Neko Case – Spinning Platters

The 2023 Stern Grove Fest Line Up is Ridiculous!!!!

We are so very lucky in San Francisco. The lineup for the Stern Grove festival was just released, and it feels unfair how good it is. We are already lucky enough to live in the greatest place on Earth, but to see this array of acts FOR FREE?!?!?! In an absolutely stunning outdoor amphitheater? The rest of the world is full of envy for us.

I kinda want to go to everything… I mean, it opens with jazz experimentalists Snarky Puppy on June 18th. Then a bill where NEKO CASE IS THE OPENER?!?! Of course, she’s opening for the legendary Indigo Girls on June 25th for a bill that’s way more than closer to fine. (Sorry!) Avant-Pop icon Santigold on July 2nd. Lyle Lovett with our dear friend Andrew St James on July 9th. Legendary singer Angelique Kidjo is gracing our presence on July 16th. Jammy Funksters Lettuce is playing with the SF Symphony, which is just, um, !!!!!!. On July 20th, we’ve got the house double bill of Bob Moses and Neil Frances. August 6th brings us the FINAL SF PERFORMANCE from Buddy Guy. Competing with Outside Lands on August 13th (Damn right, I’m angry) is Patti Smith, possibly the most captivating live performer I’ve ever seen, paired with former Husker Du and Sugar frontman Bob Mould. And closing the whole thing out? The Flaming Lips on August 20th.

As with the last two years, tickets are free but do require RSVP. RSVP Links are below, along with the day and time they go live. (Which appears to be the same date as the show in the prior month at 2pm) And, as usual, they are selling tables to The Big Picnic with The Flaming Lips on August 20th.

June 18 Snarky Puppy, Isaiah Sharkey (RSVP Opens May 18th at 2pm)

June 25 Indigo Girls (with Full Band), Neko Case (RSVP Opens May 25th at 2pm)

July 2 Santigold, Ogi (RSVP Opens June 2nd at 2pm)

July 9 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, Andrew St. James (RSVP Opens June 9th at 2pm)

July 16 Angelique Kidjo, Jupiter & Okwess (RSVP Opens June 16th at 2pm)

July 23 SF Symphony with Special Guest Lettuce (RSVP Opens June 23rd at 2pm)

July 30 Bob Moses, Neil Frances (RSVP Opens June 30th at 2pm)

August 6 Buddy Guy Damn Right Farewell Tour, Eric Gales (RSVP Opens July 6th at 2pm)

August 13 Patti Smith, Bob Mould (RSVP Opens July 20th at 2pm)

August 20 The Big Picnic Featuring The Flaming Lips, Alan Palomo (Neon Indian DJ Set) (RSVP Opens July 20th at 2pm)

“This Is Pop” Ranked: From Fascinating to Boring, The 8 Episodes of the Netflix Music Documentary Series

T-Pain and his wife Amber open up about how criticism of Auto-Tune affected them, in This Is Pop’s best episode.

Netflix is premiering the Banger Films documentary series This Is Pop for most of the world. It promises to go into detail on 8 different subjects surrounding the world of pop music. I was able to watch the entire series, and while it’s an uneven affair, there are some episodes that really stand out as being both well researched and well written with something valuable to say about the topic. Then there are others that stand out by not using quality archival footage and having interview subjects that won’t get in the weeds on things. Use my episode guide below to make a viewing order so that you know your time will be well spent:

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Spinning Platters’ Top 50 Records from our First Decade: 1-10!

The appropriate 10th anniversary gift is tin. So, um, here’s a pile of tin?

…And we’ve reached the finish line! Here are the top 10 records of the first decade of Spinning Platters, as voted on by our editorial team. Enjoy! Looking to see where we started? Here’s 31-50 and here’s 11-30 Continue reading “Spinning Platters’ Top 50 Records from our First Decade: 1-10!”

Spinning Platters’ Top 50 Records from our First Decade: 11-30

As Spinning Platters has managed to continue for far longer than anyone would’ve expected us to, so has this list. Here are records 11-30 from the first decade of Spinning Platters. For those looking to read #31-50, click here!

