Photo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney by Larry Niehues
“No Rain, No Flowers” by The Black Keys holds onto the top spot for a third week, while the equally infectious “Feels Right” by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Talk in Waves moves into second place. “Back to Friends” by sombr racks up its 13th week in my top 10, three of them spent at #1.
Two songs make their debut this week, starting with the wonderful “Metal” by New Zealand indie pop-rock band The Beths. Formed in Auckland in 2014, the band’s lineup includes lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes, guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck. The lead single from their fourth and latest album Straight Line Was A Lie – released this past Friday, August 29th – “Metal” is their first single to chart in the U.S., currently sitting at #10 on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart. I love the lively melody and jangly guitars!
My second new entry is “Everyday Magic” by Louisville, Kentucky-based My Morning Jacket, whose music is a glorious blend of indie, alternative and psychedelic rock, country, Americana and Southern rock. Formed in 1998, the band presently consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Koster. The delightful “Everyday Magic” is from their tenth and latest album is, which dropped this past March. Another track from that album, “Time Waited”, topped my chart in May. “Everyday Magic” is currently #1 on the Billboard AAA chart, which is a major influence on my own chart.
NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (1)
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (3)
THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (2)
MOODY – Royel Otis (4)
LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (7)
LONDON TOWN – Healer (8)
SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (9)
BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (6)
RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (5)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (10)
JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (12)
UNDRESSED – sombr (13)
ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (14)
BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (15)
POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (16)
TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (17)
FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (18)
BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (19)
BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (11)
LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (23)
UNRAVELLING – Muse (24)
AFTERLIFE – Alex G (26)
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (27)
Photo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney by Larry Niehues
Last week’s top ten songs remain in place again this week, with a bit of shuffling here and there. The Black Keys top my chart for a second week with “No Rain, No Flowers”, while “The Contract” by Twenty One Pilots holds at #2 again after a two-week run at #1. “Feels Right” by northern Virginia singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Talk in Waves moves up a spot to secure the third place ranking.
We have three new debuts, two of which are by legendary alt-rock favorites, and another by one of my favorite Canadian indie artists. Entering at #28 is “Ensenada” by American ska punk band Sublime, who originally formed way back in 1988 in Long Beach, California and consisted of Bradley Nowell (vocals and guitar), Bud Gaugh (drums) and Eric Wilson (bass). Over their eight-year run, Sublime released three studio albums, a live album, five compilation albums, three EPs, one box set and six singles, three of which – “What I Got”, “Santeria” and “Wrong Way” – have remained longtime alt-rock radio staples. The band disbanded after singer Bradley Nowell’s death from a heroin overdose in 1996 but subsequently reformed in 2023 with Bradley’s son Jakob Nowell singing lead vocals alongside original band members Wilson and Gaugh. Their latest single “Ensenada”, released July 18th, carries on with the band’s original signature sound, almost as if no time has passed.
Coming in at #29 is “my mind is a mountain” by American alternative metal band Deftones. Also formed in 1988, in Sacramento, California (where I lived from 1989-1994), they originally consisted of frontman Chino Moreno (lead vocals), Stephen Carpenter (lead guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums) and Chi Cheng (bass). Frank Delgado later joined the band as keyboardist and turntablist in 1999. Cheng, who was seriously injured in an auto accident in 2008 and subsequently died in 2013, was replaced on bass by Sergio Vega, who remained with the band until early 2021. Deftones have released 10 studio albums, four EPs, three compilation albums, five demo albums, 32 music videos and 25 singles. Though none of their songs have ever made the Billboard Hot 100, several have appeared on the Alternative and Rock charts. On July 10th, they released “my mind is a mountain”, the lead single from their 10th and latest album private music (which dropped this past Friday, August 22nd), their first new music since their 2020 album Ohms. With the intensely heavy and melodic “my mind is a mountain”, it’s clear Deftones haven’t lost a step and I’m really liking the new album as well.
Last but certainly not least is “Hornets” by British Columbia-based Western Jaguar, the music project of the personable and talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor. I’ve been a fan of his for over seven years, and two of his songs – “Disappear” (2019) and “Darling” (2023) have reached #1 on my chart. His latest single “Hornets” represents a somewhat edgier, more rock-oriented sound from him and I like it!
NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (1)
THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (2)
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (4)
MOODY – Royel Otis (3)
RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (6)
BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (7)
LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (8)
LONDON TOWN – Healer (9)
SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (10)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (5)
BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (12)
JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (13)
UNDRESSED – sombr (14)
ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (15)
BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (19)
POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (20)
TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (21)
FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (22)
BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (24)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (11)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (17)
INCOMPREHENSIBLE – Big Thief (25)
LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (26)
UNRAVELLING – Muse (27)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (16)
AFTERLIFE – Alex G (29)
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (30)
Photo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney by Larry Niehues
“No Rain, No Flowers”, the title track from Nashville-based blues rock duo The Black Keys‘ 13th and latest album No Rain, No Flowers, is my new #1 song this week. Though the song, along with many of the other tracks on the album, has a decidedly more polished, poppy sound than their usual musical fare, I really like it. I love its smooth head-bopping dance groove, twangy guitars and Dan Auerbach’s always-cool vocals, plus it’s catchy as hell. The song and album have received mostly positive reviews, though some have criticized it for being too pop-oriented, overly produced or simply veering too far away from their blues rock roots. That said, the album’s lead single “The Night Before” spent two weeks at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart this past May, whereas “No Rain, No Flowers” peaked at only #28 and is now falling. The song did recently peak at #2 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, however.
In other chart news of note, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” by Los Angeles-based ROLE MODEL (the music project of singer-songwriter Tucker Harrington Pillsbury), advances six spots to enter the top 10 at #10. And curiously, the songs at numbers 11 and 12 both have three-word titles in all B’s – “Basic Being Basic” and Bloom Baby Bloom”.
There are two new debuts again this week, the first of which is the delightful “Afterlife” by American musician, producer, and singer-songwriter Alex G (born Alexander Giannascoli in Havertown, Pennsylvania). Since 2011, the prolific musician has released ten studio albums, four EPs, three live albums, two soundtrack albums and 30 singles. The lead single from his 10th and latest album Headlights, “Afterlife” has become Alex G’s highest charting single in the U.S., currently sitting at #8 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart. That ukelele is utterly charming.
The second new entry is “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, their first new music release in four years since “ISN’T EVERYONE”, a collaborative single with Los Angeles-based industrial/noise rock band Health. Formed in 1988 as a solo act by singer-songwriter, musician, and composer Trent Reznor (who was inspired by Prince to play all instruments himself except drums, which he programmed electronically), Nine Inch Nails for many years consisted of Reznor as the only official member, aided by an ever-changing group of backing musicians for live performances. He finally added English musician and long-time collaborator Atticus Ross as the act’s second permanent member in 2016. Released on July 17th, “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” is from the forthcoming soundtrack album Tron: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), to be released September 19th. Nine Inch Nails composed the score for the film Tron: Ares, the third installment in the Tron series scheduled for release October 10th. At the age of 60, Reznor sounds as good as ever.
NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (3)
THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (1)
MOODY – Royel Otis (2)
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (5)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (4)
RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (7)
BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (8)
LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (9)
LONDON TOWN – Healer (10)
SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (16)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (6)
BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (15)
JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (17)
UNDRESSED – sombr (18)
ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (20)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (11)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (12)
SCARS – Secret Postal Society (13)
BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (21)
POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (22)
TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (23)
FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (24)
WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (14)
BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (29)
INCOMPREHENSIBLE – Big Thief (26)
LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (28)
UNRAVELLING – Muse (30)
BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (19)
AFTERLIFE – Alex G (N)
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (N)
It’s a second week on top for “The Contract” by Twenty One Pilots, with “moody” by Royel Otis holding onto second place for a second week after two weeks at #1. The Black Keys move up two to #3 with “No Rain, No Flowers”, the title track to their 13th and latest album No Rain, No Flowers, which dropped this past Friday, while Talk in Waves moves up a spot to #5 with his jubilant ear worm “Feels Right”. Entering the top 10 are “Ripple” by English indie rock duo Good Neighbours, “Better Off Eventually” by Canadian alt-rock band Bealby Point, “Love Is A Fire” by English singer-songwriter Art Block and “London Town” by English rock band Healer.
