Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 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: "All I Ever Am" by The Cure:  The Cure are one of the most celebrated and influential alt-rock bands of all time, so naturally, when news hit in fall of last year that they'd be releasing a new album, avid fans of the band were all abuzz! While the first single, "Alone," seemed too long and spacious to make a lasting impact on adult alt radio, the second single, "A Fragile Thing," had far more appeal! Now up a third time at bat, The Cure's "All I Ever Am" is yet another song of theirs that hearkens back to their gloomy yet lovely vintage '80s sound. The song starts with an orchestral-sounding synth, but as soon as the drums start pounding in, so does the bass, masquerading as a fuzz guitar here. "All I Ever Am" is a bit of a long song at around 5 and a half minutes, but it's also a catchy one, so I think it'll fare well on adult alt radio. "Cry Baby" by Sunny War (featuring Valerie June):  B...

 here they are: "Beaches" by beabadoobee:  I thought beabadoobee wouldn't achieve mainstream success again after the bubbly, Regina Spektor-esque song, "The Perfect Pair," made it onto both my local alternative station and  my local smooth jazz station about two years ago, but the eclectic indie sensation made huge waves yet again this year with her summer smash, "Take a Bite," which might mark the first time that she topped the adult alt radio charts, even though she has been featured on said charts many times before. beabadoobee seems to have a fondness for '90s alt-rock, and it shows on her latest song, "Beaches," which has echoes of some of the softer No Doubt songs like "Don't Speak" and "Simple Kind of Life." "Beaches" tries to rock out with its grungy distortion and its electric guitar solo towards the end, but it still very much a breezy, post-summer soft rock tune for the indie generation. The ly...