Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
The week is the first official week of Fauxchella. There is plenty to look forward to, including a healthy dose of Coachella bands that you can see without the threat of sunburn, and only limited threat of somebody on Ecstasy deciding that you have the prettiest hair in the world and they need to pet it for 45 minutes while you watch The Cult.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 4/3/14-4/9/14”
I didn’t go to SXSW last year. And I, literally, spent all of 2013 being sad about it. SXSW is like live music Disneyland. Sadly, complete with the lines and the getting frustrated about all of the people with Fast Passes cutting ahead of you. However, if you play your cards right, you can see an obscene amount of live music. In four days, I got to enjoy 34 bands. And I didn’t even try that hard this year.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters SXSW 2014 Report: 34 Instant Band Reviews”
I know that December tends to be a time to purchase gifts for friends and family members. But Shopping kind of sucks. Instead, go to a show?
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 12/6/12-12/12/12”
This list simply goes to show you that there is no such thing as a slow week in the bay area for shows…. We have two legendary punk bands playing in SF, plus a slew of other odds and ends that insure that nobody’s musical taste will go unaccounted for. So, do yourself a favor and go to a few shows this week. You’ve worked hard and deserve it!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 5/17/12-5/23/12”
This year I probably saw even less buzz bands than the average blogger than last year. My priority was to have a good time, whether that be hanging out with friends or watching great music. So this list is a testament to all the artists, people and venues that made my time in Austin memorable. Continue reading “Marie’s Best of SXSW 2011 Awards”
I needed a picks six x’s 2 to settle the warring factions in my South By Southwest Brain this year, new vs old. Who do I concentrate on? The tried and true or the exciting and fresh? This year, more than any other for me, is bringing out the artists that I grew up with; the ones that have helped shape my musical taste. The fangirl in me is excited to follow these people around for five days to continue my personal worship. The music journalist in me is excited to see some new acts that will hopefully blow my mind. Whichever side ends up winning I am sure to have a wonderful time. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Picks Six (x2): Indie and Pop Acts to Watch at SXSW”
What does the Bay Area concert scene have in store for Valentine’s Day weekend? Look after the jump to find out.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 2/10/11 — 2/16/11”
The Vaselines are a band from a very different musical era. They are a hard-to-define band from a period of time when it was difficult to find bands that you couldn’t easily market to people. They didn’t really do punk rock, they don’t really do folk music, they aren’t a new wave band, they are merely themselves. They put out a few ep’s in the 80’s, and were supposed to fade away into obscurity. That was, of course, until a young man managed to come across some imports in his local record store, became entranced by them, and ended up covering not 1, not 2, but 3 of their songs with a little rock trio that became one of the most influential bands of all time.
They officially broke up in 1990, but played a few shows in the early 90’s supporting Nirvana in Europe. Then, in 2008, they decided to reunite at the urging of another influential band from the 90’s. This time it was Belle & Sebastian urging this band back into the limelight. After all, their blend of girl group, twee, punk and lyrics that would make Luther Campbell blush is something the world will finally be ready for. And, at the Great American Music Hall, we experienced what that band sounds like today.
Treasure Island Weekend is upon us… And, if you still have the energy, here’s a few more shows to go to, as well!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 10/14/2010-10/20/2010”
This is a really full week. There are multiple nights where I am trying really hard to figure out how to be in two places at once… Has anyone invented an easy way to clone oneself?
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide to Bay Area Concerts, 6/17/10-6/23/10”