Tag: Billie Eilish

Top 30 Songs for July 14-20, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

On the strength of their infectious melodies, ace musicianship, strong charisma, and lead singer Nick Santino’s beautiful vocals, pop-rock trio Beach Weather have become one of my top favorite bands. In fact, a photo I took of them at a concert last year graces the header of my X (formerly Twitter) page. In addition to Santino, the band includes Reeve Powers on bass and Sean Silverman on guitar. I’ve loved every one of their songs, and their latest single “High In Low Places” becomes their fourth to top my weekly Top 30 chart (the previous three are “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, “Trouble With This Bed” and “Pineapple Sunrise”.

The song has a brooding cinematic vibe in the vein of Ennio Morricone that would make it a great addition to the soundtrack of a Spaghetti Western film, and I love the twangy guitars and Santino’s sensuous vocals. He had this to say about the song: “We like to call ‘High in Low Places’ our apocalyptic love song. There was beauty in the idea of finding peace in one another while the world was slowly melting. We wanted to create something that felt cinematic, the closing credits of a modern end-of-times western. There are hints of those influences in the guitars and strings running through the chorus where we want to pull everyone into a world but stay hopeful that we can all rise above that insanity transpiring around us.” The lyrics speak to remaining positive and optimistic in the face of life’s problems and obstacles: “You and I got some troubles we’re facing, I know we can make it staying high in low places. Never mind all the tears that we wasted, I know we can make it staying high in low places.”

The video, which was shot in the Arizona desert outside Phoenix, involved the guys getting stuck by cholla cactus and other hazards that come from being in a beautiful but hostile environment – one I’m intimately familiar with living in the Coachella Valley.

In other chart happenings of note, “The Craving” by twenty one pilots moves up five to enter the top 10 at #10, and “Foretold Ecstasy” by the wonderfully-named Norwegian psych-noir band Mayflower Madame advances four spots to #14. Two songs make their debut this week. Entering at #29 is “Rainbow”, by another favorite band of mine, Nashville-based Cage the Elephant, whose previous single “Neon Pill” was a huge #1 hit on all the Alternative charts, as well as my personal Top 30. And coming in at #30 is the rousing garage rock gem “Just Wanna Sleep” by Iowa indie rock band Halfloves, which I reviewed last month.

  1. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (2)
  2. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (1)
  3. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (3)
  4. TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (6)
  6. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (9)
  7. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (10)
  8. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (5)
  9. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (7)
  10. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (15)
  11. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (8)
  12. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (13)
  13. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (12)
  14. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (18)
  15. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (16)
  16. TOO MUCH – girl in red (17)
  17. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (19)
  18. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (11)
  19. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (21)
  20. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (22)
  21. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (14)
  22. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (25)
  23. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (26)
  24. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (27)
  25. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (28)
  26. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (29)
  27. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (30)
  28. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (20)
  29. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (N)
  30. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 7-13, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's14 Comments

It’s another great week for music, and Glass Animals remain on top for a second week with their beautiful song “Creatures in Heaven”. Beach Weather slide into the second spot with their smoldering summer hit “High In Low Places”, while Pearl Jam‘s “Wreckage” moves up a spot to #3. I really love this song, which has become my favorite Pearl Jam song ever. Hozier‘s “Too Sweet”, which has become the biggest hit of his career, is currently #1 on the Billboard Rock/Alternative Airplay, Alternative Airplay and AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) charts, having spent nine consecutive weeks and counting on the latter. The song spent two weeks at #1 and four weeks at #2 on my chart, and now sits at #4. “End of Beginning” by Djo enters the top 10, and “The Craving” by twenty one pilots jumps 10 spots to #15, making it the biggest upward mover this week.

Debuting this week are two marvelous songs by artists who make their first appearance on my chart. The first is “Payback” by L.A.-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Frazer. It’s funny, not funny how often we come across artists or bands in passing, but sadly not pay close enough attention at the time for things to fully register. Though he’s been making music for more than a decade, first as a member of contemporary R&B and soul revival group Durand Jones & The Indications, and also more recently as a solo artist, I didn’t become fully cognizant of the immensely talented falsetto-voiced Mr. Frazer until seeing “Payback” moving up the Billboard AAA chart, as well as reading about him in a post by fellow blogger Christian’s Music Musings. In doing a bit of searching about Durand Jones & The Indications, I saw they were the ones who sang the wonderful song “Witchoo”, which reached #22 on the AAA chart in 2021. I’ve always loved male singers with tenor and falsetto voices, so Frazer’s vocal style is right up my alley. “Payback”, from his terrific second album Into The Blue, has an irresistible retro 60s soul vibe that calls to mind some of the great soul acts like Marvin Gaye, the Temptations and The Capitols (who had a hit with “Cool Jerk”), but with a modern edge.

