"Fat Chance" - We Were Promised Jetpacks

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."

We Were Promised Jetpacks will also be touring the United States and Canada late this year and early next year in support of "Enjoy the View." Below are tour dates (their 2022 dates start in Phoenix at the Rebel Lounge):

November 2021

11.13 - Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom

11.14 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live

11.15 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall/The Camel

11.17 - Atlanta GA @ Terminal West

11.18 - Durham, NC @ Motorco

11.19 - Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat

11.20 - Brooklyn NY @ Elsewhere

11.21 - Cambridge, MA @ Sinclair

March / April 2022

03.21 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge

03.22 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah

03.24 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre

03.25 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent

03.28 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios

03.29 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile

03.31 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

04.01 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater

04.02 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room

04.03 - St Paul, MN @ Turf Club

04.04 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall

04.06 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall

04.07 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop

04.08 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig

04.09 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace

04.10 - Montreal, QC @ Bar le Ritz

"Mon Soleil" - Ashley Park

If there's anything people take away from my piss-poor legacy, I hope it's what a huge, unabashed fan of "Emily in Paris" I am and will continue to be. People love "90 Day Fiancee," "The Bachelor," and other garbage - allow me "Emily," which is at least harmless, kind of goofy fluff (which does, unfortunately, lean into some stereotypes, as the country of Ukraine knows ). I have already watched Season 2 twice. And honestly my favorite part of this show (despite my crush on Camille Razart and Lily Collins channeling Audrey Hepburn hardcore ) is Ashley Park. This woman has superstar written all over her. She's a bona fide Broadway star, and "Emily in Paris" has served as her pivot into the zeitgeist. "Emily in Paris" is also showcasing her vocal prowess front and center this season, with her covering BTS, "All By Myself," "Sympathtique," and Marilyn Monroe. But the real standout performance is th

"Anchors" - AM Higgins

Here's a nice breezy, almost sensual song from AM Higgins (the solo project of musician Annie Toth) to start your Tuesday off right. Her debut album "Hymning" will be out November 5th on Victorialand Records. The album was mixed by Casey Foubert, a frequent collaborator of Sufjan Stevens. The album "captures the first years of moving from an American city to rural France." Sounds like "Hymning" will be a welcome escape from the world we live in right now, especially considering that Annie Toth counts poets Mary Oliver and Thomas Merton as influences.

Summer Playlist - 2022 Edition!

It's truly the little things in life that make a world of difference. And for me, that means my summer playlist! Behold, I have put together 2022's edition. It includes cuts from artists like: - Mitski - Uffie - Johnny Orlando - Kylie Minogue + Jessie Ware - Florence and the Machine (who put out a fantastic album this year after a long dry spell of kind of "meh" records. Her pairing with Jack Antonoff worked out quite well!) - Bilal - Harry Styles (he has some catchy music!) - KATE BUSH DUH - And of course, Lana. It's also available on Apple Music, but since I recognize a lot of folks use Spotify, here's that link. Enjoy!

The Useless Critic 2.0

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