Tag: Beck

Top 30 Songs for September 8-14, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

The past week has been blazing hot in Southern California, with many locations either reaching or breaking their all-time record high temperatures (112 in downtown L.A., 114 in Burbank, 119 in Woodland Hills and 121 in Palm Springs, the sixth time this summer it’s reached or exceeded 120 here!). My latest top 30 is sizzling hot too, filled with terrific songs by some of the best artists making music today.

“The Craving” by twenty one pilots maintains a firm grip on the top spot for a third week, while Fontaines D.C.‘s “Starburster” still has the power to excite and amaze, and thus remains at #2 for a third week after spending three weeks at #1. Moving into third place is “Lost In Space” by one of my longtime favorite acts Foster the People. The song took a while to really grab me, but now I love it! Always dependable singer-songwriter The Frontier moves up a notch to #4 with his heartwarming “Like You Do”, while Beach Weather‘s sultry “High In Low Places” inches down a notch to #5. It’s the song’s 11th week in the top five, three of which were spent at #1. Cage the Elephant‘s “Rainbow” moves up one, entering the top 10 at #10. The biggest upward movers this week are “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Jack White and “Death Valley High” by Orville Peck & Beck, each advancing seven spots to #21 and #22, respectively.

Two songs make their debut this week, starting with the lovely “Hologram” by Miami-based pop-rock duo Raker (which I reviewed last month). The second is the captivating and sensuous “Garmonbozia” by Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, musician and producer Flying Lotus (aka Steven Ellison), which I learned about in a recent post on the wonderful New Music Jason’s Picks blog. The talented and multi-faceted artist has had a long and successful career since 2007, releasing ten albums, numerous EPs, and collaborating with the likes of Thundercat, Denzel Curry, Anderson .Paak and Smoke DZA, among others. Ellison named the song after the mysterious substance that looks like creamed corn and represents “pain and sorrow” referenced in the TV series Twin Peaks.

  1. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (1)
  2. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (2)
  3. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (6)
  4. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (5)
  5. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (4)
  6. OH NO! – The Decemberists (7)
  7. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (3)
  8. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (8)
  9. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (9)
  10. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (11)
  11. MESSY – Lola Young (12)
  12. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (15)
  13. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (13)
  14. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (19)
  15. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (20)
  16. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (18)
  17. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (10)
  18. WAR – Healer (21)
  19. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (22)
  20. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (26)
  21. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (28)
  22. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (29)
  23. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (14)
  24. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (16)
  25. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (17)
  26. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (27)
  27. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (30)
  28. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (23)
  29. HOLOGRAM – Raker (N)
  30. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 1-7, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

twenty one pilots hold on to the top spot for a second week with their heartwarming love song “The Craving”, while Fontaines D.C., AWOLNATION and Beach Weather remain at #2, 3 & 4 for a second week with “Starburster”, “Panoramic View” and “High In Low Places”, respectively. Northern Virginia singer-songwriter The Frontier‘s uplifting song of tribute “Like You Do” moves up a notch to #5, and the melancholy and introspective “What if i feel like this my whole life?” by English singer-songwriter HULLAH enters the top 10 at #9. He just released another new single “Roads” this past Friday, August 30th. The biggest upward mover this week is “Messy” by English singer-songwriter Lola Young, advancing nine spots to #12.

Debuting this week are three great songs by innovative and rather unorthodox artists, the first of which is “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Detroit-born and now Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire Jack White. The song is from his sixth studio album No Name, which dropped August 2nd. White gained more of my respect a few days ago when he posted this scathing rant against the despicable Donald Trump after a woman named Margo Martin played “Seven Nation Army” at one of his campaign rallies: “Oh….Don’t even think about using my music you fascists. Law suit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your 5 thousand others.) Have a great day at work today Margo Martin. And as long as I’m here, a double fuck you DonOLD for insulting our nation’s veterans at Arlington you scum. You should lose every military family’s vote immediately from that if ANYTHING makes sense anymore.” His words pretty closely mirror my feelings for the odious mutherfucker.

The second debut is the delightfully catchy “Death Valley High” by enigmatic gay alt-country singer-songwriter Orville Peck (born Daniel Pitout in Johannesburg, South Africa, and known for always wearing a mask so as not to show his face publicly) and legendary singer-songwriter Beck. Co-written with Beck, the song is from Peck’s third studio album Stampede, also released on August 2nd. The album features 16 tracks, all of which are duets with other artists. Beck’s influence is immediately apparent, as the song features a riff that’s similar to the recent Black Keys #1 hit song “Beautiful People (Stay High)”, which he also co-wrote and produced.

