The Useless Critic 2.0

Song of the Day Scene: Erie Winter 2002 I was hanging out with my older sister in her car. We were going to hang out with a few of her friends that day, and possibly just drive around Erie - the Peninsula, more or less. Before we could do any of that, however, my sister had to go to her friend's trailer to meet her. It was the first time I'd ever seen a trailer up close; I'm not saying it was a bad thing; it was what it was. I was kind of fascinated. However, overshadowing the day's festivities was my period. I was getting it big-time. I had horrible cramps growing up; I went to a religious retreat one weekend and had to lie down on a pew because I was in so much pain ("what's wrong with you? I'M MENSTRUATING.") I was clutching my stomach, keeled over in the car. My sister had ran inside the trailer and the snow was falling down outside. I was keeping warm near the dashboard, my eyes surveying the collection of CDs my sister had tossed on t...

It has come to my confused attention that TRAIN seems to be making its way through the spring festival circuit. QUE ES?  did I miss something...?  I don't think this is morally right and I am not sure how most people can sleep at night, knowing this. I mean- "Drops of Rain. "Hey Soul Sister." Are you kidding me?  Train reminds me of unhip middle aged people listening to NPR in between takes on their favorite local adult contemporary station. "Celine Dion!" "Sarah McLachlan!" "Air Supply!" And they hear this song in their car, on their way from pottery class or dinner at Applebee's, and start tapping their toes and abusing their steering wheels and all kinds of weird middle-aged people stuffs. You dig me? (I say this as an unhip young person). I HAVE SEEN PAT MONAHAN IN PERSON. He came to my high school, because we have had the fortune of growing up in the same hamlet by the sea (Erie), the same high school (McDowell) a...

Here at the Useless Critic , I think our unacknowledged philosophy is not to take things so seriously. Posts are lighthearted, for the most part. And they should be. Life can't be spent being heavyhanded about everything. And this is, after all, the internet. Which, to some degree, is still a big playground for people that refuse to grow up. (I guess I am grouping myself with them). However, I've been sort of toying with the idea of posting about the recent string of adolescent suicides in America (see here if you are unfamiliar), which are the result of bullying. Bullying is one of those trademarks of growing up anywhere, America or otherwise; it's bound to happen. No matter what. It's happened for generations. And I know it will never be eradicated, as much as it should be. People are people; they feed off the weaker ones and never seem to totally change. But fuck the toying with. I am posting this, even though I do feel vulnerable to some extent and a little out of s...

it's like I'm shouting at you! I feel like the new Arcade Fire just emerged out of no where. no where! and then, while doing my daily hype machine (holla) cruise, I came across it! and I was like- mind explooooooooode! I still feel like Neon Bible was not that long ago. when in actuality, it was. I was still a sophomore. crap, I remember how it felt when Funeral was big. in high school! "have you heard of Arcade Fire?" oh wow I'm aging myself. I was like, tenth or eleventh grade. no, eleventh, because it was around Footsteps time. hey Jason, if you read this, I'm giving you a shoutout. I just listened to "The Suburbs" and it's not bad. not bad at all. but then again it's Arcade Fire I'm sure this new album is going to be like Revolver good or something. Have you heard it? What are your thoughts? They're playing in Maryland in August with Spoon. SPOON. SPOON. JESUS. I will probably not go because I am broke and not driving. but I woul...