The Useless Critic 2.0

  The track "Killing Feels" - just released by German-by-way-of-Canadian band Monako featuring their friends in Bibi Club - is a nice slice of dream-pop goodness. It is deeply evocative of a Grizzly Bear for the 2020s - surreal, hazy, and full of longing. The accompanying music video is just as haunting as the song itself, kind of like a project you expect to see in an art student's thesis.  it's all really gorgeous, perfect late-night listening (and watching)! Monako is a pretty unique act by contemporary standards with a sound that is equal parts indie, R&B, folk, and neo-jazz. Following two well-received albums, Monako is set to drop their three-track EP "In Shapes I-III" in April featuring appearances from Laetitia Tamko aka Vagabon and Bibi Club.

From the very first few seconds of Ramesh Srivastava (former lead singer of Voxtrot)'s long-awaited follow-up solo album "Eternal Spring," I was hooked. The production is immaculate and so clean! The album itself is permeated with sweet melancholia, but there's a sense of hope lingering around as well. In fact, it's not too far off to imagine this album as the soundtrack for some beautiful queer coming-of-age film. There's also a remarkable evolution in his sound I touched on in my previous post . The opening track "Redemption" has a sort of Arcade Fire-like epicness to it that sets the stage for what is a powerful album reflecting sounds of rock, pop (modern and classic alike), soul, electronica, and a dash of folk in places.  "Like everyone else on Earth, I know you're searching for the hidden face of God," he sings on the track "Revolution." This is something I have enjoyed about Ramesh's work for years - his whip-smart...

I'm happy today to be writing about one of my favorite male voices in indie music, Ramesh (Srivastava), formerly of the band Voxtrot. Austin-based Ramesh has been doing his own thing for a while now, which is amazing because the guy is incredibly talented! He's just released his first new solo music since 2014 - a bit of a hiatus, which makes his "comeback" (so to speak) all the more rewarding.  The sound of "Eternal Spring" (the name of his second album, to be released later this week on Cult Hero Records) as well as one of the singles off said album is uplifting, powerful, like a more pop-informed Sufjan Stevens. It's a departure from his work with Voxtrot, but a welcome departure and a maturation/evolution that's quite lovely to witness. The album's themes deal with Ramesh's self-exploration, particularly in regards to fame and his sexuality.  "Eternal Spring" drops March 11th. 

Uffie is back and I am too! One of my favorite "electroclash" artists ever is releasing her first album in a 12-year absence. It's been too long Uffie! I missed you! I love her new, slicker, and matured sound, plus this song is a lot of poptastic fun. Something about how she says "Italian espresso" I adore. Sorry I will try not to fangirl too hard, but please remember I fished a bottle out of a crowd she threw into her 2016/2017 Phoenix concert and I still have it in my storage. This is probably the weirdest fact I will admit about myself; don't worry, that's the extent of my weirdness in this respect (this respect, but I prefer the term "eccentric.") Also Toro y Moi helped on this album - which is a terrific asset; you know anything he's involved with is definitely a banger! "Sunshine Factory" will be out May 20th, the best birthday gift I could ever have and the perfect way to welcome 2022's Gemini season.

If there's anything people take away from my piss-poor legacy, I hope it's what a huge, unabashed fan of "Emily in Paris" I am and will continue to be. People love "90 Day Fiancee," "The Bachelor," and other garbage - allow me "Emily," which is at least harmless, kind of goofy fluff (which does, unfortunately, lean into some stereotypes, as the country of Ukraine knows ). I have already watched Season 2 twice. And honestly my favorite part of this show (despite my crush on Camille Razart and Lily Collins channeling Audrey Hepburn hardcore ) is Ashley Park. This woman has superstar written all over her. She's a bona fide Broadway star, and "Emily in Paris" has served as her pivot into the zeitgeist.  "Emily in Paris" is also showcasing her vocal prowess front and center this season, with her covering BTS, "All By Myself," "Sympathtique," and Marilyn Monroe. But the real standout performance is th...

There's no way to start the New Year like some extremely upbeat music about the New Year! That's where this new synthpop-heavy single from the British duo Let's Eat Grandma comes into play. It's a delightful song, and it helps increase any excitement about their third album, "Two Ribbons," which will be out this April. I personally am looking forward to hearing more from Let's Eat Grandma, who deserve way more attention than they currently get. Hopefully, 2022 will be a big year for them. Here's one of their older tracks I quite like:

Apparently, UK band The Cribs (who have an impressive track record behind them, with their first album released in 2004) has been releasing new singles each month as part of their "Sonic Brew Singles Club." This month brings with it "Things Could Be Better," a mellow track from the band that feels a little hazy and like a throwback to a different time - the 1970s or the early 2000s (take your pick!)  The band revealed this song has actually been shelved for about a decade, and that they recently made the decision to revisit the track. Vocalist/bassist Gary Jarman (the 3 members are actually all brothers) shared: "Then, Ryan stepped in and took responsibility for writing the lyrics and singing the lead - and turned it into something way better than I ever could’ve imagined. So, despite spending over a decade gathering dust, I am really proud of how this song eventually came into being. It’s pretty special.” The Cribs are expected to tour the USA and the UK early...