The third debut, entering at #30, is “Big Cat Tattoos” by Scottish singer-songwriter Hamish Hawk, whose music has been described as sophisti-pop, post-punk and art rock. His rich baritone voice has been compared to those of Scott Walker, Neil Hannon and Morrissey. Released in late April, the song is from his third solo studio album A Firmer Hand, which dropped August 16th. The critically acclaimed album features 12 tracks touching on Hawk’s relationships with the men in his life including friends, lovers, family members and colleagues, and exploring themes of sex, lust, rejection, masculinity, shame and sexual repression.

  1. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (1)
  2. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (2)
  3. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (3)
  4. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (4)
  5. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (6)
  6. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (7)
  7. OH NO! – The Decemberists (8)
  8. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (10)
  9. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (11)
  10. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (5)
  11. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (15)
  12. MESSY – Lola Young (21)
  13. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (18)
  14. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (9)
  15. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (19)
  16. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (13)
  17. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (12)
  18. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (20)
  19. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (24)
  20. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (25)
  21. WAR – Healer (22)
  22. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (23)
  23. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (14)
  24. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (17)
  25. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (16)
  26. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (29)
  27. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (30)
  28. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (N)
  29. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (N)
  30. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 22-28, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

Though I’ve liked some of their songs, I’ve never really followed nor been a big fan of pop-punk band Blink-182. But like most people, I love happy endings, so even I am thrilled to see the original line-up back together again and still making music. Formed in 1992 by guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Scott Raynor, the Southern California act was originally named Duck Tape, then Figure 8, then Blink. Unfortunately, an Irish pop-rock band already had that name, and rather than engage in a legal battle, the band agreed to change their name by adding the number “182” – which they’d picked at random – and from that point forward, they’ve been known as Blink-182. Rayner was dismissed from the band in 1998 and replaced by Travis Barker, who remains the drummer to this day.

Despite their commercial and popular success, they’ve had more than their fair share of ups and downs over their 30-year history. After releasing five albums, three of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, as well as scoring two number one songs on the Modern Rock/Alternative charts, the combination of family commitments (all three guys now had children), the toll of touring and increasing artistic differences were causing tension among the band members. Consequently, they decided to go on a hiatus in early 2005 that ended up lasting nearly four years, with the band members not speaking with each other until October 2008, after Barker was involved in a plane crash that killed four people, leaving he and his collaborator Adam Goldstein as the only two survivors. Barker sustained second and third degree burns which ultimately required sixteen surgeries, multiple blood transfusions, and numerous skin grafts, and also resulted in him developing PTSD. Barker’s brush with death prompted him, DeLonge and Hoppus to come together, which led them to put aside their differences and reunite as a band.

Following their reunion, the band toured extensively and in 2011 released their sixth studio album Neighborhoods, which peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. Nevertheless, tensions between the three persisted, with this period of Blink-182’s history characterized as dysfunctional by both Barker and DeLonge. Hoppus commented in a 2016 interview with Rock Sound: “Everything was always very contentious. There was always just a strange vibe … I knew there was something wrong.” DeLonge decided to leave the band indefinitely at the end of 2014, at which point Hoppus and Barker continued Blink-182 with Matt Skiba, of punk rock band Alkaline Trio, on lead vocals and guitar. That iteration of Blink-182 released two albums, California and Nine, the first of which reached #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and earned the band a Grammy nomination. One of the album’s singles “Bored to Death” also became their third song to hit #1 on the Alternative chart.

In June 2021, the band was hit with yet another setback when Hoppus confirmed that he’d been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and had been receiving treatment in secret for the previous three months. This led to him, Barker and DeLonge coming together yet again in response to a crisis, and the three decided to reunite for a second time in late 2022. Both their latest album One More Time and its heartwarming and poignant title track touch on their history and the challenges that brought them back together. In a sense, “One More Time” is a kind of successor to their 2004 hit “I Miss You”, which they name-drop in the lyrics. “I wish they told us, it shouldn’t take a sickness, or airplanes falling out the sky. Do I have to die to hear you miss me? Do I have to die to hear you say goodbye? / I miss you, took time, but I admit it. It still hurts even after all these years. And I know that next time, ain’t always gonna happen. I gotta say, “I love you” while we’re here.” The beautiful ballad, on which all three members sing, is my new favorite and #1 song on my Weekly Top 30.