Making their debut this week are songs by two legendary bands, the first of which is “Better Days” by pop punk band Yellowcard, who formed in 1997, broke up in 2017, then reunited in 2022. Their lineup has changed over the years, and now consists of Ryan Key (lead vocals), Ryan Mendez (lead guitar), Josh Portman (bass) and Sean Mackin (violin). Their music is notable for its distinct and unique sound due to their prominent use of Mackin’s violin. The song is the lead single and title track from their forthcoming eleventh studio album Better Days, due for release on October 10. The album was produced by blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who played drums on every song.
The second debut, coming in at #30, is “Unravelling” by English alternative space rock band Muse, who since forming in 1994 have consisted of Matt Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Chris Wolstenholme (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Dominic Howard (drums, percussion). Though I’m a pretty big fan of Muse, I find it always takes several listens for many of their songs to grab me, which was the case with “Unravelling”. But grab me it did, and I now like it a lot.
THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (1)
MOODY – Royel Otis (2)
NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (5)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (3)
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (6)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (4)
RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (11)
BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (13)
LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (14)
LONDON TOWN – Healer (15)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (7)
Photo of Twenty One Pilots from their Facebook account
One of my favorite music acts for the past ten years is Twenty One Pilots, comprised of the dynamic duo of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph and power drummer Josh Dun. Their latest single “The Contract” is my new #1 song this week, marking their 13th song to reach the top of my chart, and their third in just the past year, following “The Craving” last September and “The Line” this past March. The lead single from their forthcoming eighth studio album Breach, to be released September 12th, “The Contract” starts the final act of the narrative begun on their 2015 album Blurryface and continued through Trench, Scaled And Icy, and last year’s Clancy.
The song is a frenetic and electrifying mash-up of music styles, something Twenty One Pilots have incorporated into many of their songs over the years. As Kory Grow observed in his article about the single for Rolling Stone, the song “ping-pongs between pop, rap, emo, and drumline practice.” While I love that about the song and their music in general, some do not. Paulo Ragusa, a writer who’s obviously not a Twenty One Pilots fan, trashed the song in his article for Consequence Sound, calling it “a complete mess, a sloppy hodge-podge of genres and styles that directly compete with one another from moment to moment.” Well, to each their own I say, as “The Contract” takes its place among a long line of songs I love by this talented duo.
In other chart news, Lorde enters the top 10 with “What Was That”, and we have two new debuts. The first is “Five More Seconds”, a wonderfully exuberant collaboration by English duo Seafret and Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, which enters at #29. Seafret, based in Yorkshire and comprised of singer Jack Sedman and guitarist Harry Draper, released three albums and a number of singles from 2015-2023 and saw their debut 2015 single “Atlantis” go viral on TikTok over the past three years, eventually racking up over 1.1 billion streams on Spotify alone. KT Tunstall burst onto the British music scene in 2004 with her debut album Eye to the Telescope, which spawned the hit singles “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See”, which won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song in 2006. “Five More Seconds” marks both Seafret and KT Tunstall’s first new music in two years.
The second debut is “light years apart” by Unobliterated, the music project of England-born and now Portugal-based singer-songwriter and musician Gary Taylor. In my review of the song upon its July 11 release, I described it as “majestic”, with a haunting melody driven forward by a strong pulsating groove and layered with swirling atmospheric synths and warm guitar notes to create a mesmerizing backdrop for Taylor’s arresting vocals that masterfully convey a sense of both despair and hopeful optimism.
THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (3)
MOODY – Royel Otis (1)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (2)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (4)
NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (7)
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (9)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (5)
Photo of Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell by Shervin Lainez
I’m still loving “moody” by Royel Otis a lot, thus it remains at #1 for a second week, while sombr‘s “back to friends” holds at #2 for a second week after spending three weeks at #1. Twenty One Pilots and Djo move up one spot each to #s 3 and 4 with “The Contract” and “Basic Being Basic”. Entering the top 10 are “No Rain, No Flowers” by The Black Keys, jumping seven spots to #7, and “Scars” by my favorite Welsh artist Secret Postal Society, moving up a notch to #10.