The second debut, entering at #30, is the Latin-tinged “Espresso” by American singer and actress Sabrina Carpenter. After appearing in various TV and films, she gained recognition for her role in the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World that aired from 2014–2017. She’s released five albums since 2014, the last of which, her 2022 release Emails I Can’t Send, was successful, reaching #23 on the Billboard Hot 200 Album chart. “Espresso” was the lead single from her forthcoming sixth album Short n’ Sweet, due for release August 23rd. Her follow up single “Please Please Please” reached #1 on the Hot 100 last week, but I like “Espresso” more.

  1. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (1)
  2. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (5)
  3. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (4)
  4. TOO SWEET – Hozier (3)
  5. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (2)
  6. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (8)
  7. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (6)
  8. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (7)
  9. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (10)
  10. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (12)
  11. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (13)
  12. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (14)
  13. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (15)
  14. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (9)
  15. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (25)
  16. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (18)
  17. TOO MUCH – girl in red (19)
  18. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (20)
  19. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (22)
  20. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (11)
  21. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (23)
  22. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (24)
  23. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (17)
  24. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (16)
  25. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (27)
  26. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (28)
  27. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (29)
  28. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (30)
  29. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (N)
  30. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 30-July 6, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments
Photo of Glass Animals by Lillie Eiger

It makes my blood boil when I hear my contemporaries – or anyone for that matter – opine that there’s no good music being made any longer, because nothing could be further from the truth! While I concede that some of the best non-classical music was created during the years 1965-1973, there are many talented artists and bands putting out great music today, several of whom are represented on my latest Weekly Top 30.

Case in point is English psychedelic art pop band Glass Animals, whose beautiful song “Creatures in Heaven” ascends to the #1 spot. Formed in 2010 when they were all attending college in Oxford, the band consists of Dave Bayley (vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, songwriting), Drew MacFarlane (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Edmund Irwin-Singer (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), and Joe Seaward (drums). Since 2014, they’ve released three albums, with their fourth, I Love You So F***ing Much, slated for release on July 19. “Creatures in Heaven” was the lead single from that album.

I first learned about Glass Animals in 2016, when they released their second album How to Be a Human Being. One of the songs from that album is “Life Itself”, which I loved so much it went to #1 on my Top 30 chart and ended up ranking #60 on my decade-end 100 Best Songs of the 2010s list. I love Dave Bayley’s singing voice, which is so distinctive that it makes their songs immediately identifiable as only theirs. “Creatures in Heaven” becomes their second song to top my chart (“Heat Waves” peaked at #2, but spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their biggest hit so far).

About “Creatures in Heaven”, Bayley told Atwood Magazine: “It’s about a moment in time, be it a split second or a year or whatever, having the capacity to be enormously formative and life-changing, even if it is over. Or if it doesn’t go as planned. Or if it dies too soon. It is still fucking beautiful. The love and care and the feeling in that moment lives forever. It never really dies. If that’s how you choose to see it.”

The two biggest upward movers this week are by two more bands I love – “Starburster” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C., leaping eight spots to enter the top 10 at #10, and “High In Low Places” by American pop-rock band Beach Weather, which jumps seven spots to enter the top 10 at #5. And this week there are four new debuts, starting with “The Craving” by twenty one pilots, entering at #25. The second single from their latest album Clancy, “The Craving” replaces their previous single “Overcompensate”, which just spent 15 weeks on my chart, 13 of them in the top 10.

Entering at #28 is “Lost In Space” by Foster the People, which now consists of founding member and frontman Mark Foster and multi-instrumentalist Isom Innis, who started as a touring member of the band way back in 2010. The exuberant song is the lead single from their upcoming fourth studio album Paradise State of Mind, to be released on August 16. Both twenty one pilots and Foster the People were my top two favorite bands for several years in the mid-to-late 2010s, and I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them both in concert.

