Brian Lambert is an affable, thoughtful and talented singer-songwriter from Denton, Texas who refers to himself as a “Friendly Neighborhood Rock and Roller”, and is also one of the most prolific musicians I know of. When Covid put a halt to playing live, he challenged himself to writing, recording and producing a new song every week for a year, an ambitious feat he went on to accomplish in 2021. Since then, he’s continued his prodigious output, writing and recording numerous songs both as a solo artist and in collaboration with a host of other musicians, including his frequent musical partner Marc Schuster (with whom he also has a side band called The Star Crumbles).
His lively, eclectic sound runs the gamut from rock’n’roll, indie folk and garage rock to grunge, punk and synthpop. In addition to a dizzying array of singles, he also released a terrific album Wild in September 2023 and EP Everything’s a Business in June 2024. I’ve featured him many times on this blog, most recently this past January when I reviewed his single “Take This Heart“. Inspired by the 90’s music of some of his favorite bands like Soul Asylum, the Goo Goo Dolls and Better Than Ezra, “Take This Heart” is a smoldering, foot-stomping garage rock banger of a love song. Brian wrote the music and lyrics, played all instruments and self-produced the track. I love it, and am pleased to finally place it at the top of my latest chart.
Entering the top 10 are “The Night Before” by The Black Keys, “Straight to the Ground” by Northern-Ireland rock act Unquiet Nights, and “Walls” by English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua, at #s 8, 9 & 10, respectively.
There are two new additions this week, the first of which is “Basic Being Basic” by Djo, the music project of American actor Joseph David Keery, known for his roles as Steve Harrington in the Netflix series Stranger Things and Gator Tillman in the fifth season of the crime drama series Fargo. The song is from his third album The Crux, which was released April 4th. His sleeper hit song “End of Beginning”, which went viral on TikTok and has been streamed over 1.4 billion times on Spotify, spent 15 weeks in my Top 30 last year, and ranks #43 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. Djo is about to embark on a 36-date tour of the U.S. and Europe that will start in Salt Lake City on April 21st.
The second new entry, debuting at #30, is “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)” by Irish alternative indie rock band Somebody’s Child, fronted by the charismatic singer-songwriter Cian Godfrey. The beautiful song is from their wonderful second album When Youth Fades Away, released on March 28th, and accompanied by an endearing video showing Godfrey singing and dancing to the song in London’s Waterloo Station. I don’t normally include videos for other songs on my charts other than the one at #1, but this one’s so charming I want to share it.
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (3)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (1)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (4)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (5)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (7)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (2)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (6)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (13)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (11)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (12)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (10)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (9)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (14)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (16)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (17)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (18)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (19)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (8)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (22)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (23)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (24)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (27)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (15)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (26)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (28)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (20) 19th week on chart
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (21)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely (25) 21st week on chart
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (N)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (N)
It’s been a while since my last edition of Fresh New Tracks, as I haven’t much felt like writing given the ever-worsening onslaught of mendacity and horrors issuing from America’s insanely corrupt leadership. But with so much great new music being released, it’s time for another installment in my series. Today I’m featuring deeply compelling songs by four singer-songwriters, in alphabetical order – English composer and producer Paris Alexander, Texas-based Keelan Donovan, Los Angeles-based David Haerle, and Welsh artist Secret Postal Society. I’ve previously featured Paris Alexander and Secret Postal Society many times on this blog, whereas Keelan Donovan and David Haerle are new to me.
Paris Alexander – “Ride to Heartbreak”
Photo by Karim Hamid
Hailing from Brighton, England is Paris Alexander, a creative and talented singer-songwriter, composer and producer of electronic music. He’s been a long time collaborator with his life partner, British singer-songwriter, producer and muse Tina Eirene, as well as Norwegian coldwave/post-punk artist Antipole, with whom he co-wrote, produced and sang vocals/played synths on five albums together (two of which, Northern Flux in 2017 and Crystalline in 2023, I reviewed). In 2021, I also reviewed Paris & Tina’s wonderful album Renaissance, which they co-wrote and co-produced. Now Paris is back with a new single “Ride to Heartbreak“, which was co-written and co-produced with Tina, and recorded, mixed and mastered at his Blue Door Music Studios in Brighton.
