Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Blowin' Up" by Eddie 9V:  "Blowin' Up" describes exactly what Eddie 9V is doing on this song from the moment it starts! It's a slow-churning, barn-burning blues-rock that brings to mind what a slightly more countrified version of Gary Clark Jr. might sound like! For those wondering how he pronounces his name, it's not "nine-vee," it's "nine-volt," a nickname Eddie earned both from his quick temper and from the batteries he uses to power his guitar. Though there are country elements on this song in both its sound and its lyrics (it opens, for instance, with "I pulled into Nashville half past 3"), I'd say this is a blues song overall. The spirit of Southern rock lives on! "Days Like This" by Late Night Thoughts:  More country influences weave their way through this week's blog, but this time in a more folks-y, banjo-driven way than a blues/rock one. The breakthrough song from Late Nig...

 here they are: "Better" by Baby Rose:  One of a growing number of soul musicians dedicated to bringing back the "old school" soul sound of the '60s and early '70s, Jasmine Rose Wilson, aka "Baby Rose," is making her debut this week with a song that asserts her independence! "How many times can you expect me to change/While you stay the same?" she asks midway through the song. She tells the listener during the chorus that she's "better than that." She is not someone who will be played for a fool in relationships! As for the sound of the song? That's what really enchants me about this track! Rose doesn't approach R & B with the dance-heavy flavor of most of her more popular contemporaries. Instead, she does it the old fashioned way with horns, piano, and even guitar in a way that makes her brand of music sound old and new at the same time! "Light the Way" by Leon Bridges:  And speaking of musicians bring...

 here they are: "Carolina Rain" by Rhiannon Giddens:  One of the few musicians I know who can swing easily between soul and bluegrass, Carolina Chocolate Drops' lead singer, Rhiannon Giddens, hasn't had an adult alt radio hit since 2015's soul/blues-influenced "Black is the Color." After a little over a decade, she has returned with a song that owes more to the bluegrass-influenced stuff she started with in Carolina Chocolate Drops. Even the title of the song seems kind of quaint and country-ish. "Carolina Rain" is a wistful song dominated by banjo and fiddle with very light percussion buoying it in between. Rhiannon's sweet, soothing vocals weave a story about both nostalgia and travel. A lot of nature-like imagery in this song, too, especially during the chorus, which mentions whippoorwills, fireflies, and sorghum cane. Makes you feel like you're in the Deep South just listening to it, doesn't it?! "Good Times//End Times...

 here they are: "Beaches in Tennessee" by Cage the Elephant:  This bass-heavy indie-pop/rock song from CTE is a catchy one, but there's more than meets the eye than just how memorable it sounds. The song isn't about having fun on the beach, despite what its summer-slated release and energetic sound might make you think. It's actually about Matt Shultz's three-month stay at a psychiatric ward in Tennessee. Just as their 2024 breakout single, "Neon Pill," chronicled Matt's detainment from a hotel, "Beaches in Tennessee" is the song that picks up from where "...Pill" left off. Matt boldly declares he will not go back to the "beaches in Tennessee" where he was before. It's not the beaches themselves that gave him bad memories - it's what he did near that area!  "Can Old Lovers Ever Be Just Friends?" by Tom Odell (featuring The Lumineers):  While I've never been too big on Tom Odell's post-millen...

My biggest blog in over a decade!! A whopping total of TWELVE songs (my fave number)!! Here we go!! "Black Dog Rabbit Hole" by Devon Gilfillian:  Perhaps Devon's most funkadelic song yet, "Black Dog Rabbit Hole" is a tasty blend of funk and hard rock in Drop D tuning that feels like a lost recording of an early Red Hot Chili Peppers song! No more Mr. Restrained Soul Performer!! Devon unleashes righteous fury on this track with abstract, psychedelic lyrics, and a guitar solo that roars like Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello!! I currently have no clue about what this song is about, but when Devon sings "Baby, it feels so good!" during the chorus, it's my only hint. And this song DOES feel good...in a spicy, sizzlin', hot summer way!! "Chauffeur" by The Womack Sisters:  If the name "Womack" rings a bell, then you're probably a fan of classic R & B music - and in particular, soul legend Bobby Womack. In case you...

 here they are: "Better Man" by Slow Pulp:  There's almost a neo-shoegaze-ish vibe to this one! The wall of synths, the swirling, trembly yet jangly guitars, trilling harmonics, and the overall icy vibe of the song. Right from the start, Emily Massey makes it clear that she wants out of the relationship she's in with the lyrics, "Did I f**k it up again?/Maybe leave it to a better man/Who can tell himself this is how it's supposed to be/'Cause I can hurt myself again/As I fade away from everything/And hear a voice telling me to leave/Leave it to me." I just realized I covered the entire first verse and chorus here, and there's only two verses total! But I couldn't leave one line without the other since it tells the whole story of what's going on in the song. Clearly Emily has been hurt, but what's remarkable is how clear she makes it with both the music and the lyrics! This song is like hearing the angry yet still vulnerable granddaugh...