The Useless Critic 2.0

My new favorite band Cannons reissued their definitive "Shadows" album back in July, the pretty-much-flawless offering that spawned their monster hit, "Fire for You." The "Midnights" version that came out last month contains 3 remixes in addition to the original track listing: a midnights version of "Fire for You," a dub mix of "Talk Talk" and - my personal favorite - a dark wave version of "Shadows." Coincidentally, it's also my favorite track off the regular album! It retains the dark, seductive energy of the original track while adding a haunting new layer to the track that suits it well. The other two remixes are good, but I find this one to be exceptional:  I dig this whole Midnights concept artists are getting into. Roosevelt did it really well too! And weirdly, Clay Aiken has some remixes of "Invisible" that are now here 22 years later. I mean, sorry to Cannons to go off on a weird Clay Aiken tangent, but ...

It's not exceptionally rare I hear new music I really like, but sometimes because life is a lot and I don't have a ton of time to voraciously go through new releases like I once did, I get stuck in the "music as comfort" cycle. So I end up listening to a LOT of Cannons, Meltt, and Lana Del Rey to get me through the day. I also am really into Wolf Alice at the moment, and some random discoveries I've made via internet radio. Plus I am in love with Suki Waterhouse so there is that. (I also am enjoying Addison Rae because I am a woman of taste and with the times.) Anyway, the internet radio suggested to me the UK-based Ruby Roberts a few weeks ago, and boy howdy! I was pleasantly impressed by this dynamic, wrapped-in-nostalgia single. I know "the next Lana Del Rey" gets thrown around quite a lot but I think Ruby has that potential. Seriously. You might also like her if you're a fan of Weyes Blood or even just 1960s-1970s singer-songwriter stuff. She has...

I truly wish I understood what Cannons does to their music to make it so instantly addicting to me. I am here with another cut from them - a fresh music video! - and I am again seeing them on tour this year because I have decided I want my mid-to-late 30s to be earmarked with a musical obsession. Fun! "Sweeter" has a distinctly 1970s vibe to it, and the music video kind of has that feeling, too (much like Taylor Swift's "Midnight" covers). Cannons' thing tends to be songs celebrating and bemoaning both love and lust, and "Sweeter" is no different. But if a formula works, there's really no reason to stray from it.  The song ultimately is bittersweet, and not much happens in the music video besides lead singer Michelle Joy going through it in her hotel room, but I think anyone who has felt the depths of being lovelorn can likely relate. Plus Michelle is beautiful, so that never hurts, either. I will be seeing Cannons next month in San Francisco! ...

My favorite band I've really gotten into this past year is the LA-based synthpop act Cannons. Fronted by lead singer Michelle Joy and rounded out with the likes of drummer Paul Davis and guitarist Ryan Clapham, I've been pretty obsessed since I heard "Fire for You" this past spring. I believe that song gained some virality on social media due to its pretty irresistible and kind of seductive vibe - like a Lana Del Rey on acid. The band has been around for more than a decade, but it seems like they've been picking up interest in the past few years (and especially this one). I seriously hope this band sells out stadiums someday; they are arguably one of my favorite acts I've heard in ages. (In Arizona? You can catch Cannons in Mesa alongside Lovejoy and Little Image on December 13th.) A few years ago, they even covered Harry Styles' hit "Golden," and did a wistful stripped-down version of it (listen below). Their new album "Heartbeat Highway...