The wonderful “Not Strong Enough” by supergroup boygenius enjoys a second week at #1 on my latest Top 30 chart, while “Rescued” by the Foo Fighters moves into second place. The exuberant “1982” by Dutch rock band Morgendust enters the top 10 in its 11th week on the chart.
There were at at least seven songs I wanted to add this week, but unfortunately had to limit them to only three, as I didn’t want to drop any other songs off. Two of them – “Psychos”, by American singer-songwriter, musician, and teen movie actress Jenny Lewis, and “Spellbinding” by Chicago alt-rock band The Smashing Pumpkins – took a while to grow on me. I’ve never been a huge fan of The Smashing Pumpkins, mainly because of front man Billy Corgan’s nasally and shrill vocal style I often found grating, though I have liked some of their songs. “Spellbinding” is from their monumental 33-track album Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts, released on May 5th. The third debut, entering at #30, is “The Narcissist” by legendary Brit-pop band Blur, their first new music in eight years, since their 2015 album The Magic Whip. The song is from their forthcoming ninth album The Ballad of Darren, scheduled for release on July 21.
I must say that it’s heartening for an old man like me to see artists over 50, including Dave Grohl, Billy Corgan, Damon Albarn, Bootie Brown, Dave Gahan & Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, the Leto brothers, and the guys of Morgendust, still putting out great music.
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (1)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (4)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (2)
KID – The Revivalists (3)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (6)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (5)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (8)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (9)
LEAVING – Au Gres (10)
1982 – Morgendust (12)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (7)
THOSE EYES – New West (15)
WHY – Future Theory (17)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (16)
THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (14)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (19)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (20)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (13)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (22)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (21)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (11)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (23)
On June 7, I made the two-hour drive to Los Angeles to attend a concert at The Novo, featuring two acts I love – lovelytheband and Beach Weather – along with opening act Ava Maybee. Headlined by L.A.-based indie pop-rock band lovelytheband, the tour is officially titled the “if we’re being honest tour” after their new album of the same name, and included supporting acts Beach Weather and Ava Maybee. It was the second night of the tour, and a thrill for me to be able to see both lovelytheband and Beach Weather at the same show. Discovering Ava Maybee was a wonderful surprise and the icing on the cake, so to speak.
Located downtown near the LA Convention Center, Crypto.com arena (home of basketball teams LA Clippers, LA Lakers and LA Sparks, and hockey team LA Kings), Microsoft Theater and Grammy Museum, The Novo is a terrific venue that’s perfect for small to mid-sized concert events. This was my second time seeing a concert there, the first being electro/dream pop band Cannons last September. I like that they have balcony seating, as this old man can no longer tolerate standing for three-plus hours.
The concert kicked off around 7:40 pm when Ava Maybee and her band began their set, immediately getting everyone into a good mood with their soulful brand of indie pop inspired by some of her favorite artists such as Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Sam Cooke, Carole King, Leon Bridges and Adele. I wasn’t previously familiar with Ava or her music, but liked it right from the start. Born Ava Cardoso-Smith and based in Los Angeles, she’s been singing and performing since the age of five. Her father is Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and her mother is Trisha Cardoso, currently President and Chief Giving Officer at The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. Ava has sung the national anthem at Lakers and Dodgers games, and performed at numerous charity events. She was also a contestant on season 20 of American Idol, making it to the top 14 before being eliminated.
Ava Maybee & her band
She’s released a series of great singles since 2020, one of which, “Colors”, has garnered over 7.3 million streams on Spotify alone! Dressed in knee-high white boots and red leggings, Ava exuding the confidence and poise of a seasoned performer as she worked the stage, engaging with the audience between songs and playfully interacting with her back-up band, all of whom were excellent musicians. They played their songs “Lay Low”, “Mood Swings”, “Puke”, “See Me Now” and their newest single “Limerence”, as well as a lively rendition of the Police classic “Roxanne”, then finishing with “Colors”, a portion of which I was able to film. We’ve all been to concerts where we suffered through an opening act we either didn’t care about or enjoy, but Ava Maybee was both terrific and immensely enjoyable.
