The Useless Critic 2.0

I know I didn't post anything about "Call Me By Your Name" by Lil Nas X when it came out earlier this year; by the time I got a chance to write about it there wasn't much more to be said. Lil Nas X is awesome - it's great to see an unapologetically queer rapper, for starters, and it's also awesome he continues to defy expectations, esp. considering a lot of folks likely considered him a one hit wonder following the mega success of "Old Town Road."  Speaking of "Call Me By Your Name," I couldn't help but feel like the beat reminded me of "More Than a Woman" by Aaliyah and lo and behold someone did a mash-up for me: Last week the video for Lil Nas X's new song "Industry Baby" dropped, and it's a pretty campy, over the top, and quintessentially homoerotic affair. Honestly this is shaping up to be another YEAR for Lil Nas X and I am very much here for it. Plus, have to be honest, the song is what I believe the ki

This Saturday I'm sharing some fun, uplifting rock that echoes back to a more youthful time with Scottish band We Were Promised Jetpacks' new song "Fat Chance." The song is about overcoming odds in your path, and the sort of sweet realization that you can actually overcome said odds. In all frankness for me it's a very appropriate choice today. :D  The band's new album, "Enjoy the View," is slated to arrive September 10th, on the Big Scary Monsters label. Like many artists releasing music right about now, the album was written during the height of last year's COVID shutdown. As the lead singer of the band Adam Thompson explained, "So from March to June we sent each other ideas remotely and collaborated that way. I was so glad to have had a project to focus on when proper lockdown hit. When we were finally able to get into our practice space in July and write together in one room like we normally do, this song appeared pretty quickly." 

Featuring the two previously featured tracks from Annie and The Parrots as well as Silk Sonic, LDR, Washed Out, The Midnight, Steve Lacy, Lorde, and more. I skipped last summer because … well, lol. Enjoy :D 

Like the lyric in the Radiohead song "No Surprises" off their classic "OK Computer" ("a job that slowly kills you" for the plebez* out there), The Parrots' recent single "You Work All Day And Then You Die" strives for a similar ethos - except with considerably less melancholia. In fact, the Madrid-based duo hearkens back to the golden era of early 2000s garage rock (think The White Stripes, The Strokes, etc.) in the truly irresistible song. Seriously, after a listen, I was hooked. Their aptly titled second album, "Dos," will be out on October 29th on Heavenly Recordings, produced by Tom Furse of The Horrors fame. They'll also be doing a short tour of the UK in early 2022, see below: 1/25/2022 - Elsewhere, Margate 1/26/2022 - The Joiners, Southampton 1/27/2022 - The Louisiana, Bristol 1/28/2022 - Moth Club, London 1/29/2022 - Esquires, Bedford 1/30/2022 - Hare and Hounds 2, Birmingham 1/31/2022 - Yes (Pink Room), Manchester 2/1/2

Riding a wave of critical success with her incredible album "Dark Hearts," Nordic indie queen Annie has released her fantastically synthpop take on the timeless Jesus and Mary Chain staple, "Just Like Honey." This song might be some 36 years old, but it still somehow manages to sound like it just came out this past week. And Annie's cover does it justice - it riffs on it, enough to make it her own, but at the same time not straying terribly far from the original. It's worth your time - in fact, I gave this song a spot on my summer playlist, which I will be sharing probably tomorrow. I know, you can't hardly wait, I understand.  And of course, here's the OG in all its shoegaze-y glory: