The Useless Critic 2.0

Just when you needed more music to cry to while you have sex, here comes Lykke Li, who is the undisputed queen of that niche.  Her new album, "so sad so sexy," (yes that's really the title), is out on June 8th. So far a lot of the hubbub around it has been mixed, with a lot of die-hard fans pushing back on her "new sound." Honestly, it's not a dramatic stretch for her. I'm not a huge fan of it (let me live in "I Never Learn" forever) but I'm sure I will warm up to it soon enough. In the meantime, I'll warn you that there is autotune involved, which seems like a special kind of punishment from God. Here's a link to the NSFW video for "Hard Rain", which is visually fantastic. AND FEATURES AT LEAST ONE SCENE OF SOMEONE RUNNING. Enjoy! And you know I love Lykke, I wouldn't trade her different genius for anything. Welcome home, sweet Swedish angel! 

Exhibit A Lykke Li taking on Jim Croce with "Time in a Bottle" Exhibit B Frank Ocean channeling Audrey Hepburn

Banks, Goddess LA siren Jillian Banks is much more than a product of the recent crop of minimal, futuristic "alt-R&B." Paired with her dusky vocals, Banks' entrancing debut album employs woozy beats, pulsating bass shudders, and distorted electronic effects to create a soundscape that is dark, moody, sultry, enigmatic, and brooding. The raw, confessional tales of seduction, scorned love, and heartbreak showcase Banks as both empowering ("Fucking with a goddess and you get a little colder," on the shadowy title track ) and vulnerable ("Please, give me something to convince me that I am not a monster," on album opener " Alibi "), but there's also room for playfully sinister lyricism ("My words can come out as a pistol / And I'm no good at aiming / But I can aim it at you," on the menacing "Beggin for Thread"). Top tracks: "Beggin for Thread" • " This Is What It Feels Like " • ...

Hi there, citizens of Earth. Earlier this month, I made a summer playlist. You know I love making playlists (sorry I gave up my earlier efforts, but more important priorities came to light.)  I haven't shared it with you- yet. Until now. '90s Fashion I hope you enjoy it. It's fairly eclectic; Bryan Adams, Iggy Azalea and Vampire Weekend all make appearances. Plus some of my personal favorites from this current year (Lana Del Rey and Lykke Li.) Enjoy it! And make your own (maybe.) And share it with me (maybe.) 

The video for this single just came out. You can watch it here:  I rarely state this, but this video moved me a lot. :/

AKA Bleeding-Heart Tribute to Lykke Li and Trip-Hop-Influenced Sounds Hi friends, I've been living in a cave growing a beard. Just kidding: Although I probably will be now that Mila Kunis is carrying the antichrist's child. I mean ... Ashton Kutcher . ack ack ack ack ACK ack I guess I've been slacking, but I have an interview to post soon, a book review and some other this and that to do. In the meantime, here's a playlist to get you through the night. Spotify, you need to start paying me commission or something.

AHHHHH Remember in 2011 when I geeked out about "I Follow Rivers?" Of course not. Well, check this out: "I Never Learn" is out May 5th . Let's keep positive people! We've got things to look forward to!!!! This sounds like it's going to be INCREDIBLE. (I may have wet myself the first time I saw this.)

Song of the Day You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loved you. BONUS:

Song of the Day BONUS- Lykke Li I'm a bit depleted today, so excuse my lack of goofy rhetoric. 

use your Cheerios to spell "hipster" I'm sitting with Smores trying to get a feel for the only album of 2013 (with the exception of Justin Timberlake's) I care about thus far. "Isles" dropped very recently and now it's on Spotify. Voila . So I'm streaming it. Pirating is for Somalis!  I have to say, so far so good. I was worried "Keep You" would be the only sustainable track. Not the case! There are a few goodies here. In fact, I'd say it's a solid debut with little to disappoint.  A Track-By-Track Breakdown: 1.) "Keep You"- unfortunately, this is by far the takeaway track. It's a winner, but it's so 2012 already! A 2.) "It's Too Late"- Just as addictive as the previous song. I like it a lot, it seems to me some 1960s-meets-1990 fusion going on. And there's some SASSITUDE. In my music, I like sassitude . A-  3.) "Shine"- Diamond Rings meets the Ting Tings? This track aggrav...

Song of the Day It could only get more Swedish if they sang in Svenska. By the way, click on the label "Song of the Day" to get a great collection of songs from this past year! 

Song of the Day Royksopp are geniuses and Lykke Li is wonderful. The song's sad and poignant but you don't get lost in wistfulness while listening to it. Well sometimes you do. I had a period where I sat perched on a sofa overlooking my front yard to this song. You are welcome. Have a good weekend!

