The Useless Critic 2.0

I finally found my favorite song of 2021, and just about as the year comes to its end. It's the first new song in three years from LA-based band Lo Moon, called "Dream Never Dies." As you might be able to glean from that title, it's a hopeful, expansive, majestic song that deserves to be played over the closing credits of a movie.  Lo Moon acknowledges Britpop as an influence - this song reminds me in places of Elbow and even The Killers at times. But it's uniquely their own. Honestly, if this song doesn't get huge ... or at least some serious recognition ... I will be sorely disappointed. 

I have been on this major Britpop kick lately. And I don't mean Blur or Oasis or Pulp, I mean the early oughts Britpop I grew up with. Like, the next wave that probably wasn't quite as good (I'm very biased here, so trying to be objective.) Elbow, Doves, Travis, Embrace, Starsailor - I've been exploring bands I long shelved away with great delight.  One beloved musician of my youth who I've *truly* begun listening to for the first time in almost two decades is the late, lovely, seriously underrated Matthew Jay. Matthew's one-and-only album came out in 2001, the classic "Draw." This album held the promise of great things, but great things were cut tragically short when Jay fell out of a window to his death in fall of 2003 (actually around the same time Elliott Smith died). Before then, Jay had enjoyed some very (very) slow critical momentum, propelled by the likes of touring with Dido and Stereophonics.  I was introduced to Jay my freshman ...

First of all, these guys were pretty nice!  SECOND Who are these good-looking boys? Why, they are the Young Digerati and they recognize the hankering you have for some 1980s synthpop. If you like things that sound good....and you should....you will like them! They recently toured the WEST COAST with Oh Land! Pretty dope, if you ask me. Oh wait; you didn't.  This is how they describe themselves:   Young Digerati are the architects of a synth-heavy, Anglo-centric, (small “r”) romantic sound that could have been built only in San Francisco (or in 1985) . read on to discover more.... because odds are, someday YOU HEARD IT (read it?) here first ;) So what's going on with you guys RIGHT now? - the dopes at the Useless Critic Suave Young Band: Right now we're writing, writing, writing. We've put together a nice collection of about 25 songs and are adding more to that number weekly. We perform in Northern California mostly a couple times a month and are in the pr...

More of the Valentine's series going around. The Maccabees....Orlando's voice took some of me getting used to it, but now: I am used to it. Catchy little song. Good band. Britpop! Check it out:

This is where I wrap up relatively "new" artists of the year and recommend them to you. what I discovered this year and what you might discover too! IT'S MUTUAL! LET US EXPLORE Chris Garneau Like Sufjan Stevens if his balls were eaten by bunny rabbits. Good Shoes Just a really fun Britpop band, think a la the Maccabees or even Arctic Monkeys or Art Brut. A lot of Britpop bands sound SO ALIKE OMG. Good Shoes stands out. Check out their last.fm for a free MP3. Adam's girl, Florence and the Machine She's a legend in the making. Truly talented. my personal favorite: SO EPIC Greg Laswell His voice is beautiful- what seperates him from the dozens of other unmemorable singer-songwriters out there at the moment- shit, his talent. his cover of Kristin Hersh's "Your Ghost" gives me shivers. He has a very slowcore thing about him, a la American Music Club. But I gotta keep my eye on him in the future. He's currently touring with, yes, Ingrid Michaelson. plu...

Matthew Jay was SO talented, and really like- gone way too soon. incredibly talented guy. incredibly, incredibly talented. and missed. if you enjoy Britpop at all, check him out. he played with Starsailor (remember them!) before his untimely death. for more info: http://www.matthewjay.com/