The song is a darkly beautiful and mesmerizing coldwave gem, with mysterious, almost otherworldly synths layered over a hypnotic pulsating beat. Paris’ ethereal whispered vocals are at once both seductive and melancholy, backed by Tina’s soft, breathy croons, as they sing about the sadness associated with the passing of time and missed opportunities: “Sadness touches my soul, for what was meant to be has gone astray. Time said too late as I gave you a chance. Sadness is the mourning for many times have passed.”
Keelan Donovan – “The Influence”
Photo from Keelan’s Facebook account
Born and raised in Maine and now based in Austin, Texas via Nashville, singer-songwriter Keelan Donovan has been releasing music for the past decade as both a solo artist and under his indie pop alter-ego Mr. Irrelevant. His songs span across genres, encompassing everything from pop, singer-songwriter and indie rock to Americana, country and folk. His 2018 single “Like a Radio” has been streamed over 2.6 million times on Spotify alone. I learned about him recently when he reached out to me about his new single “The Influence“, which he describes as “a raw, confessional song about the quiet grip of alcohol, the weight of inherited struggles, and the fear of what we pass down to our kids.” He co-wrote the song with Canadian-born and now Nashville-based country singer-songwriter Tenille Townes, and it was produced by Kevin Kadish.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Keelan eloquently articulated his reason for writing the song: “I wrote ‘The Influence’ because I have two boys who are always watching me. Learning not just from what I say, but from what I do. That’s a beautiful thing and also terrifying. It forces me to hold a mirror up to myself every single day. The way I handle stress, how I treat people, how I talk about myself, the habits I lean on…especially my drinking…they’re picking it all up. It’s about wanting to break cycles but sometimes slipping anyway. We all fuck up as parents. A lot. And that’s okay. It’s about guilt, grace, and the deep hope that love is louder than our flaws. One of the things I’ve struggled with is using alcohol to cope, to numb, to unwind. and sometimes I wonder what kind of message that sends. What they’ll remember. What they’ll carry with them. This song is rooted in that quiet fear. What if the parts of me I haven’t healed become the parts they inherit? I’m still figuring it out. And sometimes the shame of falling short makes it even harder to get back up. I’m learning in real time how to be the kind of man I want them to look up to. Not a perfect one. Just an honest one.”
The song has a pleasing indie folk-pop vibe in the vein of songs by Noah Kahan, Wilderado and Mumford & Sons. In fact, Keelan’s vocals remind me of Noah Kahan as he sings “If forgiveness is a virtue, a little sin, it never hurts you. It feels good to get drunk once in a while. Is it bad? It’s probably bad, but I’m doing the best I can.”
David Haerle – “To Dance On Sands (Ode to Marta Becket)”
Photo from David’s Facebook account
David Haerle is a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles who blends rock, folk, and Americana to tell heartfelt stories inspired by his life experiences and observations of the people and places that surround him. From what I can tell, he’s released a fair amount of music since 2017, including three albums – Garden of Edendale in 2018, Death Valley in 2020 and El Camino Sierra in 2023. His music has been featured in many notable music publications including Billboard, American Songwriter, Goldmine, Under The Radar, Glide Magazine and Rock and Roll Globe, to name just a few. On his latest single “To Dance On Sands (Ode To Marta Becket),” David pays tribute to American actress, dancer, choreographer and painter Marta Becket, who left an indelible mark on California arts culture. She performed for more than four decades at her own theater, the Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction. She gave her first performance in February 1968, and continued to perform until 2012. She passed away in 2017 at the age of 92.
