The Useless Critic 2.0

That's quite the title, isn't it? But much truth to it - and definitely a very pertinent, urgent topic that is top of mind for a lot of Americans right now. This is a short and to-the-point acoustic song from Nashville-based singer-songwriter Benjamin Stranger, a new discovery for me personally. His music has a stripped-down indie feel to it, and calls to mind to me the work of Nick Cave, a little Josh Ritter, and maybe a hint of Tom Waits, too. You can listen to the track below and take a moment to reflect on this increasingly disturbing facet of the culture wars our country is enveloped in.  Here's another more Waits-esque song from Benjamin Stranger, appropriately titled "Strange Things."

Liela Moss's debut album as a solo artist is atmosphere, dark in places, and ultimately hypnotic. There's a quiet ferocity to "My Name is Safe in Your Mouth;" unlike the more unhinged and raw sounds of her band The Duke Spirit, this feels a bit like a more pensive, thoughtful comedown. I got the chance to ask Liela a few questions via email about her new album, her inspirations, possible touring, and sleep. The below is our conversation.  What inspired you to go the solo route? What was the watershed moment that helped you make that decision?   I can't say there was a watershed moment; I just didn't want to write atop drums and two guitars for a while. And I didn't want to talk about songs and songwriting. When you are in a band and there is a bit of too-ing and fro-ing naturally in conversation about the emerging songs. And that is funny and tricky and good. But this time around, I felt it would be interesting to internalize ideas a...