There aren’t many changes to my chart for the final full week of 2025. Twenty One Pilots remain at #1 with “City Walls”, while Tame Impala‘s “Dracula” moves into second place and sombr‘s “12 to 12” moves up a notch to #3. English psychedelic alt-rock band Future Theory enter the top ten with “The Fear”.
Two songs – both of which have been around a while – finally enter my chart, starting with “Asking For A Friend” by venerable rock band Foo Fighters, coming in at #29. The second new entry is “Caramel” by English alternative metal rock band Sleep Token, who charted earlier in the year with their dramatically beautiful song “Emergence”. Both tracks are from their fourth studio album Even In Arcadia, released this past May.
CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (1)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (3)
12 TO 12 – sombr (4)
THE WEATHER – All Time Low (2)
DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (5)
THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (6)
ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (7)
SPECTER – Bad Omens (8)
SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce The Veil (12)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (10)
LUCY – Mt. Joy (11)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (13)
WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (14)
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (17)
REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (20)
ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (9)
TANANA – Portugal. The Man (18)
BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (19)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (21)
MADALENA – Goose (22)
INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (23)
WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (24)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (25)
STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (26)
ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (15)
At the end of each year, I publish a list of my Top 100 Songs, representing my picks for what I think are the best songs – my favorites actually – for the entire year. Last year, at the suggestion of a member of Missouri folk rock band Voodoo Planet, I also compiled a list of my 100 favorite indie songs of 2024. That blog post nearly went viral, and over the past year has amassed over 7,000 views to become my 10th most popular post ever. (In sharp contrast, my 100 Best Songs of 2024 post has garnered only around 1,100 views.)
Because I follow, and am followed by, many indie musicians and bands on social media, I enjoy showcasing some of the exceptional music being made by them that’s every bit as good as, or even better than, that from mainstream acts, so compiling a separate list of what I think are the best indie songs makes perfect sense.
These are not necessarily “indie” songs in terms of genre (though there are many that fall into that overall category), rather songs by independent or DIY music acts. While some are in fact signed to music labels, they’re usually small or independently owned. There are 82 acts represented in this list, the majority of which are from the U.S., Canada and the U.K., but also from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Germany and Ukraine. A number of acts have two songs, while English psychedelic alt-rock band Future Theory have three.
Of course, I must make note of the fact that this list contains only songs I’m aware of, and that there are likely hundreds of other great songs that deserve to be here, except that I’ve never heard them. The songs on this list – all of which are outstanding if I do say so myself – were generally released between November 2024 and October 2025.
Though they’re ranked from #1 to 100, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a song at #30 is better than one at #60. That said, the ones closer to the top are my very favorites. And though I’d love to write a narrative about each song and artist, given my limited time and energy, not to mention people’s short attention spans, I’ve decided against that again this year. I will, however, include the marvelous video for my #1 pick, “The Faithful Heart” by immensely talented and creative L.A.-based artist Wons Phreely, as it’s so delightful that everyone should watch it! I’ve also created playlists on both YouTube and Spotify, which are included after the list itself. Enjoy!
