Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Bang Bang Bang" by Sports Team:  There's a good reason this song sounds like a spaghetti western in the beginning! Fitting with its title, which consists entirely of gun-related onomatopoeia, "Bang Bang Bang" is not a song that celebrates fun (even though it's a very upbeat song), but rather one that condemns gun violence! The song is presented in such a way that it seems like a great one to play at parties, but much like "Pumped Up Kicks" before it, it's actually a song about shooting disguised as a fun pop/rock song. "Bang Bang Bang" came out of a real experience Sports Team had being robbed at gunpoint. Wowzer! I guess one way to get over your fears is to write a song about a fearful experience you had! Whatever works! "Nothing I Need" by Lord Huron:  After the surprisingly neo-psychedelic and hard rocking sound of their last single, "Who Laughs Last?" it's refreshing to see Lord Huron turn ...

 Hi everyone! I'm so sorry if I left anyone behind these past three weeks! I was going through a lot and I just didn't feel up to doing new music blogs during that time. Luckily, I took the time to heal myself emotionally, and I feel better now! That being said, I missed out on a lot of new music during those weeks, but I'm finally ready to catch up. So here goes: "Afterlife" by Sharon Van Etten:  One of the more synth-heavy Sharon Van Etten songs, "Afterlife" has a rather strange but alluring appeal. Ordinarly, SVE has a sound closer to folk-rock and indie, but in the past few years, she's gotten a bit more of a techno influence. Sharon's ethereal, cathartic nature remains in this song, though. In a time of uncertainty in the world at large, her sentiments on "Afterlife" speak volumes! The entire song centers around uncertainty, and specifically spiritual and supernatural uncertainty. Sharon's eerie yet buoyant vibes, both instrume...

 here they are: "It's Fine" by Bethany Cosentino (from Best Coast): The country-rock style might be a new thing for the mostly surf, punk, and power pop influenced Bethany Cosentino from Best Coast, and her striking out on her own might be too, but her trademark attitude, thankfully, remains the same on "It's Fine," her latest song. The title of the song, first of all, seems to be dripping with sarcasm. It seems to serve as a facade for how she really feels about life, and if the opening lines are anything to go by, she's clearly frustrated, not  fine! The song's mellow, countrified vibe is a good counterpoint to how she's really feeling, though, using a technique that people like Ryan Adams, Jenny Lewis, and Conor Oberst have all now used for decades. If you're breaking up with someone and writing about it in song, perhaps one of the best ways is to be subtle about it, and although Bethany is currently a novice at this, she'll probably h...