Tag: interview

Spinning Platters Interview: Brandon Young of Delta Spirit

Delta Spirit, one of my personal favorite bands, is coming to the Bay Area in December.   Their breakthrough album Ode to Sunshine was packed with such raw, personable authenticity that it was shocking to find out they had emerged from my hometown of San Diego (land of the cultural brain fart).  This band came together organically.  Through the music you can hear the enjoyment of their jamming together and the shit-talking session that ensues, which is at the core of what makes it work.  Their music is intimate, free and unapologetic like a good drunken conversation.  I can’t wait to hear what they’ve come out the recording cabin with this time.  They have a steady track record of releasing an album every two years and then touring like, well, like dedicated musicians. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Brandon Young of Delta Spirit”

Spinning Platters Interview: Kelli Scarr

Photo by David Price, taken at Hotel Utah, 7.27.10

Kelli Scarr is a native of Folsom, CA. She has spent many years playing in different bands, before ending up as a collaborator on Moby’s 2009 release Wait For Me, as well as playing in his band on his corresponding world tour. She’s recently released her debut full-length solo record, Piece, which as an absolutely stunning piece of work. Spinning Platters had a chance to speak with her before playing the intimate confines of the Hotel Utah Saloon.

How did you end up hooking up with Moby?
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Kelli Scarr”

Spinning Platters Interview: Dan Black

Photo by Kara Murphy, who also assisted with this interview
Shortly before he wowed the crowds at Mezzanine, we had the honor to sit and talk to Dan Black at a creepy dive bar on 6th St. We enjoyed club soda with lime, and talked about touring, musical genres, and what happens when your band spontaneously combusts on stage.  Here’s a transcription of that conversation:
Who are you, and what do you do?

Artist Interview – Crystal Monee Hall

With Broadway experience as well as session work along side musical greats such as Elton John already on her resume, the soulful Crystal Monee Hall arrives the Bay Area with a lot on her mind, a lot to sing about, and a readiness to achieve her musical independence…

How much of a role does your musical and cultural background growing up play in your new album?

Continue reading “Artist Interview — Crystal Monee Hall”

Spinning Platters Interview: AR Rahman

AR Rahman is a celebrated composer and pop songwriter. He is most famous for composing the Oscar winning score to 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, but also has more than 50 films to his credit. He is about to embark on his biggest world tour ever, opening June 11th at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York, and playing at the Oracle Arena in Oakland on June 26th.  He took a few minutes out his busy schedule to talk with us about the tour, his feelings about his current wave of success, and how he juggles so many projects at once.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: AR Rahman”

Spinning Platters Interview: Frederick “Toots” Hibbert of Toots & The Maytals

Toots Hibbert is a sonic pioneer that helped push the boundaries of ska music, coined the word reggae, and helped bring the music of Jamaica to the mainstream. At 64 years old, he is as vital as ever, releasing a new record, Flip N Twist, on May 18th on CD, Vinyl, Digital, and USB Joint, as well as hitting the road on a North American tour that hits The Regency Ballroom on the record’s street date. Spinning Platters spent a few minutes on the phone with him a few days ago, and here’s what we talked about.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Frederick “Toots” Hibbert of Toots & The Maytals”

Gift Guide For Music Nerds: 10 Quick Questions with Kevin Tong

Atlas

Kevin Tong is a favorite among much of the crew here at Spinning Platters. We aggressively shopped his booth when we discovered him at Flatstock last year, and his output is consistently top notch. If you’re still looking for the perfect rock posters to buy the music nerd in your life, you can’t go wrong with Kevin Tong artwork. We asked Kevin if he would answer some questions for us, and he graciously agreed.  Read on, and then go visit his site to see more.

Spinning Platters:  What was the first work of art you did for money? Continue reading “Gift Guide For Music Nerds: 10 Quick Questions with Kevin Tong”

10 Quick Questions with Via Coma

When your sticker's on the Bottom of the Hill wall, you've made it.
When your sticker's on the Bottom of the Hill bathroom wall, you've made it.

Via Coma, or more the idea of Via Coma, has been in the works from some time now. Their EP Bridges seemingly was never going to be officially released because Via Coma is as calculated as they come; there is little that happens in Via Coma that is not painstakingly thought out, mostly to  ensure that every step is the right one. Via Coma’s approach to gaining a following might be a little more grass roots in the classic sense, not the web 2.0 sense, by gaining a strong following in their hometown of Lafayette, CA, just outside of San Francisco. Promoting and showcasing their own shows demostrates initiative, yet the biggest struggle that faces Via Coma is making the jump from the burbs into the Big City.

I recently got a hold of Rob Marshall to pick his brain about his band, the Bay Area music scene and the music industry. Take a read and maybe find your way to Viacoma.com to download their debut EP, Bridges.

Spinning Platters: Who is Via Coma? Continue reading “10 Quick Questions with Via Coma”

Gift Guide For Music Nerds: 10 Quick Questions With Brad Klausen

PJOwl

I first discovered Brad Klausen’s work due to his Big Business poster, and discussed him in my first article about rock poster artists for Spinning Platters without knowing who he was.  It’s a few months and a few poster orders later, and now I breathlessly await each new release from him.  For our ongoing series, the Gift Guide For Music Nerds, I’m suggesting that you go to his site and buy the music nerd in your life some amazing rock posters. So I asked Brad if he would do a quick email interview with us, and his responses blew me away.  They’ll surely do the same for you.

Spinning Platters:  What was the first work of art you did for money? Continue reading “Gift Guide For Music Nerds: 10 Quick Questions With Brad Klausen”

10 Quick Questions with Gary Houston of Voodoo Catbox

Visit Gary Houston at the TRPS show, for he designed the poster!
Visit Gary Houston at the TRPS show, for he designed the poster!

Gary Houston of Voodoo Catbox has been doing great rock posters for many years now.  The first two rock posters I ever bought were from Voodoo Catbox: a diamond-shaped Foo Fighters than you can see on my wall when you come visit, and a Bad Religion poster made to look like an E.C. Comics cover.  Gary designed the TRPS poster that you may have seen in our sidebar for the last couple of weeks, and I caught up with him this week for an email interview.

Spinning Platters: What was the first work of art you did for money? Continue reading “10 Quick Questions with Gary Houston of Voodoo Catbox”