Top 30 Songs for July 7-13, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's14 Comments

It’s another great week for music, and Glass Animals remain on top for a second week with their beautiful song “Creatures in Heaven”. Beach Weather slide into the second spot with their smoldering summer hit “High In Low Places”, while Pearl Jam‘s “Wreckage” moves up a spot to #3. I really love this song, which has become my favorite Pearl Jam song ever. Hozier‘s “Too Sweet”, which has become the biggest hit of his career, is currently #1 on the Billboard Rock/Alternative Airplay, Alternative Airplay and AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) charts, having spent nine consecutive weeks and counting on the latter. The song spent two weeks at #1 and four weeks at #2 on my chart, and now sits at #4. “End of Beginning” by Djo enters the top 10, and “The Craving” by twenty one pilots jumps 10 spots to #15, making it the biggest upward mover this week.

Debuting this week are two marvelous songs by artists who make their first appearance on my chart. The first is “Payback” by L.A.-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Frazer. It’s funny, not funny how often we come across artists or bands in passing, but sadly not pay close enough attention at the time for things to fully register. Though he’s been making music for more than a decade, first as a member of contemporary R&B and soul revival group Durand Jones & The Indications, and also more recently as a solo artist, I didn’t become fully cognizant of the immensely talented falsetto-voiced Mr. Frazer until seeing “Payback” moving up the Billboard AAA chart, as well as reading about him in a post by fellow blogger Christian’s Music Musings. In doing a bit of searching about Durand Jones & The Indications, I saw they were the ones who sang the wonderful song “Witchoo”, which reached #22 on the AAA chart in 2021. I’ve always loved male singers with tenor and falsetto voices, so Frazer’s vocal style is right up my alley. “Payback”, from his terrific second album Into The Blue, has an irresistible retro 60s soul vibe that calls to mind some of the great soul acts like Marvin Gaye, the Temptations and The Capitols (who had a hit with “Cool Jerk”), but with a modern edge.

The second debut, entering at #30, is the Latin-tinged “Espresso” by American singer and actress Sabrina Carpenter. After appearing in various TV and films, she gained recognition for her role in the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World that aired from 2014–2017. She’s released five albums since 2014, the last of which, her 2022 release Emails I Can’t Send, was successful, reaching #23 on the Billboard Hot 200 Album chart. “Espresso” was the lead single from her forthcoming sixth album Short n’ Sweet, due for release August 23rd. Her follow up single “Please Please Please” reached #1 on the Hot 100 last week, but I like “Espresso” more.

  1. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (1)
  2. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (5)
  3. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (4)
  4. TOO SWEET – Hozier (3)
  5. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (2)
  6. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (8)
  7. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (6)
  8. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (7)
  9. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (10)
  10. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (12)
  11. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (13)
  12. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (14)
  13. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (15)
  14. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (9)
  15. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (25)
  16. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (18)
  17. TOO MUCH – girl in red (19)
  18. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (20)
  19. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (22)
  20. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (11)
  21. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (23)
  22. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (24)
  23. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (17)
  24. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (16)
  25. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (27)
  26. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (28)
  27. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (29)
  28. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (30)
  29. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (N)
  30. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (N)

PYLON POETS – Single Review: “Temptation”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

Hailing from the picturesque southwest England coastal town of Torquay, Devon are Pylon Poets, an alternative indie rock band comprised of Dan Hughes (lead vocals, guitars & synths), Nathan Hughes (bass, backing vocals), and Sam McIver (drums). (Dan and Nathan are not brothers, just both happen to have the same surname.) The guys have been putting out high-energy melodic rock since 2016, with songs featuring relatable lyrics touching on such issues as pop culture, love and politics. They’ve toured extensively and have played several music festivals throughout the UK, sharing the stage with such artists as Reef, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Scouting For Girls, Republica and ASH.

Photo by John McGowan

I first featured them on this blog in May 2023, when I reviewed their single “In the End”. Today they return with “Temptation“, which follows their previous single “Echoes of Desire”, released in early May. Recorded and produced by Tom Jobling at Mill Farm Music studio in Dorset, “Temptation” explores the notion of wanting and needing to be led astray by giving in to our deepest desires.

One of the things I like about Pylon Poets is that no two songs of theirs sound alike, which is a testament to the versatility of their songwriting and musicianship. And though their music generally sounds nothing like Duran Duran, I nevertheless get strong Duran Duran vibes from “Temptation”.

