The Useless Critic 2.0

One thing I'm happy to admit is that I spend a lot of money on music. This is often a Herculean struggle for me internally - as much as I absolutely love the experience of live music, I hate crowds, and I hate the absurd wait times some artists inflict on their audiences. I went to a lottttttt of shows in 2017, cut back some in 2018, and this year looks like it'll be modest but worth it.  I'm not seeking to hit an exact # here - I've been to somewhere between 30 - 50 shows at this point, and probably hundreds of smaller, lesser known bands. I chose 13 for now because that just seems like the fair way to do things.  Is this the best use of money?! For me, YES. I rather collect experiences than things, and look forward to purging myself of some of the junk that I've accumulated the last several years (it does not bring me joy!)  I invite you to comment about any specifically memorable shows you've been to, and what makes them so grand in retrospect.  Honor...

WOW, I didn't realize how badly I needed to hear this song. And of course I'm behind everyone else. Literally? Figuratively? You determine that! Is it me or does Annie Clark get better with age? And there's the actual video, which makes me happy to be a queer: What a week you guys. I'm relieved it's over. Take some self-care time because I know following the news has been nothing short of ridiculous lately. I'll be posting a bit more over the weekend. My vacation has made me (somewhat) energized, and hopefully I can cherish that energy for a bit. P.S. (We can thank Taylor Swift for this version of the track.)

Remember when Irina used to do #ThrowbackThursdays about her favorite slightly older songs? Ima bring that back right now. St. Vincent's last album was pretty good, as nearly her whole canon is. A departure in sound, sure, but still better than most mainstream artists' output.  When I first heard this song last year, it immediately stayed with me. There was something about this song that touched my heart from right off the bat. Now, when I relisten, I remember a situation that no longer exists. And how maybe I would do things differently, be different, but as I spent the night telling a friend ... you can't change the past, just can learn from it. I will probably relisten to this song whenever I go back to New York City. Whenever that is! LOL. 

YOU GUYS. MY FANFICTION. IT RETAINS ITS MANIFESTING ABILITIES. ACK. Fiona Apple?! ANDREW BIRD?!! Together. I can't. I can't. I literally can't even. *insert GIF of fainting woman* *fans self* *dies so, so, so many times* I still can't even. Hold please.   It's a pretty unconventional love song. And when I say "unconventional," I don't mean weird per se. I mean different. Like the melody is a little all over the place and the song doesn't really go where you expect it will go. But that's perfectly okay, because Fiona's voice (becoming more beautifully ragged with age) complements Andrew's flawlessly. Like, how were these two voices never paired together before? They seem meant for each other, like a hand and glove. Esp. toward the end, when they harmonize on the word "believer."   Andrew's latest album, "Are You Serious," will be out next month. Maybe, the next time he tours, he can bring Fio...

Who doesn't love St. Vincent? She's such a uniquely talented artist- she's one of a kind really. So this playlist goes out to her. As Al would say, "RESPECT." We start with "Birth in Reverse" and then we have... Dresses Palma Violets Eddi Front 10,000 Maniacs, because why not "Peel Slowly and See"

First of all, this new direction she's going in. I quite like it! It seems more intense and less cerebral. It seems to draw on more of her amazing guitar skills- and it's a little disconnected and discombobulated, but in a cool way. ANNIE I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE BACK EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE WHITE HAIR AND THAT IS WEIRD Her self-titled fourth album is being called (by her) "a party record you could play at a funeral." Good, because I always wanted that. She announced her ~tour dates~ for 2014. They are as follows: 02-13 Berlin, Germany - Postbahnhof 02-15 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso 02-17 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique 02-18 Paris, France - La Cigale 02-20 London, England - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire 02-21 Manchester, England - Manchester Cathedral 02-22 Dublin, Ireland - Olympia Theatre 02-26 New York, NY - Terminal 5 02-27 Boston, MA - House of Blues 02-28 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer 03-01 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club 03-04 Saxap...

