The Useless Critic 2.0

After a hiatus, I am back. For a bit. Or whatever. Hi. Today, a new Annie song emerged from no where. Annie is the Scandinavian Synthpop Queen of Everything. She is legitimately one of my favorite musicians because she consistently puts out quality work, keeps a low profile, and honestly she seems like a cool, down-to-Earth person who likes "Stranger Things" and her dog. She is what I aspire to be like in my life. "Labyrinth" is a collaboration with Tuff City Kids, a German production outfit I've never heard of before. Check it out here  (first track on the page). It's pretty catchy and has a darkness to it - a seductive, intriguing darkness - that was lacking on her "Endless Vacation" EP. "Endless Vacation" was okay, but no where near the perfection that was the "A&R" EP.   Even though it's not PURE 100 PERCENT ORGANIC Annie per se, it still is distinctly a work by her. To me, it calls to mind her earlier songs ...

BANKS has shared yet another mind-blowing, incredibly sexy video—this time for "Gemini Feed," the second single from the songstress' second album The Altar , due out on September 30. This bish just keeps slaying me harder and harder! While the striking videos from her debut album, Goddess , were moody and minimalistic, her latest visuals are so experimental and really show her growth as an artist. I've been listening to "Gemini Feed" nonstop ever since it came out two weeks ago. The video, which includes a BDSM-esque theme, is quite a perfect representation of the meaning behind the song. "I tried to say 'I love you,' but you didn't hear me / And you're passive-aggressive / Convinced me other people, they don't care about me." Ugh, it's amazing how this woman manages to put what I'm feeling into words. Much like Sky Ferreira (and several other artists), BANKS has helped me through some though times. I can't w...

New York City-based hard rock band The Pretty Reckless, fronted by actress-turned-rocker Taylor Momsen, will finally return with their third studio album, Who You Selling For , due October 21. This is a band I've rarely written about on this blog, though I've been obsessed with their music for the past two years. Anyway, Who You Selling For is the follow-up to 2014's Going to Hell , which spawned three number-one hits on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock Songs chart—" Heaven Knows ,"  " Messed Up World (F'd Up World) " and " Follow Me Down "—the most by a female-fronted band since the chart launched in 1981. Eh, not a fan of the cover. I'm so pumped, though! The lead single, the '70s-inspired "Take Me Down," is a grower, but I do hope the rest of the album is a lot better, especially when Going to Hell is such a tough act to follow. Listen to "Take Me Down" below. And if you're not that familiar...

Listen, Some of you guys may not listen to thrash, but let's face it - preferring one form of music to another is basically racism.  So let's have a post about this Hatchet album I got in the mail last week, Fear Beyond Lunacy . This album came out in 2015 but considering my last post was about an album from 1988 I think this counts as contemporary.  Thrash as a genre is just a lot of fun.  A lot of bands now want to tweak it in fucking depressing ways with indiscernible vocals, but Hatchet doesn't do this.  The songs are catchy as hell, and I've done mad spins of this thing already.  This is what I wish Slayer sounded like in 2015.  Buy the album and let it rip.

Last month, Garbage finally released their sixth studio album, Strange Little Birds , which frontwoman Shirley Manson has described as being the band's "most romantic" to date, lyrically-wise. "I'm only ever vulnerable when I'm in love, and I never allow myself to be vulnerable. This record is incredibly open, honest and I find that difficult with regards to my own personal love affairs," Manson has stated in an interview . That quote resonates a lot with me. The album combines Garbage's signature grit with dark, moody, and cinematic soundscapes. While not as immediate as the band's previous offerings, it's still a welcome addition to the their excellent catalog. The standout for me is definitely "Magnetized." The band is no stranger to marrying punchy tunes with morose lyrics, and "Magnetized" is a shining example of that. The lyrics describe an ill-fated, possibly unrequited crush. "I'm not in lo...

First of all, happy Pride! I think this year, we need it more than previous years (well, the past several at least). I volunteered at Phoenix Pride earlier this year (it's in the spring because the summers are dangerously hot). It was a good experience; I hope to do more of it in the future. One of my all-time favorite favorite FAVORITE singers is putting out a new album entitled "The Bride." Yes, Natasha "Bat For Lashes" Khan. And honestly, I feel like this might be her best body of work to date. !!!    The album deals with the idea of a bride who loses her groom on the way to the chapel. From this point, she embarks on a quest through grief and self-discovery. It seems to be one of those albums you need to listen to from start to finish. That's not really a thing anymore, you know. Albums aren't tailored to be these cosmic experiences (Gwen Stefani, lookin' at you). CONFESSION: I have listened to "The Bride" already. NPR was ...

Initial impressions:  The Serpent's Egg by Dead Can Dance (1988). The strength of the first Dead Can Dance record is the tribal percussion that is disappointingly absent from most of The Serpent's Egg.  Literally the first 4-5 tracks have no percussion, and when the percussion kicks in it is an improvement but won't necessarily get your toes tapping.  Instead we are treated to vocal masturbation over organ reminiscent of church but dialed slightly towards the occult.  If that sounds appealing to you, I'd suggest The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud instead.  The album does pick up later on, with the most standout track being Echolalia.  I will hang onto it and see if it is a grower.  If you want my recommendation, buy the 1984 self titled record instead.