Perhaps it’s the sensuous pulsating groove, or Dan’s electrifying jangly, bluesy and wailing distorted guitars, Nathan’s powerful thumping bassline and Sam’s muscular smashing drumbeats, all of which sound fantastic. And while Dan’s vocals don’t exactly sound like Simon LeBon’s on this song, he nevertheless captures a similar smoldering soulful quality perfectly befitting the torrid lyrics describing unbridled sexual desire. It’s all absolutely marvelous, and I think “Temptation” is my favorite Pylon Poets song yet!

Do you know what you need,
Taking things as you please,
Do you want to believe or do you want to succeed,

It has all been conceived,
The making of your dreams,
Is this the time, is this your mind,
Are you the loving kind,

What would you take me for,
Your graces are your flaws,
Whatever you need you're going to receive,

I know you'll take me there,
Desires all laid bare,
Is this the time, is this your mind,
Are you the loving kind,

Tempting me, Tempting you,
Leading me, Leading you,
Dreaming me, Dreaming you,
Hand in hand, Heart in heart,
Tempting me, I'm tempted,
Leading me, I'll be lead,
Dreaming me, I'm dreaming,
Hand in hand, Heart in heart,

So close we're touching,
It's just a matter of time,
It's just a matter of time,

Come here and tear me apart,
Lend me your heart,
Give me the spark,
Make me the loving kind,

Tempting me, Tempting you,
Leading me, Leading you,
Dreaming me, Dreaming you,
Hand in hand, Heart in heart,
Tempting me, I'm tempted,
Leading me, I'll be lead,
Dreaming me, I'm dreaming,
Hand in hand, Heart in heart,

Temptation
Temptation
Temptation


Pylon Poets Socials:  Facebook / X / Instagram / TikTok

Find their music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

HOMELESS RADIO – Single Review: “SleepNot”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews11 Comments
Cover art by Kostiantyn Borshch

This past January, I introduced my readers to Ukrainian indie rock band Homeless Radio when I reviewed their terrific hard-hitting single “Submarine“. To summarize, the band formed in the city of Kharkiv in 2016, and includes Andrii Yampolskyi (vocals/guitar), Fedir Orlov (guitar), Stepan Tkachuk (bass) and Ivan Orlov (drums). Guitarist Ihor Pankieiev is also technically still a member, though he’s currently away, fighting in the terrible war against their Russian invaders. Drawing from a dynamic mix of garage rock, alternative rock, skate punk, grunge and pop influences, their music ranges from pleasantly melodic to relentlessly intense.

Andrii, Stepan, Ivan & Fedir

Now the guys are back with a blistering new single “SleepNot“, delivering more of the raw, unbridled energy we loved with “Submarine”. Released on July 2nd via Arizona-based indie label Sunset Alliance, the track was mixed & mastered by Nikolas Quemtri at NRQ’s Studio. The appropriately-titled “SleepNot” features hard-driving instrumentals and emphatic lyrics that beautifully express the singer’s aim of keeping up with the frantic pace of modern life and enjoying all it has to offer. And yet, while on the one hand he laments “Sometimes I wish that I could never fall asleep, yeah. I’m not enough for a day!“, he then concedes that he just wants to sleep when his alarm clock abruptly wakes him. It’s a conundrum I’m sure most young people have experienced. I remember staying out late partying many nights in my college days, then having to wake early to finish a paper.  

Starting off with a deliciously dirty bass riff nicely executed by Stepan, the song blasts open with a volley of Ivan’s smashing drumbeats and Andrii and Fedir’s dual grungy and fuzz-soaked guitars. As Stepan’s dexterous bassline and Ivan’s pummeling drums continue driving the rhythm forward, Andrii and Fedir lay waste to the airwaves with scorching guitar riffs. I really like Andrii’s passionate heavily-accented vocals, which soar to spine-tingling fiery wails in the bombastic choruses. “SleepNot” is an electrifying rock banger, and another marvelous single by this talented foursome.

It’s admirable that Homeless Radio have still managed to keep making music, despite the fact their country has been waging a valiant defense again their Russian invaders for more than two years. I hope they will remain safe and able to continue doing what they love.

(Alarm clock rings, I just wanna sleep)
(Alarm clock rings, I just wanna sleep)

Every day when I open my eyes
I see a plan for a while:
I need to join a party,
get drunk in the nearby town
I want this, you can be sure
And today I've got one aim
I'm trying to finish my business
I worry about my brain

Sometimes I wish that I could never fall asleep, yeah
I'm not enough for a day! Yeah!

