Spinning Platters’ Top 20 Albums of 2020

By The Spinning Platters Editorial Staff

What a shit year, am I right? I guess that’s the consensus all around. It was also a weird year for music… The first half of the year had a bunch of great records that were released with touring in mind, full of epic live songs that are meant to be heard in a crowd and that simply didn’t happen. The second half was full of intense projects made while in seclusion. Projects where the recording is really the only means of connecting. This was a great year for the art of the album, despite it being a terrible year for musicians to make a living. Which is why we are giving you a top 20 this year! A lot of independent artists mixed in with the big ones, so please buy a record or two, or some merch to help keep them alive and able to hit the road when it’s safe. 

A quick note: We begin this process in October, so our years is 11/1-11/1. So, yes, you will see at least one late 2019 album on this list. Continue reading “Spinning Platters’ Top 20 Albums of 2020”

Single Of The Week: Lights Out by Deep Sea Diver

It’s been far too long since Seattle’s Deep Sea Diver have graced our presence with new music. Today they graced our presence with a driving little number called “Lights Out,” complete with a new take on the “Lyric Video,” which I’m calling a “Lyrics and Guitar Tab” video. For those of you learning guitar this pandemic, this one’s for you! 

“Lights Out” is the first single off their upcoming record, Impossible Weight. You can pre-order/pre-save in all the usual places, but there are some extra special packages available from their Bandcamp page. They are even offering a “Pay It Forward” plan where you can purchase an extra copy of the record and the band will send it to someone struggling financially right now. And, since today is Bandcamp Day, if you preorder it today, the band gets EVERYTHING! Bandcamp waives their fees on the first Friday of each month. I will also recommend that you follow the band on Instagram, because they are very, very active while in quarantine, and they’ve got some good stuff pouring out of them.  

Treasure Island Festival 2013, Day 2

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Most Photos by Kara Murphy

I learned from my mistake of yesterday and left my downtown Oakland apartment at 10:30 am. Instead of making my way to the shuttles at The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, I took the transbay bus and transferred to the 108 Muni line at the Transbay Terminal and used that to get to the island. It took my exactly one hour from leaving my place to my arrival to the Bridge stage. Which also meant that I got there early enough to walk right up to the barrier, and I got to enjoy some time with the group of hardcore Animal Collective fans that were determined to stay put all day. And a trio of hard core Deep Sea Diver fans.

Continue reading “Treasure Island Festival 2013, Day 2”

Spinning Platters Presents The Official List of the Top 20 Albums of 2012

Here to present the top 20 albums of the year as voted on by the SpinningPlatters staff.
Here to present the top 20 albums of the year as voted on by the SpinningPlatters staff.

By The Spinning Platters Staff

Every website has a Top XX albums of the year list. This one is ours, and there is nothing by The xx on it. I mean, I really like The xx’s Coexist. There were just 20 records that came out this year that were better. Maybe you’ll find something that you missed?

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Presents The Official List of the Top 20 Albums of 2012”

Show Review: Deep Sea Diver, Wild Belle, Sunrunners at Bottom Of The Hill, 11/27/12

All Photos by Homirah Amiri

Deep Sea Diver is the current project from Jessica Dobson, who was first introduced to me via Beck. She was the guitar player on the Modern Guilt Tour, which may have been the last time I felt Beck truly enjoyed playing music. She had some pretty huge shows to fill in that band, and she did filled them quite nicely. In the five years since I last saw her play with Beck, she joined The Shins and also had been recording songs that she wrote as this project.  Earlier this year, she put out an excellent record called History Speaks, which as an amazing full length that was well worth the half a decade wait it took for it to come out. I was quite excited to see how she managed to pull it if live on the cold Tuesday night.

Continue reading “Show Review: Deep Sea Diver, Wild Belle, Sunrunners at Bottom Of The Hill, 11/27/12”

Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 11/22/12-11/28/12

Henry Rollins opted to spend Thanksgiving at a much better restaurant this year.

Did you really think I’d live you hanging on Thanksgiving day? Of course not… If Henry Rollins is working on Thanksgiving, then I am, too!

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 11/22/12-11/28/12”