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire
WALLS – Frank Joshua
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert
CONTROLLER – Moody Moody
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom
LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras
LONDON TOWN – HEALER
POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights
SNAKESKIN – NAVE
BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point
LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated
THE FEAR – Future Theory
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School
MOTHER – Lyia Meta & Mark Allen Lanoue
DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico
HORNETS – Western Jaguar
SCARS – Secret Postal Society
REALITY BUZZ – Future Theory
AFTER ALL – Darksoft
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – overpass
FEEL – NAVE
HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone
BAD PATTERNS – HEALER
ALWAYS WITH YOU – Ewan Patrick
THE HAZE – Future Theory
ECHOES – Antipole, Ja’kob & Pedro Code
TREPHINE – Big Orange
WHAT IT TAKES – The Radio Field
SLOW DEATH – Western Jaguar
SUPERSPREADER YEAR – Roadkeeper
BLEAK COMPANION – The Brigadier
MARK & KYLE – Icarus Phoenix
LLUMINE – Josephine Pascoe
DAYS LIKE THESE – Frank Joshua
ESPIONAGE – Rusty Shipp
CONSPIRACY OF SNAKES – Blake Rascals
CALIFORNIA – Art Block
NATIONAL TREASURE – Faint Halos
ANTICIPATE THE FALL – Pilod
FALLING DOWN – Holy Coves
CALLING OUT – Black Bear Kiss
BEERS WITH THE BEEKEEPER – The Zangwills
IT’S GETTING LATE – Sorry Ghost
IT’S ALRIGHT – The Radio Field & The Baumhoff Explosives
OH NO – John Serrano
MEDICATED – Shape of the Sun
MY DOG BRUCE – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions
INSIDE – Skar de Line
DARLING, HE DOESN’T CARE – Olivia Miceli
ALL FOR NOTHING – Set the Tone
NOTHING REALLY MATTERS – Snap Infraction
ALONE – The Sylvia Platters
LOOK WHAT YOU DID – Jeen
WHERE IS SHE NOW – Mecuzine
SHUT UP – Esse. feat. Shimmer Johnson
PACK IT UP – Diet Lite
LOVE LIES – Caleb Nichols
WHITEBOARD (YOU CALL HOME) – FRVR
LIFESPAN – Cormac O Caoimh
I, PHONE – INNERSPEAR
EVERYTHING SEDUCTIVE – Unquiet Nights
DOUBLE DISCO – Bealby Point
ALRIGHT – naive nature
BUNK BEDS – Lost in the City
SEVENTH ROCK FROM THE SUN – Only on Weekends
SOMEDAY SOON – DelCobras
DON’T GO TO BED WITH A BAD MIND – The Brigadier
BROKEN ANIMAL – Matt Jaffe
ALL I NEED TO KNOW – PluX feat. Shimmer Johnson
I WANNA FIGHT MY CLONE – Bear Ghost & Playboy Manbaby
Photo of Twenty One Pilots from their Facebook account
It’s a particularly exciting chart this week as we approach the end of 2025, with a new #1 song and two fantastic new debuts, incidentally all by duo acts. Twenty One Pilots, my favorite music act for the past ten years, takes over the top spot with “City Walls”, marking their 14th song to top my chart, and their third this year alone, following “The Line” this past March and “The Contract” in August. Like “The Contract”, “City Walls” is from their eighth studio album Breach, which was released September 12th and serves as the final installment in their decade-long narrative arc explored by their previous albums Blurryface (2015), Trench (2018), Scaled and Icy (2021), and Clancy (2024).
(For those who’ve been living under a rock, Twenty One Pilots are based in Columbus, Ohio and consist of the dynamic duo of singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Tyler Joseph and power drummer Josh Dun. “City Walls” was written and produced by Joseph and his longtime collaborator Paul Meany, the lead singer and keyboardist for alternative rock project Mutemath, who opened for Twenty One Pilots on their Emotional Roadshow Tour that I saw in 2016.)
According to songsdiscussion.com, “‘City Walls’ delves into powerful themes of betrayal, reluctant leadership, and the immense psychological cost of rebellion, all set within the band’s established Dema and Trench narrative. The song’s core meaning centers on a protagonist who feels utterly abandoned by a trusted guide who was supposed to show him the way past the oppressive “city walls.” Now, he is forced to lead a dangerous and uncertain “breach” on his own, all while battling the severe fragmentation of his own mental state under the crushing weight of his new responsibility.“
The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Jensen Noen, runs for nearly ten minutes, making it the longest music video Twenty One Pilots have ever released. (The track itself is 5:22 minutes long.) Band frontman Tyler Joseph stated that the video serves as the proper conclusion to the story surrounding the conceptual city of “Dema”, a fictional location in the world of “Trench”, and its two central characters, Clancy (portrayed by Joseph) and Torchbearer (portrayed by drummer Josh Dun). With a production budget of $1 million, “City Walls” is one of the most expensive music videos of all time, as well as the second most expensive music video of the 2020s. Wikipedia
As I noted earlier, we have two marvelous new debuts, starting with “who’s your boyfriend” by Sydney, Australia-based duo Royel Otis. Comprised of Otis Pavlovic (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano) and Royel Maddell (lead guitar, backing vocals, bass, synthesizer), they’ve previously reached #1 twice on my chart, with “Murder on the Dancefloor” in 2024 and “moody” earlier this year. Like “moody”, “who’s your boyfriend” is from their third studio album hickey.