Next up is the sensuous “Run Your Mouth” by L.A.-based indie pop band The Marías. Formed in 2016, the band is comprised of lead vocalist María Zardoya and drummer/producer Josh Conway, guitarist Jesse Perlman, and keyboardist Edward James. Known for performing songs in both English and Spanish, they’ve released two albums, Cinema in 2021 and Submarine, which dropped May 31st. Their 2021 single “Hush” reached #1 on the Billboard AAA chart.

The fourth new entry, coming in at #30, is the hauntingly beautiful and moving “What if i feel like this my whole life?” by talented and silky-voiced English singer-songwriter HULLAH (which I recently reviewed). This is his third song to appear on my chart, the previous two being “Chasing Trains”, which reached #1, and “Wild as the Wind”, which reached #7.

  1. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (3)
  2. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (1)
  3. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  4. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (6)
  5. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (12)
  6. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (4)
  7. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (9)
  8. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (10)
  9. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
  10. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (18)
  11. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (7)
  12. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (14)
  13. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (13)
  14. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (15)
  15. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (16)
  16. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (8)
  17. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (17)
  18. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (19)
  19. TOO MUCH – girl in red (20)
  20. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (22)
  21. DILEMMA – Green Day (11)
  22. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (25)
  23. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (29)
  24. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (27)
  25. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (N)
  26. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (21)
  27. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (30)
  28. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (N)
  29. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (N)
  30. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 23-29, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

The delightful “Burial Ground” by Portland, Oregon five-piece The Decemberists, featuring James Mercer, remains at #1 for a second week, and in fact, the top six songs on last week’s chart, including Hozier‘s “Too Sweet”, Glass Animals‘ “Creatures in Heaven”, Royel Otis‘ “Murder on the Dancefloor”, Bottlecap Mountain‘s “I’ve Got Loving For You” and Pearl Jam‘s “Wreckage” – all remain in place again this week. The beautiful “Panoramic View” by AWOLNATION moves up a spot to enter the top 10. The biggest upward mover this week is “High In Low Places” by Beach Weather, leaping nine spots to #12.

Two songs make their debut this week. The first is “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen. At first I dismissed this song, as I’m not a big fan of Country nor Morgan Wallen, but the song is just too damned catchy to resist. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has remained there five weeks and counting. This makes two songs by Post Malone on this chart, the other being “Fortnight”, his collaboration with Taylor Swift. The second new entry is “Vices”, a beautiful and uplifting track by California musician/producer 5ilas (aka Shane Roberts) and Canadian singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson, who’ve collaborated together on several songs. I reviewed the song when it came out last month. It’s Johnson’s third song to appear on my chart; her previous two – “Starts With You” and “Essence”, a collaboration with Danish producer/composer Refeci, both reached #1.

  1. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (1)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  3. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (3)
  4. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (4)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
  6. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (6)
  7. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (8)
  8. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (9)
  9. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (10)
  10. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (11)
  11. DILEMMA – Green Day (7) 
  12. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (21)
  13. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (15)
  14. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (20)
  15. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (17)
  16. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (18)
  17. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (19)
  18. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (24)
  19. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (22)
  20. TOO MUCH – girl in red (23)
  21. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (16)
  22. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (25)
  23. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (12)
  24. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (13)
  25. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (28)
  26. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (14)
  27. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (29)
  28. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (27)
  29. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (N)
  30. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 16-22, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's29 Comments

The Decemberists are an American indie folk-rock band based in Portland, Oregon. Formed in 2000, they consist of founding members Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals) and Nate Query (bass), along with drummer John Moen, who joined the lineup in 2005. Their sound is a pleasing mix of alternative rock, folk, baroque pop, and orchestral pop, characterized by lush instrumentation and lovely arrangements and highlighted by Meloy’s beautiful warm vocals. Their interesting name was inspired by the Decembrist revolt, an 1825 insurrection in Imperial Russia, and band frontman Meloy has said that their name is also meant to invoke the “drama and melancholy” of the month of December.