Born in 1924 in New York City, Marta was later traveling with her husband on her way to an engagement in 1967 when, due to a flat tire, she ended up in the tiny desert hamlet of Death Valley Junction, where she discovered a small abandoned theater in a community center built in the 1920s. Immediately charmed by the small town, she decided to stay and restore the theater, which she renamed the Amargosa Opera House, for her own performances. In 1970, reporters from National Geographic happened upon her performing a show to no audience, and, with the help of a story in that publication and another in Life Magazine, Marta took on a degree of notoriety. David elaborates: “I had an awareness of Ms. Becket as I am a regular visitor to Death Valley, but it was upon reading her [autobiography To Dance on Sands] and learning her story more fully that she became an artistic hero to me. Though her art was dance, choreography and painting and mine music, Ms. Becket represents a pinnacle of artistic courage to me. A true beacon and role model for what it can mean to follow, express and fulfill one’s artistic vision, impulses and ambitions.”
The track was written by David and produced alongside co-producer/mixer/engineer and frequent collaborator Jose Salazar. David sang lead vocals and played electric and acoustic rhythm guitars, along with Carson Cohen (bass, backing vocals), Reade Pryor (drums, percussion), Ken Belcher (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals), and Jose Salazar (keyboards). To accompany his lovely Americana song, David has created a wonderful video to honor Marta’s legacy. Opening with scenes of him directed and shot by Michael Pottle, the video also features footage from Amargosa, the Emmy award-winning 2000 documentary film about Marta by Todd Robinson.
Secret Postal Society – “Scars”
Photo by Barry Hill
Welsh artist Secret Postal Society is the music project of hard-working and talented singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone. He’s also thoughtful, generous and kind, and though we’ve never met in person, I’m quite fond of him on both a personal and professional level. We’ve been following each other on social media since early 2021, and I’ve written about him and his music several times over the past four years, most recently last month when I reviewed his EP Embrace the Fear, a collaboration he did with fellow Welsh singer-songwriter Guy Challenger to help raise funds for a UK youth suicide prevention charity. Also, his beautiful single “Autumn Leaves” recently spent more than four months on my Top 30 chart, where it peaked at #3. Now he’s back with his follow-up single “Scars“, which dropped April 15th via Lonely Bear Records. The heartwarming song was written, performed and recorded by Craig, and mastered by his frequent collaborator Brandon Green of Texas indie rock band Formerly Misinformed.
About “Scars”, Craig stated it’s “about how we all have our own scars – whether they are physical or emotional scars – that can affect us in dierent ways, but with love, understanding and support we can learn to accept that these scars have made us who we are and we can start to heal and love ourselves. Musically, ‘Scars’ was influenced by the French cafe jazz music of the 1960s, with its accordion, lush string arrangement and hypnotic acoustic guitar arpeggio.” His musical arrangements and instrumentation are always first-rate, and “Scars” is no exception. And though Craig’s vocals are generally understated, they’re always honest and heartfelt, conveying a deep sensitivity as he sings “Your broken heart, it’s in two. And I know it’s going to take some time to mend but I will wait. And see it through with you. I’ll be the constant constellation you can hang your hope on to to heal your scars.”
The Bandcamp release also includes an exclusive acoustic mix of the song.
Not many changes to my latest Top 30, as Fake Empire‘s “Imposter Syndrome” holds onto the #1 spot for a second week, and there are no new debuts this week. Sam Fender moves into second place with hs touching “People Watching”, while Texas-based singer-songwriter Brian Lambert moves up two spots with his sultry rocker “Take This Heart”. “Without A Doubt” by Kentucky-based “No Wave Post Punk” rock band Charm School enters the top 10.
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (1)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (3)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (5)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (6)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (7)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (8)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (9)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (2)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (4)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (11)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (13)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (14)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (16)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (15)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (10)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (18)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (19)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (21)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (22)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (12)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (17)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (25)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (26)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (27)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely (23) 20th week on chart
What a horrific week it’s been in America – and around the world, quite frankly – as our delusional, ignorant psychopath of a president precipitated a global financial meltdown with his pointless and insane tariffs, not to mention all his other illegal and incompetent actions. Be that as it may, at least we have lots of great music to drown our sorrows in, and my latest Top 30 is so good that every song belongs in the top five.
