Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Angoon" by Portugal. The Man:  I don't know who or what "Angoon" is, but this piece is the angriest one I've heard yet from the normally calmer PTM!! Even reading the lyrics, I could tell it was a tense song. It uses a Pixies-ish method of swinging between calm verses and angry choruses, but the ire in this song is present throughout. With such dark lyrics as "when you dance with the devil, all I see I defend, no surrender in the shadow of drones," "No ICE no borders enforcer, no owners, no new world order," and "I'll be burning in water while we're drowning in fire," this is PTM at their most apocalyptic! Hard to believe these were the same guys who did "Feel it Still." The song's piercing guitar solo and eerie synth drone in the middle make it clear that John Gourley and co are not going to give up without a fight!! And the ending lyrics where John repeats the phrase, "Feeling that I...

here they are: “Different Kind of Love” by Young the Giant: Young the Giant have always been one of the more heartfelt groups of the 2010’s indie-pop movement, and their sincerity has continued into the 2020’s with their latest song, “Different Kind of Love.” Gentle synths combine with soaring yet friendly electric guitars in this song. This song is full of yearning, especially during the chorus. Sameer Gadhia seems to be saying that he wants love to survive even in difficult conditions (e.g. “Living in a house that’s not your home/Living on a prayer you used to know.”) He reassures himself towards the end of the song that he’ll “be okay,” but I sense more vulnerability in that comment than the phrase suggests there is. “Hummingbird” – Colony House: This song’s organ, gentle acoustic strum, and overall psychedelic-influenced sound remind me a little of The Beatles (One YouTube commenter also compared this song to The Flaming Lips, which I also think is accurate). Much like the titula...