The Useless Critic 2.0

Damn, another year is coming to an end. I know I've been MIA for quite some time, but this has been quite a busy year for me, especially in the second half. Still, I obviously wouldn't miss the chance to share my annual list of my personal favorite songs of the year (in no particular order), which has pretty much become a tradition since 2012 . BANKS, "Gemini Feed" Two years after blessing us mortals with her masterpiece of a debut album, Goddess , my girl Jillian Banks is back with The Altar , otherwise known as the album that saved 2016. The brooding "Gemini Feed" features the LA chanteuse's signature biting lyrics as she dissects a relationship with an emotionally manipulative ex. "I tried a thousand times / I tried to say 'I love you,' but you didn't hear me / And you're passive-aggressive / Convinced me other people, they don't care about me," BANKS purrs over eerie synths and a hypnotic backbeat. Jillian, stop...

It's been since 2014 since I actually interviewed anyone for The Useless Critic (remember Taylor Swift? Yes I think about that often!) but, with his new album "Pleasure" en route for a 2017 release, Sondre Lerche seemed a prime candidate for getting back into the game. So here, for the holidays and an upcoming new year, I offer you a few questions with Sondre Lerche on his new album, his previous work, and what it's like to be a Norwegian in America right now. At the end of dis interview, I've curated several of my favorite songs of Sondre's. Enjoy! UC: What inspired "I'm Always Watching Too?" Was it partially because our culture enables "stalking" at the moment? (like, social media obsessiveness.) SL: I suppose so. The desire to feel close to someone without their knowledge has always been there, but social media, and our willingness to share our whereabouts, our activities and friends online, enable us to spy on each...

Today in adorable Scandinavians. Sondre has had a new video out for the past two months, which I've not known about :/. BTW, this guy has quite the discography! I don't feel like I can ever really keep up with it. There's always a new song to be found somewhere. "I'm Always Watching You" is creepy, but it's pretty relatable for having a crush in the social media/cellphone errrrrywhere world we live in. It's very 1980s - almost reminds me of St. Lucia in certain places. But it's ultimately Sondre, and Sondre ... well, he's one of a kind! The video seems to be a celebration of a shirtless Sondre Lerche. I think he is currently going through his "shirtless phase." Y'know, like Picasso.   He tours America in 2017, and will hit Phoenix's Crescent Ballroom on May 6th!

I think it took all year for me to find a new sound that was truly captivating. Yes, a lot of tried-and-true vets have released albums this year, Lady Gaga found herself again,  Leonard Cohen and David Bowie put out solemn final albums before shuffling off this mortal coil, and Bat for Lashes played the part of a grieving bride very well. But I've finally, finally, FINALLY found a *new* artist I can vouch for in this terrible poo-storm of a year. Like. Just as this year comes to a close. America, meet Holly Macve. I get hit up with requests from publicists and up-and-coming bands all the time, which I usually ignore because my life is bizzzzz$$$$sssy. But the other day I took a break from my morning to hear her song, "No One Has The Answers." And immediately, I was hooked, because I listened to this song on repeat all morning. It has a nostalgic appeal - like the remembrance of a drunken night of dancing with a stranger and reminiscing on it several years later. ...