The darkly beautiful “Imposter Syndrome” by English alt-rock band Fake Empire dethrones Teddy Swims as it takes over the top spot this week. I loved it at first listen, and it continues to strongly resonate with me every time I hear it. I love the lush, haunting synths and The Cure-esque jangly guitars set to an enthralling beat and accompanied by arresting vocals. It’s the perfect song for sitting back with headphones and letting yourself be enveloped by its gorgeous soundscapes. To my mind, the lyrics seem to be about living lives that are inauthentic and controlled by other sociopolitical and cultural forces, leaving us acting like sheep, unable to be our true selves or even know who we really are: “Imposter syndrome. You’re sinking like a stone. How can you live when your life is not your own? Our lives are not our own.” Based in the south of England, Fake Empire consists of Simon Brookes, Les Black and Becky Bellinger, who together have been putting out music since 2017, all in the form of singles which now number 20 in total.
The beautiful anthem “People Watching” by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender moves up a notch to #3 this week. Included on his third studio album People Watching, which dropped February 21st, Fender wrote the song as a tribute to his friend and mentor Annie Orwin, who passed away last November. Describing her as being like a surrogate mother to him, he drew inspiration from his walks to and from the care home where she was a patient. He remained by her side at the end, sleeping on a chair next to her bed. He explained on his social media: “It’s kind of ironic because she was the one that gave me the confidence to go on stage, and always used to be like ‘why haven’t you mentioned my name in your acceptance speech’. But now an entire song (and album) connects to her. I hope that wherever she is now she’s looking down saying ‘about time kid’“. Fender co-produced the song and album in Los Angeles with Markus Dravs and Adam Granduciel of the American rock band the War on Drugs.
“Same Old Song” by Denver-based alterntive folk band The Lumineers finally enters the top 10 at #8, as well as “Time Waited” by American rock band My Morning Jacket at #9 and “Who’s a Fraud?” by English band Still Traffico, at #10. Debuting this week are songs by two long-time favorite acts of mine, the first of which is the beautiful “Laredo” by Texas-based singer-songwriter Leon Bridges. It’s the second single from his latest album Leon, which was released last October, and follows “Peaceful Place” which spent four weeks at #1 on my chart last fall. The second debut is “Barbarian” by L.A.-based alt-rock band AWOLNATION, from their sixth album The Phantom Five, which dropped last October. The song follows their previous single “Panoramic View” which spent 21 weeks on my chart last summer & fall, 12 of them in the top 10, and peaked at #3.
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (3)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (1)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (4)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (2)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (5)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (6)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (8)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (11)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (14)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (12)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (13)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (7)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (15)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (16)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (17)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (18)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (9)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (19)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (20)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (10)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (22)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (25)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (21)
Taylor DeRousse is a talented and lovely singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from the Detroit area with an impressive resume. I first learned about her in January and featured her and her single “Growing Up Is Scary” in a Fresh New Tracks post. But to reiterate, the highly accomplished young lady not only writes, sings and records her own original songs, she also owns a music school and studio called Tailored Harmonies Music Co, plus has a B.A. degree in Music with an emphasis in Piano Performance, as well as an MBA. According to her website, she’s been teaching music in a variety of capacities since 2014, including as a private music instructor, studio music teacher, group class instructor, middle school art & music teacher, theatre vocal coach, and collegiate music tutor. While her primary instruments are piano, guitar, and voice, she also plays the ukulele, violin, mandolin, and bass guitar.
