Tag: Blink-182

Top 30 Songs for November 19-25, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments

What an exciting chart we have this week, with a new #1 song and new debuts by two legendary acts. Since winning the Eurovision Song Contest two and a half years ago with “Zitti e Buoni”, Italian rock band Måneskin have amassed enormous commercial success and legions of passionate fans, if not always critical acclaim. Formed in 2016 while still in high school, the irrepressible and charismatic foursome consists of Damiano David (lead vocals), Victoria De Angelis (bass), Thomas Raggi (guitar) and Ethan Torchio (drums). I love their bombastic rock extravaganza “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?”, which takes over the #1 spot on my Weekly Top 30 chart after spending three weeks at #2.

Released on September 1st, the song is the sixth single from their most recent album RUSH (previous chart-topping singles from the album include “SUPERMODEL” and “THE LONELIEST”). Though generally favorable, reviews for RUSH were mixed, with Sam Law of Kerrang! writing that Måneskin are “still utterly unstoppable when they tap into the youthful exuberance and fiery eccentricity that got them here in the first place“, whereas Jeremy Larson of Pitchfork called it “absolutely terrible at every conceivable level: vocally grating, lyrically unimaginative, and musically one-dimensional. It is a rock album that sounds worse the louder you play it.” While I think the album is a bit too long (it features 18 tracks, but was reissued on November 10th as RUSH (ARE U COMING?) with a whopping 22 tracks), I love the band’s explosive energy and enjoy most of their songs.

The two very notable debuts, both of which were released on November 2nd, enter my chart quite high this week. The first, entering at #11, is “The American Dream Is Killing Me” by California pop-punk trio Green Day, released alongside “Look Ma, No Brains!” as the lead single from their forthcoming 14th studio album, Saviors, due out next year. Never afraid of making a socio-political statement, band front man Billie Joe Armstrong told Stereogum that the song is “a look at the way the traditional American Dream doesn’t work for a lot of people—in fact, it’s hurting a lot of people.”

Debuting right behind at #12 is “Now and Then” by The Beatles. At first I had mixed feelings about the song and how it came to be, but I’ve come to like it. Released as a double A-side single along with a new stereo remix of their first single, “Love Me Do”, they serve as a kind of “bookends” to the band’s history. “Now and Then” was written and recorded by John Lennon in 1977 as a solo piano demo on his home tape recorder, but was never finished. After his death in 1980, the song was considered for inclusion along with “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” for The Beatles’ 1995–1996 retrospective project The Beatles Anthology, but shelved due to its poor audio quality. Paul McCartney later remarked that George Harrison disliked the song, calling Lennon’s demo recording “fucking rubbish“. (Wikipedia)

Fast forward to 2023, McCartney and Ringo Starr were able to use the machine-learning-assisted audio restoration technology – originally commissioned by Peter Jackson for his 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back– to successfully extract Lennon’s vocals from the original demo. They then added their new vocal overdubs, Harrison’s 1995 guitar tracks along with a new slide guitar solo by McCartney, Starr’s new drum parts, and a string section written by Giles Martin (son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin), McCartney, and Ben Foster, to complete the new version of “Now and Then.” The result is a song that’s, in the words of Benjamin H. Smith who wrote about it for the website Decider, “underwhelming at first, due to its minor key verse and stately tempo, [but] repeated listens pull you in with its its artistry and gravitas“, which was exactly my own personal reaction.

The song has generally been well received by many critics who felt it was a worthy finale for the Beatles, however, some have been less generous, with a few bloggers I follow bitterly denouncing the entire project. Be that as it may, “Now and Then” has already topped the music charts in the UK, Germany, and Austria, and last week debuted at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest-charting song by the Beatles since “Free as a Bird” reached #6 in 1995.

Also worth noting on this week’s chart is the 10-point jump of U2‘s anthemic “Atomic City” (another song I was initially ambivalent about, partly because the chorus sounds a lot like Blondie’s “Call Me”), which is currently #1 on the Billboard AAA chart. With songs out now by both the Beatles and Rolling Stones, as well as veteran acts U2, Green Day, Wilco, Foo Fighters and blink-182, one can be forgiven for wondering what year we’re in!

