A Reflection on PJ Harvey’s Dry

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

90+ albums to look forward to in 2015

Is it too early to call it? Sleater-Kinney's latest may be 2015's best.
Is it too early to call it? Sleater-Kinney’s latest may be 2015’s best.

Don’t call it a comeback. It’s just worth acknowledging that years have passed since the forecast for upcoming releases has been this bright. Here’s hoping it doesn’t amount to an audio equivalent of the anticipation and subsequent let down one might experience on New Year’s Eve. Giorgio Moroder (who really made Daft Punk’s latest album a worthwhile listen), The Juliana Hatfield Three, and Sleater-Kinney are just a few of the sorely-missed acts making triumphant, long-awaited returns in 2015.

This list may have grown by twenty additional albums compared to last year, but that doesn’t mean every last major release was included. Sorry to inform you, in advance, that you won’t find the likes of Papa Roach, Marilyn Manson, Fall Out Boy, Fergie Ferg, or Canada’s *pride*/current Calvin Klein cover boy, Justin Bieber listed. Even Mumford & Sons will not be mentioned beyond this sentence. That’s just Spinning Platters allowing me and my subjective musical tastes to run amok. However, there is something here for every musical taste imaginable and as I mentioned at the conclusion, if there was something we must all know about that was overlooked, let it be known in the comments.

Read on, discover some new gems, and get an overview of what to expect this coming year. I’ve even included links to lead-off tracks where they’re available and, of course, my own witless banter when absolutely necessary. Happy New Year of listening.

Continue reading “90+ albums to look forward to in 2015”

Is It OK For Artists to Charge High Prices For Their Concert Tickets?

How much would you pay to see these guys?
How much would you pay to see these guys?

This started with a Facebook post I made on my personal wall:

The cheap seats are $171 for The Rolling Stones at Oracle. $660 for the top price level (not including VIP which costs GKHM). Makes Prince look like a bargain.

 

To that, my friend and fellow blogger John Marcher of A Beast in a Jungle responded with a long post that started with the line, “Gordon, I want to debate this with you.” So over the next few days, we sent some emails back and forth doing just that, and getting into deep topics like whether career artists are truly artists. I promised him the last word, and he’ll have it between us. We do invite you, however, to post your thoughts in the comments.

John Marcher:

Gordon, I want to debate this with you. The prices are what they are, and they are fair. Is $250 too much to see Prince in a small venue? Absolutely not. He and his band deserve to paid for the show. The people setting up and tearing down the show deserve to get paid. They have to eat on the road and stay in hotels- and do you think Prince and his band are going to eat at fucking Mel’s Diner and stay at the Holiday Inn? Continue reading “Is It OK For Artists to Charge High Prices For Their Concert Tickets?”

Film Review: “W.E.”

James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough in W.E.

starring: Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, Oscar Isaac, James D’Arcy, Richard Coyle, James Fox, Judy Parfitt

written by: Madonna and Alek Keshishian

directed by: Madonna

MPAA: Rated R for some domestic violence, nudity and language

Continue reading “Film Review: “W.E.””

New Release Round Up, 9/29/09 – 34 Instant Album Reviews

Pouria said "use the Ghostface Killah cover because it's the best." I think it represents his journey through Lala.
Edtior's note: Pouria said "use the Ghostface Killah cover because it's the best." I think it represents his journey through Lala for this week.

This week had some particularly bad, boring albums. Eventually when I got to some good music I stopped wondering why I do this column. Continue reading “New Release Round Up, 9/29/09 — 34 Instant Album Reviews”