Inspired by artists like Alanis Morissette, Phoebe Bridgers, Stevie Nicks and Carole King, Taylor writes pleasing indie pop-rock songs featuring relatable lyrics about life, love and loss. She released her first single “Pins and Needles” in 2020, and last September (2024), she began dropping a series of singles which culminated in the release of her debut album Running Back To Me on March 28th. One of those singles was “Death Of Me“, a quietly intense and emotionally powerful song about a broken romantic relationship that she originally released last November.
Today she releases a poignant new video that brings the track to life (no pun intended). Directed and produced by Secret Park Creative, the video shows a forlorn Taylor going through the motions of trying to do chores at a bar where she works while singing the bittersweet lyrics about how the hurt and pain of the failed relationship has left her feeling broken and shattered. As she recalls painful moments in the relationship, along with signs that he was toxic for her, she expresses how it will be the death of her. But by song’s end, she comes to realize that she’s stronger than she’d imagined, and that she refuses to allow him or the pain he’s caused to be the death of her after all. The still-intact mirror on the ground at the end of the vido indicates that she’s no longer broken.
Isn’t it funny how When you asked me out I hesitated and you came back jaded it ain’t life or death girl it’s only a date Don't you think its funny how Looking back now We always said Romeo, Juliet Guess I didn’t know, that you’d be my last breath
Everything is muffled now Midnight on the phone screaming how you’d rather kill me than try at all Red wine stain on the carpet floor Should've gone to bed but I’ll have one more Cause you’d rather use me than feel at all Now I know, This alone, Might be the death of me
I didn’t think, on the day that I met you I’d be writing the will, for the girl that was left in me Give it a few years, surely that’s all you needed You carved out my heart, only then I conceded
Everything is darker now Ghosts and past lives reminding me how you'd rather kill me than try at all Talk is cheap but you held true, 6 feet under now I know there’s no getting over you Now I know, this alone, will be the death of me
So dig a hole, and don’t bother with flowers, write here lies the girl, who gave too much to others Dig a hole, and don’t look behind you, here stands the girl Who’s had enough of you
Everything is over now The ghost of you don't hang around Cause i’d rather kill you Than lose it all Now I know This being alone Won't be the death of me
I think Georgia-based singer-songwriter Teddy Swims (born Jaten Collin Dimsdale) is one of the finest vocalists around today. Influenced by the soul music of artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Al Green his father had introduced him to as a child, he creates powerful, highly relatable songs blending a range of genres, including soul, country, pop and alternative rock. His beautiful song “Bad Dreams”, from his second album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2) released in January, takes over the top spot on my latest Top 30 chart.
He wrote the song after experiencing sleepless nights with recurring nightmares, but wanted it to be upbeat rather than maudlin. Inspired by his current wife, he wrote about how her love helps comfort and heal him: “Slippin into bad dreams, where there’s no you and I. No sound when I cry. I love you and I need you to set me free from all of these bad dreams.” In addition to Swims’ raw, soulful vocals, I love the sublime melody and charming ukelele played throughout. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart, #7 on the Adult Top 40 chart, and #42 on the Hot 100. It’s Swims’ second song to reach #1 on my chart, after “Lose Control” in February of last year. His single “The Door” spent two weeks at #4 in November.
In other chart news of note, “Imposter Syndrome” by English alternative rock band Fake Empire advances two spots to #3. Even though the song runs 7:45 minutes in length, those The Cure and Depeche Mode-like musical elements sound so good I don’t want it to end. Also climbing three spots are “People Watching” by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender, “Take This Heart” by Texas singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, and “Rushmere” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, to #s 4, 5 & 6, respectively. The beautiful “Time Waited” by American indie rock band My Morning Jacket is the biggest upward mover this week, jumping 11 spots to #14.
And for the third week in a row there are two debut songs, the first of which is “Ankles” by Virginia-born and now L.A.-based singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus. The sweet, endearing song is from her wonderful fourth album Forever Is A Feeling, which dropped this past Friday, March 28th. Dacus is also a member of supergroup boygenius, which she formed in 2018 with Phoebe Bridgers and her current life partner Julien Baker.