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Festival Review: Adult Swim Festival 2018 (DTLA)

Adult Swim Takes Over The Row

Rick-1

Coming off of a whirlwind Wasteland Weekend experience mere days before, I grabbed my camera and jumped right in to Adult Swim’s inaugural Adult Swim Festival. Taking place in DTLA’s The Row next to the now vacant American Apparel factory, the festival showcased Adult Swim’s animation and television series while musicians and comedians who have worked in some capacity with the company, performed back to back on two cat-themed stages across the long stretch of pavement from each other. The next two days were jam packed with non-stop entertainment featuring a plethora of artists that I was experiencing for the first time both sonically and visually.

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SXSW 2017: 32 Instant Band Reviews

32 bands in five days. My feet still hurt.

For those who aren’t in the know, SXSW is a conference in Austin, TX. It’s a place where folks in the technology, film, comedy, and music worlds come together and share ideas. The music portion is the primary reason why I come down, because it gives you an opportunity to see a large amount of music, often crossing dozens of genres, all in intimate venues all across town. This year, I feel like I “took it easy” and managed to see 32 different bands during the week (I saw Lizzo and Bleached both perform twice. You’d want to, too, if given the chance).

Without further ado, here are my thoughts on all 32 bands that I saw, in venues ranging from a donut shop to a lakeside amphitheater.

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Album + Show Review: case/lang/viers

An album full of hope and loneliness, with a thoughtful approach to life and love’s and their quirky ironies.

It’s finally here, and it does not disappoint. When I heard last year that k.d. lang, Neko Case, and Laura Viers were releasing an album together, I naturally shrieked at my computer screen in excitement. Lang and Case are largely responsible for me (more or less) surviving my twenties intact. Their songs provided a compass by which I could navigate being sensitive and assertive, hopeful yet bitter. As with all collaborative projects between women, so much has been written about the harmonies, which are, yes, wonderful; but in my opinion, these have been over-extolled compared with the lyrical and textural content of the album.

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Spinning Platters Presents The Official List of the Top 10 Albums of 2013

Though this album is great (and my favorite of the year), it just wasn't good enough for this list. It came in at unlucky number 11. — Though this album is great (and my favorite of the year), it just wasn’t good enough for this list. It came in at unlucky number 11.

If there’s one thing Spinning Platters does differently, and especially nerd-ish, it is our Album of the Year list. All the contributors get to nominate their favorite albums of the year (there were 53 nominees this year) then a grueling listening/voting process starts until we have it narrowed down to the top ten. While not everyone may agree with the final list, it is democratic and popular opinion that must rule. So without further ado, here is our top ten!

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Album Review: Laura Veirs – Warp and Weft

warpandweft

Not many musicians have the longevity to release nine full-length studio albums. Laura Veirs is one of the few. The Portland, OR resident has been producing a constant flow of beautiful folk rock and delicately woven lyrical tales since 1999. It’s only appropriate, then, that Veirs’ new effort, Warp and Weft, is aptly named using the terms for the crossing threads in weaving. It is tightly constructed, contemplative but also commentative, and weaves together vivid images and stories of lives long gone and some yet to pass.

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First City Festival Highlights, Day 2

Akron/Family at First City Festival — Akron/Family absolutely killed it.

This past weekend, First City Festival made its debut at Monterey County Fairgrounds (if it sounds familiar, the annual Jazz Festival is also held there) and the stellar turnout ensured that this won’t be the last time we witness the two-day event that was named after Monterey’s claim to be the “first capital” of California.

With a line up containing Neko Case, Toro Y Moi, Akron/Family, and the Antlers, on day two alone, it was definitely worth making a two-hour road trip from the Bay Area. The weather was beautiful, the crowd was mellow, and lines for food and beverages were reasonable. Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t make a top five list. Before you look at the photos, humor me in reading my thoughts on the highlights and lowlights of the day’s events.

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