I know, I know, I know… We are all so very sick of COVID lockdowns and masking and social distancing and everything. And with recent news from the CDC saying that vaccinated folks drop the masks and live life like it’s normal should mean that we should stop seeing new postponements, right? Yet, just today, the Hella Mega Tour featuring Green Day, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, and The Interruptors just got pushed out a few more months, starting July 24th, 2021 in Dallas. This, along with recent news of Bikini Kill, Motley Crue, (which, if you don’t immediately scream to yourself “I’m gonna win that Motley Crue mirror if it fucking kills me” when you see those two band names together, then what are you even doing reading this blog?) and Rage Against The Machine pushing their late Summer / early Fall 2021 shows even further down the line, it’s gotta be a little frustrating, right? Continue reading “In Defense Of: One Last Postponement”
BottleRock Napa Valley 2021 Preview
It’s been nearly a year since the original lineup announcement for BottleRock Napa Valley 2020. It was only January, and we hardly knew anything yet about what would become of the world as we know it, especially for us live music lovers.
Fast forward to mid-May 2021, and most of us are starved for live events we might have once taken for granted. Fortunately, there’s finally a light appearing at the end of a very long and difficult tunnel.
I haven’t seen a show since January 2020. If you know me at all, you know that festivals are my favorite – especially one I can walk to from home. And finally, finally, finally, it seems like it’s about that time again. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…
Bottle Rock Napa Valley 2021’s lineup! I’m happy to see that quite a few of those originally slated for last year’s BRNV will be playing this Labor Day when vaccinated music-lovers can convene to enjoy! This includes original headliner Stevie Nicks, plus Guns N’ Roses (!!) and returning headliners Foo Fighters. In addition to those three, I’m also looking forward to several smaller acts! Personally, I can’t wait to catch Finneas, the freaking Village People (!!), Absofacto, Atlas Genius, Miley Cyrus, Megan Thee Stallion, Brandi Carlile, Cage the Elephant, Portugal. The Man, Young the Giant, Maren Morris, Black Pumas, Jon Batiste, Digable Planets, Matt Nathanson, Mondo Cozmo, Meg Myers, among many others. Who are you most excited to see this year?
Here’s my preview playlist featuring some of my faves. Enjoy, get vaccinated, and I’ll see you in my hometown this Labor Day weekend at BottleRock Napa Valley!
BottleRock ticket info: On sale 5/20 at 10 am PST. Get yours here!
Book Review: Lily’s Grooves
Full Disclosure: I write about music and sometimes comedy. I am not an expert on literature, and, specifically, I’m not an expert on Children’s Literature. I am also married to an expert on Children’s Literature, and I really should have asked her to write this review, but I didn’t. However, currently, I am living life as a stay-at-home Dad to an amazing toddler that demands that I read to her several times a day. This kid also loves music, records, and cats. So, when I opened up my mailbox and found a copy of Lily’s Grooves, the story of a record store cat, I decided that it wasn’t really my opinion or even my partner with a master’s in Children’s Literature opinion that mattered. Just the kid.
Single Of The Week: “Ladies and Gentlemen” by DVNCT
DVNCT is a modern R&B duo from New York. Or maybe New Jersey? It wasn’t clear from their bio. What is clear is that their latest single “Ladies and Gentlemen” is a dark masterpiece that’s closer to TV On The Radio or Algiers than most anything you’ll hear on mainstream radio today. It’s a classic soul heartbreak song only your heart isn’t merely broken. It’s pulverized.
“Ladies and Gentlemen” can be heard in all the usual places. There is more to come in the near future from these folks, so be sure to follow them around on all of the socials!