The second debut is “I’ve Got A Broken Heart”, the latest single by hyper-talented jangle pop-rock duo The Lemon Twigs. Based in Long Island, New York, they consist of brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario, both of whom are vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. Their wonderful song “My Golden Years” reached #1 on my chart and ranks #5 on my Top 100 Songs of 2024 list (right behind “Murder on the Dancefloor”). “I’ve Got A Broken Heart” was released on November 25th as a double single also featuring “Friday (I’m Gonna Love You)”.
CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (2)
THE WEATHER – All Time Low (1)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (3)
12 TO 12 – sombr (10)
DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (5)
THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (6)
ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (7)
SPECTER – Bad Omens (9)
ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (4)
SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce The Veil (12)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (13)
LUCY – Mt. Joy (14)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (15)
WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (16)
ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (8)
ENSENADA – Sublime (11)
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (18)
TANANA – Portugal. The Man (19)
BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (20)
REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (21)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (22)
MADALENA – Goose (23)
INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (24)
WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (25)
HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (30)
STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (29)
SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (17)
Pop-punk rockers All Time Low remain at #1 for a second week with “The Weather”, while “City Walls” by my favorite band Twenty One Pilots closes in at #2 and Tame Impala‘s “Dracula” advances to #3. sombr – which my Spotify Wrapped revealed was my top artist of 2025 – enters the top 10 with “12 to 12”.
The lone new entry to this week’s chart is “Human”, a beautiful, uplifting song by the wonderful singer-songwriter and producer Brandi Carlile. Over her 21-year career, she’s released nine studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, three demo albums, 15 EPs, and 31 singles. She’s won 11 Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards, and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for her collaboration with Elton John on the single “Never Too Late”, the theme to John’s 2024 documentary of the same name. In addition to John, she’s also collaborated with scores of artists, including Amanda Shires, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby in their country music supergroup the Highwomen, Joni Mitchell, Tanya Tucker, The Secret Sisters, Lucius, Dave Matthews Band, Pat Monahan (of Train) and Noah Kahan.
“Human” is from her latest album Returning to Myself, released on October 24th. Written by Carlile along with her long-time collaborators, twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth, & watt (singer-songwriter, musician and producer Andrew Wotman), the song is about accepting that each of us in only human and on this earth for a short time, and to try and find bits of happiness and joy along the way.
THE WEATHER – All Time Low (1)
CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (3)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (4)
ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (2)
DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (7)
THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (8)
ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (9)
ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (5)
SPECTER – Bad Omens (10)
12 TO 12 – sombr (12)
ENSENADA – Sublime (6)
SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce the Veil (13)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (14)
LUCY – Mt. Joy (15)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (16)
WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (17)
SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (11)
It’s hard to believe we’re now entering the final month of 2025, and pop-punk band All Time Low take over the top spot this week with their infectious ear worm “The Weather”. Formed in Towson, Maryland, in 2003, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, and they’ve released a total of nine studio albums, six EPs, two live albums and thirty-seven singles. “The Weather” is the second single from their tenth album Everyone’s Talking!, released on October 17th.
“Ordinary Creature” by Icelandic alt-rock band Of Monsters and Men and “Spector” by American alternative metal band Bad Omens enter the top ten. Three songs make their debut this week, starting with “infinite source” by American alternative metal band Deftones, which enters at #28. Formed in Sacramento, California way back in 1988, they currently consist of frontman Chino Moreno (lead vocals), Stephen Carpenter (lead guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums) and Frank Delgado (keyboardist and turntablist). Deftones have released 10 studio albums, four EPs, three compilation albums, five demo albums, 32 music videos and 25 singles. “infinite source” is from their 10th and latest album private music, which dropped August 22nd, and follows their previous single “my mind is a mountain”, which recently spent nine weeks on my chart.
The second debut is “White Horses” by English alt rock band Wolf Alice. Formed in London in 2010, they consist of singer Ellie Rowsell (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards) Joff Oddie (guitar, vocals), Theo Ellis (bass, vocals) and Joel Amey (drums, percussion, vocals). “White Horses” is from their fourth studio album The Clearing, which was also released August 22nd. Coming in at #30 is “Stay In Your Lane”, a cool song by highly acclaimed and beloved Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett, who never fails to deliver a compelling song.
