Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Carolina Rain" by Rhiannon Giddens:  One of the few musicians I know who can swing easily between soul and bluegrass, Carolina Chocolate Drops' lead singer, Rhiannon Giddens, hasn't had an adult alt radio hit since 2015's soul/blues-influenced "Black is the Color." After a little over a decade, she has returned with a song that owes more to the bluegrass-influenced stuff she started with in Carolina Chocolate Drops. Even the title of the song seems kind of quaint and country-ish. "Carolina Rain" is a wistful song dominated by banjo and fiddle with very light percussion buoying it in between. Rhiannon's sweet, soothing vocals weave a story about both nostalgia and travel. A lot of nature-like imagery in this song, too, especially during the chorus, which mentions whippoorwills, fireflies, and sorghum cane. Makes you feel like you're in the Deep South just listening to it, doesn't it?! "Good Times//End Times...

 here they are: "Buzzkill" by Jobi Riccio:  Before I begin this review, I want to say that I had the pleasure of seeing Jobi perform this song and others of hers live at a place called Healing Force of the Universe! I barely knew about her back then, but she did an amazing performance, sounding somewhere halfway between Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt, but for the indie-folk generation. Though most of Jobi's material is rooted in folk and country, "Buzzkill" has that biting indie/alt edge to it, which is probably part of why it's ended up being her breakthrough single! The lyrics are also very relatable, especially to young adults! Jobi goes through being different ages in the song (21, 23, 25) and noting how, no matter how old you get, life can still feel incomplete and dissatisfying. Jobi herself is the "buzzkill" in the song. Her wry, self-deprecating humor combined with bittersweet observations on life make this song a winner! "Dime"...

 here they are: "Just the Once" by Metric: Not since Blondie has a female lead singer crooned so seductively to an instrumental backdrop that is equal parts disco and new wave. "Just the Once" is one of those songs that makes you want to get up and dance the moment you hear it! The lyrics are somewhat cryptic. No one knows just what Emily Haines means by "you said that it would be just the once." First of all, who places a "the" before the word "once"? Second of all, what does she even mean by "it" and "the once"? More than likely, she's referring to a sexual affair, but she never makes that clear in the song, instead preferring her fans to savor the mystery, making this banger of a song even more alluring than it already is! "Just to Keep You Satisfied" by Inhaler: This song is a bit more chill than most of Inhaler's zippy, upbeat material. On "Just to Keep You Satisfied," the 2020's ...