Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

Hey everyone! Can you believe it?! The last blog of the year is finally here!! Counting 'em down from bottom to top, here they are!! 20. "Love is the Way" - Thee Sacred Souls 19. "For Your Soul" - Josh Ritter 18. "Go Down River" - The Heavy Heavy 17. "Tropic Morning News" - The National 16. "Good Old Days" - The Revivalists 15. "Dial Drunk" - Noah Kahan 14. "Maestro (Tears Don't Lie)" - Wilder Woods 13. "Thinking About You" - Beck 12. "More Than a Love Song" - Black Pumas 11. "Kid" - The Revivalists 10. "Evicted" - Wilco 9. "Pepper" - Death Cab for Cutie 8. "Ghosts Again" - Depeche Mode 7. "Road to Joy" - Peter Gabriel 6. "Francesca" - Hozier 5. "Hungersite" - Goose 4. "Psychos" - Jenny Lewis 3. "Say Yes to Heaven" - Lana Del Rey 2. "All I Really Wanna Do" - Devon Gilfillian annnndddd....the...

 "Cool About It" by boygenius: boygenius' third song to gain attention this year, "Cool About It," is not only a lovely mellow folk-rock tune, but it's a powerful one! Through three verses, Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, and Julien Baker each discuss about the complications and suffering they've faced through relationships they've had. It is never made clear whether the relationships they've discussed have ended or if they're still going on, but it's clear that unlike what the title suggests, they are not "cool about" what they've had to go through. They each seem to have to live with someone who has been unfaithful, uncommitted, or otherwise putting them in less than ideal situations. The aching sadness of this song will really strike a chord with anyone who has not gotten what they've wanted out of a relationship. "Dancing With Your Shadows" by Phillip Phillips: Let's move on to something more upbeat, shall...

 here they are: "Amnesia" by M83: Techno-influenced indie-pop group, M83, has been responsible for one major hit so far in the ever-expanding alt-rock pantheon, and that song is "Midnight City," which starts off with a rather eerie synth before morphing into a catchy pop song. "Midnight City" was a bit too synth-y for me to get into at the time it came out, which was a little over a decade ago, but with "Amnesia," I feel a bit more ready to dive into M83's music. It is mostly synth-dominated, like "Midnight City" was, but "Amnesia" has a bit more guitar backing it up, earning the song more than a few comparisons so far to groups like New Order. "Amnesia"'s shimmery guitar line does bear more than a passing resemblance to Bernard Sumner's guitar work. The song's ability to switch between a standard-sounding C major song and its more exotic descent into E flat major during the chorus parts is another no...

 here they are: "Let's Make a Mistake Tonight" by Tennis: Why would anyone want  to make a mistake, you might ask?! Well, in this case, it's because Alaina Moore wants to "find something better" with her bandmate and husband, Patrick Riley. It's probably just a weird but clever way of saying she wants more romance in her life. Whatever the meaning of the song is, though, it will probably appeal sound-wise to synth-pop fans, which is a bit of an unexpected turn for a band known mostly for evoking the fluffier side of psychedelic pop into their sound. It's a bit less orchestral and guitar-oriented than most of their material. That said, though, it's still worth the listen. "Madman's Eyes" by Dave Matthews Band: Just hearing the name "Dave Matthews Band" has become practically synonymous with "inoffensive, light rock music." While there's nothing offensive per se about "Madman's Eyes," it's cle...