Film Review: “Here Today”
Crystal, Haddish can’t save strained so-called ‘comedy’
Back in 1989, Nora Ephron, in her film When Harry Met Sally, posed the age-old question: Can men and women ever really be friends? Now, thirty-two years later, Billy Crystal, who played the titular Harry, returns in Here Today to tell us that not only can men and women be friends, but that their friendship can yield an uninteresting, unfunny movie. Call this one When Charlie Met Snooze
Single of the Week: “NPC” by Ghoulies
Australia has been absolutely killing it the last few years. Like, seriously- all of the best acts seem to be coming from there: Courtney Barnett, Camp Cope, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, the list goes on. Heck, the only rock band to graduate to arenas in the last five years is the Aussie psych combo Tame Impala. For the next wave of acts to break across the Pacific, I give you Ghoulies. They do keyboard-driven, hyperactive punk rock, and they do it well. All the hooks you need and enough spunk to get the pit open, but songs so short that you aren’t likely to get hurt. “NPC” is the hookiest song on their upcoming 7″ full-length Reprogram. (7 songs in under 10 minutes!)
Reprogram is out in the digital world NOW and is coming out on vinyl on May 24th, 2021. It’s also Bandcamp Day, so if you preorder from Bandcamp today, the band gets EVERY PENNY!
Film Review: “Eat Wheaties!” and “Percy vs Goliath”
New Canadian drama and comedy now streaming
Two very different Canadian films opened in limited theatrical release this weekend (though not in the Bay Area – yet), but both are available for home viewing via VOD sites. Read on to see if you might want to check out either the comedy (Eat Wheaties!) or the drama (Percy vs Goliath).
Continue reading “Film Review: “Eat Wheaties!” and “Percy vs Goliath””
Single Of The Week: “It’s Too Late” by Dana and the Wolf
This song is absolutely bonkers. It takes you on such a wild journey that I don’t even know where to begin! “It’s Too Late” by Dana and the Wolf is a potent autobiographical track the digs deep into the emotions that lead a couple to decide to stay a couple but no longer remain monogamous. Sonically, it’s a triumphant R&B torch song and a country heartbreak ballad at the same time, with a french horn riff that rips your heart out.
“It’s Too Late” can be found in all of the usual places. Dana and the Wolf’s debut LP, LA FADE, is coming out this fall on VERO Music.
Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” Season 2, Episode 5 with DJ / Podcaster / Superhero Mo Herms
Spinning Platters presents “How Did I Get Here?” is available almost everywhere you enjoy podcasts. You can find us and subscribe here!
Mo Herms has done pretty much every job in music you can imagine… From record store clerk to radio programmer to journalist to licensing to, well, just imagine it and she’s done it. Mo is currently the Music Editorial Lead at 1021 Creative, but we got to talk about all of it. From the first time she fixed a record her sister destroyed to getting hit on by, um, Ike Turner. It was a fun chat, and I think you’ll enjoy it. You may also enjoy the playlist she made of important songs from throughout her career.
Mosswood Meltdown Line Up Announcement!
Remember late 2019 when the amazing Bikini Kill announced they were touring again, and those dates included an appearance at Burger Boogaloo in Oakland? And remember how excited we all were? And then a self-destructive GOP gambled away anything possibly enjoyable in 2020 by deciding that “COVID-19 will just go away on its own” instead of doing something bold and decisive and fast, and over a year of our lives was stolen from us?
Well, I’ve got some good news for you. Coming to Mosswood Park on July 2nd and 3rd, 2022, is a brand new festival, rising from the ashes of Burger Boogaloo. The event organizers have cut all ties with Burger Records and are bringing you two days of punk rock fun, and John Waters is still on board as the master of ceremonies! It’s called Mosswood Meltdown, and your original Burger Boogaloo tickets will still be good for it!
Who is playing? Well, the legendary Bikini Kill is making their first Bay Area appearance since the late ’90s. Belgium’s new wave pioneer Plastic Bertrand is playing their first Bay Area EVER. The Carbonas are playing their first Bay Show in over a decade, too! Rounding out the first wave of bands are my favorite modern band, BLEACHED, local icons Shannon Shaw, Pansy Division, and Rubinos, as well as The Fevers, The Younger Lovers, and Midnite Snaxxx. Plus many more to come, including what is rumored to be an absolutely amazing second headliner. 2 Day GA and VIP Passes as well as single-day tickets are ON SALE NOW!!!