Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
One of my favorite experiments is to go see a band that I know nothing about. Usually this tends to be a low key affair, in a small venue somewhere. It’s rare for a band to play a venue in the 3,000+ capacity range that I’ve managed to miss. Although it can easily be a gamble, the pay off can be great. On the warm Indian Summer night, I took the new band challenge.
Electronic acts far and wide have begun to embrace the digital world as a new means of performance, production, and musical composition. Despite the ease and shimmer that is brought to songs of digital birth, there is really nothing quite like the humming, warm drones of analog circuits, whether they be in new-school oscillators or old-school synthesizers — or possibly both. Tonight’s performance at the Fox Theater welcomed two acts — Air from France, and AM from Los Angeles — who brought the gentle charm of analog and the sweeping beauty of ambient electronics to a theater which often plays host to some of the loudest and most bombastic rock acts of today. Continue reading “Show Review: Air with AM at The Fox Oakland, 3/26/2010”
Chances are, if you’re a music aficionado, you’ve already heard of AM. If not directly from a friend or by way of online channels such as Lala and thesixtyone, where he currently enjoys a strong presence, then you’ve most likely been exposed through a more traditional medium.
This is due to the fact that every single track off of his 2006 full-length debut, Troubled Times, has appeared in either a film or TV show. Thus far, the Tulsa-born, New Orleans-bred singer-songwriter has been savvy enough to capitalize on the momentum of such a promising start. AIR has asked him to open for them on their North American tour and when that concludes, he’ll embark on a stint with none other than Charlotte Gainsbourg as she also treks through the U.S. and Canada.
Continue reading “Album Review: AM — Future Sons & Daughters”
After all the chaos that was Spinning Platters’ visit to Austin, TX for a bit of SXSW action, it’s time to come home and do what we did while we were in Texas, see a bunch of great live bands. Many of them we will be seeing again. So, fire up those ear plugs and get ready to dance: Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 3/24/10-3/30/10”
I didn’t think I was going to finish up this week. Got sick through the middle. But the fortunes smile on all of you, your reviews are here. Continue reading “New Release Round Up 2/9/10 — 28 Instant Album Reviews”