The Independent – Page 5 – Spinning Platters

Show Review: Stars with Dead Child Star at The Independent, 6/19/2010

Stars is one band that I like to think “gets it.” Their previous album, In Our Bedroom After the War, was released for sale the moment it was finished, letting their fans buy it before they were even offered the chance to download it. For their newest album, The Five Ghosts, they announced they were going to do a tour before the album “came out,” playing the entirety of the album. Not only that, but fans attending the shows could actually buy the album at the show as opposed to waiting for the release date. And to top it all off, each show had a website poll offering the chance for each city to pick the songs they wanted to hear in the remainder of the set. This is a band that gets how to interact with their fans in the new music economy. So how did it all go? Continue reading “Show Review: Stars with Dead Child Star at The Independent, 6/19/2010”

Show Review: Heartless Bastards with Hacienda and Amy Cook at The Independent, 5/4/10

Last night was yet another opportunity for San Francisco’s considerable population of Ohioan expatriates to cluster around and listen to one of our homeland’s finest musical exports. Dayton and Cincinnati were enthusiastically represented by the barreling, moody Midwestern rock of Heartless Bastards, while Akron was represented in absentia by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, whose influence is largely responsible for the recording careers of both the Bastards and opener Hacienda.

Continue reading “Show Review: Heartless Bastards with Hacienda and Amy Cook at The Independent, 5/4/10”

Show Review: The Bloody Beetroots (Live) at The Independent, 4/22/10

For the longest time I have been looking for an electronic DJ to bridge the gap from DJing and samples to actually playing tracks live. The Bloody Beetroots seem to have done it. Not only have they done it, but they did it in a way that demands you to rethink electronic music! Continue reading “Show Review: The Bloody Beetroots (Live) at The Independent, 4/22/10”

Show Review: Flosstradamus at The Independent, 4/3/10

Flosstradamus on their decks — When will they put the Spinning Platters laptop sticker on there?

Flosstradamus isn’t really one of those groups that you’d want to go “see.” Flosstradamus is really a group that you go to simply dance to. Think of The Independent as your living room and these hundred or so random folks as some of your closest friends. Now turn down the lights, and turn up the Flosstradamus. Continue reading “Show Review: Flosstradamus at The Independent, 4/3/10”

Noise Pop Show Review: Four Tet at The Independent, 2/26/10

img_0481-1 — Four Tet focuses on his decks, not the crowd.

It’s hard not to get lost into Four Tet. Even though Four Tet is only one guy standing behind a multitude of computers and mixers atop a table, making it nothing less than a challenge to see him. An argument could be made that Kieran Hebden, the sole member of Four Tet, is lifeless; in fact, I’ll make that argument. Hebden is boring: there is nothing to look at. He’s whatever the opposite of animated is: dull, boring, and lifeless. His music, however, is not. Hebden’s music is teaming with expression, life and any other synonyms you’d like to throw in there. Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: Four Tet at The Independent, 2/26/10”

Show Review: Wild Beasts at The Independent, 2/11/10

I want to start this off by saying Wild Beasts were really appreciative of the sold out crowd at The Independent. They seem like really nice guys but man did I dislike that show last night.

The show started with a narration over some sort of noise that indicated an epicness was about to occur. The band had yet to take the stage and as this English narrator talked of nature and such, the band finally took the stage.

I wrote down in my notes, “I can already tell this is going to be a good show.” Continue reading “Show Review: Wild Beasts at The Independent, 2/11/10”

Show Review: Mos Def, Jay Electronica and Supernatural for Haiti relief at The Independent, 2/3/10

The character that is Mos Def never stops to entertain, on stage, in film or in person. His music is layered with decades of influence and years of knowledge wrapped up in a style that undoubtedly his very own. This night is no different than the Mos Def that we’d expect. Arriving ever so fashionable, and fashionably late, with an entourage to boot. He takes the stage with his bright red mic, circa 1960, and a perfectly knotted bow tie. Clean and smooth with a swagger that makes it clear that the show is completely under his control. Continue reading “Show Review: Mos Def, Jay Electronica and Supernatural for Haiti relief at The Independent, 2/3/10”

Show Review: Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven at The Independent, 12/28/09

Cracker is a good band. They have nice fun upbeat songs, all the musicians are more than capable, their songs don’t all sound the same, and there is decent stage banter. The music is pretty straight forward likable rock. Much the same could be said about Cracker’s counterpart Camper Van Beethoven, especially since they basically have the same band members (take Camper Van Beethoven, subtract a violinist/guitarist and add a female back up singer to get Cracker). There really is no logical reason not to enjoy their live show, yet somehow, I spent the entire evening vaguely wanting to die. Why? Continue reading “Show Review: Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven at The Independent, 12/28/09”

Show Review: Electric Six, The Gay Blades & Millions of Brazilians at The Independent, 11/12/09

The Electric Six burst onto the scene in 2003 with my personal favorite album of the year, Fire. I wrote back then:

Here it is, the greatest walking album ever created, and it is a concept album. The concept is dancing while on fire. It equates dancing with war, nuclear war in fact. The orders are given by a dance commander in the song of the same title that contains the lyric “It would be awesome if we could dance-uh.” Every song on here is incredibly fun and silly and danceable and singable and just downright brilliant. This is just quality disco rock and roll, and well … it is without precedent. I have never heard an album quite like this, and hope I don’t ever hear another like it. I don’t want this band to try and do this concept again. It would be like The Who doing Tommy 2.

Six years later, without anything remotely resembling follow-up success (even though their album I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being the Master has one of the all-time great titles), the band is still filling up the Independent on a Thursday night with their brand of cocky dance rock. Continue reading “Show Review: Electric Six, The Gay Blades & Millions of Brazilians at The Independent, 11/12/09”

Treasure Island Night Show Review: MGMT at the Independent, 10/16/09

The next prog superpower? It's not out of the realm of possibility.

My double clicking ability is expert! That’s how I got tickets to MGMT at the Independent. I picked up two tickets to see MGMT thinking that of course someone would like to join me on this outing. Apparently, no one I know likes then enough to cancel their Friday night plans, so I went alone and gave my ticket to a guy so his wife could get in. You can never have too much good karma, and tonight I didn’t need the money.

The last time I saw MGMT was at Live 105’s BFD in 2008. I don’t remember much about the band, I just remember the girls from Oakland girl rap group Hot Tub getting on stage and grinding around. (Hot Tub by the way is amazing.) So, needless to say, seeing MGMT at the Independent is a big change of venue from the parking lot at Shoreline. Continue reading “Treasure Island Night Show Review: MGMT at the Independent, 10/16/09”