They’ve released a substantial amount of music over the years, especially during their most active period from 2002-2011, including nine studio albums, two live albums, ten EPs and 26 singles. Their songs often touch on historical incidents and folklore, with the band sometimes staging whimsical reenactments of sea battles and other centuries-old events, typically of regional interest, or acting out songs with members of the crowd.(Wikipedia) After their very successful R.E.M.-influenced 6th album The King Is Dead, which reached #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and generated a Grammy-nominated song “Down by the Water”, The Decemberists went on a brief hiatus in 2012.

Since regrouping in 2014, they’ve released three albums, one of which, their 2018 album I’ll Be Your Girl, featured the fantastic song “Severed”, a bold electronic track highlighted by spacey synths and twangy Western-style guitars. The single went to #1 on the Billboard AAA chart, and also landed on my chart, ending up at #55 on my 100 Best Songs of 2018 list. Thanks to Covid, the band was essentially forced into another brief hiatus, as their tour had to be postponed, then cancelled. Thankfully, in 2023 they began recording what would become their ninth and latest album, the wonderful As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, which dropped this past Friday, June 14th. The lead single from the album, “Burial Ground”, an upbeat, optimistic track about leaving your troubles behind, featuring added vocals by James Mercer, who’s also a member of the bands The Shins and Broken Bells, ascends to the top spot on my latest Top 30 chart. I love those twangy guitars and cool horns, not to mention the gorgeous harmonies.

After five consecutive weeks with three or more debuts, there are no new entries this week. I think 16 new songs in five weeks gives my chart a lot of youth and vigor! Three songs finally enter the top 10 after a long upward climb: “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone, “Loneliness” by the Pet Shop Boys, and “For Us All” by English singer-songwriter Asgard Raven. Green Day‘s “Dilemma” spends its 15th week in my top 10; the song has been at #1 for seven weeks on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.

  1. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists (2)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (1)
  3. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (4)
  4. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (3)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
  6. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (10)
  7. DILEMMA – Green Day (7) 15th week in top 10
  8. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (11)
  9. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (12)
  10. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (13)
  11. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (14)
  12. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (6)
  13. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (8)
  14. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (9)
  15. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (17)
  16. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (15)
  17. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (19)
  18. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (20)
  19. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (21)
  20. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (22)
  21. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (28)
  22. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (23)
  23. TOO MUCH – girl in red (24)
  24. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (25)
  25. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (26)
  26. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (16)
  27. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (27)
  28. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (29)
  29. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (30)
  30. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (18)

Top 30 Songs for June 9-15, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

Irish singer-songwriter Hozier remains at #1 for a second week with his wonderful “Too Sweet”, while the equally wonderful “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer slides into second place. The relentlessly infectious “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Texas rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain moves up five spots to #5, and Pearl Jam are the biggest upward movers again this week, as their pleasing introspective single “Wreckage” jumps eight spots to enter the top 10 at #10.

Four excellent songs enter my chart this week, beginning with “Highway Queen” by Los Angeles-based indie folk-rock band Mt. Joy, at #27. It’s their fourth song to appear on my chart. Next up, coming in at #28, is “High In Low Places”, the latest single by Beach Weather, who are very likely my favorite band right now. The gorgeous song has a sultry Western vibe and a hook that’s so damned catchy I keep humming it long after hearing it. It’s their fifth song to appear on my chart, three of which have reached #1, and I can already guarantee that “High In Low Places” will be their fourth. The third entry is the latest single “LUNCH” by Los Angeles-based superstar Billie Eilish. The delightful song is the lead single from her new album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, which dropped May 17th. Coming in at #30 is the lovely “Like You Do” by Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, which I reviewed last month. I’ve been a long-time fan of his, and “Like You Do” is his seventh song to appear on my chart (four of which have reached #1).

  1. TOO SWEET – Hozier (1)
  2. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists and James Mercer (3)
  3. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (2)
  4. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (4)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (10)
  6. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
  7. DILEMMA – Green Day (6)
  8. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (7)
  9. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (8)
  10. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (18)
  11. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (12)
  12. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (14)
  13. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (15)
  14. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (16)
  15. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (13)
  16. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (11)
  17. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (17)
  18. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (9)
  19. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (21)
  20. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (22)
  21. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (24)
  22. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (26)
  23. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (27)
  24. TOO MUCH – girl in red (28)
  25. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (29)
  26. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (30)
  27. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (N)
  28. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (N)
  29. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (N)
  30. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (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)