The Useless Critic 2.0

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...

Hailing from nearby New Jersey, Tru Fam is a hip hop/pop group (made of identical twins-!!!) that are actually pretty fond of the Useless Critic. and they will be featured in 2011's Vans Warped Tour. that is a HUGE deal in case you are not aware- I mean, a lot of notable bands and performers have been featured on that circuit throughout the years. They have performed in a variety of distinguished venues in their career...Six Flags, Stone Pony, Crocodile Rock, etc., all in different corners of their tristate region, even in New York City. They overcame "the negativity of streetlife" to find glory (and their calling) performing. They cite the work of Jay-Z and Notorious BIG as some of their inspirations. They seem to have a lot going for them and definitely will make it ahead in the business (from what I know- I'm not a pro at this, but you know what I mean). so go ahead and check them out: and their latest You can visit them at their website: http://www.t...

you need to hear this! Nicole Atkins On the rare occasion when I actually sing along to songs without any shame or chagrin, it seems to be, more often than not, NICOLE ATKINS' fault. who is a tragically, tragically underrated figure in indie pop music. Just listen to her voice once- she could easily be on Broadway with those vocals. watch her sing "Maybe Tonight" here. hot damn, that New Jersey native (who has played with Feist , among countless others) blow the mic away. I mean...I'm pretty critical of new female singer-songwriters. but this girl is packed FULL of talent. SHE PLAYS THE UKULELE HERE She calls her music "pop- noir ;" it's a title it definitely carries without testing. there's something very classic about it, while remaining with an edge that helps her carry her own with the wannabe Jenny Lewisies of this world and yet at the same time helps to differentiate her. Her first album, "Neptune City," is wound up with the bras...