The Useless Critic 2.0

Everyone has been raving about this song lately, so I had to check it out. I love The Weeknd, even though I feel his music has declined in quality since his rise to popularity. Verdict on this song? I love the production - definitely a work by Daft Punk - and his breathing in the chorus. But I don't know. I'm not blown away by this. 2016's been a shitty song for pop music, or maybe I'm just getting older. Like, I outright refuse to get a Snapchat. Why should I? Because I will constantly be Snapchatting myself drinking things with pumpkin in them and Smores being cute. Aw, Smores. The Weeknd deserves the recognition he's been receiving because he's incredibly talented, but I miss the rawness of his earlier work. That being said, I will say he's the most creative mainstream pop star out there, and I have complete respect for him. Maybe I would feel different about this song if I listened to it while clubbing with my ladies in Scottsdale? I don't...

Song of the Day Daft Punk's new album: Will it suck? Or no? I love this song, shout-out to my bff for introducing me to it. The things you miss out on without a TV or radio. 

HipKno Funk was my friend Sergio's electronic project with his friend Wolfgang. To me, they seemed like they were doing really well. Sergio sent me a song they did a while ago (last spring) and I LOVED it. I put it on my iPod and listened to it at work.  As I posted earlier, Sergio died this week. His funeral was today. This track was posted Tuesday. It was unfinished.  Sergio loved stuff like Justice and Daft Punk. There's echoes of that here, but the sound is unique. He was really talented, that kid. At his viewing yesterday, there was no doubt that kid was so loved. It just felt unreal. Like it shouldn't be happening. The world lost a rising talent. RIP. 

(corniness ensues) You may not have heard of Chicago-based new wave/power pop band Hey Champ yet, but that's about to change. The band of friends from Princeton University are hot on the rise and by September, when people are like "OH I LOVE DIS BAND I READ ABOUT ON DE INTERWEBS" you can be like "oh hey! I read about them on the Useless Critic some odd time ago."  MTV just declared them a buzzworthy band and MTV is still kind of relevant to some degree.  Their EP "Anything At All" was released in May and is worth a few good 100 listens. It was produced by heavyweight producer Eliot James, who has previously worked with the likes of Two Door Cinema Club and Bloc Party, who you may have heard of.  Also, it's worth to say this:  they were discovered by Lupe Fiasco.  Saam Hagshenas and I recently corresponded via email about playing LOLLAPALOOZA (!!!) and amazing beer (BUDWEISER), and what this eclectic group of boys are up to next. Yo...