In other notable chart developments, “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” by Italian rock band Måneskin moves up two spots to #4, “When We Were Close” by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit enters the top 10, and charismatic British pop-rock band Wild Horse debut with their sweet new song “Attraction”, which I think is one of their finest songs yet.

  1. ONE MORE TIME – Blink-182 (4)
  2. FRANCESCA – Hozier (2)
  3. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (1)
  4. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (6)
  5. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (5)
  6. KISSES – Slowdive (3)
  7. LOVING YOU – Cannons (8)
  8. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (9)
  9. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (7)
  10. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (12)
  11. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (13)
  12. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (14)
  13. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (15)
  14. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (16)
  15. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (10)
  16. DARLING – Western Jaguar (20)
  17. OVERRATED – dwi (11)
  18. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (19)
  19. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (21)
  20. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (22)
  21. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (23)
  22. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (24)
  23. EVICTED – Wilco (25)
  24. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (26)
  25. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (28)
  26. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (29)
  27. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (18)
  28. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (17)
  29. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (30)
  30. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 15-21, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments

Virginia singer-songwriter The Frontier holds the top spot for a second week with his beautiful and uplifting pop-rock gem “Walk Through the Fire”, while “Francesca” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier moves up a notch into second place. Blink-182‘s “ONE MORE TIME” moves up three spots to #4, and “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” by Italian rock band Måneskin continues its rapid upward trajectory, entering the top 10 at #6.

Three songs make their debut this week: Entering at #28 is “Angry” by The Rolling Stones, a pretty solid banger that shows the legendary rockers still have what it takes. Who would have ever imagined that Mick and Keith would still be going strong at 80 and 79, 60 years after they released their first single “Come On” in 1963.

The second debut is “Your Side of Town” by American alt-rock band The Killers, entering at #29. The synth-driven song was intended to be included on their next album, however, band frontman Brandon Flowers nixed that project. In an interview with British news publication The Sunday Times, he explained “Halfway through recording I realized, ‘I can’t do this’. I think this will be the . . . I don’t think you’ll see us making this type of music anymore. This is the crisis I’m in. The Killers are my identity, and our songs fill seats, but I’m more fulfilled making music like ‘Pressure Machine’ [their 2021 roots rock album]. I found a side of myself writing it that was strong. This was the guy I’d been looking for! I’m as proud of ‘Hot Fuss’ as you can be for something you did when you were 20, but I’m not 20. So I’m thinking about the next phase of my life.”

The third debut is “Run Away With Me” by L.A.-based indie rock band Cold War Kids (who I saw in concert in August when they opened for Tears for Fears), at #30.

  1. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (1)
  2. FRANCESCA – Hozier (3)
  3. KISSES – Slowdive (2)
  4. ONE MORE TIME – Blink-182 (7)
  5. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (4)
  6. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (11)
  7. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (8)
  8. LOVING YOU – Cannons (9)
  9. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (10)
  10. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (5)
  11. OVERRATED – dwi (6)
  12. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (13)
  13. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (14)
  14. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (19)
  15. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (17)
  16. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (18)
  17. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (12)
  18. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (15)
  19. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (22)
  20. DARLING – Western Jaguar (23)
  21. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (24)
  22. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (25)
  23. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (27)
  24. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (28)
  25. EVICTED – Wilco (30)
  26. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (29)
  27. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (16) 22nd week on chart
  28. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (N)
  29. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (N)
  30. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 8-14, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's2 Comments
Jake and his faithful sidekick Atlas

A long-time favorite artist of mine, on both a professional and personal level, is The Frontier, the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos. Based in northern Virginia, the talented, gracious and hard-working guy skillfully blends elements of pop, folk, rock and electronica to create memorable and pleasing songs about love, relationships and loss. Delivered with comforting pitch-perfect vocals, Jake’s lyrics are honest and relatable; there’s just something about his songs that makes them so addictive, and I’ve found that they continue to grow on me more with every listen.

Since 2015, he’s released an impressive number of songs, and I’ve loved them all. Three – “Dark Places”, “Can We Go Back” and “Closer” – have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 charts, while “Sleep” and “It’s You” both reached the top 4. His latest single, “Walk Through The Fire“, now becomes his fourth single to top my chart. Serving up three minutes of infectious toe-tapping grooves and beautiful jangly guitar notes, the song is a plea to a loved one for a second chance: “Everyone falls sometimes. Dying to stay alive. Everyone has their fight. It’s how we walk through the fire.”

