75+ albums to look forward to in 2016

Forget Madonna, David Bowie knows how to consistently reinvent himself in new and interesting ways.
Forget Madonna, David Bowie knows how to consistently reinvent himself in new and interesting ways.

Hey there, it’s 2016 and this very day signifies the first major release of the year. Let’s go!

Continue reading “75+ albums to look forward to in 2016”

Day 1 of Treasure Island Music Festival 2010 – Instant Band Reviews

Nick Offer of !!! wants you to read this now!

Sure, one could write hundreds of words about each band on the bill at the Treasure Island Music Festival, but then the entire comment section would be filled with a lot of “tl;dr” comments, which aren’t much fun. And I could write a “best-of” post, which basically translates to “I took a nap during Jamaica’s set.” Instead, in the tradition of our fan-favorite Instant Album Reviews columns, I instantly review Saturday Treasure Island Music Festival, with the help of some great photos from David Price. Continue reading “Day 1 of Treasure Island Music Festival 2010 — Instant Band Reviews”

Our 30 Favorite Photos from SXSW 2010

his Orchestra gets honorary slot #31 because we like the band so darned much

While the photos on this post are all by David Price, he’s in Vegas this week, so all the text here is simply an …

Editor’s Note: Our photographer, David Price, dealt with inconsistent lighting, security that weren’t all on the same page, a lack of photo pits, and plenty of cameras in his face to take over 10,000 photos at SXSW. And then I went and boiled them all down here to 30 favorites. There’s other photos in individual posts, and we’ll be drawing from other ones as we continue our coverage as well.  Inside, you’ll find several shots of the most photogenic guy at SXSW this year, Pink Eyes of Fucked Up, including one with our managing editor Dakin Hardwick. It’s not the most well-lit shot in the world, and it’s not particularly newsworthy, but we like it. And that’s how I picked these 30 photos. Because we like them. Continue reading “Our 30 Favorite Photos from SXSW 2010”

Gordon Answers Your SXSW 2010 Questions

I have the set-list napkin Eddie Argos is holding here. I've tucked it into a copy of Booster Gold, no joke. (All photos on this post from my iPhone unless noted)

This year at South By Southwest Music, I lost my voice and my glasses, drank tons of free booze, walked for miles, collected paper wristbands, failed at my attempt at seeing a house party show, and saw a whopping 2.6% of all showcasing acts! (Remember, even an inspired effort will get you, at most, 6% of the acts, so when you see a Top 10 list, it’s working off of a small sample.)

In keeping with the tradition I started last year, I will now answer your important questions about SXSW Music 2010.

1. Who did I see playing on the street four different times?
2. Which Canadian band was my big Wednesday afternoon surprise?
3. What band got a $100 tip in their guitar case?
4. Who tested the stage to make sure it was OK to jump up and down on it?
5. Who took way too long to set up, but then made it worthwhile?
6. Of all the bands that “killed it,” which one killed it most often?
7. Who’s gonna make me skip Hot Chip?
8. What band should have said its name more often so I’d know to miss them in the future?
9. Which act seemed to appreciate my personal enjoyment of them more than any other?
10. Who made 50 people at a 1000-person venue feel like a packed house?
11. Which act finally made me lose my voice for good?
12. What was the best totally improvised, organized-on-the-fly event? Continue reading “Gordon Answers Your SXSW 2010 Questions”

Spinning Platters Podcast – SXSW Wednesday Review

He killed it.

The Spinning Platters crew was way too tired to do a podcast on Wednesday night/Thursday morning but we did one anyway because we’re troopers. This one gets a little snippy as we disagree about the pronunciation of a few things, and we argue over the use of the phrase “killed it.” You can subscribe by clicking the button to the left or you can listen below.

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Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: September 29th-October 5th

Opening for Paramore at The Warfield on Friday Night
Opening for Paramore at The Warfield on Friday Night

This week is the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park. It’s the best thing that ever happens in this town. You will go to this, but there are a few things going on at night that are pretty good, too. Check them out:

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Weekly Guide To Bay Area Concerts: September 29th-October 5th”