Every time when I see you
My country blows up
I wanna be somewhere near you
But my business is still undone
To be smart you must catch up with the rhythm
It's speed can make you insane
See, honey, I'm still in the middle
In this competitive game

Sometimes I wish that I could never fall asleep, yeah
I'm not enough for a day! Yeah!

Alarm clock rings, I just wanna sleep
Alarm clock rings, I just wanna sleep

Homeless Radio Socials:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok

Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

BRAIN APE – Single Review: “mcmx. downing street”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews17 Comments

Since their inception in early 2012, London-based alt-rock band Brain Ape has consistently pushed the envelope, both musically and thematically, to create music that’s innovative, unorthodox and thoroughly original. Now a duo consisting of Minky Très-vain (a descendent of both Sir Francis Drake and Sir Christopher Wren) on guitar & vocals and Sol Alex Albret (descended from the Vikings) on bass, they’ve released music rather intermittently over the years, but their discography includes three albums, Dara O’ in 2014, Auslander and Ausländer, an all-acoustic album featuring five tracks from the original plus three new tracks, both in 2017, along with several singles. I reviewed Auslander, which you can read here, as well as several singles, most recently their unusually-titled “mcmx. drawing room”, which you can read here. 

Whereas their earlier sound was strongly influenced by grunge acts like Nirvana, their newer music is now influenced by contemporary pop and hip-hop acts like Billie Eilish, Childish Gambino, and Denzel Curry. They’ve also never shied away from tackling cultural and sociopolitical issues, and as such, over the past two years have released a series of singles exploring the rise of nationalism in the West and the glorification of false icons. Beginning with “mcmi. fenchurch king”, followed by “mcmx. drawing room”, Brain Ape has now released the third installment or chapter of songs within this narrative, “mcmx. downing street“, which will be included on their forthcoming third album SHREWD, BRITANNIA, due for release in November. They purposely released the single on the 3rd of July, on the eve of the July 4th General Election in the UK.

The band states the song is “an attack on corrupt modern politics, whilst keeping a keen eye on history, legacy, and accountability.” With a title named for the famed London street where the official residence of the British Prime Minister is located, as well as references to George Orwell and his dystopian writings, the song’s lyrics dive deeper into the story of Eric Tunglsson: son of the Auslander first introduced in “mcmi. fenchurch king”.

Curious about these characters, I asked Minky for clarification. He responded “the characters are a selection from a cast of people we’ve been writing about since the very beginning. Way back in 2012, the first mention of these people was included in the ‘Dead at 20’ EP that we were a part of all those years ago. Since then we’ve dropped a plethora of ambiguous material about these people, most notably on our second album ‘Auslander’. All the clues are there, and there’s plenty for people to sink their teeth into, but over the coming years we’ve decided to release more details with lesser ambiguity. When we release our third album, ‘SHREWD, BRITANNIA’, a lot more will become obvious, but even then we have plans to release more information after that. Like with everything Sol and I do, it’s a slow game but it’ll all pay off once the stars align.”

Like all their music, “mcmx. downing street” is a fascinating and trippy song, and more melodic than its two predecessors. The song kicks off with Minky singing the opening verse, with his seductive voice ending with an almost menacing breathy “ha” as he sings the words “Brittania” over a thumping bassline, accompanied by spritely synths. Then a sensuous throbbing dance beat takes over, overlain with extremely gnarly psychedelic guitars and sharp percussion that erupt in the delightfully edgy choruses. Everything turns darker at song’s end, when Minky’s echoed vocals turn downright savage over a fearsome backdrop of shredded guitars, grinding bass and crashing cymbals. It’s an incredibly impactful and most satisfying sonic feast for the senses!

Run, rum, run

He is Britannia
Run, run
We shall Lionise him

Oh well, whatever, we never did mind when he lusts
(Shame)
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can we trust?
(Shame)
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind all the greed
(Shame)
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can he bleed?
(Shame)
Oh well, Orwell, we never did read

Tension rising, air is blinding, he's igniting, costs are climbing
Sun is setting, still they're betting on the Lion
Is he lying? Ha

Oh well, whatever, we never did mind when he lusts
(Shame)
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can we trust?
(Shame)
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind all the greed
(Shame)
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can he bleed?
(Shame)
Oh well, Orwell, we never did read

Son of the Auslander
He is our king
We rule Britannia
God save the king

Brain Ape have also included a seven-minute piece “mcmi. fenchurch king, drawing room, downing street”, a seamless combination of their last three singles, as a B-side to “mcmx. downing street”.

