Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 Here it is, folks!! The Top 20 songs of the year!! Ready? Here goes!! 20. "Mistakes" - Caamp 19. "Relationships" - Haim 18. "Metaverse" - Cage the Elephant 17. "After the Setting Sun" - The Head and The Heart 16. "People Watching" - Sam Fender 15. "Same Old Song" - The Lumineers 14. "Lucy" - Mt. Joy 13. "Rushmere" - Mumford and Sons 12. "Everything is Peaceful Love" - Bon Iver 11. "The Night Before" - The Black Keys 10. "Catch These Fists" - Wet Leg 9. "Everyday Magic" - My Morning Jacket 8. "Knockin' Heart" - Hamilton Leithauser 7. "Let Things Go" - Caamp 6. "Nothing I Need" - Lord Huron 5. "Ankles" - Lucy Dacus 4. "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out" - Role Model 3. "Time Waited" - My Morning Jacket 2. "Horses" - Jesse Welles ....and....the number one song of 2025 is..."MOODY" BY ROYEL O...

 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!! "Archbishop Harold Holmes" by Jack White:  This is a song that encapsulates rock music of the '70s in so many ways! The main riff of the song resembles Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz," it sounds like a Led Zeppelin song in its overall presentation, and any number of other bands from the era could easily be compared to it! What sells this song, perhaps, even more than its music, is the hammy vocals Jack White pulls off on it! He sounds like a deranged preacher trying to sell what he believes in as passionately as he can to his audience! The title of the song also brings preachers to mind, so perhaps that's what Jack White was going for there! "Carousel Horses" by Christian Lee Hutson: Nothing says "indie" like Phoebe Bridgers and Maya Hawke guesting on your song, right?! Well, that's exactly what you should expect to hear on Christian Lee Hutson's "Carousel Horses," which starts out with a propulsive indie r...

 here they are: "Foam" by Royel Otis:  A smooth, slinky mashup of indie-pop and funk, "Foam" is one of many songs contributing to the indie-pop landscape of the 2020's. The beat of the song recalls songs like "Lost in Yesterday" by Tame Impala, while the lyrics describe someone who has been wronged by the rumors another person has spread about them. The title most likely stems from the notion of washing one's mouth out with soap if they say "dirty" words. "Long Dark Night" by Judah and The Lion:  When Mumford and Sons decided to abandon their banjo-based gimmick, another band was coming out of the woodworks to pick up where they left off, and that band was Judah and The Lion. JATL's latest, "Long Dark Night," is no exception to the rule! The song, like most of JATL's material, places a catchy banjo sound against an Imagine Dragons-esque backdrop. Though the song is bright and catchy, the lyrics of "Long Da...