In other notable chart developments, the beautiful “Francesca” by Hozier moves up three spots to #3. A whopping four songs enter the top 10, the first of which is the poignant auto-biographical song “ONE MORE TIME” by pop-punk veterans Blink-182, which is also the highest-debuting song this week, entering my chart at #7. The other three, all of which advance 4 spots, are “Daydreams and Algorithms” by British artist Eleanor Collides, at #8, “Loving You” by L.A. dream pop band Cannons, at #9, and “Running Out of Time” by Tennessee pop-punk band Paramore, at #10. For a second week, “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” by Italian rock band Måneskin, is the biggest upward mover, jumping 10 spots to #11. And finally, besides Blink-182’s new song, the other debut is the wonderful “Evicted” by Chicago alt-rock band Wilco, which enters at #30.

  1. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (2)
  2. KISSES – Slowdive (1)
  3. FRANCESCA – Hozier (6)
  4. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (5)
  5. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (3)
  6. OVERRATED – dwi (4)
  7. ONE MORE TIME – Blink-182 (N)
  8. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (12)
  9. LOVING YOU – Cannons (13)
  10. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (14)
  11. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (21)
  12. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (7)
  13. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (16)
  14. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (17)
  15. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (8)
  16. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (9) 21st week on chart
  17. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (18)
  18. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (19)
  19. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (20)
  20. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (10)
  21. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (11)
  22. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (23)
  23. DARLING – Western Jaguar (24)
  24. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (25)
  25. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (26)
  26. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (15)
  27. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (28)
  28. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (29)
  29. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (30)
  30. EVICTED – Wilco (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 1-7, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

It’s hard to believe we’re now into October, as 2023 continues to speed past at a dizzying pace. British dream rock band Slowdive holds the top spot for a second week with their bewitching song “kisses”. Sliding into the #2 spot is “Walk Through the Fire” by Virginia singer-songwriter The Frontier, with “Good Vibrations” by Texas duo MISSIO right behind at #3. Otherwise, the top 10 songs remain the same, albeit with a bit of shuffling around. The biggest upward mover this week is “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” by Italian rock band Måneskin, leaping nine spots to #21.

For the second week, there are three new songs making their debut, though truth be told, there were seven or eight I wanted to add, but that would have meant dropping more off, which I couldn’t do. “More Than a Love Song” by Austin, Texas-based neo-soul duo Black Pumas (currently the #1 song on the Billboard AAA chart), enters at #28, “Summer of Luv” by Portland, Oregon-based rock band Portugal. The Man, featuring New Zealand psychedelic rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra, at #29, and “The Shameful” by British hard rock band Amongst Liars (which I reviewed a month ago today), at #30.

  1. KISSES – Slowdive (1)
  2. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (3)
  3. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (4)
  4. OVERRATED – dwi (2)
  5. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (6)
  6. FRANCESCA – Hozier (9)
  7. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (7)
  8. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (8)
  9. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (5) 20th week on chart
  10. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (10)
  11. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (12)
  12. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (13)
  13. LOVING YOU – Cannons (14)
  14. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (15)
  15. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (11)
  16. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (18)
  17. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (19)
  18. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (20)
  19. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (21)
  20. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (24)
  21. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (30)
  22. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (17)
  23. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (26)
  24. DARLING – Western Jaguar (27)
  25. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (16)
  26. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (28)
  27. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (29)
  28. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (N)
  29. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man ft. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (N)
  30. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 24-30, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

Without question, one of the prettiest songs of 2023 is “kisses” by British dream rock band Slowdive. Though they formed way back in 1989, I’m embarrassed to admit I was not familiar with them until hearing “kisses” this past June (which may partly be due to the fact they’ve never had a single chart in the U.S., and only two of their albums have appeared on the Billboard 200 Album chart). Consisting of Rachel Goswell on vocals, guitar and keyboard, Neil Halstead on vocals and guitar, Christian Savill on guitar, Nick Chaplin on bass guitar and Simon Scott on drums, they rose to prominence in the British shoegaze scene in the early 90s. (In a recent NPR interview with Scott Simon, Halstead explained that the term “shoegaze” originated in the early 90s when a journalist from the British music magazine Melody Maker coined it to describe bands such as Slowdive who didn’t have much stagecraft and spent a lot of time looking down at their shoes as they frequently turned their guitar pedals on and off.)

