The past week has been blazing hot in Southern California, with many locations either reaching or breaking their all-time record high temperatures (112 in downtown L.A., 114 in Burbank, 119 in Woodland Hills and 121 in Palm Springs, the sixth time this summer it’s reached or exceeded 120 here!). My latest top 30 is sizzling hot too, filled with terrific songs by some of the best artists making music today.
“The Craving” by twenty one pilots maintains a firm grip on the top spot for a third week, while Fontaines D.C.‘s “Starburster” still has the power to excite and amaze, and thus remains at #2 for a third week after spending three weeks at #1. Moving into third place is “Lost In Space” by one of my longtime favorite acts Foster the People. The song took a while to really grab me, but now I love it! Always dependable singer-songwriter The Frontier moves up a notch to #4 with his heartwarming “Like You Do”, while Beach Weather‘s sultry “High In Low Places” inches down a notch to #5. It’s the song’s 11th week in the top five, three of which were spent at #1. Cage the Elephant‘s “Rainbow” moves up one, entering the top 10 at #10. The biggest upward movers this week are “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Jack White and “Death Valley High” by Orville Peck & Beck, each advancing seven spots to #21 and #22, respectively.
Two songs make their debut this week, starting with the lovely “Hologram” by Miami-based pop-rock duo Raker (which I reviewed last month). The second is the captivating and sensuous “Garmonbozia” by Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, musician and producer Flying Lotus (aka Steven Ellison), which I learned about in a recent post on the wonderful New Music Jason’s Picks blog. The talented and multi-faceted artist has had a long and successful career since 2007, releasing ten albums, numerous EPs, and collaborating with the likes of Thundercat, Denzel Curry, Anderson .Paak and Smoke DZA, among others. Ellison named the song after the mysterious substance that looks like creamed corn and represents “pain and sorrow” referenced in the TV series Twin Peaks.
- THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (1)
- STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (2)
- LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (6)
- LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (5)
- HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (4)
- OH NO! – The Decemberists (7)
- PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (3)
- ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (8)
- WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (9)
- RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (11)
- MESSY – Lola Young (12)
- STARGAZING – Myles Smith (15)
- WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (13)
- BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (19)
- GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (20)
- YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (18)
- A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (10)
- WAR – Healer (21)
- HONEY – Mr Bewlay (22)
- INTO GOLD – London Grammar (26)
- THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (28)
- DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (29)
- LUNCH – Billie Eilish (14)
- RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (16)
- I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (17)
- PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (27)
- BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (30)
- WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (23)
- HOLOGRAM – Raker (N)
- GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (N)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 
I always enjoy checking out your weekly top 30, Jeff, and commend for all the work you’re putting into it. I can barely handle six songs! 🙂
While our music tastes have an intersection, I think it’s fair to say we oftentimes like different music. Despite this I always find songs in your list I like, even though oftentimes they are outside my core wheelhouse. I love it since I feel pushing beyond the same old, same old broadens my musical horizon.
I’ve previously commented on a good number of songs that are in your current list. The two I’d like to called out today are “Hologram” by Raker and in particular “Death Valley High” by Orville Peck & Beck.
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It’s definitely a labor of love, and some weeks it’s a real challenge to limit my list to only 30 songs. No two people are ever going to have the same tastes in music, and I’ve had strong arguments with close friends about more than a few songs! That said, I’m happy to expose you – and others – to new music, though with the exception of my weekly top 30 charts, I will not be reviewing new music for the foreseeable future. I’m tired, plus the lack of interest for most of my reviews has really dampened my enthusiasm for writing them.
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It’s definitely is a labor of love.
The key motivating factor for writing my blog first and foremost is it provides me with a welcome distraction from all the stuff daily life can throw at you by getting lost in a topic I truly love. I will admit getting recognition from fellow bloggers and others is nice, but it’s always been secondary to me.
That said, I realize we’re different people with different needs, but perhaps the above perspective may help. At the end of the day, I firmly believe blogging should be fun and never feel like an obligation.
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Orville Peck & Beck, there’s two names I wouldn’t have imagined together! It’s always interesting to read your lists and I still don’t know how you manage! Thanks Jeff.
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Yeah, I was a bit surprised to see them collaborate, but Peck’s entire album consists of collaborations, while Beck has also recently collaborated with The Black Keys, Hinds, The Chemical Brothers and French band Phoenix.
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Jeff you’re a handy guy to know!
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I really enjoyed “The Craving” by twenty one pilots. Thank you for sharing it.
Here in Bogota we have been going through a terrible ‘drought’ and despite water restrictions the weather isn’t abating. It’s scary.
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Glad you like “The Craving”. twenty one pilots are one of my all-time favorite music acts. Our summer has been horrendously hot here in the Desert Southwest. July was our hottest month ever, with an average high of 115F(46C) and low of 85F(29C), and we also set an all-time record high of 124(51.1C)! Needless to say, no significant rain has fallen since March, which is fairly typical.
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‘One of my all-time favorite music act’. That is quite the compliment coming from you!
Here we had a Wet season (March to June) that was probably dryer than a ‘Dry’ season. Now we are in Dry season and still no rain. They are even speculating Electricity cuts to offset it.
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Paranormic View is the one I really like…not counting the ones I’ve already commented on. Great list Jeff!
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Thanks Max. I love that song too (obviously).
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That’s super-hot weather! I’ve been to Death Valley on a hot day, and aircon def needed! I’m obsessive about old and new music (but esp new discoveries) and wish I had time to write all day about it (and I’m retired now but still have so much to do!) – I find it difficult to limit my chart to 75 cos I just can’t get enough new stuff, but I’ve got some fab recent tracks from your top 30 (and download sales by me) so I appreciate a good music chart when I see one! Keep it up! 🙂 I would like to see Orville & Beck do a remix with noughties dance act Meck and call themselves Beck, Meck and Peck… 🙂
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I’ve considered expanding my weekly lists to 40 songs, but fear it would become unwieldy. And Beck, Meck and Peck would be a hoot!
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