THE WEATHER – All Time Low (2)
ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (1)
CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (4)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (6)
ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (3)
ENSENADA – Sublime (5)
DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (8)
THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (10)
ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (11)
SPECTER – Bad Omens (12)
SUSHI AND COCA COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (7)
12 TO 12 – sombr (14)
SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce the Veil (15)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (16)
LUCY – Mt. Joy (17)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (18)
WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (19)
EVERYBODY SCREAM – Florence + The Machine (9)
MISTAKES – Caamp (13)
ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (21)
DANG – Rainbow Kitten Surprise (22)
TANANA – Portugal. The Man (23)
BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (25)
REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (26)
RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (29)
MADALENA – Goose (30)
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (20)
Alabama Shakes remain at #1 for a second week with “Another Life”, while All Time Low moves into second place with their wistful anthem “The Weather”, and “Elegantly Wasted”, the lovely collaboration by Hermanos Gutiérrez and Leon Bridges moves up to #3. Taylor Swift enters the top 10 at last with “The Fate of Ophelia”, from her latest album The Life of a Showgirl.
There are two great new additions to this week’s chart, the first of which is “Rubber Band Man”, a wonderful collaboration by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. I mean, given the combined talents of those two phenomenal acts, would you expect anything less? Hozier has previously collaborated with a number of artists, including Mavis Staples on “Nina Cried Power” (2018) and Noah Kahan on “Northern Attitude” (2023), both of which reached #1 on my chart.
The second new entry, at #30, is “Madalena” by American indie rock band Goose. Formed in Connecticut in 2014, they’re comprised of Rick Mitarotonda (vocals, guitar), Peter Anspach (vocals, keys, guitar), Trevor Weekz (bass) and Cotter Ellis (drums). “Madalena” is from their fifth studio album Chain Yer Dragon, which was released on August 14th, just four months after their previous album Everything Must Go. With it’s terrific piano work, the song has a bit of an early Elton John sensibility to my ears.
ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (1)
THE WEATHER – All Time Low (4)
ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (5)
CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (7)
ENSENADA – Sublime (2)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (8)
SUSHI AND COCA COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (3)
DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (9)
EVERYBODY SCREAM – Florence + The Machine (10)
THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (11)
ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (12)
SPECTER – Bad Omens (13)
MISTAKES – Caamp (6)
12 TO 12 – sombr (16)
SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce the Veil (17)
THE FEAR – Future Theory (20)
LUCY – Mt. Joy (21)
GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (22)
WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (23)
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (15)
It’s a new song at #1 this week, as well as four terrific new debuts. Alabama blues rock band Alabama Shakes ascends to the top spot with their gorgeous and explosive single “Another Life”. Formed in 2009, they’re comprised of powerhouse singer-songwriter Brittany Howard (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Heath Fogg (lead guitar and vocals) and Zac Cockrell (bass). From 2011 to 2015, they released two albums, three EPs and numerous singles, including their big 2015 hit “Don’t Wanna Fight”, before going on hiatus in 2018 so that Howard could focus on her solo career. She released two critically acclaimed albums, Jaime in 2019 (which earned her two Grammy nominations), and What Now in 2024 (also nominated for a Grammy). Fogg also released his own solo LP under the name Sun on Shade in 2020. Alabama Shakes reunited this past December, and on August 29th, released “Another Life”, their first new music as a band in ten years. They spent much of the summer on a 30-city tour that concluded in late September. Here’s a live performance of the song from their Red Rocks show that nicely captures Howard’s electrifying stage and musical presence:
Entering the top 10 are “Dracula” by Tame Impala, at #8, and “Everybody Scream” by Florence + The Machine, at #10. As I noted above, four songs make their debut on this week’s chart, beginning with the anthemic and heartfelt “Zombie” by English singer-songwriter and actor YUNGBLUD (born Dominic Richard Harrison), entering at #27. The song is from his fourth studio album Idols, released this past June.