While their second studio album Souvlaki (1993) initially received mixed reviews, it has since been recognized as one of the best albums of the 90s and one of the greatest shoegaze albums of all time by Pitchfork, NME and PopMatters, among others. (Wikipedia) Slowdive broke up soon after the release of their third studio album Pygmalion in 1995, but reunited in 2014, and released their fourth studio album, the self-titled Slowdive, in 2017. They dropped their stunning fifth album Everything Is Alive on September 1st, which became their first top 10 album ever, reaching #4 in the Netherlands, #6 in the UK and #7 in Germany. Though I think it’s one of the best albums of 2023, it only peaked at #63 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. Unbelievably, “kisses” has not appeared on any singles chart, however, it’s the new #1 song on MY chart! About the gorgeous album and song, Halstead told NPR: “A lot of the album is sort of about time passing. And I suppose, seeing as we’re all getting on a bit now, that’s one of the things we’re writing songs about… and ‘kisses’ is about having a second act, having a different chance in life.” Those dreamy synths, shimmery chiming guitars and sublime harmonies are simply breathtaking.

In other chart developments, “Walk Through the Fire” by Virginia singer-songwriter The Frontier, and “Good Vibrations” by Texas duo MISSIO move up two spots to #3 and #4, and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier enters the top 10 with his magnificent “Francesca”. The biggest upward movers are “Loving You” by L.A. dream pop band Cannons, and “Running Out of Time” by Nashville alt-rock band Paramore, both jumping 6 spots to #14 and #15, respectively. Debuting this week are “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND” by American metalcore band Bad Omens, at #28, “Hold Me Like a Grudge” by American rock band Fall Out Boy, at #29, and “HONEY (ARE YOU COMING?)” by Italian rock band Måneskin, at #30.

  1. KISSES – Slowdive (2)
  2. OVERRATED – dwi (1)
  3. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (5)
  4. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (6)
  5. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (3)
  6. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (8)
  7. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (9)
  8. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (4)
  9. FRANCESCA – Hozier (11)
  10. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (7)
  11. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (14)
  12. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick(15)
  13. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (17)
  14. LOVING YOU – Cannons (20)
  15. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (21)
  16. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (10)
  17. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (19)
  18. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (22)
  19. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (24)
  20. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (25)
  21. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (26)
  22. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (12)
  23. BONES – Healer (13)
  24. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (28)
  25. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (16)
  26. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (29)
  27. DARLING – Western Jaguar (30)
  28. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (N)
  29. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (N)
  30. HONEY (ARE YOU COMING?) – Måneskin (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 17-23, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's16 Comments

The wonderfully trippy and boisterous “Overrated” by Canadian artist dwi holds the top spot for a second week on my latest Top 30 chart. Sliding into second place is the enchanting love song “Kisses” by British indie dream pop band Slowdive. Songs by two of my favorite acts – “Walk Through the Fire” by Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, and “Good Vibrations” by Texas-based duo MISSIO – both climb four spots to #5 and #6, respectively. Moving up five spots and entering the top 10 are “Dial Drunk” by Vermont-based singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, at #8, and “Odyssey”, a breezy collaboration between French alt-rock band Phoenix and American singer-songwriter Beck, at #9. “Dial Drunk” has become a huge breakout hit for Kahan, and his version of the song with guest vocals by Post Malone, is currently #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay and Adult Alternative Airplay charts.

Three songs make their debut this week: “Under You” by the mighty Foo Fighters, at #28, the sultry love song “My Kinda Girl” by British collective The 23s (which I recently reviewed), at #29, and the sweet love song “Darling” by Canadian artist Western Jaguar, from his wonderful album Oblivion (which I also reviewed), at #30. 

  1. OVERRATED – dwi (1)
  2. KISSES – Slowdive (4)
  3. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (2)
  4. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (3)
  5. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (9)
  6. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (10)
  7. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (5)
  8. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (13)
  9. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (14)
  10. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (6)
  11. FRANCESCA – Hozier (15)
  12. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (7)
  13. BONES – HEALER (8)
  14. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (16)
  15. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (17)
  16. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (11)
  17. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (18)
  18. ORBIT – Gooseberry (12)
  19. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (21)
  20. LOVING YOU – Cannons (22)
  21. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (23)
  22. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (24)
  23. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (20)
  24. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (25)
  25. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (26)
  26. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (30)
  27. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (19)
  28. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (N)
  29. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (N)
  30. DARLING – Western Jaguar (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 10-16, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

One of my favorite Canadian artists is dwi, the music project of singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Dwight Abell, an immensely creative, talented and imaginative guy with a totally original sound and an endearingly quirky vocal style that make his music so uniquely distinctive. Based on the outskirts of Vancouver, British Columbia, he’s also the longtime bassist for Canadian alternative/power pop band The Zolas. He’s released two phenomenal albums – Mild Fantasy Violence in October 2021, which explored feelings of disconnect from the everyday normalities of relationships, addiction, politics and environmentalism, and Zoo Life this past July, which addressed Dwight’s childhood experiences in foster care, which he equates with being “taken away to a zoo”. (I reviewed both albums, which you can read here and here.)

