Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Afraid" by Flock of Dimes:  Having made quiet yet considerable success on adult alt radio with the aching, acoustic "Long After Midnight" in summer of this year, "Afraid" is autumnal electronica melancholia at its finest! The song relies less on guitars than "Long After Midnight" did, but it's just as compelling and just as vulnerable! Like many Flock of Dimes songs, "Afraid" wears its vulnerability on its sleeve! "I did not enter this world afraid," Jenn Wasner says during the song's opening lines, and from there, she distills herself down to her emotional essence, laying her feelings bare for the listener of the song. The song's opening line is also its last line, but Jenn adds "But I refuse to leave it that way" during this part of the song. Songs like this make me sad, but in the best possible way!  "Anywhere" by Ratboys:  They're not rats, and their lead singer isn'...

 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: "Blame" by Girl Tones:  Sisters Kenzie and Laila Crowe bring garage-y indie rock to a new audience with their debut single, "Blame"! The two have toured with big names in the indie rock business such as Silversun Pickups and Cage the Elephant, both of whom they bear similarity to. The song seems to be about a relationship on the brink, but Girl Tones handle this topic with ease and with a bit of cheeky humor, at least judging by their delivery! "Born Runnin' Outta Time" by Lukas Nelson:  Like his dad before him, Lukas is proving with every song he releases that "country" is a label that boxes him in more than it accurately describes what he does! His latest song, "Born Runnin' Outta Time," sounds a bit like a more countrified (but still rockin') version of Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down a Dream," with its opening guitar licks sounding like they could fit in a spy movie! One might wonder from the ...