The Useless Critic 2.0

Ellie Goulding, "Love Me Like You Do" / "Something in the Way You Move" I must admit it took me a few listens to realize how grand and majestic "Love Me Like You Do" is. The song is so tender and ethereal, but it's also brooding and has an underlying darkness to it. Plus I think it was a perfect fit for the scene in Fifty Shades of Grey where Christian takes Anastasia on a helicopter ride overlooking Seattle's night skyline (I actually enjoyed the movie, judge me). "Something in the Way You Move"—from Goulding's latest LP Delirium —marries a shimmering synthpop backdrop with foreboding, somewhat dark lyrics, which document the singer's dooming attraction to a nameless guy who is bad for her, but she can't help it even if it's bound to end in heartbreak: "When our eyes meet, I can only see the end / But tonight I'm here, yours again." Thematically, it wouldn't sound really out of place in the Fifty Sh...

sun was high ......... I was sober No Doubt is actually playing with some good bands this time around, too! Primarily:  Best Coast (she will be baked like a cake mark my words), and Fitz and the Tantrums.  I can't go to any of these late November/early December shows because they are super-expensive. :( 11/24/12 @ Gibson Amphitheatre with Grouplove and Nico Vega 11/26/12 @ Gibson Amphitheatre with Grouplove and Io Echo 11/28/12 @ Gibson Amphitheatre with Grouplove and Blaqk Audio 11/30/12 @ Gibson Amphitheatre with Fitz And The Tantrums and The Aggrolites 12/2/12 @ Gibson Amphitheatre with Fitz And The Tantrums and Noise of Rumors 12/4/12 @ Gibson Amphitheatre with Best Coast and Kitten 12/6/12 @ Gibson Amphitheatre with Best Coast and JJAMZ Source:  Beacon Street Wow, and yet I had to see them with Paramore. Thanks so much, guys. (You know who Grouplove is, right? "TAKE ME TO YOUR BEST FRIEND'S HOUSE..." oh it's on a car commercia...

she's pretty great! Florrie , that is. Best Coast's newest video was directed by Drew Barrymore. Does anyone want to imagine how that conversation happened? BEST COAST:  *passes joint* DREW BARRYMORE:  Like, oh my god! Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuu SO MUCH for dis valuable ~OPPORTUNITY~ BEST COAST:  *tweets about 30Rock * here is said video: Get More: MTV Supervideo , Music , Best Coast Is that...Donald Glover? :O Band The Amends released their newest album last week. Better yet- want to take a good listen at ANY of this Colorado's band catalog? Check it out:   http://artofmediocrity.com . Pretty sweet of the guys! http://theamendsalbumpromo.bandcamp.com <- The album itself can be  streamed/downloaded hurr.  Band member Tyler Taylor says, on the band's sound:   " What we’ve tried to do with our first album is to create a kind of love letter to rock n roll—an attempt to create something new from the music that’s inspired u...

I am currently devouring THE HISTORY OF LOVE by Nicole Krauss. She's married to Jonathan Safran Foer, another amazing modern (most of the writers I like are dead people). I can't recommend to you this book enough. there seems to a lot of Jewish identity literature out there right now, but it's all remarkable. and heartbreaking and beautiful and human etc. things I look for in a novel. funny, too. the movie is coming out in early 2011, so get on that shit, friend. also, Ms. Krauss just put out Great House not too long ago. have you read that yet? what are you reading, anyway? SMUT? their writing styles are similar. so I have this fantasy of these two married writers giving each other feedback and proofreading and etc. I bet they sit in bed after sex and read each other's scenes and are like "DARLING, THIS ADJECTIVE SHOULD GO THERE." ah! Dunkin Donuts opens on November 23rd. Harry Potter comes out soon and Wenli is dragging me to see it (wish you could come, Eu...

So, I have been placed in a position to review the musical group “Best Coast.” Before this, I had no exposure to any of their music, and according to their Myspace they are listed as “Surf/Pop/Gospel.” Surf Pop is an excellent genre that really can provide relaxing but also very intense music, depending on how people look at it. So what’s the sound of “Best Coast” like? The best part of this group is their Vocal Patterns. By that I mean, the melodies go very well with the mood of the song. Another great thing is with this feminine Surfy team are the videos. This video is *love.* When I’m with you Off the album “Black Iris.” It’s a 7” On an ending note: This group really is not for me. Despite having some vocals that I like, and fun-to-watch-vids, the sound is just not something I can get into. When I look to Surf Pop as a genre of music I need something that gives more of a bold presence and shows the real feelings on the instrumentals, not just the vocals. The instruments in this gr...