Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 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...

 here they are: “Chateau Blues” – Spoon One of the punchiest Spoon tracks to date, “Chateau Blues” wears its title with a smirk. Although it says “blues,” it’s more like the blues filtered through garage rock and post-punk swagger. On first listen, it almost feels like Britt Daniel is coaxing an agoraphobic friend out of their shell. Musically, it’s a sly cocktail: the chugging propulsion of The Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting for the Man” and the chord progression of Led Zeppelin’s “Misty Mountain Hop” (shifted just a fret higher), all wrapped in the raw crunch of The White Stripes. It’s easy to forget Spoon hail from Texas when they carry themselves with such New York cool! “The Power” – Curtis Harding If Harding’s last single, “There She Goes,” felt a bit too slow or future-leaning, “The Power” lands firmly in the present. Funky, gritty, and strutting with a groove straight out of the early ’70s, it instantly calls to mind another soulful Curtis (Mayfield). Lyrically, Hardi...

 here they are: "Another Life" by Alabama Shakes:  Wait, has it really been one decade  since Alabama Shakes released a record together?! Yes, it has!! Lead singer Brittany Howard has released two solo albums in the time since then, but their Sound & Color  record (which spanned a whopping FIVE singles for adult alt radio) has now been around long enough to be considered a Triple A classic! Time flies! And time is also part of the theme of their latest song, "Another Life"! The band's smooth yet psychedelic soul flavor shines through in this song, which is essentially about the concept of, "What if you could (or couldn't) do what you did? How would you fix it (or add to it, etc.)?" It's like the song version of Everything, Everywhere, All at Once , and much like how that movie went through a series of unpredictable yet thrilling twists and turns, so does this song! It doesn't stay on a pattern of "fixed" chords. Instead, it ma...