The second debut, entering at #30, is the boisterous garage-blues rocker “Archbishop Harold Holmes” by Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jack White. From his sixth studio album No Name, released last July (2024), the song is a critique of religious fundamentalism, particularly those who see themselves as vessels of God entrusted with saving people for their own selfish gain. According to the music website GENIUS, “The song is written in the form of a junk letter one might get in the mail from some religious organization (expressed by the opening lyrics “Dear friend. If you want to feel better, don’t let the devil make you toss this letter“). The lyrics invoke that of preaching, but are also in the style of as-seen-on-tv advertising as well as references to internet chain mail and pyramid schemes.”
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (2)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (1)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (5)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (7)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (8)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (9)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (3)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (10)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (4)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (6)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (13)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (12)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (14)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (25)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (17)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (18)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (19)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (20)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (21)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (22)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (15)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (24)
AFTER ALL – Darksoft (23)
SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (11)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (29)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (16) 19th week on chart
“So Cold” by Balu Brigada, the music project of multi-instrumentalist and writer/producer brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley, is still my favorite song and thus remains at #1 on my Top 30 chart for a third week. Moving into second place is the captivating “Bad Dreams” by Teddy Swims (aka American singer-songwriter Jaten Collin Dimsdale), while the darkly beautiful “Imposter Syndrome” by English alternative rock band Fake Empire moves up three spots to #5. Nashville band extraordinaire Cage the Elephant enter the top 10 with “Metaverse”, a great track from their latest album Neon Pill.
Two songs enter my chart this week, the first of which is the magical “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish band Fontaines D.C., who’ve become one of my favorite acts. Their song “Starburster” was my #1 song of 2024, with “Favourite” ranking #8, both from their most recent album Romance, which was also my favorite album of 2024. As a now old man, I can attest to the fact that being young is most definitely amazing! The second debut is “Poor Sad Indie Everything” by Maryland-based shoegaze/indie rock band Icarus Phoenix. I featured the gorgeous song on a recent Fresh New Tracks post, and I absolutely love band frontman Drew Danburry’s enchanting vocals.
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (1)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (4)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (2)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (3)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (8)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (5)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (7)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (9)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (10)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (12)
SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (6)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (14)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (15)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (18)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (16)
Charismatic duo Balu Brigada‘s wonderful “So Cold” remains at #1 for a second week, while “You’re My Drug” by one of my favorite indie artists, Northern Virginia-based Talk in Waves, moves up a notch into second place. Two songs enter the top 10 this week – the sensuous, bluesy rocker “Take This Heart” by another favorite indie artist of mine, Texas-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Brian Lambert, at #9, and the exuberant foot-stomper “Rushmere” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, at #10.
Debuting this week are the introspective and lovely “Time Waited” by American indie rock band My Morning Jacket, at #29. Formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998, the band currently consists of founding members Jim James (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Tom Blankenship (bass), as well as Patrick Hallahan (drums & percussion), Bo Koster (keyboards, percussion & backing vocals), and Carl Broemel (lead guitar, pedal steel, saxophone & backing vocals). Their gorgeous single “Feel You” went to #1 on my Top 30 and ranks #6 on my list of 100 Best Songs of 2020. Entering at #30 is the hauntingly beautiful “Snakeskin” by English artist NAVE, the music project of the hyper-talented and thoughtful singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Nathan Evans, who I’ve featured several times on this blog, most recently last month when I reviewed his album X. “Snakeskin” is his second song to appear on my Top 30, the first being “Broken Record”, which went to #1 and ranks #14 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (1)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (3)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (2)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (5)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (4)
SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (8)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (9)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (10)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (13)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (14)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (6)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (16)
DETROIT – Badflower (7)
WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (15)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (17)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (11)
I have a great Top 30 chart to share this week, as in addition to a marvelous new #1 song and four new entries, several of my favorite indie artists are represented here, which always makes me happy.
