The Useless Critic 2.0

Initial impressions:  The Serpent's Egg by Dead Can Dance (1988). The strength of the first Dead Can Dance record is the tribal percussion that is disappointingly absent from most of The Serpent's Egg.  Literally the first 4-5 tracks have no percussion, and when the percussion kicks in it is an improvement but won't necessarily get your toes tapping.  Instead we are treated to vocal masturbation over organ reminiscent of church but dialed slightly towards the occult.  If that sounds appealing to you, I'd suggest The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud instead.  The album does pick up later on, with the most standout track being Echolalia.  I will hang onto it and see if it is a grower.  If you want my recommendation, buy the 1984 self titled record instead.

As of late I have been ordering a fair amount of CDs on Amazon.com. Most of them are Neil Young albums, and I am sure my reviews of those will be much anticipated. However, another treasure that I bought on a Whim is Dale Watson's Sun Sessions . As the story goes, Watson was supposed to play a show in Memphis which was cancelled due to mishap, mismanagement or miscommunication. As a result, he called up Sun Studios and booked the date to record. What he produced? Cash-twinged rockabilly of the highest order. Every song on Sun Sessions sounds like a Johnny Cash radio single. They're all very brief, and therefore so is the album. Some of the song topics seem trivial, bizarre, maybe even facetious, but it works. It's a fun album, and well worth it, even though you can't get a $5.00 copy on eBay to save your life. Blow the ten if you are into it. Modern music is soulless. Lent is coming. Repent. P.S. Nader, I don't know how you take such glamorous photos of...

In honor of the holiday, I thought Valentine's deserved its own folk character. Let me know what you think. "The Spirit of Valentine's Day" A beam of moonlight pours through the canopy Redwoods shrink to oaks, oaks to maples, maples to tall grass She peers forward into clouds of night, a radar for anything From beyond, the spirit descends Her body is torn apart, and the woods are nourished by her soul

Hi. I don't know a lot about Vallatimes Day so here are some songs that I like. This Jane's Addiction album is one of the only honest alternative rock albums. I am almost done reading the Neil Young biography, and it's to the point where Kurt Cobain died, so now stuck in my head: Whether it's Empty Bottles, Broken Hearts or Broken Bottles, Empty Hearts, I am still thinking of you up and down I-5 more often than a serial killer.

Since AWM sent me an enormous pile of music, I have been introduced to quite a few new artists and styles. I picked up the CD entitled “Huun Huur Tu: Where Young Grass Grows.” From looking at the title, I had no idea what exactly to expect. I began to wonder Is this Finnish Black Metal about Nature and the Earth Mother Goddess? Or is it simply Estonian? After a few seconds of listening to the first track, I learned it was from a little farther East than Finland, for it turned out to carry some sounds of the North Asian musicians. I want to guess Mongolia. Oh yes, it does contain throat singing. As I have said repeatedly, throat singing is probably the hardest taste in music, I’ve ever had to acquire. For example, the first few times I heard it, I was just baffled by the way it sounded, and when I play throat singing for people who have never heard it before, they often have a similar “WTF?” kind of experience. This CD “Where Young Grass Grows,” sounds like a great one to introduce to p...

As of RECENT it has been my goal to listen through my CD collection meticulously and discard the refuse. It has been a slow-moving process, and there is much ground to cover. And along the way I've rediscovered some greats. I was supposed to attend a bar trivia game tonight, but my partners' in crimes' last minute decis'ion to go drinking in College Town US'A has' changed my plans'. Thus, Babyland. According to memory, Babyland WAS an "electronic junk punk" band from California. The two-man group was notable for its outdoor shows, where the percussionist, I guess, would bang on a variety of industrial equipment, use belt sanders on oil drums and other forms of madness. The premise is reminiscent of Einsturzende Neubauten's but the end result is a more kinetic experience, a sort of nihilistic, noisy dance music. This particular album is called YOU SUCK CRAP. How cool is that? If you could imagine a cross between Einsturzende Neubauten and At...

The last post pushed me over the edge. I tweeted Biebs to wish me Happy Birthday, and he refused? What gives you freeze it push pop cock face? It was my birthday gosh darnit. No Respect. QATFYG: What do you guys think about the sunglasses seen below?

This post reminds me of the back when I wrote about Grammy Categories and Favorites, and also back when I wrote about Bionic Jive. So while I was searching for songs from the Norteño Genre of music, I happened to encounter one that was of Norteño rap. When I think of Norteño music, I am more inclined to think of the semi-mariachi styles with lots of saxophones and trumpets. This is not the same thing. Latin American or Chicano American Rap is something that I never listen to normally. However, this son really stood out. It has a great classic horror movie sound that is mixed in with words that blend pretty damn well. I have become a fan. Note: This song is dedicated to AWM: The Useless Critic Ambassador to Rap. QATFYG: AWM, would you like to dedicate a song to me?

I just want to say that this is the cutest thing. Give me a Pulitzer.

I can't remember if I posted this or not because I have less memory than a netbook, but this Diddy - Dirty Money mixtape is a fun, free download with a Valentine's Day theme that you ought not pass up. I know those $0.00 could be put to good use elsewhere, but consider giving this a spin if you're throwing frugality to the wind. I haven't heard very much other new music in 2011 because I am a heartless, unemotional creature who may or may not have been born without a soul, so if you've found something you prefer, please forgive me, and consider me more embarrassed for suggesting this than Cee Lo Green without a giant peacock uniform.

Performances: Eminem, Dr. Dre, et al: The new Dr. Dre song ("I Need a Doctor") was good. Good hook. Who is Skylar whatsits Lady Gaga: Her voice sounded good. Not really diggin' this new song. This is no Paparazzi! It's more like a PSA than a song. Nas loved it. Really. ("I know I can! Be what I wanna be!") Why did she go straight Phantom of the Opera in the middle for no reason? Janelle Monáe: I love you, you're beautiful. Usher and Justin Bieber with Jaden Smith: Biebs sounded flat at first J Smith kind of sucks. Who cares, it was awesome. Willow was in the audience!! Unexpected: Miranda Lambert: Gritty, Endearing. Definitely the most legit country stuff being represented. Cee Lo w/ Muppets: Holy three-pronged crucifix. I wasn't into that song when I heard twentagers singing it in bars but Cee Lo killed it. Great voice, solid dude, magnificent plumage. Awards: Best New Artist: Justin Bieber, robbed. Esperanto Vegas is getting m...