  1. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (2)
  2. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (1)
  3. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (3)
  4. LOVING YOU – Cannons (4)
  5. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (6)
  6. DARLING – Western Jaguar (8)
  7. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (9)
  8. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (10)
  9. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (11)
  10. EVICTED – Wilco (12)
  11. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (N)
  12. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (N)
  13. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (5)
  14. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (7)
  15. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (15)
  16. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (26)
  17. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (20)
  18. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (21)
  19. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (22)
  20. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (23)
  21. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (24)
  22. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (25)
  23. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (13)
  24. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (27)
  25. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (28)
  26. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (29)
  27. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (30)
  28. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (14)
  29. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (16)
  30. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (17)

Top 30 Songs for November 12-18, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments

It’s been quite a while since a song has spent four weeks at #1 on my chart (the last time was two years ago this month with Two Feet’s “Don’t Bring Me Down”), but “ONE MORE TIME” by blink-182 still strongly resonates with me. “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” by Italian rock band Måneskin holds at #2 for a third week, and in fact, the entire top 7 remains unchanged from last week.

The middle of my chart, however, has lots of movement, with several songs making big upward moves. Three songs enter the top 10: “Darling” by Canadian artist Western Jaguar; “My Kinda Girl” by British synth-pop trio The 23s, and “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND” by American metalcore band Bad Omens, all of which advance six spots. The biggest climbers this week are “Summer of Luv” by Portland-based alt-rock band Portugal. The Man featuring Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and “Evicted” by Chicago alt-rock veterans Wilco, each jumping seven spots to #11 and #12, respectively. The bottom third of the chart is more sluggish, with all ten songs advancing one spot. Bringing up the rear is the lone debut, “Cool About It” by boygenius, a long-overdue addition to my chart.

  1. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (1)
  2. HONEY (ARE U COMING) – Måneskin (2)
  3. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (3)
  4. LOVING YOU – Cannons (4)
  5. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (5)
  6. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (6)
  7. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (7)
  8. DARLING – Western Jaguar (14)
  9. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (15)
  10. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (16)
  11. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (18)
  12. EVICTED – Wilco (19)
  13. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (10)
  14. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (12)
  15. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (17)
  16. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (11)
  17. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (13)
  18. FRANCESCA – Hozier (8)
  19. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (9) 21st week on chart
  20. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (21)
  21. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (22)
  22. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (23)
  23. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (24)
  24. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (25)
  25. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (26)
  26. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (27)
  27. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (28)
  28. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (29)
  29. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (30)
  30. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (N)

Top 30 Songs for November 5-11, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments

blink-182 maintains a firm grip on the #1 spot for a third week with their heartwarming “ONE MORE TIME”, while Måneskin‘s boisterous gem “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” holds at #2 for a second week. I’ve fallen in love with Black Pumas‘ soulful “More Than a Love Song”, which jumps eight spots to #3 this week. The song has now spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard AAA chart. The sensuous “Loving You” by LA dream pop trio Cannons moves up two spots to #4, and Paramore‘s rousing “Running Out of Time” – which could be my theme song – moves up two spots to #5. Foo Fighters climb four spots to #6 with “Under You”.

Three songs debut this week: the ethereal beauty “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski, from her wonderfully-titled latest album The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We, at #28; “Wild”, the cool title track from the new album by prolific Texas singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, featuring contributions by Harmoni Kelly and Marc Schuster, at #29; and the enchanting “All I Die For” by Toronto, Canada indie rock trio SWiiMS, at #30. I was introduced to the song by fellow blogger The Alternative Mixtapes, a terrific blog worth checking out.

  1. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (1)
  2. HONEY (ARE U COMING) – Måneskin (2)
  3. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (11)
  4. LOVING YOU – Cannons (6)
  5. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (7)
  6. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (10)
  7. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (8)
  8. FRANCESCA – Hozier (3)
  9. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (4) 20th week on chart
  10. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (5)
  11. BAD IDEA RIGHT ? – Olivia Rodrigo (12)
  12. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (13)
  13. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (14)
  14. DARLING – Western Jaguar (15)
  15. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (16)
  16. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (17)
  17. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (18)
  18. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (19)
  19. EVICTED – Wilco (20)
  20. KISSES – Slowdive (9)
  21. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (22)
  22. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (23)
  23. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (24)
  24. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (27)
  25. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (28)
  26. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (29)
  27. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (30)
  28. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (N)
  29. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelly & Marc Schuster (N)
  30. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 29-November 4, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's25 Comments

On this week’s chart, the beautiful and poignant autobiographical “ONE MORE TIME” by Blink-182 remains on top for a second week, while Måneskin‘s bombastic gem “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” slides into second place. “Under You” by the Foo Fighters enters the top 10, and “More Than a Love Song” by Austin, Texas neo-soul duo Black Pumas leaps 10 spots to #11. Making their debut are “”Good Old Days” by New Orleans roots rock band The Revivalists, (which is currently at #1 on the Billboard AAA Chart) at #29, and “Atomic City” by legendary Irish rock band U2, who’ve been putting out music for nearly 45 years, at #30.