After a short break, Beach Weather took to the stage around 8:30 pm, opening their set with the sultry “Swoon”, from their 2016 EP What A Drag. Though the alternative pop-rock trio formed in 2015, I didn’t learn about them until last summer when I heard their gorgeous song “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”. The song was originally recorded in 2016, and included on their first EP Chit Chat, but wasn’t released as a single back then, and largely went unnoticed. I loved it at first listen, and they’ve since become one of my favorite bands. I love every single song of theirs, which is not something I can say about very many artists or bands.
Sean Silverman, Nick Santino & Reeve Powers of Beach Weather
After dropping What a Drag and a third EP Basement Sessions, the band went on hiatus at the end of 2017 as the three members – singer/guitarist Nick Santino, bassist Reeve Powers, and guitarist Sean Silverman – relocated to different cities and began focusing on their own careers and families. Fortunately for us, they reunited in late 2021, and recorded their debut album Pineapple Sunrise, which they released this past March. In the meantime, “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” went viral on TikTok and became a huge hit on alternative radio, going all the way to #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, where it’s remained in the top 10 for more than 40 weeks. It’s also spent nearly six months on my Weekly Top 30, three of them at #1, and ended up at #3 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list. “Trouble With This Bed”, the second single from Pineapple Sunrise, also spent five months on my chart earlier this year, three of them at #1. The title track recently began what I’m sure will be an extended run on my chart.
OK, now back to the show! Beach Weather played a total of 10 songs, two from Chit Chat, two from What A Drag, and six from Pineapple Sunrise (though “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” is featured on both Chit Chat and Pineapple Sunrise). They had a simple stage setup, with two orange curtains as backdrops and round orange rugs for each of the three band members. They were also joined by a keyboardist and drummer, whose names I unfortunately can’t recall. The guys exuded a cool, casual demeanor on stage; Nick was engaging and playful, while an animated Sean made theatric gestures with his guitar and Reeve exuded a sexy, low-key swagger as he played bass. They sounded great, and I would have loved for them to play 10 more songs!
Here’s their performance of “Trouble With This Bed”:
Beach Weather Setlist:
Swoon
Chit Chat
Unlovable
Pineapple Sunrise
High and Driving
Silent Type
Hard Feelings
Rebel Sun
Trouble With This Bed
Sex, Drugs, Etc.
After Ava Maybee and Beach Weather’s sets and before lovelytheband took the stage, I went over to their merchandise booths and briefly met Ava, telling her how much I enjoyed her set. Her father Chad was standing nearby talking with some people but, unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to meet him. I did, however meet Beach Weather bassist Reeve Powers, who I ran into again the following morning in the lobby of our hotel, where both I and Beach Weather were staying.
After a more lengthy intermission, headline act lovelytheband appeared on stage to thunderous applause, opening their set with “if we’re being honest”, the title track of their latest album. For a bit of background, the Los Angeles-based band formed in 2016, and consists of vocalist Mitchy Collins, guitarist Jordan Greenwald, and drummer Sam Price. They’re best known for their 2018 debut single and monster hit “broken”, which spent nine weeks at #1 on Billboard‘s Alternative chart, as well as reaching #1 on the Adult Top 40 chart and #29 on the Hot 100. It ended up as the #1 song of 2018 on the Alternative chart, and was my favorite song that year as well.
They’ve released three studio albums – finding it hard to smile in 2018, conversations with myself about you in 2020, and if we’re being honest, which dropped June 2nd – as well as numerous singles and EPs. (The titles of all their songs and albums, as well as their band name, are in lower case.) As evidenced by their album titles, a lot of their songs touch on relationship issues, heartache, depression and anxiety, though many are presented in a pleasing, rather upbeat manner.
Sam Price, Mitchy Collins & Jordan Greenwald of lovelytheband
The engaging frontman Mitchy Collins, wearing his signature sleeveless shirt and shorts, proceeded to acknowledge Beach Weather and Ava Maybee, and introduce his bandmates. They were joined on stage by another guitarist, who’s name I didn’t catch.
