The Useless Critic 2.0

  The track "Killing Feels" - just released by German-by-way-of-Canadian band Monako featuring their friends in Bibi Club - is a nice slice of dream-pop goodness. It is deeply evocative of a Grizzly Bear for the 2020s - surreal, hazy, and full of longing. The accompanying music video is just as haunting as the song itself, kind of like a project you expect to see in an art student's thesis.  it's all really gorgeous, perfect late-night listening (and watching)! Monako is a pretty unique act by contemporary standards with a sound that is equal parts indie, R&B, folk, and neo-jazz. Following two well-received albums, Monako is set to drop their three-track EP "In Shapes I-III" in April featuring appearances from Laetitia Tamko aka Vagabon and Bibi Club.

Last post of 2020. Sorry for the prolonged absence; December wasn't my month. :D I would love to claim "the new year is gonna be my YEAR" but omg I do NOT want to set myself up for any disappointment like that. I have one thing I'm REALLY looking forward to this year, and that's as much as my expectations go.  This song I was recently introduced to from Ed Droste (of Grizzly Bear fame) via his Instagram stories. It reminds me of a far more upbeat. poppier Arthur Russell. Anyway, happy New Year :) hopefully the year ahead is far better. 

My official favorite song for the beginning of 2019 belongs to noneother than White Lies, who have become a formidable force on their own. This song is what young folks call "a banger" - well, not in the traditional way. It's more anthemic than anything, but it's a lot more danceable than the brooding White Lies of a decade ago.  Also, the end of this video vaguely reminds me of "Mourning Sound" by Grizzly Bear:

gorgeous dudes, rite?!?! I heard Grizzly Bear the first time in college and I was in love from the getgo. The way Ed Droste's voice was beyond gorgeous, the way the instrumentals sounded, the lyrics....I was hooked from then forward. They were like nothing else I had ever heard. so atmospheric, but not like Air. And they were melancholy, but not like Elliott Smith or Nick Drake. Just in their own vein; beautiful, fragile and dense. Which is how their newest album works,  Shields.   Are all great albums of 2012 break-up albums? We have Fiona's bloody hemorrhage, Jens Lekman's broken heart and the Xx's depressive sour note.....where do these boys stand? Somewhere in the middle. Gentle and ethereal. "The cold keeps tearing at me..." Droste sings in "Gun-Shy" easily the best track from the album. And what does this track even mean? As long as you're with someone, are you terrified to voice your complaints? Pull trigger on said gun? "Oh...

Song of the Day their new album is spellbinding, for lack of a better term. folktronica at its finest.

Daniel Rossen, most renowned for his work with the bands Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles, released a solo album this year entitled Silent Hour/Golden Mile.  It's been getting generally good press and it's about what you'd expect from a dude that was both involved with Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles. Trippy enough! Anyway, here is his first single from that, which I think is memorizing and makes it well-worth checking out the rest of his album. Dude has talent! also:   huge Goldfrapp guest post coming up soon! 

Duchess Leo is the first band Facebook has suggested to me that I've actually enjoyed. They have an interesting ambient sound....the song "Your Sweet Love" won me over nearly immediately. They consist of Dan and Todd, two lifelong friends that live in Brooklyn (duh). Their album, Golden Gray , is out now. And I have to say, I think exciting times lie ahead for this band. 1.) So how did you guys form? You two have been nearly lifelong friends, right? Dan: Yea, we grew up in Randolph, New Jersey. We didn't become friends until freshman year of high school. We played basketball and during preseason had to train by running a couple miles everyday. We'd talk about girls and movies around the track to pass the time. In 2007, we found ourselves in Brooklyn with some spare time. The rest is history.  Todd:  Duchess Leo is kind of a result of our friendship. When we met we pretty much immediately started creating together. When we had separate projects, we we...