Also curious about the unusual video, which stars Minky as Eric Tunglsson, Sol as Wyn Pfaird and former bandmate and The Kid and I band frontman Jacob Powell as Trin O’ Gealach, I asked Minky about what they are trying to convey. He responded: “Sol and I put a lot of planning into the video for this single. Originally, we had floated the idea of shooting various location shots, some footage of the band performing in studio, some live footage, as well as the footage that has been included in the final video. But when we sat down with some trial edits we felt as though a busy video countered the blunt nature of the single, so we made the decision to strip back the music video to let the lyrics breathe more. It also helps balance the b-side which we released in tandem with this single, where the singles ‘fenchurch king’ and ‘downing street’ book end the busier, more conceptual ‘drawing room’. In many ways, the structure of that b-side mirrors those of classical symphonies’ first movements, which is not a coincidence.”

Here are “mcmx. downing street” and “mcmi. fenchurch king, drawing room, downing street” on Spotify:

Brain Ape Socials:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok
Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Bandcamp / YouTube

Top 30 Songs for June 30-July 6, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments
Photo of Glass Animals by Lillie Eiger

It makes my blood boil when I hear my contemporaries – or anyone for that matter – opine that there’s no good music being made any longer, because nothing could be further from the truth! While I concede that some of the best non-classical music was created during the years 1965-1973, there are many talented artists and bands putting out great music today, several of whom are represented on my latest Weekly Top 30.

Case in point is English psychedelic art pop band Glass Animals, whose beautiful song “Creatures in Heaven” ascends to the #1 spot. Formed in 2010 when they were all attending college in Oxford, the band consists of Dave Bayley (vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, songwriting), Drew MacFarlane (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Edmund Irwin-Singer (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), and Joe Seaward (drums). Since 2014, they’ve released three albums, with their fourth, I Love You So F***ing Much, slated for release on July 19. “Creatures in Heaven” was the lead single from that album.

I first learned about Glass Animals in 2016, when they released their second album How to Be a Human Being. One of the songs from that album is “Life Itself”, which I loved so much it went to #1 on my Top 30 chart and ended up ranking #60 on my decade-end 100 Best Songs of the 2010s list. I love Dave Bayley’s singing voice, which is so distinctive that it makes their songs immediately identifiable as only theirs. “Creatures in Heaven” becomes their second song to top my chart (“Heat Waves” peaked at #2, but spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their biggest hit so far).

About “Creatures in Heaven”, Bayley told Atwood Magazine: “It’s about a moment in time, be it a split second or a year or whatever, having the capacity to be enormously formative and life-changing, even if it is over. Or if it doesn’t go as planned. Or if it dies too soon. It is still fucking beautiful. The love and care and the feeling in that moment lives forever. It never really dies. If that’s how you choose to see it.”

The two biggest upward movers this week are by two more bands I love – “Starburster” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C., leaping eight spots to enter the top 10 at #10, and “High In Low Places” by American pop-rock band Beach Weather, which jumps seven spots to enter the top 10 at #5. And this week there are four new debuts, starting with “The Craving” by twenty one pilots, entering at #25. The second single from their latest album Clancy, “The Craving” replaces their previous single “Overcompensate”, which just spent 15 weeks on my chart, 13 of them in the top 10.

Entering at #28 is “Lost In Space” by Foster the People, which now consists of founding member and frontman Mark Foster and multi-instrumentalist Isom Innis, who started as a touring member of the band way back in 2010. The exuberant song is the lead single from their upcoming fourth studio album Paradise State of Mind, to be released on August 16. Both twenty one pilots and Foster the People were my top two favorite bands for several years in the mid-to-late 2010s, and I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them both in concert.

Next up is the sensuous “Run Your Mouth” by L.A.-based indie pop band The Marías. Formed in 2016, the band is comprised of lead vocalist María Zardoya and drummer/producer Josh Conway, guitarist Jesse Perlman, and keyboardist Edward James. Known for performing songs in both English and Spanish, they’ve released two albums, Cinema in 2021 and Submarine, which dropped May 31st. Their 2021 single “Hush” reached #1 on the Billboard AAA chart.

The fourth new entry, coming in at #30, is the hauntingly beautiful and moving “What if i feel like this my whole life?” by talented and silky-voiced English singer-songwriter HULLAH (which I recently reviewed). This is his third song to appear on my chart, the previous two being “Chasing Trains”, which reached #1, and “Wild as the Wind”, which reached #7.