Throughout their set, which included 16 songs from their three albums, he frequently spoke to the audience, sharing his thoughts on some of their songs as well as his struggles with mental health and depression. Two thirds of the way into their set, he appeared alone on stage to give a deeply moving acoustic performance of their heart-wrenching “i should be happy”, which speaks to feeling unhappy and dissatisfied, despite achieving all the things he’d hoped for. The song strongly resonated with me, as I’ve sadly experienced similar feelings myself throughout my life.
They finished their set with “i can’t love”, then walked off stage, though we knew they’d be back, because they hadn’t yet played their signature song “broken”. Sure enough, they returned to play the lively “make you feel pretty”, from finding it hard to smile, then closed with a rousing performance of “broken”. It was a great finish to a spectacular performance and concert.
lovelytheband Setlist:
if we’re being honest
always been you
buzzcut
coachella
make me wanna die
i’m sorry
sad goodbyes
loneliness for love
superfly
these are my friends
i should be happy (Mitchy Collins solo)
2 drinks away
sail away
i can’t love
Encore:
make you feel pretty
broken
The tour continues through the end of June. Click here for more tour info and tickets.
For those who may be unaware, boygenius is an American indie rock supergroup comprised of three incredibly talented female singer-songwriters – Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, each of whom are successful artists in their own right. Their beautiful single “Not Strong Enough”, from their debut album The Record which was released on March 31st, takes over the #1 spot on my Weekly Top 30.
In an interview for Rolling Stone, Phoebe elaborated on the meaning behind the song’s Sheryl Crow-inspired lyrics: “The two wolves inside us can be self-hatred and self-aggrandizing. Being like, ‘I’m not strong enough to show up for you. I can’t be the partner that you want me to be.’ But also being like, ‘I’m too fucked up. I’m unknowable in some deep way!’ Self-hatred is a god complex sometimes, where you think you’re the most fucked-up person who’s ever lived. Straight up, you’re not. And it can make people behave really selfishly, and I love each of our interpretations of that concept.”
Besides their intelligent songwriting and outstanding musicianship, a prominent component of boygenius’ wonderful music are the three ladies’ distinctive vocals and gorgeous harmonies. For “Not Strong Enough”, Bridgers sings the first verse, Baker the second, and Dacus leads the chant in the song’s bridge: “Always an angel, never a god”, with all three singing the exuberant choruses.
The delightful video, shot by the three members of boygenius and edited by Phoebe’s younger brother Jackson Bridgers, shows the three having fun and enjoying each other’s company in various locations around Los Angeles, including the Santa Monica Pier and Getty Villa in Malibu, one of two campuses of the J. Paul Getty Museum.
And here’s a charming video of boygenius breaking down the meaning of “Not Strong Enough”, which shows their strong camaraderie and love for each other:
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (2)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (1)
KID – The Revivalists (3)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (7)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (5)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (6)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (4)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (10)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (12)
LEAVING – Au Gres (13)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (9)
1982 – Morgendust (14)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (8)
THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (15)
THOSE EYES – New West (16)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (19)
WHY – Future Theory (20)
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (11)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (22)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (24)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (23)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (25)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (26)
Hozier‘s provocative “Eat Your Young” remains at #1 for a second week, while “Not Strong Enough” by boygenius moves into second place. “The Perfect Pair” by Filipino-English singer-songwriter beabadoobee and “Essence” by Danish producer-composer Refeci and Canadian-American singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson enter the top 10. Two songs make their debut this week: “Stuck” by L.A.-based alt-rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, now a duo consisting of the ageless Leto brothers Jared and Shannon, at #29. Their first new music in five years, the song is the lead single from their forthcoming sixth studio album, It’s the End of the World but It’s a Beautiful Day, due for release on September 15. Entering at #30 is the wonderful “Puppet Show” by another L.A.-based artist Beck Black, which I reviewed two weeks ago.