  1. ONE MORE TIME – Blink-182 (1)
  2. HONEY (ARE U COMING) – Måneskin (4)
  3. FRANCESCA – Hozier (2)
  4. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (3)
  5. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (5)
  6. LOVING YOU – Cannons (7)
  7. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (8)
  8. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (10)
  9. KISSES – Slowdive (6)
  10. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (12)
  11. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (21)
  12. BAD IDEA RIGHT ? – Olivia Rodrigo (11)
  13. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (13)
  14. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (14)
  15. DARLING – Western Jaguar (16)
  16. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (18)
  17. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (19)
  18. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (20)
  19. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (22)
  20. EVICTED – Wilco (23)
  21. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (9)
  22. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (24)
  23. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (25)
  24. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (26)
  25. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (15)
  26. OVERRATED – dwi (17)
  27. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (29)
  28. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (30)
  29. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (N)
  30. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (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 January 1-7, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's17 Comments

Happy New Year! A new #1 song to start off the new year, as “Tonight” by French pop-rock band Phoenix, featuring added vocals by Vampire Weekend front man Ezra Koenig, takes over the top spot. For those unaware, Phoenix formed back in 1995 in Versailles, while its members were all in their teens, and still consists of the original lineup of Thomas Mars (lead vocals), Deck d’Arcy (bass/keyboards/backing vocals), Christian Mazzalai (guitar/backing vocals) and Laurent Brancowitz (guitar/keyboards/backing vocals), with Thomas Hedlund serving as their session and live drummer since 2005.

“Tonight” is from their seventh album Alpha Zulu, which was recorded at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, a studio located within the Louvre Palace in Paris. About the collaboration with Koenig, band frontman Thomas Mars told NME “There’s always been a synchronicity with us and Vampire Weekend.” Guitarist Laurent Brancowitz added that he was initially hesitant of the format: “I was saying ‘show me one classic song that’s a duet’. I was resisting, and then Thomas came back with a list of duets that were classics and I had to admit I was wrong.” I think it’s a terrific duet, as Mars’ and Koenig’s voices harmonize together beautifully. I also love the bass and energetic drumming on the track.

Here’s a performance of the song by just Phoenix on the British TV show Later with Jools Holland, which nicely showcases Thomas Hedlund’s impressive drumming:

In other chart developments, three songs enter the top 10 this week: “Shadows in the Dark” by The Star Crumbles, “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift, and “Sail Away” by lovelytheband. Two songs make their debut: “Pages” by American rock band White Reaper, at #29, and “Kill Bill” by American R&B singer-songwriter SZA, at #30.

  1. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (3)
  2. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (1)
  3. SNAP – Rosa Linn (2)
  4. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975 (8)
  5. THIS IS WHY – Paramore (9)
  6. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (6)
  7. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (11)
  8. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (10)
  9. ANTI-HERO – Taylor Swift (12)
  10. SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband (13)
  11. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (4)
  12. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (5)
  13. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (7)
  14. OUT OF MY SYSTEM – Louis Tomlinson (16)
  15. UNHOLY – Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras (15)
  16. LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – Crystal Cities (18)
  17. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (19)
  18. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (21)
  19. DANCE FOR ME – Sam Rappaport (22)
  20. DISORDER – Columbia (23)
  21. THE LONELIEST – Måneskin (24)
  22. PARTY4ONE – dwi (14)
  23. EDGING – Blink-182 (20)
  24. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (27)
  25. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (17)
  26. THEN IT ALL GOES AWAY – Dayglow (25)
  27. WILD AS THE WIND – HULLAH (29)
  28. MAYFLY – Callum Pitt (30)
  29. PAGES – White Reaper (N)
  30. KILL BILL – SZA (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 25-31, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and/or Happy Holidays everyone! We’ve arrived at the final week of 2022, and I like that it’ll be a clean break, with the New Year starting on a Sunday. British artist Art Block remains at #1 for a second week with his hauntingly beautiful “White Horses”. Rosa Linn‘s “SNAP” holds at #2 for a second week after spending two weeks at #1, and the jaunty gem “Tonight” by French band Phoenix, featuring the dulcet tones of Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig, climbs two spots to #3.