Part of a five-part series that will begin and end today SUP EVERYONE. Did you know  Sweden is a musical mecca? yeah I thought so! After all, they did bring us the world's best pop group ever.... okay, so I love ABBA. just like everyone else that breathes oxygen. but did you know what OTHER great bands/performers have hailed from Heaven/Sverige??? NO, NOT JUST THE A-TEENS OR ACE OF BASE. Although "Beautiful Life" is catchy shit: my sister loved Ace of Base when we were kids. so I grew up listening to a lot of Ace of Base. it became my standard thing, whenever "The Sign" was played, to imagine the elaborate music video I would direct for it, if ever given the chance. this video would include the following: - my stuffed animals dressed as Indians. - Zuck Park (google it) - some kind of gigantic gong? anyway, this music video has ever yet to see the light of day. and you know, I just remembered this whole thing like six months ago. weird, wei...

It was surprising that Lykke managed to pull together such a beautiful song for such a crap film. So tell me when you hear my heart stop,  You’re the only who knows  Tell me when you hear my silence There’s a possibility  I wouldn’t know  I just saw Breaking Dawn , which is why I chose this song. And also it's simply one of my favorites by her, because it's very heartfelt, very bleak and very honest. Anyway though, can I tell you how SURPRISINGLY DECENT that film is? like ohmygod IT TAKES THAT SERIES FOREVER to get anywhere but they finally got somewhere! also I didn't see Eclipse , is that wrong? whatever I stopped following Harry Potter ages ago too.  the last Twilight film I saw was New Moon , which this song was showcased in it. And if I remember correctly, there's this great scene where Kristin Stewart has a major breakdown to this song. which is kind of where I am right now, so it speaks to me. she just sits in front of a window, sobs, listens t...

- the  Parks and Recreation last night was CLASSIC. don't think I have a TV. the internet is my god for a reason. - I'm wearing a black sweater and jeans tomorrow in honor of Steve Jobs. join me! maybe we can speak at podiums as well! - I really love podiums. - CALENDAR IS UPDATED GO CHECK - hey, do you live in New York City too? are you not sleeping on Wall Street tonight? because Holy Ghost needs extras for their music video next week! - Nicole Atkins dropped a free EP. she's really wonderful. I like her, but she never responds to my tweets. other celebrities that don't: - St. Vincent - The Antlers - BEST COAST. I tweet her ALL THE TIME and what do I get? ugh. WHAT DO I GET? sweet NOTHING - make Oh Land's cover of The National's "Bloodbuzz Ohio" NO. 1 on hype machine - I'm glad she chose that song to cover. It reminds me of my ties to Erie.  - there's a Lykke Li cover of "Unchained Melody" on there...

It's a weird coincidence that I happened to finish reading this book on the bus about the same time Zooey Week keeps on goin' at the Useless Critic. I just wanted to be like every other pretentious New Yorker out in public and be caught reading this book. Did you know Zooey was named for the most obnoxious character in said book?  WTF were you guys thinking, Mr. and Mrs. Deschanel! You should have named her "Franny." Of these two spoiled rich kids, Franny is the far more likable. Sure she's got her issues, but she's not a douche. Just saying. Are you not like the average hipster person and have you NOT read Franny and Zooey by the late, great Mr. Salinger? Ooh girl/boy, you really missing out. Not really. It's been a while since I wanted to slap all the characters in a novel, even the twats from Freedom  were redeemed by the end! Other meaningless, fittingly useless observations:   I much preferred Franny  to Zooey . Seriously, I wish his mom ...

I feel like in the future I will tell hipster girls this at bars and they will follow me home. what to say about Lykke that hasn't been said? she's a force of nature. she is an oversexual Scandinavian goddess who I want to raise puppies with. there is nothing wrong with that. "WHEN I SAY DANCE, YOU DANCE!"- Lykke Li also I want to tell you that I threw up on a Megabus this weekend and Uffie and Ke$ha would have been so proud of me. the guy that walked in after me said, his exact words, "OH, GOD."  Lykke covered the Knife and danced around like some freaky stepchild of Stevie Nicks.  I SANG ALONG TO EVERY SONG AND BEAT SOME GIRL THAT TRIED TO STEP IN FRONT OF ME TO JOIN HER BOYFRIEND IT WAS SO AWESOME GOODBYE

January Jones is prego. Lykke Li's new video is out: SHE'S SO PRETTY IT HURTS. also, Lykke Li is supposed to be dating Tyler the Creator. there's a bit of an age gap, there. it's like me dating a thirteen-year-old. not that I'd ever do that. >_> .............. <_< anyway, 4 AM WAKE UP CALL TOMORROW I'M LIVE TWEETING @brittnik YOU KNOW IT sleep well KATES AND WILLS

When world-traveller (Swedish by birth, of course, as most good things are) Lykke Li found her way upon the popular scene in 2008, she was young. She was vulnerable; she was alluring. She spoke with a tarnished innocence and her husky, whispery voice matched, just the same. After all: it was for YOU she kept her legs apart. In 2011, then, Li has returned after a certainly long-enough absence. Some artists return after a gap and it's like they've been there, the whole time. Nothing's changed. Dust has gathered on their act, tired and routine. However, for Miss Li (not to be confused with that particular singer, also Swedish) things are decidedly different. The innocence is gone. Lykke Li has grown old, before her 20something years. But with age, comes maturity. Comes a developed sex appeal. She has learned her lessons and she's got her broken heart on display, under the weak protection of her ribs. "I was born with a broken heart," she said in a revealing i...