Album of the Day "Actor" by St. Vincent is a wistful experience of an album I'll never get over. Each song is based on a movie, but I'm not sure which or what. Anyway, it's perfect for languid bus stop stays. Annie, I love you. Never change.  For real- I can't believe this album has been out for FOUR years. I played it to death from 2009 - late 2010.  p.s. put out new music ASAP Annie. David Byrne or no David Byrne. Thanks, Britt

Instead of recapping everything in a "best of" list (BECAUSE I ALREADY DID THAT WITH MY SPOTIFY PLAYLIST) here are just some songs you should have heard this year and appreciated. Note the curious absence of "Call Me Maybe." "I'm His Girl"- Friends did this appear on an episode of "Girls?" It should have. "Ritual"- Ellie Goulding It was our own writer Irina who turned me onto this song. It's very sexual, which is not something you would expect from "I Sang At the Royal Wedding" Ellie Goulding. "Florida"- Princeton We interviewed them ages ago. What a refreshing little song this is. "Comeback Kid"- Sleigh Bells Is it weird I find this song inspiring? Also, it's a good song to kick ass to. "Wicked Games"- The Weeknd Uh, wow? "Tides"- The Xx This album is amazing. Not much of a difference from their debut, but. Who cares? Their debut was g...

Song of the Day I got around to listening to his new album, which is a good album. But if only Annie and Andrew duet on everything. "go ahead and say something dumb." Yes, this was the ship that supposedly began the U.S. involvement in World War I, although that's arguable.

By Britt and a Brit Daryl's Take "Love This Giant"- David Byrne and St. Vincent she is flawless.     I usually can’t stand brass bands; they’re so needlessly loud, like every band member is trying really hard to be heard over each other. “Love This Giant” is different, however. It’s more subdued and gentle, which is much nicer. On the track “The Forest Awakes,” for example, there’s a melody in the background (I think it might be the French horn), almost keeping the pace of the song and then a trumpet comes into play over the top of it. Both instruments are audible and clear, neither is trying to be louder than the other and it sounds great.  I prefer the slower-paced songs on the album because I find brass music can be annoying if it’s too fast and loud. “Lazarus” is a good track because of this; it’s soft and slow (though it speeds up a little, mid-way through) and the lyrics are just as softly sung; Annie Clark almost breathes the words “cool w...

Song of the Day: Can't wait for Love This Giant to come out. The two are to tour together.

St. Vincent has really moved on from being "sort of weird" to "absolutely adorable in an earnest and plucky way" for me. Maybe not plucky; nah plucky is too Katie Couric. Nonetheless, she's really...hmm. Enchanting in a way! And she comes across in an earnest, unpretentious way vein. At least on the internets .  Recently, as within the past 24 hours, St. Vincent somehow injured a fan while stagediving. Annie Clark, being a decent person, reached out to this British, resilient fan via Twitter.  I wish I could show you those tweets; I can't show you those tweets (that being the second time I've typed that today).  Check them out yourself- they're so cute and like...seriously I just want to have coffee with her someday. DRINK COFFEE WITH ME, ANNIE!  I'm leaving tomorrow for Arizona. Wish me luck...I am really jaded on these sort of moves, but I'm hoping any potential positive outweighs the negative and I make it through this okay!...

Hey baby. Yeah that's a 500 Days of Summer  picture. I hope you like it; I KNOW you do. Fun fact:  I also grew up on a misreading of The Graduate. Life is better that way. So here are 7 songs to encapsulate your favorite greeting card holiday after The Sweetest Day. you know you'll be getting some serious over-the-pants action, so I thought I should help you out and set the STELLAR MOOD. "First Love" - The Maccabees sure I've posted this before, but I don't get sick of it. it reminds me of how truly fleeting first love is, even though Cat Stevens says the same thing and in fewer words. And what the fuck is up with Orlando's voice? Whatever. "Maggie May"- Rod Stewart I had a Maggie May....but that wasn't her name. God, Maggie May is a name for a cow. See also:  Barry Manilow don't feel bad for him. he has more money than you and I ever will. "Roslyn"- Bon Iver & St. Vincent hesistation, blah blah b...

1.) FEIST - saw her last week with the Happiness Project at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. As Daryl can attest to, the Happiness Project sure was boring. "a big snooze," Marty Crane would say. They were like the Books but too driven by concept to be really interesting.  the idea was the band made music out of taped testimonials of their neighbors' perceptions of happiness and how that varies from person to person. and they sure were talented musicians but that was the end of it. But Feist! FEIST! she blew us all away. I have not listened to Metals with any real depth yet, granted I like what I heard. She was brave and experimental and quirky and sweet, joking around with the audience. You could tell this woman was more than happy to get her and her amazing band (which now includes back-up vocals from MOUNTAIN MAN ). And despite her music often coming across as mellow and muted via recorded form, in person, SHE ROCKS. It's totally believable she was once a me...