  1. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (3)
  2. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (1)
  3. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  4. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (6)
  5. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (12)
  6. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (4)
  7. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (9)
  8. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (10)
  9. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
  10. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (18)
  11. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (7)
  12. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (14)
  13. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (13)
  14. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (15)
  15. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (16)
  16. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (8)
  17. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (17)
  18. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (19)
  19. TOO MUCH – girl in red (20)
  20. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (22)
  21. DILEMMA – Green Day (11)
  22. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (25)
  23. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (29)
  24. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (27)
  25. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (N)
  26. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (21)
  27. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (30)
  28. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (N)
  29. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (N)
  30. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (N)

MR BEWLAY – Single Review: “Honey”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews11 Comments
Photo by Ewa Palka

Hailing from Cardiff, Wales is art pop artist Mr Bewlay, who on the strength of his singular creative talent, unorthodox musical approach, charismatic personality and flamboyant performances, has built a loyal following in Wales and beyond. He began his foray into the arts on the stage, honing his performance skills in such classics as West Side Story, A View From A Bridge and A Streetcar Named Desire. He later transitioned to music under the mentorship and guidance of the Forte Project, a highly respected Wales-based artist development program.

He self-released his debut single “Project Blue Team” in June 2019, and in the years since has dropped many more singles, as well as two EPs, Electric Reason in 2022 and Black Reason in 2023, the first two installments of his Reason Trilogy. Late last year, Mr Bewlay signed with the Welsh indie music label Dirty Carrot and began writing and recording songs for his forthcoming third EP of the trilogy, Against All Reason. The first single from the EP, the Depeche Mode-esque “Worst of All Women”, was released in March, and on June 21st, he dropped the second single “Honey“. When his label reached out to me about the song, I liked it instantly, and am eager to share it with my readers.

Recorded with Cardiff-based producer Lee House and guitars by musician Shish, “Honey” is a sweet pop song of love and adoration. Starting with a irresistibly sensuous and funky bass groove, Mr Bewlay and company layer breezy synths, lush piano keys and richly textured guitars, all of which create an intoxicating backdrop for his colorful emotive vocals. Sprinkled throughout the track are wonderful little touches like whistling and what sounds like a triangle instrument. I love the exuberant anthemic choruses in which Mr Bewlay’s vocals are backed by lilting female voices.

The cheeky lyrics are directed toward a romantic partner, describing the singer’s feelings of passion and desire with equal amounts of naughty and nice:

I’ll be your cardiac arrest
Steal the focus of your breath
Last night we danced in silver rooms
Spinning you round the open lights
Drowning in my eyes
I’ll be your prophet divine
Scream your feelings to the sky
Cos’ honey I like you
Honey the taste of you

Now call my bluff
And fall into my arms

Start to lose your breath
Feel the world in our embrace
I kiss that part you said you like
Shockwave through your spine
Made you come into the room
The focus you instilled
Could push through ennui

All that it took
Was this icy moment's look
You cast a penetrating thought
Vibrations through the void
And every woman, every man
Had a spell cast on their minds
Throughout the globe

Now call my bluff
Fall into my arms
And all of my love
Falls to dust

Let me lay
Lie, in your honey
Let me lay
And lie, in your honey
All that it took was a momentary look

And here’s the song on Soundcloud:

Mr Bewlay’s Socials: Facebook / X / Instagram / TikTok

Find his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / YouTube 

HEALER – Single Review: “War”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews18 Comments

Hailing from Grimsby, England is HEALER, an alternative indie rock band comprised of Steve (lead vocals), Kirk (guitar), Dave (guitar), Tony (bass), and Jazz (drums). Since forming in 2022, the talented five-piece have already built a strong following in the British music scene on the strength of their outstanding songs and riveting live performances, as well as garnering recognition and airplay on BBC Music Introducing and Amazing Radio UK/USA. Since the release of their debut single “Hurricane” in December 2022, the busy guys have followed with seven more singles, two of which – “Bones“ and “Wake Me Up” – I’ve previously featured on this blog. “Bones” spent three months on my weekly top 30 and ranks #67 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list.

Photo by  Misha Warren

Their songs explore themes of love, loss, and hope, wrapped in infectious melodies and beautiful arrangements, and delivered with ace instrumentation and Steve’s wonderful distinctive vocals that make HEALER’s songs immediately identifiable as theirs and no one else’s. This is nicely showcased by their latest single “War”, released on June 21st. Though my initial impression was that the song describes a person’s devotion to their partner or loved one, and that they’d go to war to defend and protect them, I reached out to the band to see if I was even close in my interpretation. Lead singer and songwriter Steve responded with an eloquent explanation that I’ll just quote in full:

