Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Billy Came Back" by This is Lorelei:  A bittersweet indie-folk-pop/rock tune in D minor, "Billy Came Back" almost comes off like a deadpan, slightly faster, and almost Beck-ish "slacker" version of "All I Want" by Toad the Wet Sprocket, musically speaking. I don't know who Billy is, but from the story the lyrics tell, he is most likely someone who was a karaoke regular at bars. Nate Amos (who is "This is Lorelei" himself - he's a one-man band) states in the second verse he hasn't seen Billy since 2022. Oddly specific lyric, I must say! But it does give more context about him...kind of. Something strange about this snide slacker song that seems sweet and somewhat silly simultaneously! "Sick of the Times" by Thao (featuring tUnE-YaRdS, and The Linda Lindas):  Holy mother of mothers! This list already reads like a who's who of women in indie rock before I even hear it! Thao is a distinctive and po...

 here they are: "Home Depot" by Medium Build:  After hearing Medium Build's funky song, "Last Time," from late last year, I'm surprised to know that what is poised to be their second adult alt radio hit, "Home Depot," sounds more like a sad, laid-back country-folk song! Why the change in sound?! Perhaps part of it is because of the heavy emotion this song carries! The song is also somewhat a character study for "the Steves" - a group of men, all named Steve, who Nick Carpenter made up for this song. The Steve narrating opens up his heart to ask another Steve about the painful, emotional turmoil he's been facing in his life lately. Though the song itself wouldn't sound out of place as a Garth Brooks ballad, the lyrics tell a more poignant story that pegs the song as more "alternative" for both its raw emotional quality and its quirkiness in character naming. "The Hallelujah Trail" by Charley Crockett:  Country m...

 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...