Single of the Week: “Cold Christmas” by The Aislers Set

With all of the hell that 2020 has been and remains to be, the last thing I expected to get out of it was a new single from SF twee pop heroes The Aislers Set. For the unfamiliar, The Aislers Set were a supergroup of sorts featuring members of SF indie rock bands Henry’s Dress, #Poundsign and Track Star. The quietly drifted away in the late 00’s, only to reappear for a short run of shows in 2014. This morning, I opened my inbox to find a “new” track from them. Sadly, it’s just a song that went unreleased in 2010 only to appear today, which means we might not be hearing new music, but maybe we will? Or at least a few more shows when we can enjoy shows again? Either way, this song is classic, trumpet and reverb drenched bliss with surprisingly poignant lyrics for Christmas 2020, which is going to be cold and lonely for a lot of people. However, the summery music lends some optimism! Remember, it’s only a lonely holiday because if we aren’t alone this year, we are going to be alone for a LOT more years to come. 

You can purchase the new track from The Aislers Set Bandcamp page. And all of you young people that missed the joy of seeing this band, may I reccomend spinning The Last Match, a record that DEFINITELY changed my life. 

Single Of The Week: “It’s Not Christmas Until Somebody Cries” by Carly Rae Jepsen

I generally hate Christmas music. And 2020 has been an extra terrible year for Christmas music… All of the new songs of the season that have been coming out have been EXTRA 2020! So much about missing your loved ones and not being able to celebrate and whatnot. With all of the darkness this year has given us, I’m just sort of over get reminded how miserable everything and everyone is. 

Which is why I say “Thank God for Carly Rae Jepsen!” I actually say that almost daily, but seriously, she is shaking up Christmas 2020 in all the right ways. “It’s Not Christmas Until Somebody Cries” is a legitimately funny and timeless song. It’s the spiritual sister to The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping”- a song that pokes fun of the holiday and its traditions, while still giving warm regard to it. This song will make you feel good, and maybe help remind you that telling your mother that Christmas might have to be celebrated via Zoom this year might not be so hard. (Also, celebrating via Zoom this year is the only way to guarantee you can celebrate with hugs next year)

“It’s Not Christmas Until Somebody Cries” can be found in all the usual places. May it bring you all the joy that it’s brought me!

Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” BONUS EPISODE with Tanya Donelly and Brian Sullivan of The Loyal Seas

Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” is available most everywhere you enjoy podcasts. You can find us and subscribe here!

Remember how I said a few weeks ago that I’m the 1st season of “How Did I Get Here?” was over? Well, I lied. I didn’t lie, but I had the opportunity to snag the very first interview with The Loyal Seas. Who are The Loyal Seas? They are a bit of a supergroup featuring Bay Area-based indie veteran and all-around really lovely person, Brian Sullivan, aka Dylan In The Movies and Tanya Donelly. Yes, the Grammy-nominated Tanya Donelly. Founding member of not one, but THREE of the most groundbreaking bands in rock history: Throwing Muses, The Breeders, and Belly. We got to talk about friendship, struggling to get your music heard, the logistics of having a transcontinental band, and a lot more. I even asked a very specific question about a moment that happened at a Belly concert in 1993, and, sadly, that moment is missing from the internet. You can literally watch the whole show except the part we talked about.

 
The Loyal Seas first 7″, Strange Mornings In The Garden, is coming out December 4th on American Laundromat. Pre-orders are happening NOW! A full-length is in the works, and we should be hearing that around Fall 2021. The best way to stay in the know there is to follow them on Instagram. 
 
You can follow Tanya Donelly on Instagram and Bandcamp, and you can also pre-order the Belly rarities/b-sides compilation Bees, too!
 
Brian Sullivan can be found on Instagram and Dylan In The Movies can be found on Bandcamp. Keep an eye out at American Laundromat for more Dylan In The Movies news soon!

Single Of The Week: “i never wanna die” by Bea Miller

I don’t know why I’ve slept on Bea Miller… The name has been getting tossed around for a bit now, but it wasn’t until the NIVA Save Our Stages Fest Livestream that I really took notice. Her set, which is still up here, was amazing. “i never wanna die” is the latest single from her EP, elated!, which came out in late October, is a dark little rock number that gets stuck on your head for ages. I’m glad it’s a single, so I can finally give it the “Single Of The Week” honors!

elated! doesn’t have a physical release date as of yet, but you can enjoy it in all of the places you would normally listen to music in the virtual world.

Single Of The Week: “Water Baby” by Megan Diana

Funny. I opened up a press release while doing something else, and ended up clicking on the wrong link in the press release. So, Megan Diana released a new single this week called “Cabin Fever.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s a really great song, full of soulful vocals and gorgeous french horn. BUT! I found that out late because I clicked on the link to ANOTHER song by her called “Water Baby.” And HOLY SHITBALLS!! Diana is playing a mighty Wurlitzer organ alongside bass playing by the legendary Esperanza Spalding, and this song is just plain buttery magic. It’s always important to read the fine print, I guess? I’ve listened to this track 10 times today, and I’ll probably listen to it 10 more. 