Next up is “Tanana”, the latest offering by American rock band Portugal. The Man, who are no strangers to my chart. Three of their songs – “Feel It Still”, “Live in the Moment” and ” What, Me Worry?” – have reached #1, with “Feel It Still” being my top song of 2017 and ranking #6 on my Top 100 of the 2010s. Originally from Wasilla, Alaska and now based in Portland, Oregon, the group currently consists of founding member John Gourley and his wife Zoe Manville, joined by a group of touring musicians. I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert in February 2024. Named for a small Alaska town near Fairbanks, “Tanana” is from their tenth studio album Shish, which dropped November 7th. Gourley said the song “voices a generational sadness, searching for fleeting meaning in a world on edge.“
Entering at #29 is the beautiful “By Your Side”, the latest single by Vancouver, Canada-based alternative psychedelic dream rock band Meltt. Comprised of Chris Smith (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), Jamie Turner (drums, percussion), James Porter (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals), and Ian Winkler (keyboards, bass, guitar), they’ve released quite a bit of music since 2017, including their marvelous 2023 album Eternal Embers, one of my favorites that year which featured their gorgeous single “Within You, Within Me”. With acts like Tame Impala, Foals, Radiohead and Glass Animals among their major influences, it’s no wonder I love their sound.
My fourth new entry is “Remember Us?” by Brooklyn, New York-based singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Two Feet (born Zachary William “Bill” Dess). A longtime favorite of mine, ten of his songs have reached #1 on my chart, with “Fire” being my top song of 2021, and “I Feel Like I’m Drowning” my #2 song of 2018. Released October 31st, “Remember Us?” is included on his new EP Drunken Fits of a Modern Age, which dropped this past Friday, November 14th. One of his best songs in a while, “Remember Us?” replaces his previous single “Lingerie”, which spent four weeks on my chart.
ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (2)
ENSENDADA – Sublime (1)
SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (3)
THE WEATHER – All Time Low (5)
ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (6)
MISTAKES – Caamp (4)
CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (10)
DRACULA – Tame Impala (12)
DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (9)
EVERYBODY SCREAM – Florence + The Machine (11)
THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (13)
ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (14)
SPECTER – Bad Omens (15)
FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (7)
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (8)
There aren’t any significant changes to my chart, as Sublime‘s “Ensenada” holds at #1 for a second week. Alabama Shakes moves up two notches to #2 with “Another Life”, while “Downstairs” by Matt Maeson and “City Walls” by Twenty One Pilots enter the top 10. There are no new additions this week.
ENSENADA – Sublime (1)
ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (4)
SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (3)
MISTAKES – Caamp (6)
THE WEATHER – All Time Low (7)
ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (8)
FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (2)
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (4)
It’s a new song at #1 this week, as “Ensenada” by legendary Southern California ska punk band Sublime takes over the top spot. Originally formed in Long Beach way back in 1988 by Bradley Nowell (vocals and guitar), Bud Gaugh (drums) and Eric Wilson (bass), they released three studio albums, a live album, five compilation albums, three EPs, one box set and six singles, three of which – “What I Got”, “Santeria” and “Wrong Way” – have remained longtime alt-rock radio staples. Sadly, they disbanded after Bradley Nowell’s untimely death from a heroin overdose in 1996 but subsequently reformed in 2023 with Nowell’s son Jakob singing lead vocals alongside original band members Wilson and Gaugh.
Released this past July, “Ensenada” carries on with the band’s original signature sound, almost as if no time has passed. The song lyrics speak to the joys of time spent with prostitutes in Ensenada, Mexico, with Jakob admitting “if I was the motherfuckin’ President, I’d hire twenty strippers for my cabinet” (which seems ironic, as at least two members of President Trump’s cabinet look like aging strippers). I must add it annoys me that the words “whore” and “motherfuckin'” have been bleeped out of the video.
There are four new entries to my chart again this week, starting with “Lucy” by Los Angeles-based indie rock band Mt. Joy. Formed in 2016, the band consists of Matt Quinn (vocals, guitar), Sam Cooper (guitar), Sotiris Eliopoulos (drums), Jackie Miclau (keyboards) and Michael Byrnes (bass). The song is from their fourth studio album Hope We Have Fun, and is their seventh song to appear on my chart.
