Too many bands have faced the sudden and tragic loss of an integral member, and one of the more heartbreaking in recent memory was the death last year of Taylor Hawkins, the beloved longtime drummer of American rock band Foo Fighters. Picking up the pieces and soldiering on after such a loss is always difficult, and sometimes impossible, as Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl knows all too well from his Nirvana experience. He and Foo Fighters bandmates channeled their grief to create one of the best albums of their nearly 30-year career in the form of But Here We Are, which they describe as “10 songs that run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between.” The album’s blistering, heart-wrenching lead single “Rescued” takes over the #1 spot on my latest Weekly Top 30.

The song is about trying to cope with, then move on from, a sudden, unexpected event, expressed in the opening lyrics “It came in a flash, it came outta nowhere. It happened so fast, and then it was over.” Later in the song, Grohl acknowledges the overwhelming numbness and grief he and his bandmates experienced after Hawkins’ death, wondering if they’ll ever truly feel ‘alive’ again: “We’re all free to some degree to dance under the lights.I’m just waitin’ to be rescued, bring me back to life.” For the recording of “Rescued”, along with the entire album But Here We Are, Dave Grohl played drums, but a few months ago, legendary drummer Josh Freese officially joined Foo Fighters as their new drummer.

(Freese has an impressive resume, being a noted session drummer who’s appeared on over 400 records and worked with a literal who’s who of artists and bands. He’s been an active member of the Vandals since 1989 and Devo since 1996, also previously serving as a member of Guns N’ Roses from 1997-2000 and alt-rock band A Perfect Circle from 1999-2012. The very busy guy also served as touring drummer for Nine Inch Nails from 2005-2008, Weezer from 2009-2011, and Sublime with Rome from 2011-2017, as well as Sting in 2005 and 2016, Paramore in 2011, the Replacements in 2013 and The Offspring in 2021.) Wikipedia

And here’s their electrifying performance of “Rescued” at the Glastonbury Festival on June 23rd:

Other than for a new #1 song, the top 10 remains the same, with a bit of musical chairs among the top five tracks. Two new songs make their debut this week, both of which I featured in a recent Fresh New Tracks post: “Bones” by British indie rock band HEALER, entering at #29, and “Walk Through the Fire” by Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier (aka Jake Mimikos), at #30. A long-time favorite act of mine, The Frontier has had several songs appear on my Top 30, three of them going all the way to #1.

1. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (2)
2. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (1)
3. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (5)
4. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (3)
5. KID – The Revivalists (4)
6. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (6)
7. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (7)
8. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (8)
9. LEAVING – Au Gres (9)
10. 1982 – Morgendust (10)
11. THOSE EYES – New West (12)
12. WHY – Future Theory (13)
13. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (14)
14. HELLO – GROUPLOVE (16)
15. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (17)
16. MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (19)
17. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (12)
18. EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (20)
19. WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (22)
20. CHEMICAL – Post Malone (23)
21. STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (24)
22. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (18)
23. SUPERGLUE – Michigander (26)
24. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (27)
25. THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (15)
26. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (28)
27. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (30)
28. SPELLBINDING – The Smashing Pumpkins (29)
29. BONES – HEALER (N)
30. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (N)