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (1)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (3)
KID – The Revivalists (2)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (4)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (6)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (7)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (10)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (5)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (11)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (12)
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (8)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (16)
LEAVING – Au Gres (17)
1982 – Morgendust (15)
THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (18)
THOSE EYES – New West (19)
THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (9)
FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (13)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (20)
WHY – Future Theory (21)
WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (14)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (24)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (25)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (26)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (27)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (28)
Irish singer-songwriter and musician Hozier (born Andrew John Hozier-Byrne), has never shied away from addressing social and political topics in his songs, and in a 2021 interview with Forbes magazine, he stated that he believes “the personal is the political“. His breakout hit “Take Me to Church” highlighted the injustices and violence perpetrated against the LGBTQ community; the video for his song “Cherry Wine” raised awareness of domestic violence; and “Nina Cried Power” paid homage to such artists as Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, and Mavis Staples, whose work often took political or social justice stances.
His latest single “Eat Your Young” was inspired by Gluttony, one the 9 Circles of Hell contained in the first part of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem Divine Comedy, and describes a feast being prepared and served together with the chaos that comes with it. Many of the allegorical lyrics can be construed to be anti-war, with references to corporate greed and capitalistic warfare, and sacrificing our young to fight our wars. According to an annotation in Genius, the line “pull up the ladder when the flood comes” could be interpreted to mean that when the biblical flood comes, rather than leaving the ladder down to help other people climb to safety, the ladder is pulled up-presumably because to save them would be to share resources with them. The darkly captivating song, from his forthcoming third album Unreal Unearth, due for release in August, ascends to the #1 spot on my latest Top 30. It’s Hozier’s third song to top my chart.
In other chart developments, the Foo Fighters‘ “Rescued” climbs six spots to enter the top 10. Four songs make their debut this week: the lovely and heartwarming “Marry Another Man” by singer-songwriter Wise John (whose wonderful EP The Mr. Love Sunset Show! I recently reviewed), “We’re All Gonna Die” by singer-songwriters Joy Oladokun and Noah Kahan, “Chemical” by superstar Post Malone, and “Superglue” by pop-rock band Michigander.
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (2)
KID – The Revivalists (1)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (4)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (6)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (3)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (9)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (10)
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (5)
THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (7)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (16)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (12)
ESSENCE – Refeci featuring Shimmer Johnson (14)
FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (8)
WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (13)
1982 – Morgendust (17)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (18)
LEAVING – Au Gres (19)
THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (20)
THOSE EYES – New West (21)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (22)
WHY – Future Theory (23)
BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (11)
TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (15)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (27)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (28)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (30)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (N)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (N)
“Kid”, the feel-good anthem by New Orleans band The Revivalists, remains atop my Top 30 for a second week, while Hozier‘s enchanting “Eat Your Young” moves into second place. Entering the top 10 are “Dummy” by Portland alt-rock band Portugal. The Man and “Go Down River” by British duo The Heavy Heavy, at #s 9 and 10 respectively. The biggest upward movers this week are “Rescued” by Foo Fighters, leaping 12 spots to #16, “Not Strong Enough” by supergroup boygenius (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers & Lucy Dacus), climbing five spots to #4, and “Those Eyes” by New West, also advancing five spots to #21.
The lone debut this week is “Pineapple Sunrise” by Beach Weather, who’ve become one of my favorite bands over the past year. The title track from their album of the same name, “Pineapple Sunrise” has not been officially released as a single, however they did release a terrific new video for the song this past Friday, and I love it so much it’s made my Weekly Top 30.
KID – The Revivalists (1)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (3)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (2)
“New Gold”, the marvelous collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz, Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown, remains at #1 for a second week. Holding at #2 for a second week is the beautiful “Tropic Morning News” by The National, which previously spent two weeks at #1. Depeche Mode‘s “Ghosts Again” holds at #3 for a second week, and “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus moves up a notch to #4. Moving up three spots each are “Soften” by Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Southey, to #5, and “Bluebell Wood” by British singer-songwriter Frank Joshua to #6. Entering the top 10 are “Kid” by The Revivalists, climbing three spots to #8, and “Eat Your Young” by Hozier, which jumps six spots to #10.