“The meaning of war can be different for every person. Being a hero for instance could be as large as a soldier in the grand scheme of things, but individual people just enduring the repetition of everyday life and work can make them a hero in their own story. To the characters that walk, their own story arcs with them. I do what I do for my sons and my partner and you will do what you do for somebody or something; it doesn’t make any one of our struggles or efforts bigger or smaller than the other because they exist by themselves within our own little worlds. I would do anything for my family and that is what war is about, and my family started with the girl I reference in the song. The line from the song that sums it all up is ‘I’ve given all I have to give you but I could always find some more’. Even when we have nothing left we will always get up and go out and do whatever we have to do for our kids or the people we need to support.“

“War” starts off slowly, with Steve’s warm, vulnerable vocals accompanied by a gently-strummed guitar. Twenty seconds in, the song expands into a beautiful rock song with colorful guitars, Tony’s thumping bass and Jazz’s spirited drumbeats, Steve’s vocals growing more impassioned along with the music. Kirk and Dave’s dual guitars are a gorgeous mix of jangly and twangy chords, nicely complemented by Jazz’s wildly crashing cymbals. The guitar riff in the anthemic chorus is fantastic, and one of the finest, most memorable hooks I’ve heard in a while, boring itself into our brains, but in a good way. With “War”, the guys have another hit on their hands.

HEALER always makes interesting and compelling videos for their songs, and the one for “War” is no exception. The heartwarming video, shot by the photography and cinematography team of Lola and Joel, was filmed on location at several local sites, including The Number 1 Pub in Cleethorpes, Transpennine Express in Grimsby and Cleethorpes Stations, and Andy’s Seafoods in Grimsby, and stars Lisa February, Thomas Humphreys, David Snook and Andrew Crane.


Upcoming Healer Shows:

July 6 –DocksFest, Cleethorpes (withLottery Winners, Feeder, Frank Turner & Razorlight)

July 25 –BelladrumTartan Heart Festival, Inverness (with Ocean Colour Scene & Jake Bugg)

July 27 –Scartho Fest, Grimsby

September 20 –Heal Fest, Shrewsbury (with Embrace, The Farm, Tom Meighan)

Healer Socials: Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok

Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / YouTube / Pandora

OLI BARTON – Single Review: “You Just Played My Mind”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews6 Comments

Anyone having even a cursory knowledge of the music industry knows that the UK is blessed with a plethora of talented music artists and bands, ranging from legendary acts to independent ones known  only to a local following, and everything in between. One of my personal favorites is London-based singer-songwriter Oli Barton, an exceptionally talented and creative guy who’s been making music for nearly eight years, both as front man of his backing band the Movement, and more recently as a solo artist. Oli’s music, released via his independent label Coke & Dagger Records, has been featured many times on BBC Radio, and he’s supported such acts as Starsailor, Kid Kapichi, and Baxter Dury. I’ve been following him since early 2017, and over the past seven years have featured him eight times on this blog, most recently in February when I reviewed his single “It’s Over Now”, which has become his most popular track in terms of streaming numbers. 

Photo by Alice Denny

His eccentric yet sophisticated style of alternative rock is a colorful mix of post-punk and psychedelia, fortified with touches of funk, pop and grunge, and I can honestly state that I’ve loved every single one of his songs. Five of them have appeared on my Weekly Top 30 charts – the provocative 2017 single “Kinky”, which went all the way to #1, as well as “44”, “Martyr”, “Just Like Always” and “Paid Off”, all of which reached the top 5. Now the dangerously charismatic charmer is back with “You Just Played My Mind“, which is also being released as a B-side to “It’s Over Now” in a limited edition 7-inch vinyl pressing of 100 copies. The vinyl copies, which will become available on September 24th, can be pre-ordered from his Website.

For recording of the song, Barton was joined by former bandmates Jamal Aggoun on guitar, Marco “Fuzz” Paone on bass and Josh Needham on drums, all of whom he complimented “I really wanted to make a more aggressive, gnarly track and I think the lads smashed it out here.” The track was produced by Alex O’ Donovan, who also played additional percussion, arranged and tracked by Jules Gulon, engineered by Luke Ferrero, mixed by Cenzo Townshend and Robert Sellens, and mastered by Barry Grint.

Drawing inspiration from doomed romances plagued by extreme incompatibility, Oli’s lyrics explore the conflicting emotions of two people who just don’t work together. “Well it’s been a while since I’ve seen a style that’s quite like yours./ Well the way you spoke, well it broke my heart. And you know that someday I’ll be calling you, and know that you just played my mind.”

