The Useless Critic 2.0

I wanted to continue to give Ruby Roberts some love with her first music video, "My Endeavor." Like I said before, I definitely think she has a nice retro Lana thing going on, which I really appreciate. I also am just rooting hard for her success. Like, she needs to blow up, so help me make it happen! Ruby will continue to release singles and perform in the UK - make sure you check out "Gonna Change" as well, which is a beautiful song in its own right. Sounds like: Lana Del Rey, the 1960s/70s, Zella Day

Looking for some good old-fashioned garage rock? I've got you today! Meet the NYC-based band Native Sun, which remind me a lot of the Velvet Underground meets the Jonathan Richman & the Roadrunners with just a touch of The Strokes and Sonic Youth. Honestly? It's very refreshing to me right now. Not saying modern rock stinks (it doesn't; there are always good gems like Royal Otis) but garage rock has a special spot in my heart. Listen to the single "Adam" below: Their debut LP drops September 19th, the same day as "A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY" which I already have a ticket to see because apparently my mid-life crisis is being a fangirl!

It's not exceptionally rare I hear new music I really like, but sometimes because life is a lot and I don't have a ton of time to voraciously go through new releases like I once did, I get stuck in the "music as comfort" cycle. So I end up listening to a LOT of Cannons, Meltt, and Lana Del Rey to get me through the day. I also am really into Wolf Alice at the moment, and some random discoveries I've made via internet radio. Plus I am in love with Suki Waterhouse so there is that. (I also am enjoying Addison Rae because I am a woman of taste and with the times.) Anyway, the internet radio suggested to me the UK-based Ruby Roberts a few weeks ago, and boy howdy! I was pleasantly impressed by this dynamic, wrapped-in-nostalgia single. I know "the next Lana Del Rey" gets thrown around quite a lot but I think Ruby has that potential. Seriously. You might also like her if you're a fan of Weyes Blood or even just 1960s-1970s singer-songwriter stuff. She has...

Just doing my yearly little music recap! As I get older it does get harder to stay on top of new things. But I did do marginally okay this year. Here's my entire playlist on Apple Music FYI. Would be remiss to say "Brat" was clearly the biggest thing that happened this year in music: I'm not a huge Billie Eilish fan (I think she's quite talented, and I like a few of her songs a lot), but I really thought this collab was the best thing she has done to date. I kind of hope she continues in this direction! I am still waiting on the Uffie renaissance. At the *very* least, I think Uffie deserves a documentary at this point. If you were on MySpace circa 2008, you know . Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter obviously had banner years. They are both pretty talented - I think I have a mental block with Sabrina though, since some of her music is so bland . But she's still catchy. You can't deny Chappell is incredibly talented, and I do applaud her for sticking up for...

This song is a throwback from 2019, but I absolutely love it and think more way people need to be aware of its existence. I guess Netflix featured it on a show or movie a while ago, but it's likely been a minute and so. Check it out! This is like a "Wicked Games" by way of dreampop with some shoegaze-y elements.  It looks like the Denver-based group remains active, so go shoot their other stuff a listen if you have some time today! I hope to be back with more contemporary stuff very soon - just went through my 2024 playlist and it's like if Lilith Fair came back and was repopulated with female pop singers. It was hard not to add the entire "Brat" album!

Norwegian pop star powerhouse Annie is back! What an unexpected gift this year, as I believe the last time we had any new music from Annie was 2021 with the stellar EP follow-up to "Dark Hearts," "Neon Nights." Annie has a penchant for creating melancholic electronic music that isn't undanceable or without a catchy hook - and with "The Sky is Blue," she delivers exactly on that formula. I love how her music has this ability to feel fresh and contemporary but also very ageless. It works for her; I can't think of many other artists who are able to pull this off so well today. On Friday, Annie officially dropped "The Sky is Blue" single, which contains with the initial track an extended mix as well as the instrumental "Himmelen Er Bla," which is Norwegian for "The Sky is Blue." Looking forward to any further 2024 (or 2025) releases from Annie! Have a good week friends. <3 

I recently heard of an indie French band called Plage Tara who I would say veer strongly on the indie side. Plage means a fashionable beach by the sea - or so I am led to believe! Plage Tara sounds like a perfect backdrop for exactly that occasion. It's an alluring mix of dream-pop and post-rock, guided by otherworldly instrumentals.  I was introduced to this band by the actress Camille Razat of all people, who runs Soupire Records - the label the band is on. I actually listened to their album when I was in Vegas for work, and I found it an extremely grounding record that helped put me at ease as I find Vegas to be a lot . You can find that album, "Whales of Harmony," on streaming services as well as on  SoundCloud . Check out "Mischief Harmony" below! 

