Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 "Cool About It" by boygenius: boygenius' third song to gain attention this year, "Cool About It," is not only a lovely mellow folk-rock tune, but it's a powerful one! Through three verses, Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, and Julien Baker each discuss about the complications and suffering they've faced through relationships they've had. It is never made clear whether the relationships they've discussed have ended or if they're still going on, but it's clear that unlike what the title suggests, they are not "cool about" what they've had to go through. They each seem to have to live with someone who has been unfaithful, uncommitted, or otherwise putting them in less than ideal situations. The aching sadness of this song will really strike a chord with anyone who has not gotten what they've wanted out of a relationship. "Dancing With Your Shadows" by Phillip Phillips: Let's move on to something more upbeat, shall...

 here they are: "Sympathy" by Declan McKenna: So far, every Declan song I've reviewed ("Brazil," "Beautiful Faces," and "Be an Astronaut") has started with the letter B. "Sympathy" officially breaks that pattern. The song also sounds noticeably more chill and retro than his other stuff. For one thing, there's a tuba (or perhaps a synth imitating a tuba) punctuating the song, along with an island-y sounding acoustic guitar, with happy claps underscoring the instruments. This is probably the most fun song Declan has had since he debuted in 2016 with "Brazil." The lyrics of the song seem like a "word salad" of sorts, but perhaps that's part of its charm. Overall, this is a fun, happy tune that seems very fitting for the middle of summer! "Under You" by Foo Fighters: Our only other song of the week is another rumination on Taylor Hawkins' unexpected passing. FF released a song that was as rockin...

 here they are: "Every Chance I Get" by Dan Auerbach: Imagine, if you will, a cross between Canned Heat's "On the Road Again," The Doors' "Love Me Two Times," and Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky." The Black Keys frontman has just released a song that is pretty much that. You'll swear you stepped into a time machine to the late 1960's after hearing this psychedelic blues-rock number! In case the song itself didn't sound "sinful" enough with its slinky, seductive vibe, the music video for the song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8baM8oySjqw&t=115s) features a (presumably) female skeleton doing what appears to be a striptease for a bunch of (presumably) male skeletons. As skeletons are already stripped of their skin, I don't see how this is even possible, but apparently, it is! It's like watching a more risqué version of the "Skeleton Dance" cartoon that Disney did back in the day!  ...