Musically, the song is an exhilarating rock banger that’s every bit as good as “It’s Over Now”. I really like the opening dark and ominous reverb-drenched gnarly guitar riff, and how the song quickly explodes into a raging beast, courtesy of Jamal’s distorted guitars, Marco’s powerful driving bass and Josh’s explosive drums, before settling down to sultry verses, beautifully sung by Oli’s distinctive accented vocals that I adore. I’ve long admired the ace musicianship of the above-named musicians, but they really take things to the next level here. Jamal’s multi-textured guitar work is fantastic, and the strength and dexterity of Josh’s drumming are a thing of wonder. As always, Oli’s colorful vocals are incredibly satisfying, running the gamut from sensuous croons to spine-tingling impassioned wails. Also, I must compliment the engineers and producers who contributed their respective talents on this track for the outstanding clarity of the instrumentation and overall sound quality.

“You Just Played My Mind” is much more than your typical B-Side, and those who purchase the 7-inch vinyl copy will be getting two equally great songs in one package.

Oli Barton’s Socials:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok

Find his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / YouTube / Soundcloud

Top 30 Songs for June 23-29, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

The delightful “Burial Ground” by Portland, Oregon five-piece The Decemberists, featuring James Mercer, remains at #1 for a second week, and in fact, the top six songs on last week’s chart, including Hozier‘s “Too Sweet”, Glass Animals‘ “Creatures in Heaven”, Royel Otis‘ “Murder on the Dancefloor”, Bottlecap Mountain‘s “I’ve Got Loving For You” and Pearl Jam‘s “Wreckage” – all remain in place again this week. The beautiful “Panoramic View” by AWOLNATION moves up a spot to enter the top 10. The biggest upward mover this week is “High In Low Places” by Beach Weather, leaping nine spots to #12.

Two songs make their debut this week. The first is “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen. At first I dismissed this song, as I’m not a big fan of Country nor Morgan Wallen, but the song is just too damned catchy to resist. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has remained there five weeks and counting. This makes two songs by Post Malone on this chart, the other being “Fortnight”, his collaboration with Taylor Swift. The second new entry is “Vices”, a beautiful and uplifting track by California musician/producer 5ilas (aka Shane Roberts) and Canadian singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson, who’ve collaborated together on several songs. I reviewed the song when it came out last month. It’s Johnson’s third song to appear on my chart; her previous two – “Starts With You” and “Essence”, a collaboration with Danish producer/composer Refeci, both reached #1.

  1. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (1)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  3. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (3)
  4. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (4)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
  6. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (6)
  7. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (8)
  8. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (9)
  9. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (10)
  10. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (11)
  11. DILEMMA – Green Day (7) 
  12. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (21)
  13. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (15)
  14. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (20)
  15. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (17)
  16. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (18)
  17. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (19)
  18. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (24)
  19. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (22)
  20. TOO MUCH – girl in red (23)
  21. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (16)
  22. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (25)
  23. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (12)
  24. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (13)
  25. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (28)
  26. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (14)
  27. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (29)
  28. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (27)
  29. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (N)
  30. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (N)

Nicholas a. Milillo – Single Review: “Waking Life” feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella, and the voice of Tony Milillo

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews11 Comments

Nicholas a. Milillo (born Nicholas Pavoni) is a songwriter, electronic music composer and producer currently based in Nashville. He began writing and recording music as N Pa Productions when he was only 17 years old, and in 2007 he self-released his first albums Reality | a dream and Reality | a dream: The B-Side (neither of which are now available). Over the next couple of years, he collaborated with numerous vocalists and producers from different genres of music for the recording of his debut album Sight & Sound, as well as producing tracks for several artists. He was later signed to a couple of different London-based independent labels from 2010 to 2014, but in the years since has worked as a solo independent artist. In September 2013, he independently released his second studio album The Ghost Within: The Tale of Turmoil, an ambitious concept work involving at least 20 other songwriters and built around the main character and protagonist Turmoil (which I reviewed in 2021) as well as a separate EP Unorthodox. 

In late 2020, Nicholas began work on an autobiographical concept album to be titled Euphoric Absence, but due to some personal life struggles as well as recording and technical issues, its release has been pushed back to 2025. He released the first single from the album, “Nothing In Your Eyes” in December 2021, followed by the instrumental second single “Ambience of Sound and Motion” in August 2023. Now he returns with “Waking Life“, the third and final single he plans to release in advance of the album.

