Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

here they are: "Another Second Chance" by Rocket:  Anyone nostalgic for rock and alt from the '90s (like I am) will probably love these guys! Garbage and Smashing Pumpkins are especially clear influences for the group, but one YouTube commenter also compared them to '90s rock giants like Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and Weezer, all of whom are fitting comparisons here. Lead singer Alithea Tuttle has such breathy yet detached vocals that it would probably be easy to mistake them for a '90s rock group both in terms of vocals and instrumentation. As was common for rock and alt songs of the '90s, there is a sense of vulnerability beneath the tough yet wounded sound of the song. The title refers to how Alithea wants another chance at a romance that seemed to elude her. Detachment, irony, disillusionment...if anyone is wondering where these emotions have gone in today's music, they're all right here!  "Fascination in the Dark" by Vance Joy:  I...

 here they are: "Honeydew (No Light)" by Josh Ritter:  I don't think I've ever heard such a dark song by the normally calm Josh Ritter! This song is still relatively calm, but it's also minor key and somewhat shaky and intense in its mood, enough so to fit into a noir or detective show/movie! Those are not  common elements in Ritter's material! The recurring line about "dark days" leading to "dark nights" makes it clear that something is wrong here. There are even crackling electric guitars bubbling up from underneath the surface during the song's solo! Not sure what prompted all this darkness from Josh Ritter, but it's interesting, to say the least!  "The Bridge" by Bahamas:  It might not be summer anymore, but for a band who shares their name with a tropical island, everlasting summer is to be expected, in the best of ways! The mellow side of summer vibes come out on Bahamas' latest song, "The Bridge." Defi...

 here they are: "Daisy" by Marfa:  This song has been around for a few weeks now, but it seems like it's been gaining more traction lately, so I've decided to review it. This song is a wistful, slightly bittersweet track that sounds like what an indie-folk version of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" might have been like. "Daisy," in this case, is the name of a girl, not a flower, though the song's mellow vibes could certainly evoke floral imagery! The titular Daisy, apparently, is "a broad who flew the coop to Utah" who "could never last a summer without any withdrawal." Sexual withdrawal?! Those are some risque lyrics hiding beneath this sweet song! As the song moves on from these lines, it mostly just repeats the phrase "Yeah, she's gonna be alright." That line almost seems sarcastic when you put it up against the previous lines. "Dandelions" by Whitney:  No, not a person named Whitney, but a group o...

 here they are: "Dracula" by Tame Impala:  (to be read in a Transylvanian accent) Greetings! It is I, the music blogger! They call me the music blogger because I love to blog songs!And today, there are SEVEN! SEVEN songs in this blog!! Ah, ah, ah. (to be read in a regular accent) Come on, I had to!! "Dracula" is right there in the song's title! Unlike last week's TI track, "Loser," Dracula" has more of the synth-pop sound Tame Impala have cultivated in more recent years. Its spooky (but fun) minor-key sound is fitting to the song's title. Did Tame Impala intentionally release this song around Halloween?! One never knows, but I get the feeling they might have! It even includes lyrics like "run from the sun like Dracula." The song seems to center around how much of an outcast Kevin Parker feels like overall (keeping with the theme of "Loser" from last week). Also, are "dueling songs" a trend now?! Spoon also has...

 here they are: "Eternal Love" by AVTT/PTTN (The Avett Brothers and Mike Patton):  Did you ever think that a member of a rock group as heavy as Faith No More would get together with a group as roots-y and bluegrass-y as The Avett Brothers?! Well, now they have!! The song is mostly in the Avetts' direction of bittersweet bluegrass-rock, but the surprise synth solo in the middle is likely Patton's idea. The Avetts have done plenty of reflective songs, but it's a fresh new road for Mike Patton. The coolest part?! It works wonderfully for him! Well, for both of them, really. Such a reassuring song for these increasingly dark times! "Loser" by Tame Impala:  Not to be confused with the Beck song of the same name, Tame Impala's "Loser" is an interesting tune. It takes Tame Impala in a new direction with a fresh funk-rock sound! The song's sound is somewhat reminiscent of "Fame" by David Bowie. Beneath the song's funky heartbeat l...

 here they are: "Guess I'm Fallin' in Love" by Spoon:  A new single from Spoon AFTER they put one out last week?! I guess some bands like dueling singles!! Anyway, "Guess I'm Fallin' in Love" functions as the more melodic, new wave-y, psych-pop counterpart to the more blues-garage-y "Chateau Blues," so perhaps that's why Adult Alt radio has gravitated more towards this one (though the two songs seem to almost be neck and neck at this point). The song still has plenty of indie/alt irony to win over fans of more mainstream alt stations, though. Even the title of the song is headed by the word "guess," indicating uncertainty as to whether Britt Daniels even wants to fall in love in the first place. It's like he's trying to fight off affection at the same time he's trying to accept it.  "I'm Not Ready for the Change" by Nation of Language:  NOL's previous single, "Inept Apollo," was synth-la...