Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Afterlife" by Alex G:  I overlooked Alex G when he first debuted on the adult alt radio scene with "The Runner" (I think a lot was going on in my life back then), but I've mellowed out enough since then that I'm ready to hear his latest tune, "Afterlife." I must say, I like what I'm hearing so far! Pop/rock beats wed to a string instrument that sounds like it could be mandolin all while feeling like a mellow day out on the lake while you listen to it? I'm all for it! "Afterlife" can mean different things to different people too. I mean Sharon Van Etten already came out with another song of the same title this year, but that one seemed to be more about a yearning hope to see someone after our mortal years end. In Alex G's song, "Afterlife" appears to be more of a metaphor for starting a fresh new life after a life filled with awkward mistakes. Seems pretty relatable to me! "@$$hole (When We First...

 here they are: "Ankles" by Lucy Dacus:  Lucy Dacus has tried her hand at all sorts of areas of indie, ranging from indie-pop to indie-folk to some power pop, but I've never heard her attempt the "chamber pop" sound until now, and she's good at it! There are orchestral instruments in this song such as cello and what sounds like a harpsichord that can't be easily found in her other material, which makes it stand out from her other stuff. Equally remarkable is her video for the song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcW_-uxy6dQ) which takes place at a museum (with Lucy as the painting) and stars another LGTBQ Lucy, Lucy Liu, as the curator. Anything to help out diverse communities during a time when the world just doesn't seem as open-minded as it used to be! "Bovine Excision" by Samia:  For a song with such a weird title, Samia's "Bovine Excision" has a surprisingly chill indie-folk sound (with gradual electro-pop elements added...

 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...