Alternative pop-rock act Balu Brigada is the music project of multi-instrumentalist and writer/producer brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley. Originally from Auckland, New Zealand but based in New York City since 2022, the band formed in 2016 as a four-piece but now consists of the charismatic Beasley brothers, along with Jackson Boswell on drums. Though they’ve been putting out music since 2016 – they released their first singles “Ricochet” and “Weekend” that year, followed by more singles and a 10-track EP Almost Feel Good Mixtape in 2019, a 7-track EP I Should Be Home in 2022, and a 6-track EP Find A Way in 2023 – it wasn’t until late 2024 that I learned about them when their song “So Cold” appeared on the Billboard Alternative charts. The song was released way back in June 2024, and later included on their compilation EP BALU, which came out two months later.
Balu Brigada had the good fortune to open for Twenty One Pilots on their Clancy World Tour, which exposed them to a much wider audience. The tour ran in North America from mid-August to mid-October 2024, Australia and New Zealand in November 2024 and Latin America in January and February of this year. They will also be joining Twenty One Pilots on their Europe & UK run of the tour from April-May 2025. On March 5th, the guys made their debut appearance on American television, giving an electrifying performance of “So Cold” on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. The exuberant earworm is my new current favorite song, dethroning Twenty One Pilots from the top spot!
Entering the top 10 are “People Watching” by English alternative pop-rock singer-songwriter Sam Fender and the captivating “Imposter Syndrome” by English alternative rock band Fake Empire, at #s 9 and 10, respectively.
Four newish songs make their debut on this week’s chart, beginning with the beautiful “Bad Larry” by northwest Indiana stoner emo band Cloakroom, which I learned about from fellow blogger Christian when he featured the act on his blog Christian’s Music Musings. I love those twangy guitars, and their sound reminds me a bit of Lord Huron. The song is from their latest album Last Leg of the Human Table. Next up is another song I learned about through Christian, the gorgeous “Mortal Wound” by British indie rock band The Veils, entering at #28. The song is from their seventh and latest album Asphodels, released on January 24th.
Coming in at #29 is the enchanting “After All” by Maine-based dream rock act Darksoft, which I featured last month in a Fresh New Tracks post. His music is always sumptuous and pleasing and his vocals ethereal and soothing, and I’ve loved every single one of his songs. His single “You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do”, from his beautiful fourth album Beigeification, ranks #71 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list. “After All” is from his seventh album Rationalism, which dropped February 21st. Last, but certainly not least, is the uplifting and boisterous “The Turnaround” by Philadelphia power pop trio DelCobras, a new band comprised of Jim Lorino (lead vocals, guitar & synths), Marc Schuster (bass & vocals) and Nick Cervini (drums). I featured the rousing anthem of self redemption in another Fresh New Tracks post.
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (2)
THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (1)
YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (4)
SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (6)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (7)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (3)
DETROIT – Badflower (5)
SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (9)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (12)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (13)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (8)
Welsh indie artists Secret Postal Society and Guy Challenger have teamed up to create a wonderful little EP titled Embrace The Fear to help raise funds for the UK youth suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS. The EP contains four tracks consisting of two songs – “Embrace” by Guy Challenger and “The Fear” by Secret Postal Society, along with alternate versions of each song recorded by the other artist.
Secret Postal Society is the music project of singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone. In addition to being a hard-working and talented musician and songwriter, Craig is also thoughtful, generous and kind, and I’m quite fond of him on both a personal and professional level. He was fairly active in the South Wales music scene, writing songs and playing in various local bands for several years, primarily as a drummer. But like every other musician, when the Covid pandemic hit in 2020 he was stuck at home with a lot of time on his hands, so late that year, he decided to focus on his music. He created Secret Postal Society as his outlet, and challenged himself to write, record and release a new original song for every week of 2021. Amazingly, he achieved his goal, ultimately putting out 53 songs, including two Christmas-themed tracks, along with a video to accompany each single, as well as original artwork for each month’s four-track bundle! (I wrote about this herculean effort here.)