Coming in at #28 is “Get The Message” by Atlanta-based pop-punk band The Paradox, comprised of Eric Dangerfield (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Donald Bryant (bass), Christopher “Xelan” Bernard (lead guitar and background vocals), and Percy “PC3” Crews (drums). Formed only a little more than a year ago in June 2024, they quickly made waves in the music industry; just three weeks after launching their social media presence, they amassed over 730k followers and have already opened for Green Day and Jack White. “Get The Message” is featured on their debut EP NSFW, which dropped September 19th.
Next up is “Watch Me Go” by folk rock band Lord Huron, another Los Angeles-based act who’ve been a longtime favorite of mine. Originally formed as a solo act by singer-songwriter/guitarist Ben Schneider in 2010 after he relocated from Michigan to Los Angeles, Lord Huron eventually became a four-piece that now includes Miguel Briseño on bass, keyboards & theremin, Tom Renaud on guitar, and Mark Barry on drums & percussion. Their uniquely beautiful music is a glorious mash-up of folk, western, rock and roll, pop, surf rock and new age. “Watch Me Go” is from their fifth and latest album The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, released in July. A previous single from that album, “Nothing I Need”, spent two weeks at #1 on my chart in June.
The fourth new entry is “Dang” by North Carolina-based alternative indie rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise, whose sound has been influenced by such artists as Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, Frank Ocean, and Schoolboy Q. Formed in 2013 by Darrick “Bozzy” Keller (guitar, backup vocals) and Sam Melo (lead vocalist who transitioned to Ela in 2022), they were joined a year later by Ethan Goodpaster (electric guitar) and Jess Haney (drums). “Dang” is from their fifth studio album Bones, which dropped September 26th, and their second song to appear on my chart after “Fever Pitch” in 2018.
ENSENADA – Sublime (2)
FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (1)
SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (5)
ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (9)
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (4)
MISTAKES – Caamp (7)
THE WEATHER – All Time Low (8)
ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (10)
English folk-rock duo Seafret and Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall remain at #1 for a second week with their exuberant collaboration “Five More Seconds”, while “Ensenada”, by Southern California ska punk band Sublime, moves into second place. Entering the top 10 are “The Weather” by All Time Low, “Another Life” by Alabama Shakes and “Elegantly Wasted”, the lovely collaboration by Hermanos Gutiérrez and Leon Bridges.
It’s another big week for debuts, with four excellent new songs entering my chart. Entering at #24 is “Dracula” by Australian psychedelic pop-rock band Tame Impala, a longtime favorite act of mine headed by the brilliant singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Kevin Parker. The song is from their fifth and latest album Deadbeat, which dropped October 17th.
The second debut, entering at #28, is “So Far So Fake” by San Diego-based post-hardcore band Pierce the Veil. Formed in 2006, the band now consists of Vic Fuentes (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, programming), Jaime Preciado (bass, backing vocals) and Tony Perry (lead guitar). Loniel Robinson plays drums for live performances. The song is from their fifth album The Jaws of Life, originally released in 2023.
Coming in at #29 is “12 to 12”, the latest single by Los Angeles-based sombr (the musical moniker of 20-year-old singer-songwriter and producer Shane Michael Boose). The exciting and dynamic song is featured on his debut album I Barely Know Her, which dropped August 22nd and also includes his monster hits “back to friends” and “undressed”, both of which reached #1 on my chart. Along with “undressed”, which currently sits at #3, “12 to 12” gives sombr two songs on this week’s chart. In fact, he’s had at least one song on my chart every week since May 18th.
Last, but certainly not least, is “The Fear” by English alternative psychedelic rock band Future Theory, another longtime favorite act of mine whose music I’ve written about many times. The exceptionally talented four-piece is comprised of Max Sander (rhythm guitar and vocals), Chris Moore (lead guitar), Jacob Brookes (bass) and Rohan Parrett (drums). Their magnificent single “Why” reached #1 on my chart and ranks #18 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list, while their single “One and the Same” peaked at #3 and ranks #42 on my list of 100 Best Songs of 2022. “The Fear” is the latest of three outstanding singles they’ve released over the past four months.
FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (1)
ENSENADA – Sublime (3)
UNDRESSED – sombr (2)
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (5)
SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (8)
BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (4)
MISTAKES – Caamp (10)
THE WEATHER – All Time Low (11)
ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (16)
ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (15)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 