Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Twenty eight years ago PJ Harvey released her debut album. Dry is a vital part of the collective howl of early 90s feminist punk, a subgenre defined by women with loud guitars who demanded a seat at the musical table. Bands like Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, Hole, Babes in Toyland, Sleater-Kinney and L7 pushed against the erasure of women in punk and changed the landscape of popular music forever. Continue reading “A Reflection on PJ Harvey’s Dry“
When I was 16, I was heavily invested in the world of punk rock. But it was the commercial version of it that was found on the local alternative radio station Live 105, 120 Minutes on MTV, and PBS documentaries of a bygone era.
Then I got a job at a telemarketing company, and a coworker began introducing me to the lovely world of riot grrrl. I was given tapes of music by Team Dresch, Sleater-Kinney, and Bikini Kill. The pure ferocity of it all spoke to me. It opened so many sonic doors for me, and helped me realize that I preferred listening to female voices—and found that women writers were easier for me to relate to than men.
Continue reading “Show Review: Bikini Kill, The Linda Lindas at The Hollywood Palladium, 4/26/19”
Like many people contributing to Spinning Platters, 2015 was a full and busy year to the point where I didn’t have the time to write and share as much as I would’ve liked. I didn’t go out often and chose to prioritize client work (and a burgeoning drone hobby) over excessive concert-going.
However, quality of the subjects trumped the quantity of shows I attended – especially compared to years past (apologies for the over-used analogy, my mind is on Holiday break). Legendary acts, big names, and a combination of both crossed my lens in the pit this year alongside some up-and-comers that should be on your radar if they’re not already.
Continue reading “Robert Plant, Grace Jones, and more make up the best of 2015 concert photos”
The Punk Singer is a documentary about the life of Kathleen Hanna, the feminist icon best known for being the frontperson for two of the most innovative bands of the last twenty years: Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. Spinning Platters had the honor of getting to sit down and talk with the director of this film, Sini Anderson. The film covers nearly all of Hanna’s life, and is a fantastic document. The movie opens Friday, December 6th at The Roxie in SF!
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Director Sini Anderson of “The Punk Singer””
The last time Kathleen Hanna performed music in San Francisco was over 8 years ago, opening for Beck at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. It was the first time I had gotten a chance to see her, after being consistently sold out of gigs for most of my life. Their 45 minute set was excellent, but I kept wanting more. I wanted a crowd that cared. Alas, I had to wait nearly a decade to see the woman that coined the phrases “Riot Grrl,” “Girl Power,” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” play a full set of music. Sure, I really wanted a Bikini Kill reunion, but getting her to dig up her old Julie Ruin moniker with fellow Bikini Killer Kathi Wilcox on board was a suitable replacement.
Continue reading “Show Review: The Julie Ruin with La Sera at Slim’s, 9/18/13”
The Julie Ruin will make existing Julie Ruin fans happy, as well as the younger siblings, nieces, and nephews of said fans. “Run Fast” is occasionally brilliant and rarely annoying. I had really high expectations, and they were almost met, with the tracks at the end of the album sounding about 20x better than the pre-release singles.
This paragraph is dedicated for some information fans may already know. Kathleen Hanna was a one-woman show using a pseudonym when she released the self-titled “Julie Ruin” in 1997. It was tremendous, but it was also the only release under that name. Fast forward 16 years, and Hanna leads a group called “the Julie Ruin,” who have released an album called “Run Fast.” Whether this has anything to do with Le Tigre’s “Let’s Run” is beyond me.
