Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are:   "Day One" by Bon Iver (featuring Dijon, and Flock of Dimes):  For a group who hadn't had success on adult alt radio in over a decade, Bon Iver's latest album has done pretty well, now yielding four singles (including this one) onto the format! Still more electro-pop than folk-rock like most of Bon Iver's latest single, but they chose some fitting guests to bridge the gaps on "Day One." Dijon for the pop-soul/electro side and Flock of Dimes for the more folk-y side. Though the song itself I have mixed feelings about, I think "Day One" has a very clever music video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd2bebzkPS0) in which many musicians, including Annie "St. Vincent" Clark, Flock of Dimes' Jenn Wasner, and even Justin Vernon himself audition to be the "next Justin Vernon." It is set in an alternate future where Bon Iver have "retired." I'm not sure how much the video has to do with the song, bu...

 here they are: "From" by Bon Iver:  What are the secret weapons to making an electro-pop indie song that also translates well to a folk-rock audience?! For one, get rising indie star mk.gee on your team for the guitar! That's what Justin Vernon and co did for their latest song, "From." Then, add post-millennial blue-eyed soul musician, Jacob Collier, on backing vocals. Bam! The perfect recipe for smooth-as-silk electro-indie-pop that walks a fine balance between using synthesizers as the main instrument with caramel-sweet textured guitars underneath to give it that extra layering. Perfection! "Mistakes" by Caamp:  The gentle acoustic breeze and reassuring lyrics of "Let Things Go" was just what 2025 needed during its turbulent start! Midway into the year, we have "Mistakes," which is a more upbeat folk-rock song that places more emphasis on the "rock" element than "Let Things Go" did. Where "Let Things Go...

 here they are: "Everything is Peaceful Love" by Bon Iver:  After Bon Iver's much needed return to folk-rock with "S P E Y S I D E" last fall, my interest in their music was renewed! I was excited once again to see what they'd come up with next! What did I get?! Well...the results aren't quite as good as that one, but as far as Bon Iver's experiments in electronica go, their latest song, "Everything is Peaceful Love," isn't the worst. Unlike some of the odder forays Justin Vernon and co have taken into electronica in the recent past (with equally odd titles like "33 God" and "8 (Circle)"), "Everything is Peaceful Love" at least has enough to balance it out. As electro-rock hybrid songs go, it's a smoother, calmer song. "In Love With a Memory" by Sasami (featuring Clairo):  And speaking of electronica songs, this song lays the synths on thick! The song walks the line between club/dance and ambi...

 here they are: "Billboard Heart" by Deep Sea Diver:  The first (and so far, only) Deep Sea Diver song I knew about before this one was "Impossible Weight," which was largely a Sharon Van Etten song in addition to being a Deep Sea Diver one. "Billboard Heart" marks the first time I've heard Deep Sea Diver by themselves. Lead singer Jessica Dobson does have a similar voice and musical style to Sharon Van Etten, albeit more electronica-influenced in "Billboard Heart," while still maintaining an overall indie-pop/rock aesthetic. I'm not sure what Dobson means by the title, "Billboard Heart," (apparently her significant other has one, according to the song), but the rest of the song indicates that it has yearning lyrics, much like its yearning sound, centering around wanting things you can't have and the desire to be free. "Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish:  Though less guitar-centric than Billie's previous eff...