles (Rufus Sewell) isn’t having the best time of it, and neither are we watching him.
M. Night Shyamalan was nominated for writing and directing Oscars for the inarguably brilliant The Sixth Sense over 20 years ago, and he’s been trying to replicate that success ever since. Unfortunately, each of his offerings since then, aside from 2002’s box office victory Signs, has been met with high hopes and then dashed expectations. His newest film, Old, is a similar disappointment. “Disappointing” is actually too kind a word for this picture; unwatchable and laughable are probably more accurate descriptors. Continue reading “Film Review: “Old””
I’ll level with you- these days are rough. The Republican Party is dead set on making sure that no working-class people and people of color are ever able to vote again. COVID is spiking all over the place, making for the conditions of a much worse variant than Delta to take over. Haiti is experiencing a tragedy that could ruin them. People are starving in Cuba due to, um, some ancient trade embargo that prevents them from participating in capitalism despite the only reason it’s in effect is because they don’t participate in capitalism. (That’s one helluva catch-22) And there is SO MUCH MORE HELL RIGHT NOW THAT MY BRAIN CAN’T HOLD IT ALL! I almost didn’t do a single of the week this week. I wanted to stay in bed and away from my computer.
Then I heard “Fast Car” by Syd. That’s the artist formerly known as Syd Tha Kyd. The frontperson of The Internet. The most talented member of Odd Future (Sorry Tyler and Frank!). And this song is great. And this video is one of the most romantic short films ever made. Did it totally turn my mood around? Well, no, I’m still anxious as hell. But for 4:43, I felt a little removed from the hell we are in. So please go to all the usual places to enjoy this lovely soul jam.
Chef, writer, and world traveler Anthony Bourdain.
Director Morgan Neville, who won an Oscar for 20 Feet from Stardom and multiple awards for the Mr. Rogers documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor takes on the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain in his new film Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain. The subtitle is somewhat curious; yes, the film is about Bourdain, but while Neville briefly touches on Bourdain’s early life, anyone looking for a thorough biographical sketch of the man won’t find it here. Ultimately, the film is less of an all-encompassing biography, and more of a meditation on life and its attendant joys and sorrows and suicide, loss, and grief. On that level, it works exceptionally well. Continue reading “Film Review: “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain””
Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” is available almost everywhere you enjoy podcasts. You can find us and subscribe here!
Julie Schuchard is the co-founder of Tricycle Records, (Download their latest free compilation here!) who has given us records by local acts such as The Hot Toddies, Everyone is Dirty, Andrew St James, Rich Girls, Geographer, and more. She also has done marketing for SF Sketchfest, Mezzanine, and about a dozen other local venues, has served on the board for the SF chapter of the Recording Academy, and can often be found around town DJing from her impressive vinyl catalog. We got to talk about her history with music, the struggles of running a label, and also her move from focusing on music and to the world of graphic design.
She also has a Nasty Woman tattoo on her wrist as a reminder that being a woman in this industry (and in this world in general) takes an extra level of nasty. Enjoy her Nasty Woman playlist below:
For the past several months, our rock photographer has been in Florida, a place that never completely stopped gathering for concerts. Although the vast majority of our coverage is throughout the Bay Area, with the past 16-month drought of any live event here, we have been extremely thankful to have been invited to attend and review a variety of shows down there in Florida. Even more exciting, most of these musicians (Foreigner, Styx, Sammy Hagar) have never before been showcased at Spinning Platters, and we are thrilled to be able to add one more artist and genre to this recent diversity, country music icon Brad Paisley!
I hate remembering the horrific events of January 6th, 2021. It was the first time that I really felt that forces of evil were really capable of dismantling democracy in America, and it became clear that all someone influential had to do to destroy this country is muse about something possibly happening and thousands of people would decide to, um, take control of The Capitol. To this day the rage leaves me so scrambled that I can’t even clearly convey my thoughts. But, you know who did? mazie. She gifted us with this lovely track called “dumb dumb” that takes the narrative for what it is and manages to take the power back from the terrorists that attacked us that day using the most potent weapon at her disposal: PURE SNARK! Both lyrical snark and even the bouncy instrumental backing are a bit snarky. This track is genius.
“dumb dumb” is out now in all the usual places! Her debut EP, the rainbow cassette, will be out on August 25th!
Spinning Platters wants you and a friend to join us for the upcoming Flymachine Livestream with LION BABE. On us. And, no, you will not automatically be added to any marketing list.
To join us for LION BABE on 8/5, click here to enter with just your name and email and here to purchase. (Winner will be notified by email on Friday, July 30th)
