Tag: beabadoobee

Top 30 Songs for April 9-15, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
Photo by Josh Goleman

My gosh, what a stellar week for music! Great songs by The National, Sea Power, The Zangwills, Death Cab for Cutie, Fall Out Boy, Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown, and Depeche Mode, and that’s just the top 7! The National’s captivating “Tropic Morning News” ascends to the top of my chart this week. The song is the lead single from their ninth studio album First Two Pages Of Frankenstein, due for release on April 28. For those unaware, The National consists of Matt Berninger (vocals), twin brothers Aaron Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards) and Bryce Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), and brothers Scott Devendorf (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums). I love their sophisticated songwriting and rich, complex sound, especially Matt Berninger’s beautiful baritone vocals.

According to an article by Leah Degrazia for the website Genius, the album came together while Berninger was emerging from a period of crippling writer’s block (something I can strongly relate to). “Even though we’d always been anxious whenever we were working on a record, this was the first time it ever felt like maybe things really had come to an end,” Berninger said. The song’s lyrics, written by Berninger and his wife, Carin Besser, speak of how constantly inundating yourself with negative news can pull you into a dark hole of isolation and sadness, making it hard to reach out and form deep human connection.

In other chart developments, the gorgeous “Soften” by exceptionally-talented Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Southey enters the top 10. Entering this week’s chart are “Angelica” by the delightful English duo Wet Leg, at #29, and “1982” by Dutch alternative rock band Morgendust, whose wonderful self-titled album I recently reviewed, at #30.

  1. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (2)
  2. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (3)
  3. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (1)
  4. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (6)
  5. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (4)
  6. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown (7)
  7. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (8)
  8. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (10)
  9. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (5)
  10. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (11)
  11. PAGES – White Reaper (9)
  12. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (15)
  13. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (12)
  14. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (16)
  15. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (17)
  16. KID – The Revivalists (21)
  17. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (22)
  18. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (23)
  19. EYEZ – The Arcs (18)
  20. WEIGHTLESS – Arlo Parks (19)
  21. MODERNISE – The Slow Readers Club (20)
  22. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (26)
  23. JUST BEFORE THE MORNING – Local Natives (13)
  24. SUREFIRE – Wilderado (14)
  25. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (27)
  26. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (28)
  27. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (29)
  28. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (30)
  29. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (N)
  30. 1982 – Morgendust (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 2-8, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

British indie pop-rock band The Zangwills remain at #1 for a second week with their achingly beautiful song “Backpatters and Shooters”. “Tropic Morning News” by American alternative art rock band The National slides into the #2 spot, and “Transmitter” by British alt-rock band Sea Power holds at #3. Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” enters the top 10.

Four songs make their debut this week: “Not Strong Enough”, from the new album the record by American indie rock supergroup boygenius, comprised of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, entering at #27; “Go Down River” by Brighton, UK duo The Heavy Heavy, consisting of Will Turner and Georgie Fuller, at #28; “Essence” by Danish DJ and electronic house music producer Refeci and Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Shimmer Johnson, at #29, and “Dummy”, the latest single by Portland, Oregon-based alt-rock band Portugal. The Man, bringing up the rear at #30.

  1. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (1)
  2. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (4)
  3. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (3)
  4. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (2)
  5. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (5)
  6. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (8)
  7. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown (9)
  8. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (10)
  9. PAGES – White Reaper (6)
  10. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (14)
  11. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (13)
  12. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (12)
  13. JUST BEFORE THE MORNING – Local Natives (7)
  14. SUREFIRE – Wilderado (11)
  15. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (19)
  16. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (18)
  17. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (20)
  18. EYEZ – The Arcs (16)
  19. WEIGHTLESS – Arlo Parks (17)
  20. MODERNISE – Slow Readers Club (21)
  21. KID – The Revivalists (23)
  22. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (27)
  23. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (28)
  24. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (15) 20th week on chart
  25. SLEEPWALKING – All Time Low (22)
  26. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (30)
  27. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (N)
  28. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (N)
  29. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (N)
  30. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (N)

Top 30 Songs for March 26-April 1, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

British four-piece The Zangwills are an immensely-talented indie band who make exceptional melodic pop-rock with a maturity of songwriting and musicianship as fine as many top big-name bands around today. Based in Cheshire, they consist of Jake Vickers (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Ed Dowling (bass), Sam Davies (lead guitar) and Adam Spence (drums). They’ve been actively making music since 2017, when they were all still in their teens, and have released a total of 13 singles and two EPs. Listening to their back catalog, I can emphatically state that every one of their songs is outstanding.

I didn’t learn about them until summer 2021, when I was blown away by their magnificent single “Never Looked Back”. I loved it so much that it went all the way to #1 on my Weekly Top 30, and ended up at #24 on my Top 100 Songs of 2021 list. Now, after a long 15-week climb, they once again reach the top of my chart with their latest single “Backpatters and Shooters”. It’s a gorgeous track, with a haunting piano-driven melody, cinematic orchestration and achingly beautiful guitar work that make it one of their most impactful songs yet. Then there are Jake’s powerfully emotive vocals, which convey an incredible vulnerability as he croons the lyrics addressing the pursuit of love and how it far outweighs the importance of anything else: “You know that I’d be the first to plant roses in your face, and frame beauty with beauty. And though I’m dying of thirst, I’m still running in your race with the men who pat my back, and the men who would shoot me. And when I look up, if I squint I see love. But it’s never that much, and no it’s never enough.” 

In other chart developments, “Transmitter” by Sea Power and “Tropic Morning News” by The National move up to #3 and #4, respectively. Entering the top 10 are “New Gold” by Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown, at #9, and “Ghosts Again” by Depeche Mode, at #10. The biggest upward mover this week is “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, leaping eight spots to #14. The two debut songs this week are by artists making their first appearance on my chart: “Wolf” by New York indie/art rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, at #28, and “the perfect pair” by sweet-voiced Filipino-British singer-songwriter beabadoobee (born Beatrice Kristi Ilejay Laus), at #30. The song’s been out a while, and finally clicked with me.

  1. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (2)
  2. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (1)
  3. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (5)
  4. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (6)
  5. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (3)
  6. PAGES – White Reaper (4)
  7. JUST BEFORE THE MORNING – Local Natives (7)
  8. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (10)
  9. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown (12)
  10. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (13)
  11. SUREFIRE – Wilderado (11)
  12. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (9)
  13. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (18)
  14. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (22)
  15. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (8) 19th week on chart
  16. EYEZ – The Arcs (20)
  17. WEIGHTLESS – Arlo Parks (21)
  18. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (24)
  19. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (25)
  20. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (26)
  21. MODERNISE – Slow Readers Club (23)
  22. SLEEPWALKING – All Time Low (17)
  23. KID – The Revivalists (29)
  24. WILD AS THE WIND – HULLAH (14)
  25. MAYFLY – Callum Pitt (15)
  26. THE LONELIEST – Måneskin (16)
  27. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (30)
  28. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (N)
  29. EVERGREEN – Mt. Joy (19)
  30. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (N)