“Water Baby” can be streamed on Spotify & purchased on Bandcamp. While you are at it, “Cabin Fever” can be, too. Expect a full-length record to drop sometime in 2021. 

Film Review: The Climb

Offbeat buddy picture champions long-haul friendships 

Mike (Michael Angelo Covino, l.)  drops some unsettling news on his longtime friend Kyle (Kyle Marvin) during an uphill bike ride.

Bay Area cinephiles were no doubt excited by the news that the Landmark Shattuck and Embarcadero theaters are re-opening today (at reduced capacity, and with strict health and safety protocols in place, of course). The chain has long been a showcase for indie film, and film fans can rejoice at returning to a venue for unique and quirky offerings. One of the theater’s grand re-opening films, The Climb, fits that description to a tee, and makes for a terrific first-time back viewing experience.

Continue reading “Film Review: The Climb“

Single Of The Week: “Shake” by Hot Laundry

It’s getting really cold outside. Life since the double shot of optimism last weekend with Biden getting declared President-Elect and news of a highly effective vaccine has since been shot down by a massive resurgence of the virus nationwide and the current President trying to do all he can to prevent his democratically elected successor from taking office. What is the best way to deal with both physical and psychological coldness? Well, I like to take a cue from my chihuahua and dive into  a pile of hot laundry, fresh out of the dryer. Of course, sometimes real hot laundry isn’t at your disposal. Then, of course, you should play “Shake” by Hot Laundry super loud and dance around to get your serotonin flowing. It’s a sexy soul punk anthem that will surely help you “shake” off the negativity in this world, at least for a little while. 

“Shake” can be streamed/purchased in all the usual places, and it’s the lead single off their upcoming full length, due out this Spring!  The band also just created a YouTube page for you to subscribe to, so you can see their lovely faces while you are dancing. And if you need to get your live music fix that we all desperately need, lead singer Janette Lopez has been hosting regular live streams from The Complex SF, and you can catch all of that on Twitch, including live sets from The Black Angels, Whateverglades, and many more!

Single of the Week: “The Universe is Watching Us – What Happens Next…” by Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder has recently started pumping out a slew of singles, including the classic Wonder of “Where Is Our Love Song?” with Gary Clark Jr and the political hip-hop track “Can’t Put Your Hands In Fate” featuring Busta Rhymes, Rapsody, Cordae, and Chika. However, this week’s “Single of the Week” isn’t one of those tracks. It’s not even a piece of music. It’s a passionate plea to humanity that was sent to the world on Election Day. As of publish date, the US Presidential Election still hasn’t been called, but all signs point to Biden/Harris winning. (God I hope so! If Trump/Pence really wins this thing, I can’t imagine it being safe to hold large events anytime in the next few years) 

So, while we frantically refresh and await the networks to call this thing, maybe listen to a national treasure give some wisdom from his long time on this Earth. Songs In The Key Of Life has been my go-to record for dealing with the fright and stress of this pandemic and administration, and he continues to help remind me when to stay calm and when to fight. 

Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” Episode 13 with Photographer Paige Parsons

Photo by Mike Rosati

Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” is available most everywhere you enjoy podcasts. You can find us and subscribe here!

Today’s guest is rock photography extraordinaire, Paige Parsons! We talked her first shows, how she stumbled into rock photography, giving away ice cream at concerts, and her current photography project, the PPE Project, which is an effort to give a face to doctors working in PPE. We had a great conversation, that made me really sad that shows are off the table for the foreseeable future. 

Paige can be found in Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. There is also a great documentary about her on YouTube. 

Here’s a quick list of links that were mentioned on our chat:

https://icecreamman.com

https://www.ellenby.com/

https://www.facebook.com/PPEPortraitProject

https://ppeportrait.org/create

https://www.kqed.org/news/11817046/from-ebola-to-coronavirus-a-simple-practice-of-sticker-photo-portraits-for-doctors

If you have any feedback about this episode, feel free to email me at dakin@spinningplatters.com. If you like what you heard and want to help support this thing, feel free to Venmo me whatever tip you feel is adequate @Dakin-Hardwick.  And, most importantly, please go to SaveOurStages.com to find out what you can do to help independent promoters and venues weather this COVID crisis so we have shows to go back to when this pandemic is over. Thanks for listening!

Single Of The Week: “Mr Monster” by Miranda and The Beat

This might be the scariest Halloween ever… COVID means we can’t get together and party. We really REALLY can’t do an apple bob. (Seriously folks, DO NOT BOB FOR APPLES! I mean, ever. It’s gross. But it’s pretty much a death warrant this year) Also, we are only a handful of days away from an election where, no matter what the results, there will be a contingent of people that believe the results mean that America will cease to exist as we know it. So, in lieu of a series song, our single of the week is a campy, garage-soul rave up from Miranda and The Beat called “Mr Monster.” We’ve got soulful vocals, campy horror-movie imagery, and a driving farfisa that will make your solo Halloween dance party still kick nicely. 

“Mr Monster” can be streamed in all the usual places, and you can dig deeper into their catalog on Bandcamp. Also, DON’T FORGOT TO VOTE!!!!!!!!