The song’s title and theme were inspired by the 2001 film Waking Life by Richard Linklater, along with the soundtrack itself (notably, “Ballad Part 3 and Ballad 4 – Parts 1 & 2”), as well as Nicholas’ own personal struggles. The track features lead and harmony vocals by Italian singer-songwriter Dee Wolf and Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and percussionist Bobby Jasso, electric guitar by Nicholas’ cousin Gabrielle Marella, and drum programming by Pennsylvania-based musician John Browne. Also featured are some carefully selected archival audio recordings of Nicholas and Gabrielle’s late grandfather Anthony “Tony” Milillo, Jr. from the late 1990s, with the audio being spliced up to form new phrases and cohesion within the narrative of the song.

Dee Wolf

Bobby Jasso

This is the third collaboration between Nicholas and Bobby Jasso, with the pair having previously worked together on “Life, At The Speed Love” (2009) from Nicholas’ debut album Sight & Sound, and Bobby providing additional vocals, and sampled vocals for “Sea of Darkness” (2013) from Nicholas’ second studio album The Ghost Within: The Tale of Turmoil.

Tony Milillo with infant Nicholas

Nicholas has fond memories of his grandfather, and wanted to pay homage to him in the song. He elaborates: “My grandfather and I have shared a similar path, sadly, with both of us ending up homeless during our lifetimes and ended up turning it out for ourselves. He went from being a compulsive gambler to president of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania. It’s a feat in and of itself; if I could only live up even to a tenth of the degree he has. He helped thousands of people, taking personal phone calls, doing seminars, you name it.” 

“Waking Life” was composed, written and produced by Nicholas, with additional lyrics by Bobby Jasso. The track was mixed and mastered by TomeKeeper Productions. Samples used in the track include archival audio of Tony Milillo were provided by The Legislative Report with Paul Clymer (1998), and selected lyrics from the 2008 Baumer song “Were It Not For You”, written by Nate Boykin (Baumer was an American indie rock band from South Carolina that was active from 2003-08). The cover art for the single, designed by Haiqa Ghazi, features a vintage childhood photo of Nicholas and Gabrielle:

About the song’s production and recording, Nicholas gives the following tribute: “I’m so proud and filled with anxiety about this official release. It’s taken me personally so long to get to this point and I just want to say thank you to Gabrielle Marella, my cousin for being here with me throughout all of this. Bobby Jasso for being the best collaborator and friend I could possibly ask for. Diletta (D Wolf) for being an incredible, kind, and awesome individual. You’ve elevated this in a way I could only dream. To Ian and Mark of TomeKeeper Productions, this would not be possible without you. I can’t thank you enough for seeing my vision and working it through to the end. I’m blown away by what you’ve done! Thank you!!!“

Well, I can firmly state that Nicholas and company have achieved their goal, and then some. Together, they’ve created a gorgeous and emotionally impactful song about the pain and disappointments that life can throw our way, as well as a plea for hope that things will get better. The song opens with a beautifully-strummed electric guitar riff by Gabrielle, which are soon joined by Bobby Jasso’s captivating plaintive vocals singing “What is this? This waking life.”

As Nicholas’ pulsating bassline and Baumer’s swirling synths enter the proceedings, we hear the spoken words of his late grandfather, adding a compelling solemnity to the track: “Struggle through the day. Is that our purpose? The denial that they sell you a fantasy. They sell you a dream, that dream sounds so appealing.” Bobby and Dee Wolf begin singing the first verse in perfect harmony, while the music builds with the addition of Gabrielle’s edgier guitar work, accompanied by assertive drums. Everything erupts into a thunderous anthemic crescendo in the chorus, with Bobby and Dee’s vocals rising to impassioned wails to match the explosive instrumentation, all of which creates a glorious and electrifying wall of sound that leaves me breathless.

Verse 1:
Lost in all this anger
Silence in this space
Reaching deep down
I’ve seen no hope throughout the day
Is that our purpose
Does time just pass us by
Does time just pass us by
(So tell me)

Chorus:
What is this waking life
And how are we to overcome (Can we find the answer)
Is there some notion
Within all this commotion

Verse 2:
What is this waking life?
What is this?
What is this waking life?

Things were better then
Things are always better when
Baby, you can say, “Those were the days”

A promotional video titled Waking Life: the Visual Experience, is planned for later release, possibly in August. A collaboration with the Psyn Agency and Haiqa Ghazi rotoscoping, the Visual Experience will feature animations of the archival video of Tony Millio, along with home video recordings, filmed by Nicholas, of his younger cousins J & B, as well as his cousin Gabrielle playing the guitar. The promotional video is a homage to Waking Life and Undone, a 2019 TV series.

Nicholas’ Socials:  X / Instagram

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube