The Useless Critic 2.0

If you're looking for some sunny indie pop, I am happy to tell you that "Made of Sugar" lives up to its name. This new single from the duo Jacklen Ro clocks in at under 3 minutes of pure joy. And not shockingly, the twee-esque song is off their debut LP which is also titled "Sunshine I'm Counting on You." Although the song might seem like a light and feel-good throwback, don't be deceived! The band explained what they intended with the song, saying "'Made of Sugar' is about an on-and-off relationship from the perspective of someone who wants to get to the next level and be committed. It's the feeling of being let down by someone you thought you knew and could trust. It's the cycle of addiction to empty validation." We've all been there, I'm sure! I know I have.  "Sunshine I'm Counting on You" is out now on Lollipop Records.

Twin Shadow for me has been an a hit-or-miss artist. Like some of his music deeply resonates with me, and other songs I'm fine never hearing again. I've never personally been a huge fan of his, but what I like I really like. But "Golden Light" - a single he released earlier this decade (for some reason I thought earlier this year? Not sure how that came about). Wow . What a tour de force this track is, showcasing his finest features - his uncannily strong voice, his top-tier production, the almost operatic quality of his flavor of indie pop at times. If you haven't heard this song before, I implore you take some time to listen. You won't regret it. 

As reported by moi a while ago, British synth-folk goddess Ellie Goulding invited fans to help her make a lyric video for "Anything Could Happen" (the lead single from her upcoming second album, Halcyon ) by submitting pictures on Instagram. Here's the outcome: I loved the video, it was such a creative idea. As for the song itself, "Anything Could Happen" is a summery, uplifting slab of synthpop with anthem-like lyrics and, of course, Ellie's light-as-air vocals. While I'm positive that she can do no wrong, I just don't think this song – like "Hanging On" – is on a par with her past material, production-wise. I mean, the verses and the bridge are good, but I'm not really digging the repetitive chorus. Nevertheless, here's hoping that it won't stop her next album from being da bomb. THE LEATHER TOP. THE NAILS. I still remember discovering Ellie in 2009 and then listening to her debut album Lights in early 2010 . T h...

Yes, I do realize I'm a little late, considering the song was released on July 10. Whatever, Ellie Goulding is one of my favorite singers ever, her amazingness alone is worth an entire post. Besides, if you're a strong female, you don't need permission , so shut up and just read it. "Hanging On" is in fact a cover of a song by Active Child , who, I must say, I had never heard of up until this point. Her version has everything you could ask for in an Ellie song: her ethereal vocals over dreamy, twinkling synths, as well as a big, booming chorus. I just think that whoever produced the song overdid the Auto-Tune a little, I mean, Ellie has such a beautiful voice, it's as sweet as cotton candy and pink lemonades on a warm summer afternoon. I'm usually all for the use of the vocoder or any other type of vocal processing in electronic music, when done properly, but I really don't think Auto-Tune would be the case. On top of that, the song features T...

Little Boots is set to make a comeback, and now Marina and the Diamonds releases her second album . Feels like 2009 all over again! That was s uch a great year. Okay, while a time machine is kinda outside the realms of possibility, for now let's just focus on how awesome Marina is. I suppose most of you are familiar with Marina and the Diamonds, right? The husky-voiced Welsh songstress who hailed from the same crop of late-'00s quirky female artists that also included the likes of Lady Gaga, Little Boots, La Roux, Florence + the Machine and Ellie Goulding. With a distinctive voice that often draws comparisons to Kate Bush, Marina released her debut album The Family Jewels in early 2010, a fantastic album that offered commentary on themes such as feminism, modern society, obsession w ith fame , fear of failure, commercialism and relationships, often with a sarcastic, witty t one . Electra Heart abandons the New Wave-kissed indie pop stylings of its predecessor and...

You know I love my Swedes. This is who I am unmistakably am. And it's intrinsic to my nature as being bald is to Dr. Phil and having a big ass is to Kim Kardashian. So when I heard of the artist known as "I'm  Kingfisher," I just had to give him a chance. What is there to say about Kingfisher aka Thomas Denver Jonsson? Well, he's both indie pop and anti-folk. His FOURTH solo album,  Arctic , has just been released. There is a trilogy going forward (exciting) and he lives in Lund, Sweden most of the time. And there is more to this man than that obviously. READ ON:  How would you describe your music to someone unfamiliar with it? Thomas:  I currently describe it as a mix between indie pop and anti-folk. When I started about a decade ago I labelled my music as lofi country, then proceeded through the descriptions alt.country, americana and indie/folk. I know I might not do too extreme steps here, but my very long time plan is to  go seaml...