Two songs make their debut on my chart this week, the first of which is “Today’s Song” by rock legends the Foo Fighters, entering at #29. In a note accompanying the single’s release, band frontman Dave Grohl stated it’s a tribute to former band members including recently fired drummer Josh Freese, founding drummer William Goldsmith, guitarist Franz Stahl and late drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died in 2022. The second debut is the quite lovely “Incomprehensible” by Brooklyn, New York-based indie folk band Big Thief. Formed in 2015, the band now consists of vocalist-guitarist Adrianne Lenker, guitarist Buck Meek and drummer James Krivchenia. (Founding bassist Max Oleartchik left the band in 2024.) The song is the lead single from their forthcoming sixth studio album Double Infinity, set for release on September 5th.
MOODY – Royel Otis (1)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (2)
THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (4)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (5)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (3)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (6)
NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (14)
BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (9)
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (10)
SCARS – Secret Postal Society (11)
WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (12)
CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (7)
RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (15)
RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (8)
BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (16)
EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (18)
LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (19)
LONDON TOWN – HEALER (20)
BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (21)
RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (17)
SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (26)
JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (27)
UNDRESSED – sombr (28)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (13)
ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (25)
BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (29)
POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (30)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (22) 19th week on chart
Photo of Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell by Shervin Lainez for Flood Magazine
We have a new #1 song this week, as well as four new debuts. Over the past year, I’ve become a fan of Australian act Royel Otis on the strength of their infectious guitar-pop sound and charming, laid-back persona. Formed in 2019 by Royel Maddell (who rarely shows his face) and Otis Pavlovic, the Sydney-based duo draw from elements of indie pop, indie rock, new wave, pop rock, post-punk and psychedelic rock in the creation of their music. They released two EPs in 2021 and 2022 to little notice until the song “Oysters in My Pocket”, from the second EP Bar n Grill, gained traction in late 2022. Their third EP Sofa Kings, released in 2023, proved more successful, with the breakthrough title track marking their first appearance on American charts and eventually peaking at #12 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. In late January 2024, they released their electrifying cover of “Murder on the Dancefloor”, the 2001 disco pop hit by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor which they performed on the Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version program. The song went viral and reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative chart, as well as my own Top 30 chart. I couldn’t get enough of it, and it ended up ranking #4 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. The guys quickly followed with their debut album Pratts & Pain in February 2024, which debuted at #1 on the Australian Albums Chart, and went on to win four awards at the 2024 ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Music Awards. They also released a wonderful cover of The Cranberries’ classic “Linger”.
Their charming single “moody“, released on May 9th, is a love song of sorts, detailing a problematic relationship with a woman who drives the singer crazy in both good ways and bad. She’s jealous, bitchy and cranky, yet he’s hopelessly in love with her: “She’s always givin’ it to me. Late nights, she always accusin’. Last time, she said she would kill me. My girl’s a bitch when she’s moody. But she’s my everything. She’s all that I need.” I love the song’s languid laid back groove, highlighted by Royel’s terrific guitar noodling and Otis’ sweet vocals, and it ascends to #1 on my latest chart.
The joyoustly upbeat “Feels Right” by northern Virginia artist Talk in Waves, who’s no stranger to my charts, enters the top 10 at #10. And as I noted above, four songs make their debut this week, three of which are spelled in all lower case letters. Entering at #27 is “jupiter” by San Diego-based indie pop band almost monday, comprised of Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Cole Clisby (guitar), and Luke Fabry (bass), and featuring L.A.-based indie pop singer-songwriter Jordana. The song was originally included on their 2014 album DIVE as a recording by only the band, but a new version with Jordana singing backing vocals was released in January on a deluxe version of DIVE. It’s the third song by almost monday to appear on my chart, following 2020’s “broken people” and last year’s smash hit “can’t slow down”.
