Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Better" by Baby Rose:  One of a growing number of soul musicians dedicated to bringing back the "old school" soul sound of the '60s and early '70s, Jasmine Rose Wilson, aka "Baby Rose," is making her debut this week with a song that asserts her independence! "How many times can you expect me to change/While you stay the same?" she asks midway through the song. She tells the listener during the chorus that she's "better than that." She is not someone who will be played for a fool in relationships! As for the sound of the song? That's what really enchants me about this track! Rose doesn't approach R & B with the dance-heavy flavor of most of her more popular contemporaries. Instead, she does it the old fashioned way with horns, piano, and even guitar in a way that makes her brand of music sound old and new at the same time! "Light the Way" by Leon Bridges:  And speaking of musicians bring...

 here they are: "Can't Believe We're Here" by J. Mascis:  Like a lot of his solo stuff, the Dinosaur Jr. frontman's latest song leans more towards folk-rock than noise-rock (except maybe during the guitar solo part), but it still contains the raw, ragged sense of honesty and world weariness he is known for. The song seems to be a lament about a relationship he has gone through, with the titular "we" referring to him and his partner. Typical Dino Jr./Mascis disillusionment with life here.  "From the Start" by Laufey:  Look out, Bjork! Another eclectic Icelander is on your path, and her name is Laufey (pronounced like "lay-vay"). Laufey has earned comparisons to other charmingly weird (or would that be weirdly charming?!) women in indie-folk-pop of the 2020's such as beabadoobee and Mitski, and with her unpredictable yet super catchy combo of indie-folk and bossa nova (of all things), it's easy to see why she has been compared t...