Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Doors" by Noah Kahan:  After the surprisingly angst-y explosion of "The Great Divide" from earlier this year, Noah Kahan's fans might be looking for a more relaxing song characteristic of what he started out with. That song is "Doors," a song complete with a roots-y, acoustic guitar-centered sound and even a DADF#AD tuning! The title of the song is metaphorical, referring to ways his partner could leave his relationship. There's a very "push-pull" dynamic in this song where Noah seems torn between pushing his partner away and keeping her in his life, much like how doors themselves work. "In the Stars" by The Rolling Stones:  The Stones, as they say, just keep on rollin'! Even with Charlie Watts now absent from the group for a few years, Mick and Keith still keep the band alive with their unmistakable vocals and guitar playing! Their latest song, "In the Stars," still has plenty of guitar swagger as...

 here they are: "Back of a Truck" by Rostam:  A founding member of indie-pop/rock sensations, Vampire Weekend, Rostam has also had a few good tracks of his own! This is one of them. It has an interesting "electro-folk" sound. Acoustic guitars and synths mingle with one another in this song, and they sound mostly in tune with one another (although part of the intro to the second verse makes it sound like the synths are deliberately out of tune compared to the guitars). "Back of a Truck" sounds like the title of a country song, and part of this song does have that "lonesome twang" that country songs tend to have, but it also sounds like something that's more likely to play at a club than it is at a barn or rodeo. To top it all off, Rostam reveals his inner Dylan fan in this song, twice! "Like a Rolling Stone" is mentioned by name, and "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" is alluded to towards the end.  "Freaking Ou...

 here they are: "Might See You There" by Weird Nightmare:  Weird Nightmare might just BE a weird nightmare for those who aren't used to groups like Pixies, who seem like a clear influence on this band. For those more accustomed to garage-grunge-surf-indie music, Weird Nightmare are a breath of fresh air, with their newest song, "Might See You There." The Pixies comparisons don't stop there! There's also the matter of male/female vocal interplay during the chorus, as well as the song's minimalist "word salad" lyrics and remarkably short length (2 minutes). However, the song is also in E major and features tiny keyboard flourishes underneath its fuzzy guitar sound, pointing it closer to power pop groups. "Track and Field" by JJerome87 (aka alt-J's Joe Newman):  alt-J were one of the weirdest yet catchiest indie-pop groups to break out of the 2010's indie scene! On his own, lead singer Joe Newman (or "JJerome87," as...