The second debut, coming in at #28, is the relentessly catchy “undressed” by sombr, whose single “back to friends” just spent three weeks at #1 and now sits at #2. The song continues the theme exploring the challenges of moving on from a failed relationship that was first introduced in “back to friends”. Next up is “Backseat” by New Zealand-born and now New York City-based duo Balu Brigada, comprised of multi-instrumentalist brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley, whose single “So Cold” spent three weeks at #1 on my chart in March. Though a long one, running nearly six and a half minutes, “Backseat” is a compelling, melodically complex song that’s sure to be another hit for the talented brothers.
Last but certainly not least is the delightful “polyester (yes sir)” by L.A. indie pop-rock band Sorry Ghost, which I featured in a recent Fresh New Tracks post. As I noted in that post, the charismatic band – comprised of Dan Anton (vocals), Matt Polito (guitar and vocals), Tate Silver (drums) and Sean Duong (guitar and vocals) – have a cheeky sense of humor and frequently delight their fans and followers with hilarious and endearing video reels of themselves on Instagram and TikTok. I love the song’s mellow vibe that sits in a sweet spot between sunny and melancholy, as well as the colorful blend of jangly and chiming guitars accompanied by pleasing harmonies.
MOODY – Royel Otis (2)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (1)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (4)
THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (8)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (5)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (3)
CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (6)
RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (9)
BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (10)
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (11)
SCARS – Secret Postal Society (12)
WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (13)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (7)
NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (18)
RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (17)
BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (19)
RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (20)
EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (21)
LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (22)
LONDON TOWN – HEALER (23)
BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (24)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (14)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (15)
LET THINGS GO – Caamp (16)
ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (26)
SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (30)
JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (N)
UNDRESSED – sombr (N)
BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (N)
POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (N)
I feel guilty including a Spotify playlist anymore, but here it is in case anyone cares to check out any of the songs:
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.
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (2)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (4)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (1)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (3)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (6)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (5)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (8)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (7)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (12)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (13)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (14)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (15)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (11)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (20)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (17)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (18)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (19)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (9)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (10)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (22)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (23)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (25)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (26)
The rousing garage rocker “Take This Heart” by Denton, Texas-based singer-songwriter Brian Lambert remains at #1 for a second week, while “Metaverse” by Nashville alt-rock band Cage the Elephant moves up two spots to #2 and “Rushmere” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons holds at #3.
Four songs make their debut on my chart this week, starting with the upbeat and gentle “Let Things Go” by Columbus, Ohio-based folk band Caamp, comprised of Evan Westfall, Taylor Meier, Matt Vinson and Joseph Kavalec. Their songs have always performed well on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart, with three reaching #1; “Let Things Go” currently sits at #5 on that chart.
The second debut, entering at #28, is “Three Six Five” by long-time Florida rock band Shinedown. Formed in 2001, the band presently consists of founding member and front man Brent Smith, as well as Barry Kerch, Zach Myers and Eric Bass. They’ve garnered the most #1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts with 20 and counting, and every one of their singles have reached the top five on that chart.
The third debut is “Everything Is Peaceful Love” by American indie folk band Bon Iver. Originally founded in 2006 as a solo project by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, Bon Iver eventually became a band consisting of Vernon, Sean Carey, Michael Lewis, Matthew McCaughan, Andrew Fitzpatrick and Jenn Wasner. The sweet, uplifting song is from their fifth studio album SABLE, fABLE, released on April 11th.
Entering at #30 is the fourth and final debut, “So Long” by San Diego-based indie rock band Wavves. Like Bon Iver, Wavves was originally formed as a solo project in 2008 by singer-songwriter Nathan Williams, but ultimately grew to become a full band, and after several lineup changes now also includes Alex Gates, Stephen Pope and Ross Traver. Their first new music since their 2021 album Hideaway, “So Long” was released on February 28th, and will be included on their forthcoming ninth album Spun, set for release in June. I love the song’s exuberant pop-punk sound that’s reminiscent of songs by Green Day, Blink-182 and The Orwells, and it marks their first appearance on my chart.
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (1)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (4)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (3)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (5)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (2)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (8)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (9)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (10)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (6)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (7)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (13)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (14)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (15)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (16)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (17)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (11)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (19)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (20)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (21)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (22)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (12)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (24)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (25)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (18)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (29)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (30)
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)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 