David Byrne – Spinning Platters

Single of the Week: “Loving You (Demo)” by Wet Leg

Wet Leg are arguably one of the few bands to have a “really good pandemic.” They broke through with amazing videos and the right hooks to rise above the misery. And they have been excellent at giving back when they can, sort of thanking the world for their success. In 2021, they donated merch money to Afghan Refugee women. And now they are donating the original demo of “Loving You,” one of the most beautiful and serious tracks off their debut album, to The Brigid Alliance, an organization that helps connect women with abortion services.

“Loving You (Demo)” is the first track from Good Music To Ensure Safe Abortion Access For All, a digital compilation available TODAY and only TODAY from Bandcamp! It’s chock full of exclusive tracks from Sleater-Kinney, Bully, Ty Segall, and many more. There are also a slew of alternate takes and live versions of tracks, including a re-recording of David Byrne’s “Empire” with help from Devo, a much desired Thao & tUnE-yArDs collaboration on “Meticulous Bird,” and, really, too much more to name. Oh, and 100% of the proceeds will go to The Brigid Alliance and Noise For Now! Full tracklisting after the jump! Continue reading “Single of the Week: “Loving You (Demo)” by Wet Leg”

David Byrne’s “American Utopia” Coming To Theaters for One Night Only!

I’ll be rather blunt with you- I, personally, am not feeling totally safe with the idea of going to a lively, indoor, open dance floor show. Even though I’m vaccinated and would probably be double-masked, the prevalence of Delta and its intense infectiousness leaves me feeling like, for the good of my community, it’s best to stay away from spaces where we fling spit and sweat at each other.

BUT- it still feels good to share the experience of music. And this may not be 100% safe; a safer way to enjoy this experience could be in the confines of a movie theater. Specifically heading out this Wednesday, September 15th, to enjoy the Spike Lee-directed presentation of David Byrne’s award-winning American Utopia. For one night only, mask up and take in one of the most cathartic music experiences of a lifetime. Showtimes and locations can be found here!

Spinning Platters’ Top 50 Records from our First Decade: 31-50

Our very first photo posted was too small an image of Marnie Stern & I. I stand by the importance of this image.

The very first article posted to Spinning Platters was March 25th, 2009. It was a diary of the first few days of my second visit to SXSW. You can read that here, and even look at a picture of me 29 year old me with Marnie Stern.

That means this little music blog that has evolved into a music, film, theater, and comedy blog, and has been around for more than a decade at this point. So, in order to commemorate this time, I reached out to every person that has ever contributed to the site to pull together a top 50 records of the first ten years of Spinning Platters. That would be between March 2009 and March 2019.

Not everyone got back to me. I even got a couple, “I don’t remember doing this” emails from people that only contributed a couple of articles. However, this is definitely a list that represents the tastes of everyone that has been part of this thing. Since 50 records is a lot to take in at once, I’m just going to give you 31-50 today. Only without any words about the record at all, just a video from that album. Coming soon will be 11-30 with more commentary, and 1-10 with even more commentary will be coming your way before Christmas. So without further adieu, here’s your list!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters’ Top 50 Records from our First Decade: 31-50”

Spinning Platters Interview: Choreographer Annie-B Parsons

New York, NY – December 16, 2015 – Annie-B Parson, at her home in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.

David Byrne’s American Utopia has been regarded as one the most ambitious stage shows in rock history; a performance that enables the entire band to move freely about the stage is rare. Spinning Platters recently had an opportunity to catch up with one of Byrne’s collaborators on this project, choreographer Annie-B Parsons, to discuss this show, her method, and music in general.