I'm on a roll lately! I wouldn't expect this to last. But back with another new single, "My Reflection" by the London-born and LA-based dance duo Eli & Fur. I had honestly never heard of them before, but they've been in the business for over a decade now. And at first listen I was pretty intrigued. It's an icy cool yet warm sound - a very untouchable electronic vibe. "My Reflection" is from their upcoming "Dreamscapes" album, which will be out on September 27th via the PIAS Electronique label. They are also doing a VERY limited tour run for "Dreamscapes," with three shows in total announced. 'The shows are as follows: October 12th at the Fonda in LA, October 19th at Brooklyn Steel in NYC, and November 16th at the Village Underground in London. 

I truly wish I understood what Cannons does to their music to make it so instantly addicting to me. I am here with another cut from them - a fresh music video! - and I am again seeing them on tour this year because I have decided I want my mid-to-late 30s to be earmarked with a musical obsession. Fun! "Sweeter" has a distinctly 1970s vibe to it, and the music video kind of has that feeling, too (much like Taylor Swift's "Midnight" covers). Cannons' thing tends to be songs celebrating and bemoaning both love and lust, and "Sweeter" is no different. But if a formula works, there's really no reason to stray from it.  The song ultimately is bittersweet, and not much happens in the music video besides lead singer Michelle Joy going through it in her hotel room, but I think anyone who has felt the depths of being lovelorn can likely relate. Plus Michelle is beautiful, so that never hurts, either. I will be seeing Cannons next month in San Francisco! ...

Suki Waterhouse might be in the news for award season buzz and having a baby with long-time boyfriend Robert Pattinson, but she's got some new music to share with the world, too! After lots of coy social media teasing, we have "OMG" which lives up to its title.  "To Love" from last year was an instant classic IMHO, and this song takes things in an exciting new direction. I think her second EP is slated for a release later this year, and what a release that will be! Suki seems set up to have an amazing 2024, and I'm here for it. 

Another song I enjoyed from 2023 was the throwback banger "Blame Brett" by the Canadian band The Beaches. How this song didn't get ANY bigger, I don't know. (Apparently, it was quite big on TikTok but for me I didn't get that full effect.) The garage rock and even faint "Riot GRRL" vibes are strong in this one.  This song is so much blissful fun and a considerable hit from The Beaches, who followed up with a great album: "Blame My Ex." There are some other standout tracks on their second album, like "Edge of the Earth." But also isn't it great that Brett is a REAL guy who dated the lead singer and is in the band The Glorious Sons? (Actually, it's really not that bad. One time I texted a girl I liked who I got into it with - and she was very environmentally conscious - that I really loved straws, so. Um. We all have our moments.) Happy listening! I hope to share a few more songs before 2024 arrives.

Hi! So to write more and share music that I've kept to myself all year, I'm going to sort through some of my favorite songs from the haze that was 2023. I have a few other things I need to write about... but I will sprinkle that in with everything else.  I'm starting with M83, who is not a huge favorite of mine, but I've been a fan of their music for years (peaking in the early 2010s, with what I guess is the rest of the world.)  M83 released "Fantasy" earlier this year and went on tour to support their ninth album, which was relatively well-received. I finally got to see M83 this year and it was well worth the wait at the Van Buren in Phoenix this April. To be transparent, I haven't listened to this album in-depth, but there are some tracks I've really enjoyed. And one being the dreamy, lovesick "Laura." If this hasn't been used on a soundtrack YET it absolutely NEEDS TO BE.  Although it sounds like a love song, based off the internet...

My favorite band I've really gotten into this past year is the LA-based synthpop act Cannons. Fronted by lead singer Michelle Joy and rounded out with the likes of drummer Paul Davis and guitarist Ryan Clapham, I've been pretty obsessed since I heard "Fire for You" this past spring. I believe that song gained some virality on social media due to its pretty irresistible and kind of seductive vibe - like a Lana Del Rey on acid. The band has been around for more than a decade, but it seems like they've been picking up interest in the past few years (and especially this one). I seriously hope this band sells out stadiums someday; they are arguably one of my favorite acts I've heard in ages. (In Arizona? You can catch Cannons in Mesa alongside Lovejoy and Little Image on December 13th.) A few years ago, they even covered Harry Styles' hit "Golden," and did a wistful stripped-down version of it (listen below). Their new album "Heartbeat Highway...

