The Useless Critic 2.0

Last Wednesday I turned 27—happy birthday to moi! I'd like to believe that Sky Ferreira was aware of that, because on the same day, she released a cover of the Commodores' 1977 classic " Easy ." It is featured on the soundtrack to Edgar Wright's action movie Baby Driver , in which Ferreira plays the mother of lead character Baby (Ansel Elgort). I missed her voice so bad. Sadly, there's still no word of a release date for  Masochism , the long-awaited follow-up to her iconic debut album Night Time, My Time . In the meantime, you can hear Ferreira's vocals on The Jesus and Mary Chain's " Black and Blues ," off of their latest album Damage and Joy . She is also set to appear on Showtime's revival of  Twin Peaks , which debuted last month.

The new Lorde album, Melodrama, was released yesterday and there is no review on The Useless Critic.  What has the Internet come to?   I have been waiting for this album for a long time.  Pure Heroine was my favorite Pop album since Body Talk.  I have heard a lot of these songs already on YouTube, so the album is kind of half familiar.  Almost all of them I disliked upon first listen and immediately dug after a second listen.  You could describe me as hesitantly optimistic going into my first listen. First Impressions: - Does anyone think it's weird this has a parental advisory on it?  I like the cover, but with that sticker it's a little too . - Green Light is the best song. - Homemade Dynamite is a good two steppin' song and will probably be a single. - Loveless deserves to be a full, proper track - I wish the fast/slow song ratio was a little bit higher here. These songs spread through your head like vines.  Wh...

I Do It Alone: Concerts by Julia Rebecca Miron Standing in a human melting pot, faced forward waiting for the show to begin. The artists march on stage. The crowd erupts. The music begins. I drop into an almost meditative state- my face hurting from smiling so intensely. And I do it alone. The first couple concerts I went to alone were on accident. I bought two tickets and couldn’t find anyone to go with. The first time, I just sold the extra ticket on craigslist. The second time, I was sure the show would sell out, thus having no problem getting rid of the extra ticket, maybe even profit a little. But that didn’t happen. To my surprise, I couldn’t even give the extra ticket away! I had to eat the cost of the extra ticket and I was already financially strapped at the time. I learned, from then on: unless there is an absolute guaranteed holder for another ticket, only buy one. I was nervous those first couple shows. But I knew the artists and the venues well, plus...

The National are back in full form with this one. Terrible title, but otherwise GREAT song.  "I can't explain it any other way," which makes total sense as the title makes no sense. I guess their new album is about a marriage disintegrating. Feel-good anthems for the year! Nonetheless, I'm excited. No one does heartbreak as well as The National, IMO. 

OK, so this is pretty fun. And weirdly sexy? I'll be keeping an eye on this band - somewhere between pop, chillwave, and a slight touch of surf rock.

QUEEN QUEEN QUEEN This past Friday brought with it the release of the much-anticipated Feist album, "Pleasure."  Of course, this was a major deal, because "Metals " came out in the dark age that was 2011.  So that's six years, Fiona  Leslie. She has hinted via social media that this may be her final album. She's also back to the Broken Social Scene bizness, so it's logical.  No one wants to spread themselves too thin. "Pleasure" is just that - a pleasure. It's Feist at her most raw and therefore her most powerful. Her greatest asset is her voice, which is unbelievably beautiful and strong.  You have singers like Adele and then you have singers like Feist. I prefer the latter. It even contains a duet with the legendary Jarvis Cocker, but oddly it's not an album highlight. For me, the first half of the album is superior to the last half. All of it, though, is amazing - and fits together seamlessly. Make no mistake...

i brunch alone by Lindsay Lelivelt Nothing so lonely and nothing so liberating as bellying up to the bar, in the single stool between the coupled couples and enjoying weekend libations and luxuries ahead of the wait. Nothing so bold or so brave as sitting, sipping, savoring solo at a table for two. A regular Carrie Bradshaw, I brunch alone. SOURCE No friends with benefits, just me and benedicts. --- It’s a silly, fine line of faltering between “Hell Yeah” proud of myself and “What if I just look at my phone and scroll Instagram forever” as I wait impatiently for the Bloody Mary to reach me. I fidget a little, or I did back when I first started this ritual. I would constantly check my hair or play with the hem of my shirt — anything to distract me from feeling exposed. Because that line is there, drawn between my self-confidence and societal pressures. A line that tries to separate me from mimosas. Of course, that’s really the only line you experience bec...