How did you end up syncing up with David Byrne? Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Choreographer Annie-B Parsons”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/1/14-5/7/14

Thursday, May 1st Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/1/14-5/7/14”

Midnight Music Movies at The New Parkway: Stop Making Sense

See Stop Making Sense Feb 8-9 at The New Parkway in Oakland

This weekend kicks off the Spinning Platters Midnight Music Movies screening series at The New Parkway in Oakland. When we decided that we wanted to curate a series of midnight screenings of our favorite music movies, one jumped right to the top of everybody’s list: the classic Talking Heads concert film, Stop Making Sense. If the name alone is enough reason to come to the movie, then buy your tickets here. If you want to know why this is the greatest concert film ever made, I’ll be glad to tell you. Continue reading “Midnight Music Movies at The New Parkway: Stop Making Sense”

Show Review: David Byrne & St. Vincent at the Orpheum Theatre, 10/15/2012

David Byrne, St. Vincent, and accompaniment

The term “supergroup” is often used to refer to a set of musicians who are best known in association with their respective bands — musicians who haven’t necessarily operated as solitary acts in their own right, and are culled together to see what their individual untapped energies will create when synthesized. By contrast, when speaking of a pair of artists that write and perform together, each possessing their own prolific solo careers, the relationship is usually defined — accurately, but less overtly bombastically — as a “collaboration” between them. It should be preemptively stated, therefore, that the “collaboration” between David Byrne, former founder and frontman of world-famous new-wave-art-rockers Talking Heads, and Annie Clark, better known as the gorgeously cacophonous St. Vincent, possesses all of the grandeur and might that the term “supergroup” conjures the image of. Backed by a seven-piece horn section, sampling engineer, and percussionist, Byrne and Clark have birthed one of the most unusual but compelling albums of 2012, a 45-minute opus titled Love This Giant, and the Orpheum Theatre, best known as a host of many musicals and plays from all eras and countries, offered its stage to the pair for the San Francisco stop on their tour.

Continue reading “Show Review: David Byrne & St. Vincent at the Orpheum Theatre, 10/15/2012”

Sketchfest Review: True Stories 25th Anniversary w/David Byrne Q&A

The closing night of the 10th San Francisco Sketchfest kicked off with a screening of the David Byrne directed True Stories, now celebrating its 25th year of existence. Because the founders of Sketchfest met at a screening of the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, also at the Castro Theater in 1998, this event was special to the Sketchfest crew. Along for the ride was author Paul Myers, who took on the moderator duties, and the director himself. Much like the movie itself, the Q&A afterward was a minor failure, with interesting bits. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: True Stories 25th Anniversary w/David Byrne Q&A”

Looking Forward: My Twenty Most Anticipated Albums for 2010

‘Tis the season to be bombarded with more requisite year-end “Best of” and “Top Album” lists than one person could ever possibly absorb. MOG took notice and created a list culled from over eight hundred blogs that are affiliated with their network. On the other hand, Pitchfork found it necessary to add in a section titled “Honorable Mention” on top of their “Top 50 Albums” roundup. To top it all off, as the first decade of the 21st century comes to a close, we have a whole new beast to contend with: The “Best of the Decade” lists. Do not get me started with how completely and totally out of touch Billboard magazine is with the current musical landscape. Nickelback is not the ‘band of the decade.’

Instead, I’d like to take this opportunity to look towards, not to mention forward, to the future. From what I’ve heard throughout the musical blogosphere of strategically leaked singles, 2010 is going to be an incredible year for releases from some of my favorite artists. This revelation alone has inspired me to share a list of my twenty most anticipated albums that will be legally available in the first few months of next year. One honorable mention goes to a band I personally don’t care for too much but most everyone else seems to go crazy over. Without further ado, here we go….

Continue reading “Looking Forward: My Twenty Most Anticipated Albums for 2010”

David Byrne Talks About Bicycles, Herbst Theater, 9/29/09

Bicycle

Last night David Byrne hosted an event for the “29th Annual Literary Events Series Benefiting the 826 Valencia College Scholarship Program” on “Cities, Bicycles and the Future of Getting Around.” Also on the forum was Mike Teitz, a Senior Fellow and former Director of Research at the Public Policy Institute of California, David Chiu, the President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and Leah Shahum, the Director of the San Francisco Bike Coalition. I came not having read his book, Bicycle Diaries, or ever having ridden a bicycle in San Francisco. So, I felt like a bit of an outsider. But I don’t have a car and I am as big a supporter of bicycles as anyone who hasn’t owned a bike in ten years. Also, I like David Byrne and I am interested enough in what he has to say, on most subjects, to come out on a weeknight. Continue reading “David Byrne Talks About Bicycles, Herbst Theater, 9/29/09”