Two songs make their debut this week: the gorgeous “Those Eyes” by Toronto band New West, entering at #29. The song, which reminds me a bit of Coldplay’s beloved earlier songs like “Yellow” and “Fix You”, was actually released in May 2019 as their very first single, and later included on their debut EP Call Me When You Hear This Song. Like Beach Weather’s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, the song apparently went viral on Tik Tok, and has recently been climbing the Alternative charts. Entering at #30 is “Why”, a stunning song by British psychedelic indie rock band Future Theory, an immensely-talented act I’ve written about many times on this blog. This is their third song to appear on my Top 30, with their 2021 single “One and the Same” reaching #3.
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (1)
TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (2)
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (3)
FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (5)
SOFTEN – Alex Southey (8)
BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (9)
TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (4)
KID – The Revivalists (11)
THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (10)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (16)
PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (6)
LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (7)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (14)
WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (15)
I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (12)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (17)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (18)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (20)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (21)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (22)
BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (13) 20th week on chart
ANGELICA – Wet Leg (24)
1982 – Morgendust (25)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (26)
LEAVING – Au Gres (27)
TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (19) 22nd week on chart
I love when artists from different genres and backgrounds come together to create music, especially when the pooling of their collective talents and imagination results in glorious sonic alchemy. One of the finest examples of this in recent memory is “New Gold”, a brilliant collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz (fronted by British singer-songwriter and producer Damon Albarn), Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown (aka Romye Robinson). The deep, pulsating beat and lush, intricate synths by Albarn, producer extraordinaire Greg Kurstin, and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker create a magical backdrop for Albarn’s and Parker’s dreamy vocals and Brown’s flawlessly rapped verses, all of which not only complement each other beautifully, but also create a palpable sense of excitement and energy. The song is a gorgeous feast for the senses, and ascends to the #1 spot on my latest Weekly Top 30.
Co-written by them all, the song’s lyrics speak to the ephemeral and often unfulfilling things too many people indulge in, expressed in the chorus “New gold, foolish gold, everything will disappear.” They rely on self-delusions or any number of palliatives, rather than face their problems in a realistic way, whether it be the ultimately self destructive overuse of cosmetic surgery that often ages poorly, abuse of party drugs that destroy the user’s mind, or endless social media drama, wasting time on online content lacking any real value or engaging in online arguments that only serve to make us feel more isolated than ever.
In other chart developments, Young the Giant‘s poignant and lovely “The Walk Home” enters the top 10, and two songs make their debut: “The Way” by American alt-rock band Manchester Orchestra, at #29, and “In My Head” by Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park) and Arizona-based singer-songwriter Kailee Morgue, at #30.
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (3)
TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (1)
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (4)
TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (2)
FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (6)
PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (5)
LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (7)
SOFTEN – Alex Southey (9)
BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (10)
THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (12)
KID – The Revivalists (14)
I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (13)
BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (8)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (15)
WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (16)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (23)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (19)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (20)
TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (11) 21st week on chart
The beautiful “Tropic Morning News” by The National holds at #1 for a second week, with Sea Power‘s majestic “Transmitter” also remaining at #2. “New Gold” by the dream collaboration of Gorillaz, Tame Impala and Bootie Brown slides into 3rd place (Gorillaz & Brown performed the song at the Coachella Music Festival this past Friday night), while Depeche Mode‘s “Ghosts Again” assumes the #4 spot. British singer-songwriter Frank Joshua enters the top 10 with his sublime love song “Bluebell Wood”.
Three songs make their debut this week: Entering at #23 is the amazing “Eat Your Young” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. He states the song was inspired by Gluttony, one the 9 Circles of Hell contained in the first part of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem Divine Comedy, and describes a feast being prepared and served together with the chaos that comes with it. “Rescue Me” by Southern California reggae-ska rock band Dirty Heads enters at #29, and “leaving” by Michigan singer-songwriter Au Gres enters at #30.
TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (1)
TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (2)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (6)
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.
TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (2)
TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (3)
BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (1)
PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (6)
LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (4)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown (7)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 