Three songs enter my top 10 this week: “I’m in Love With You” by The 1975, “This is Why” by Paramore, and “Offcuts” by Mount Famine, at #8, 9 and 10 respectively. Two beautiful songs by British artists make their debut: “Wild as the Wind” by HULLAH (which I reviewed last month), and “Mayfly” by Callum Pitt (which I also reviewed in November). It’s the second appearance on my Weekly Top 30 for both artists.

  1. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (1)
  2. SNAP – Rosa Linn (2)
  3. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (5)
  4. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (3)
  5. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (4)
  6. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (8)
  7. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (6)
  8. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975 (11)
  9. THIS IS WHY – Paramore (12)
  10. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (13)
  11. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (14)
  12. ANTI-HERO – Taylor Swift (15)
  13. SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband (16)
  14. PARTY4ONE – dwi (7)
  15. UNHOLY – Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras (10)
  16. OUT OF MY SYSTEM – Louis Tomlinson (18)
  17. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (9)
  18. LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – Crystal Cities (19)
  19. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (20)
  20. EDGING – Blink-182 (22)
  21. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (24)
  22. DANCE FOR ME – Sam Rappaport (25)
  23. DISORDER – Columbia (26)
  24. THE LONELIEST – Måneskin (27)
  25. THEN IT ALL GOES AWAY – Dayglow (23)
  26. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (21)
  27. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (30)
  28. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (17)
  29. WILD AS THE WIND – HULLAH (N)
  30. MAYFLY – Callum Pitt (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 18-24, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

I’ve been following London-based alternative folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who goes by the artistic name of Art Block for three years, and have featured him a number of times on this blog. A prolific artist who creates hauntingly beautiful music, he’s released an impressive number of singles, EPs and remixes since early 2015. His most recent work was a three-track EP White Horses, which I reviewed this past September, and the deeply moving title track “White Horses” takes over the top spot on my latest Weekly Top 30. The gorgeous piano-driven song was produced, mixed and engineered with Moog synthesizers by William Robertson aka Wheeliemix, who also played the subtle bass, Art Block played piano and sang vocals, and the gentle drums were played by Raphael Bouchara. 

In addition to beautiful melodies and captivating arrangements, a defining aspect of Art Block’s songs are his incredibly emotive vocals, which convey a deep sense of pain and sorrow. On “White Horses”, he nearly breaks our hearts. He says the song “was inspired by a beautiful place in England, but also by the attack in Mariupol Ukraine which was in the news, where I imagined I was going through the devastation there. Perhaps ‘White Horses’ is a metaphor for something else, greater, perhaps mystical or mysterious? The place I visited in England certainly had a mystical feel even though the White Horse itself etched into a hill was not ancient.” His lyrics are poetic and deep, touching on the terrifying randomness of death and suffering: “We bear our own cross. And the people may wonder why God’s left them alone? The wind is burning. There’s so much smoke cos’ you’re coughing up blood now. The poem has ceased. And the soil is all over me, I’m six feet deep.“

In other chart news this week, “Unholy” by Sam Smith, featuring Kim Petras, enters the top 10 at #10, while the lone debut, entering at #30, is the beautiful “Backpatters and Shooters” by British indie rock band The Zangwills (which I featured last month in a Fresh New Tracks post).

  1. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (2)
  2. SNAP – Rosa Linn (1)
  3. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (6)
  4. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (7)
  5. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (8)
  6. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (4)
  7. PARTY4ONE – dwi (3)
  8. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (10)
  9. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (5)
  10. UNHOLY – Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras (11)
  11. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975 (12)
  12. THIS IS WHY – Paramore (13)
  13. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (16)
  14. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (17)
  15. ANTI-HERO – Taylor Swift (18)
  16. SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband (19)
  17. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (9)
  18. OUT OF MY SYSTEM – Louis Tomlinson (20)
  19. LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – Crystal Cities (21)
  20. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (22)
  21. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (14)
  22. EDGING – Blink-182 (24)
  23. THEN IT ALL GOES AWAY – Dayglow (25)
  24. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (26)
  25. DANCE FOR ME – Sam Rappaport (27)
  26. DISORDER – Columbia (28)
  27. THE LONELIEST – Måneskin (30)
  28. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (15)
  29. SISTERS – pMad (23)
  30. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (N)