Carly Rae Jepsen – Spinning Platters

Single of the Week: “Shy Boy” by Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen, according to several sources, made and scrapped a disco record called Disco Sweat. This record is on my long list of unreleased records that I would do ANYTHING to hear. Although it looks highly unlikely that Disco Sweat will ever see the light of day, this week, Ms Jepsen gifted us with the track “Shy Boy,” and I’m pretty sure this is close to the original vision of that record. It’s a bright, peppy disco number, complete with an actual “jam” at the end. It’s the Summer disco jam we always knew Carly had in her.

I can’t wait to hear what else Carly Rae Jepsen has in store for us this year. Until then, you can enjoy “Shy Boy” in all the usual places.

BottleRock Napa Valley 2023 Festival Journal, Day 2

You’re reading Day 2 – be sure to check out what you missed on Day 1!

Day 2 of this year’s BottleRock started with similar weather to the previous day. By the time I was done watching Paris Jackson‘s set (my first of the day), I was already warm enough to take my jacket off. Despite having heard at least a few of her songs here and there, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Jackson. She has a solid sound with her band, and her set was enjoyable pop-rock. I enjoyed her enough that I’ll be curious to see where her music career will take her. Continue reading “BottleRock Napa Valley 2023 Festival Journal, Day 2”

BottleRock Napa Valley 2023 Preview

Can you feel it? Summer’s almost here, finally! Besides the fact that the rain has finally stopped and the temps are heating up, you always know it’s just about summer when it’s time to take a look at the upcoming BottleRock Napa Valley festival!

As usual, the folks organizing this magical event in my sweet hometown have done a brilliant job providing us with not just fantastic headliners but quite a few awesome smaller bands. It starts in less than 10 days, and as usual, I can’t wait!

This year, the Red Hot Chili Peppers return to headline along with The Smashing Pumpkins, Lizzo, Duran Duran, Post Malone, and Lil Nas X!

Beyond that impressive lineup of headliners, there are countless other interesting acts I hope to see, including Bastille, Phantogram, Kennyhoopla, Jean Dawson, Beach Weather, Paris Jackson, local band High Noon, Leon Bridges, Carly Rae Jepsen, Tove Lo, Dayglow, Danielle Ponder, Wu-Tang Clan, The National, Caamp, Sheryl Crow, Los Lobos, The Wrecks, and The Alive. And that’s without listing any of the extensive food, wine, or cocktails available to tempt and delight tastebuds, too!

Here’s my 2023 BottleRock preview playlist for your listening enjoyment, and I look forward to seeing you there soon! Don’t have tickets? Try here, and come on out to Napa for some sunshine at the best fest in the west!

BOTTLEROCK 2023 LINE UP IS HERE!

BOTTLEROCK LINEUP HAS DROPPED!!!! And it’s looking like it might be the most fun year yet! Not only do they have 3 of our top ten of 2022 (Lizzo, Carly Rae Jepsen, Ashe), but the top line also features the classic lineup of Red Hot Chili Peppers finally making up their lost 2020 set, hitmaker Post Malone, New Romantic heartthrobs Duran Duran, groundbreaking genius Lil Nas X, and 90’s Lollapalooza veterans The Smashing Pumpkins (still minus D’Arcy, however. :grumpyface:)

Other Spinning Platters favorites at this shindig include The National, Sheryl Crow, Tove Lo, Nile Ridgers & Chic, Phantogram, Japanese Breakfast, and, hiding at the very bottom, Paris Jackson (!). Full lineup after the jump. And then the “About Damn Time” video because that song never gets old.

Tickets on sale January 10th at noon PST.

Continue reading “BOTTLEROCK 2023 LINE UP IS HERE!”

Spinning Platters’ Top 10 Albums of 2022

By The Spinning Platters Editorial Team

Good news, everyone! Just like every other year, Spinning Platters is publishing the LAST top albums of the year list you’ll be reading. Our entire team has been listening to each other’s favorite records, no matter how painful it can get, and we’ve voted on our 10 favorite albums of 2022! Without further adieu, here we go: Continue reading “Spinning Platters’ Top 10 Albums of 2022”

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!

Single of the Week: Let’s Be Friends by Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen, Canada’s greatest export since Rush, has done it again. She’s released another single outside of the standard album cycle that is bound to outlast anything that appeared on the album that preceded it. Much like “Cut to the Feeling” has become one of her most beloved songs, her newest single “Let’s Be Friends” is poised to become another standout in her unimpeachable songbook.

Co-written and produced by CJ Baran, whose credits include “Let’s Get Lost” and “Emotion” from Carly Rae, “Let’s Be Friends” is a bouncy breakup song that examines the lie that couples will stay friends after they’re done being lovers. Full of playful vocals and clever turns of phrase, its catchy chorus is ready for singing along or for quirky short dance videos. The song even features a funny spoken-word breakdown, perfect for TikTok lipsyncing, that “coincidentally” lasts exactly 15 seconds.

We’re big, big fans of Carly Rae here at Spinning Platters, so much so that we’re on a first-name basis with her in our heads. So it’s exciting to note that at the same time this single was released, she also announced a show on April 12 at The Fox Theater in Oakland.

Spinning Platters’ Top 50 Records from our First Decade: 1-10!

The appropriate 10th anniversary gift is tin. So, um, here’s a pile of tin?

…And we’ve reached the finish line! Here are the top 10 records of the first decade of Spinning Platters, as voted on by our editorial team. Enjoy! Looking to see where we started? Here’s 31-50 and here’s 11-30 Continue reading “Spinning Platters’ Top 50 Records from our First Decade: 1-10!”

Spinning Platters Picks Six: Albums That Were Pulled Before Release

In the year 2001, I was working at a Wherehouse Music in the Financial District of San Francisco, CA. During this time period, we received regular visits from representatives from major record labels who would drop off advance CD’s of the upcoming new releases. Mid-Summer, we got a record called In Search Of… by a band called N*E*R*D. This was a side project of popular producers The Neptunes, with Neptune Pharrell Williams handling all of the lead vocals. Yes, there was a time when people didn’t know who Pharrell Willams was! Continue reading “Spinning Platters Picks Six: Albums That Were Pulled Before Release”

Outside Lands 2018: 48 Hours After The Line Up Dropped

It’s the same story every festival: In the days and weeks leading up to the line up announcement, people try to predict the line up. Then folks get their hopes set super high with some imaginary Beatles / Smiths / Talking Heads / Mozart & Salieri reunion, and then nothing else is ever good enough. Then they complain about how it’s never as good as it was in 2013, or 2009, or 2017, or whenever that time you last complained about how bad the line up was.

As expected, the internet was flooded with complaints about the 2018 line-up, which goes on sale today at 10am. If you want to experience pure frustration, feel free to peruse the Outside Lands’ Reddit page. I, however, believe that this might actually be one of the most exciting and riskiest Outside Lands bill yet.

Here’s why: Continue reading “Outside Lands 2018: 48 Hours After The Line Up Dropped”