  I don't know how I missed "On a Beach" by Canadian singer-songwriter Hayden when it came out earlier this year, but damn! This is a nice upbeat track by a musician whose career has veered more melancholic. featuring Canadian chanteusese Feist. Coupled with a fun music video featuring a cameo from The National's Matt Berninger, don't be like me and sleep on this song. (Plus, Steve Buscemi!) My introduction to Hayden came in the early 2000s when I first heard "Dynamite Walls" which I swear I found via the pre-loaded music on my Windows computer. But I've not been able to find any internet proof of this so I'm not sure if I'm hallucinating. Anyway, it's a more subdued track, but really beautiful. If you like indie or anything slightly more on the pensive side, you need to give this somewhat older (but still so gorgeous!) song a listen.

That's quite the title, isn't it? But much truth to it - and definitely a very pertinent, urgent topic that is top of mind for a lot of Americans right now. This is a short and to-the-point acoustic song from Nashville-based singer-songwriter Benjamin Stranger, a new discovery for me personally. His music has a stripped-down indie feel to it, and calls to mind to me the work of Nick Cave, a little Josh Ritter, and maybe a hint of Tom Waits, too. You can listen to the track below and take a moment to reflect on this increasingly disturbing facet of the culture wars our country is enveloped in.  Here's another more Waits-esque song from Benjamin Stranger, appropriately titled "Strange Things."

Hi! Sorry for the long hiatus between posts - something something John Lennon "life happens when you're making other plans" blah blah blah. TL;DR I've been busy with not a lot of time for hobbies, except for today when I'm consciously carving out a little bit of time to do some light music writing (and if I'm feeling esp. daring, creative writing, but let's not get CRAZY). And what perfect timing, as two of my favorite singers - Annie and Lana Del Rey - have new projects bubbling. I try to highlight lesser-known artists when I can on this blog (I have tried for years) but sometimes you must feature well-known artists that you nonetheless love. So here we are.  First up, the new Annie single is actually a collaboration with Alan Braxe. I honestly had no clue who Alan Braxe was until "Never Coming Back" dropped about a week ago. He is a French electronic musician responsible for plenty of remixes over the years, such as one for Annie's arguab...

"Eclectic one-man band" Tom Vek has been pretty prolific about creating music over the last few decades. And much to our benefit! You might not hear a lot about him these days at least stateside (unless you're Florence ) but rest assured he's still an extremely active guy. Case in point, I checked out his latest album, "Newer Symbols." As the name may imply, it's a reimagining of his 2020 album, "New Symbols." Reimagining or not though, this album (just a little more than 30 minutes) stands quite well on its own. Check out the 2022 version of "Washed Up on the Beach" - my personal favorite - here; I would urge you to check out this release if you like electronic music in any variety. It feels like some of his finest work I've heard; experimental yet approachable. Warm while still fairly cool. Some tracks don't quite land but on the whole it's a very good listen, one of my favorites of this past year.

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.

Just wanted to give a quick nod to a song that's been out for a while now I've enjoyed. I didn't actually realize Suki Waterhouse had a musical career until I saw she was opening for Father John Misty when he came through Phoenix this past summer. Then I checked out the wonderfully melancholic "Nostalgia," which didn't let me down (listen and watch the video below!)  She's got a nice folk touch, which makes sense as to why Father John chose her as an opener. Definitely one of my favorite tracks of 2022 (so far!), and an artist I'm keeping more of an eye on these days as she's clearly talented with a memorable voice. Her debut album, "I Can't Let Go," was released earlier this year. 

Step into another world with dream pop duo Portland's "Sensational" (despite their name, Portland is NOT from Portland, and actually Belgian!) The single is off their sophomore album "Departures," slated for a March 2023 release.  And although Portland is primarily a dreampop act, I definitely hear twee snippets come across, at least in "Sensational." The band themselves acknowledged the song can sound melancholic, but as member Sarah Pepels explained, "If you listen to the lyrics, they're quite hopeful. It's the ideal combination of a modern song. It's about not giving up." The song is reminscient a bit of bands like Kisses and In Coma, with maybe a touch of Wild Nothing thrown in for good measure.  As for the band's name, that comes from the duo Pepels and Jente Pironet's love of Portland-based singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Their debum album, "Your Colours Will Stain," was released in 2019 to much critical a...