The Useless Critic 2.0

A quick glimpse into some of my favorite more mainstream songs of 2023 so far! The National's new album "First Two Pages of Frankenstein" dropped this past Friday, and features guest spots from the likes of Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers. Although I haven't really been into the last few National albums (I enjoyed "Sleep Well Beast" but could take or leave "I Am Easy to Find") I'm relieved to hear that "First Two Pages" is a return to form, and the collabs work wonderfully. "Alcott" with Taylor Swift is my favorite track off the album by far. I am almost surprised by how well Matt and Taylor's voices mesh well together. The National is touring this summer, and you KNOW Taylor Swift is currently on tour. Listen below: And I really haven't written much about the overall album "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard" by Lana Del Rey, but it's another stunning achievement by one of th...

Erie-based singer-songwriter Brooke Surgener dropped her professional debut, "Moon Waves," this past Friday. If you like your music of the folky variety, I would recommend checking it out! Brooke is a well-known performer in the Erie area, and even though I haven't resided there for a decade, I follow enough Erie news on social media to see Brooke's name pop up a lot.  The winsome title of one single from the album, "I Hate You the Least," caught my attention immediately. I highly recommend giving it a listen if you like stuff like Phoebe Bridgers, The Weepies, even some She & Him. I really hope "Moon Waves" catches a lot of people's attention - Brooke is a talented artist and I look forward to seeing more from her (and catching a show in town someday!) In closing, here's her recent collab with another Erie-based singer-songwriter, Tommy Link, a cover of the Jim Croce classic "Operator." If you want to learn more about Brooke ...

Hey, did you buy that Goo Goo Dolls cover that Phoebe Bridgers and Maggie Rogers put out in support of FairFight , a Stacey Abrams-affiliated organization that pushes for fair and free elections? Well I did, and I wasn't disappointed with a cover of a gorgeously schmaltzy '90s alternative throwback. Phoebe Bridgers - with the exquisite help of Maggie Rogers - reinvents the song into something far folkier than I initially imagined.  I believe the Bandcamp sale with proceeds going to FairFight is now over, but I would recommend (if you have the money) donating to FairFight. Also, it's kind of heartwarming to see the Goo Goo Dolls are in full support of the cover, which cements them as cool dudes IMO. BTW, Bridgers promised the cover if Trump lost the election … and well, the rest is history. Here's the song itself, but please consider donating if possible. Maybe they'll do "Slide" in honor of Planned Parenthood next.

I will preface this post with the following: I grew up as a huge Ryan Adams fan. I was instantly hooked after 2001 and VH1 playing "New York New York" nonstop. To me, he was everything rock was supposed to be - but I hadn't quite found yet. When I began high school, I bought "Heartbreaker" and vividly remember my first listen in my Mom's SUV in the parking lot of our local grocery store. Snow was falling down and it was dark outside, and his music seemed so perfect for that moment.  I was able to keep up with his career until college. He kept putting out music and I just didn't have the space in my brain to keep pace with each album, especially since I found a few to be rather lackluster. Plus, I was being introduced to other musicians and bands, and was really not as interested in Ryan as I had been. It wasn't until the past few years I began appreciating him again. When he covered Taylor Swift's "1989," I found it to be a ge...