Top 30 Songs for May 4-10, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's
Photo of Cage the Elephant by Neil Krug

Alt rock band Cage the Elephant have been one of my favorite acts for well over 10 years, and I’ve loved most of their music. Founded in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2006, the band relocated to London, England in early 2008, then moved to Nashville in 2009, where they remain today. Their current lineup consists of founding members Matt Shultz (lead vocals & rhythm guitar), his brother Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar, keyboards), Daniel Tichenor ( bass, backing vocals) and Jared Champion (drums, percussion), as well as Nick Bockrath (lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) and Matthan Minster (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), both of whom joined the band in 2017. Since 2008 they’ve released six critically acclaimed albums, two of which – Tell Me I’m Pretty in 2017 and Social Cues in 2020 – won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album.

“Metaverse”, the third single from their latest album Neon Pill, ascends to #1 on this week’s chart. It’s their second single from that album to reach #1, after last year’s title track “Neon Pill”, and their eighth song to reach #1 on my chart. The song seems to be about the struggles of being in a band and striving for perfection but sometimes failing to achieve it: “It’s a natural progression. No need for affection. Just a perfect deflection when you got no perspective. Every day spent far from my family. Double check, checked out, I’m half asleep. What the hell? Oh, well, that’s life. What the hell? I keep running and running.“

There are lots of really lovely songs out now, and one of the best is the poignant “Time Waited” by My Morning Jacket, which moves up two spots to #2. The song is from their latest album is, released on March 25th. Two songs enter the top 10, the first of which is “Bad Larry”, by northwest Indiana stoner emo band Cloakroom. From their latest album Last Leg of the Human Table, the song has a bit of a Lord Huron sound, courtesy of achingly beautiful twangy guitars and the velvety-smooth vocals of lead singer Doyle Martin. The second is the gorgeous “Mortal Wound” by British indie rock band The Veils, from their seventh and latest album Asphodels. And speaking of Lord Huron, the L.A.-based indie folk rock band’s latest single “Nothing I Need” is the lone debut song this week. Fronted by singer-songwriter Ben Schneider, they’ve become one of my favorite bands since the release of their magnificent 2021 album Long Lost.

  1. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (2)
  2. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (4)
  3. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (1)
  4. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (3)
  5. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (6)
  6. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (5)
  7. WALLS – Frank Joshua (8)
  8. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (7)
  9. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (12)
  10. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (13)
  11. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (14)
  12. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (15)
  13. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (11)
  14. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (20)
  15. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (17)
  16. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (18)
  17. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (19)
  18. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (9)
  19. SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (10)
  20. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (22)
  21. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (23)
  22. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (25)
  23. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (26)
  24. WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (16)
  25. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (27)
  26. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (28)
  27. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (29)
  28. SO LONG – Wavves (30)
  29. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (21) 19th week on chart
  30. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (N)

18 thoughts on “Top 30 Songs for May 4-10, 2025”

  3. I have to say I never listened to Cage the Elephant before reading your posts. Maybe you’re open mindedness is rubbing off on me. Maybe North’s influence a bit too. I am starting to really like them! And hey, not that anyone should care but I have been to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and that’s a story for another day! Keep on listing Jeff.

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  5. I like the Cage the Elephant song. I’m pretty sure I know of this band because I previously read about them on your blog. “Bad Larry” by Cloakroom, which I included in a previous new music review back in March, has a gorgeous sound. And, yes, your Lord Huron comparison is spot on. Speaking of which, great to see these guys are out with new music. It seems we will see a new album by them later this year! 🙂

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    1. Yes, I’ve featured several songs by Cage the Elephant. I love “Bad Larry”, and it’s kind of serendipidous Lord Huron would release a song during the same time frame as Cloakroom. Also, I have you to thank for introducing me to the music of Cloakroom, The Veils, Charm School and Somebody’s Child.

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  8. H.G.O's avatar H.G.O

    Hi Jeff,
    Apologies for being AWOL. I had some hectic projects at work the past few months, but it’s all good now.
    I’ll try to catch up with all the posts I missed, starting with this one.

    By the way, I never cared too much for Cage The Elephant, but I really really enjoyed Metaverse!

    Hope all is well with you!

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    1. Hey Horacio, good to hear from you! No problem, as I figured you’ve been busy with life, work & family demands.

      I’m a long-time fan of Cage the Elephant who’s loved most, though not all, of their songs. Glad you at least like “Metaverse”,

      I’m not doing very well at the moment, as our beloved cat Panda is very ill and will be euthanized this afternoon. He was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2019, and has handled it pretty well until early this year. His condition has slowly declined to the point where his poor little body is now worn out, and he’s refused to eat since last Sunday. He’s also quite old, nearly 20, and we’ve been fortunate to have had him in our lives for nearly 19 years.

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      1. H.G.O's avatar H.G.O

        Hey Jeff, Apologies for the late reply — I’ve only just seen your message today. I’m truly sorry for your loss. Pets are family, and when they leave us, they leave a huge hole in our hearts.

        Nearly 20 years is an incredible lifespan for a cat. You were indeed lucky to have had that much time together. But of course, that doesn’t make the goodbye any easier.
        Sending love your way…

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