I decided to play the band version of "fuck, marry, kill" with the line-up, because I have nothing better to do at the library today. just kidding, I have five papers to work on. Does someone want to pay for me to go Lollapalooza, btw? I will reward you handsomely with _____jobs. because I want to go so badly! fap fap fap. Green Day- KILL THE STROKES- FUCK FUCK FUCK Lady GaGa- marry (too dirty) Arcade Fire- fuck! MGMT- fuck! Soundgarden- marry, I'm not huge on them. AFI- ?!?!?! kill Spoon- fuck Metric- fuck (see: Emily Haines) Hot Chip- faukkkkkk Phoenix- FUCK! Wolfmother- marry, I saw them before, not bad! Cypress Hill- eh marry Stars- fuck Cut Copy- fuck The National- fuck Switchfoot- wow, what the fuck? no. KILL Grizzly Bear- fuck! my favorite band! Erykah Badu- fuck, she is quite ballsy. Digitalism- marry The Black Keys- marry The Cribs- fuck The New Pornographers- FUCK IT LIKE IT IS HOT The Walkmen- marry (not really a fan) Rogue Wave- marry (boring) Minus the Bear- ...

AHHHHHH it wasn't as awful as the first? not to say it was great, but like, if you reduce your ... expectations and take in the fact that the young cast seems to have taken (some, Kristen Stewart, seriously, EMOTE) acting lessons in the past few months. but overall- the story itself is way too dry to do much with. and you know they're rushing these all out. meh. I enjoyed it. especially when the Grizzly Bear song played. Lykke Li and Thom Yorke also got nice parts. Taylor Lautner's six-pack (ten-pack? twelve-pack?) revealing drew hormonal gasps from the audience and one "IS THAT IT?" from some girl. Robert Pattinson...he just looks bad to me. But I'm going to dedicate this post to Ashley Green, who plays Alice, easily the only character on there that could keep my interest. AND HERE IS A NUGGET OF GOOD NEWS: Greene will be reuniting with her Twilight co-star Kellan Lutz in the upcoming movie Warrior[10] and will also be starring in an upcoming thriller film, S...

Beyonce's little sister's very good cover of "Stillness Is the Move" by Dirty Projectors she likes Grizzly Bear? holy shit, I like this girl now. oh, me and my shallowness. Anya Marina meets T.I.: I always liked that song. now just even more.

THIS is the Twilight follow-up New Moon soundtrack: Death Cab for Cutie – 'Meet Me On the Equinox' Band of Skulls – 'Friends' Thom Yorke – 'Hearing Damage' Lykke Li – 'Possibility' The Killers – 'A White Demon Love Song' Anya Marina – 'Satellite Heart' Muse – 'I Belong To You (New Moon Remix)' Bon Iver and St Vincent – 'Rosyln' Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – 'Done All Wrong' Hurricane Bells – 'Monsters' Sea Wolf - 'The Violet Hour' OK GO – 'Shooting The Moon' Grizzly Bear – 'Slow Life' Editors – 'No Sound But The Wind' Alexandre Desplat – 'New Moon (The Meadow)' WUT?? none of those bands suck! that makes no sense!' I'm a little thrown off by Lykke the most. oh Lykke. check her out here: she's so awesome! also, Zooey and Ben Gibbard wed this past weekend. :( sniff, sniff.

THE NEW GRIZZLY BEAR DROPPED THIS WEEK hardy har har, not a real bear. THE BAND FROM BROOKLYN OBVS. THAT is a good song. my god! I might buy this album today 'cos I feel like wasting money. and I have to buy socks anyway. I wish I could harmonize like Ed Droste and the rest of those well-dressed young men. I don't care. I wouldn't mind being able to sing like Stephin Merrit, either. I DON'T CARE. "Vecktamist": you can download "Cheerleader" from their website here. http://grizzly-bear.net/music "Yellow House" was SUCH a good album. it was like stepping into a sonic bath. I'm still kicking myself in the head for missing them when they opened for RADIOHEAD last year (I will always be a diehard Radiohead fan). And I much rather have seen them open for Miss Feist than Rogue Wave. The new Phoenix also came out this week, which, as we've discussed before, is amazing. "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" wha wha? with a title like that it...