Once that monumental effort was finished, he took over as host of the Welsh Connections Playlist radio show for a couple of years, and along with his friends Mike Kennedy and Kaysha Louvain, created TIWN Media and TIWN PR & Plugging, which also produces and monthly magazine featuring news, reviews and articles about independent artists from Wales and beyond. He now works for Mental Health First Aid Wales and continues to release music as Secret Postal Society, both as a solo act and in collaboration with other artists. His beautiful single “Autumn Leaves” has spent the past three months on my Top 30 chart, and currently sits at #3.
Photo by Barry Hill
Guy Challenger is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Swansea. Largely inspired by the works of Daniel Johnston, Guy creates sublime, often melancholic acoustic songs touching on issues like emotional well-being and mental health. A prolific artist as well, he’s released a lot of music over the past few years, including a 24-track album Appearances this past December, two EPs earlier in the year, and an album Patina in 2023. As if all that weren’t enough, he also plays drums with Swansea garage rock band The Vandrells.
Photo by Adam
The first track on the EP is Secret Postal Society’s recording of “Embrace“, which originally appeared on Guy’s 2023 album Patina. This SPS version is languid and atmospheric, with a somewhat melancholy feel, and more than twice as long as Guy’s original. And whereas Guy’s version features primarily acoustic guitar, Craig employs gentle droning synths accompaned by a crisp percussive beat and jangly guitar notes, punctuated with some terrific rock guitar riffs. He injects a few muted shouts at one point into his smooth vocal delivery, which creates a nice bit of tension as he sings “Does everybody feels like this? Does everybody lie with the devil? If everybody feels like this, why don’t we all cry out as one?/ We’re helpless and we’re desperate. But I’ll try to tie all of this together, and embrace the bad weather.”
Guy has also recorded a new version of his wonderful original, which now sounds more vibrant with the addition of what sounds like subtle string synths accompanying his urgently-strummed acoustic guitar. His lovely vocals are filled with emotion as he sings his heartfelt lyrics about letting go of our fears and trying to find some peace of mind amid the chaos.
Secret Postal Society’s “The Fear” was originally released in September 2021 and has been remixed and remastered by Brandon Green, a Texas-based musician and producer he’s collaborated with several times. (Brandon mastered all four tracks on the EP.) His version is a compelling, guitar-driven pop/rock song about the challenges of maintaining honest and open communication in a relationship, expressed in the poignant lyrics: “Ask me no questions, I’ll tell you no lies. I’ll give you the answers in my own time. I thought I was ready, I guess that I was wrong. But nobody’s perfect, just look in their eyes. We all play our part in the great disguise. I wanted to hide, but I found my mask was gone. As I lay here it’s taking me over./ Again I feel the fear building up all around me in here.” Craig is a terrific guitarist, and I love his spirited riffs throughout the track.
Guy reimagines the song in his own acoustic style, giving it a totally different but equally marvelous treatment. His beautiful guitar work, an intricate combination of strumming and finger-picking techniques, is positively sublime. His plaintive vocals nicely convey the wrenching emotions expressed in Craig’s lyrics.
In their press release for the Embrace The Fear, the guys explain: “The overall message of the EP is to follow your heart, listen to the goodness in the world and bloom in adversity by not letting the difficulties of the past stop you from achieving your potential. Embrace those fears, forgive those fears, let those fears go. Then forge ahead stronger, confident and fearless.” I think it’s pretty brilliant how Craig and Guy have combined their two songs into a coherent and relatable narrative, and for a great cause no less!
Embrace The Fear is available for download on Bandcamp through Rushed Records, with 100% of the proceeds going to the charity PAPYRUS, one of the leading youth suicide prevention charities in the UK. Their suicide prevention helpline, HOPELINE274, is staffed by trained suicide prevention advisers, who work with young people – and anybody concerned for a young person – to help keep them safe from suicide.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 