Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Barbaric" by Blur: Damon Albarn and co really outdid themselves with "The Narcissist," possibly their biggest alt-rock chart hit since "Song 2" in 1997! The bittersweet majesty of that song was something no one saw coming, but it still became one of the biggest alt and adult alt radio hits of the summer! With fall approaching, we get the more upbeat and summery-sounding "Barbaric." Its skittering sound falls halfway between synth-pop and power pop. Don't be fooled by its fun sound, though. The song is actually about a breakup that occurred in Christmas, of all things! The title of the song refers to the breakup itself and how Damon feels about it. "Break Free" by Dave Matthews Band: If this sounds like an older Dave Matthews Band song, that's 'cause it is one...kinda. "Break Free" was written 17 years ago, but never released on record until now. The lyrics to the song are more interesting than the ...

 After two weeks of absence, I'm back! Six new songs for a brand new week. Here they are: "Exhausting Lover" by Ben Folds: What's this? Is alt-pop's resident piano man, Ben Folds, suddenly turning to synths instead?! Well, in this song, he appears to be doing just that, at least initially until a bright brass section comes in towards the middle! This IS Ben Folds we're talking about, though, and many of his songs are snarky commentary, so him modernizing his sound might just be a subtle jab at contemporary pop culture, along with some of the lyrics of the song, particularly when he says, "Never gonna say YOLO no mo'." The song tells the tale of a girl who is quite possibly a spoof of recent female celebrities like Kim Kardashian meeting either an unnamed character in the song or possibly Ben himself, a self-described "nerd." As you might expect, things go south for the two rather quickly, and by the end of the song, things get incredibl...

 here they are: "Let's Make a Mistake Tonight" by Tennis: Why would anyone want  to make a mistake, you might ask?! Well, in this case, it's because Alaina Moore wants to "find something better" with her bandmate and husband, Patrick Riley. It's probably just a weird but clever way of saying she wants more romance in her life. Whatever the meaning of the song is, though, it will probably appeal sound-wise to synth-pop fans, which is a bit of an unexpected turn for a band known mostly for evoking the fluffier side of psychedelic pop into their sound. It's a bit less orchestral and guitar-oriented than most of their material. That said, though, it's still worth the listen. "Madman's Eyes" by Dave Matthews Band: Just hearing the name "Dave Matthews Band" has become practically synonymous with "inoffensive, light rock music." While there's nothing offensive per se about "Madman's Eyes," it's cle...