One of my favorite songs from Zoo Life is “Overrated“, an incredibly infectious track featuring a poweful foot-stomping groove, gnarly bass, spacey synths and dwi’s wonderfully-crazed vocals as he ticks off a number of popular things in culture, like VR, Top Gun, licorice and 69, as well as passion, anger and temper, he feels are overrated. I love the song so much it’s risen to the top of my latest Weekly Top 30 chart. It’s his third song to top my chart, the previous two being “Good Friend” and “Party4One”. The surreal video shows dwi as a kind of gaming character, reflecting his life-long love of video games.

In other chart developments, “Good Vibrations” by another favorite act of mine, Austin, Texas-based MISSIO, enters the top 10 at #10. The biggest upward movers this week are “Cannonballers” by Tennessee indie rock band Colony House and “Forgiving Ties” by Rhode Island alternative folk-rock band Deer Tick, both of which jump six spots to #16 and 17, respectively. The sole debut, at #30, is “Pull Me Through” by British rock duo Royal Blood. The song is from their newly-released fourth studio album Back to the Water Below, which dropped September 1st.

  1. OVERRATED – dwi (3)
  2. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (1)
  3. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (2)
  4. KISSES – Slowdive (6)
  5. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (5)
  6. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (4)
  7. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (7)
  8. BONES – HEALER (8)
  9. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (9)
  10. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (12)
  11. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (11)
  12. ORBIT – Gooseberry (13)
  13. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (14)
  14. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (15)
  15. FRANCESCA – Hozier (16)
  16. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (22)
  17. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (23)
  18. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (21)
  19. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (10)
  20. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (20)
  21. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (24)
  22. LOVING YOU – Cannons (25)
  23. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (27)
  24. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (28)
  25. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (29)
  26. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (30)
  27. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (17)
  28. WHY – Future Theory (18) 20th week on chart
  29. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (19) 22nd week on chart
  30. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 3-9, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

As we slide into September, Beach Weather remain on top for a second week with their breezy love song “Pineapple Sunrise”. Lana Del Rey’s “Say Yes To Heaven” moves into second place, while Canadian artist dwi inches up a notch to #3 with his delightfully boisterous “Overrated”.

Three songs enter the top 10 this week, the first of which is the enchanting dream pop gem “Kisses” by British band Slowdive. After slowly inching up my chart since debuting five weeks ago, the song leaps 12 spots to #6. It’s the lead single from their stunning fifth studio album everything is alive, which dropped this past Friday, September 1st. Shockingly, though it was released in late June, “Kisses” hasn’t yet charted either in the UK or the U.S. “Bones” by British rock band HEALER, which features some of the best power drumming of any song I’ve heard in a long while, moves up three spots to #8. “Walk Through the Fire” by one of my favorite American indie singer-songwriters The Frontier also moves up three spots to #9. And after dropping two spots last week, Beck Black‘s exuberant “Puppet Show” enjoys a resurgence, moving back up three spots to #7.

Making their debut this week are “bad idea right?”, the latest single from American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, at #29, and “Overcome” by British alt-rock band Nothing But Thieves, at #30.

  1. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (1)
  2. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (3)
  3. OVERRATED – dwi (4)
  4. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (2)
  5. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (5)
  6. KISSES – Slowdive (18)
  7. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (10)
  8. BONES – HEALER (11)
  9. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (12)
  10. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (6)
  11. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (14)
  12. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (16)
  13. ORBIT – Gooseberry (13)
  14. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (19)
  15. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (20)
  16. FRANCESCA – Hozier (21)
  17. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (7)
  18. WHY – Future Theory (8)
  19. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (15) 21st week on chart
  20. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (17)
  21. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (22)
  22. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (23)
  23. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (24)
  24. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (25)
  25. LOVING YOU – Cannons (27)
  26. STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (9)
  27. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (28))
  28. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (30)
  29. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (N)
  30. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (N)