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: "Midas" by Wunderhorse:  A rather abstract and minimalist song, "Midas" is an interesting song with an equally interesting title! Unlike Wunderhorse's previous single, the more musically complex "Purple," "Midas" uses only four chords throughout. The lyrics to "Midas" are rather cryptic as well, never mentioning who exactly "Midas" is, and its verses seem to be just loosely strung together narratives that aren't really about anything. If I can gather anything here about Wunderhorse, though, it's how they seem to admire the '90s rock/alt aesthetic. It was featured plenty on "Purple," and on "Midas," the chord progression featured wouldn't be out of place in a group like, say, Toad the Wet Sprocket, or Gin Blossoms. "Nowhere to Run" by Kings of Leon:  One of the slower KOL numbers, "Nowhere to Run" is a different vibe from the rollicking rock and roll of...

 here they are: "Broken Man" by St. Vincent:  Like many St. Vincent songs, "Broken Man" is an invigorating, original composition that pushes musical boundaries! The song's minimalist two-note structure is both fear-inducing and alluring, and the song does add more notes towards the end, but not by much. The title alone of "Broken Man" should give you a hint of how it sounds. The sound is a bit less like the two Davids (Bowie and Byrne) that typically inspire St. Vincent's material and is more reminiscent of people like Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, albeit in a way that's not nearly as aggressive as his material is. Highly worth listening to! "Good Together" by Lake Street Dive:  Neo-soul/blues-rock outfit Lake Street Dive have now been together for 10 years! Can you believe it?! So what are they doing to celebrate their success?! Releasing one of their most upbeat, happy songs yet! It's rare for Lake Street Dive not to have a...