Tag: Bon Iver

Top 30 Songs for November 20-26, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments

One of the more fascinating artists making music today is dwi, the music project of Canadian singer-songwriter Dwight Abell. He’s also bassist for Canadian alternative/power pop band The Zolas. Based in Vancouver, B.C., the fearless and talented guy lets his creativity and imagination run totally wild with his zany alter ago, making outstanding music that’s innovative, quirky and fun. Last year, dwi released his brilliant debut album Mild Fantasy Violence, which I loved at first listen. One of the album’s tracks, “Good Friend”, spent four months on my Weekly Top 30, going all the way to #1 this past January. Now he reaches the pinnacle of my list for a second time with his wonderful “Party4One“. dwi says the song is “about falling in love with yourself during an intense state of cabin fever. Love yourself, make out with yourself, and for the love of gawd, scare yourself. The weirdos are in charge now!” Accompanied by a deliriously wacky video, it’s a riotous blast from start to finish, with an infectious bouncy groove and dwi’s relentlessly endearing vocals.

In other chart news, the biggest upward movers this week are “SNAP” by Rosa Linn, climbing five spots to #5, and “Unholy” by Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras, jumping eight spots to #16. Debuting this week are “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift, finally entering my chart at #27 (the song has been #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the entire three weeks it’s been on that chart); “Out of My System” by former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson, at #29; and “Night Bus” by immensely talented Welsh singer-songwriter Caitlin Lavagna.

  1. PARTY4ONE – dwi (4)
  2. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (1)
  3. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (2)
  4. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (3)
  5. SNAP – Rosa Linn (10)
  6. WET DREAM – Wet Leg (6)
  7. SISTERS – pMad (7)
  8. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (8)
  9. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (9)
  10. THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (5)
  11. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (12)
  12. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (13)
  13. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (14)
  14. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (15)
  15. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (18)
  16. UNHOLY – Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras (24)
  17. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975 (20)
  18. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (21)
  19. I.N.V.U. – Kid Kapichi (22)
  20. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (23)
  21. NATURAL BORN KILLER – Highly Suspect (19)
  22. THIS IS WHY – Paramore (26)
  23. MY BABE – Spoon (11)
  24. BOY – The Killers (16)
  25. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (17)
  26. SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband (28)
  27. ANTI-HERO – Taylor Swift (N)
  28. LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – Crystal Cities (30)
  29. OUT OF MY SYSTEM – Louis Tomlinson (N)
  30. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (N)

Top 30 Songs for November 13-19, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments

I still can’t get enough of Beach Weather‘s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, and it holds the #1 spot on my chart for a third week. They also dropped a gorgeous new single “Trouble With This Bed” last Friday, November 11th, and it might very likely be topping my chart in the coming weeks. Veteran artist Gorillaz slides into #2, inching ever closer to the top spot with “Cracker Island”, featuring Thundercat. The delightful “Party4One” by Canadian artist dwi, and the hauntingly beautiful “The Echo” by British singer-songwriter A.A. Williams, advance a notch to #4 and #5 respectively.

Three songs enter the top 10 as older ones move down after their long runs: the exuberant “These Are the Days” by Inhaler, the bittersweet “Spit of You” by Sam Fender” and the poignant “SNAP” by Rosa Linn, each climbing three spots to #s 8, 9 & 10. Two new songs make their debut this week: “This is Why” by Paramore, which enters at #26. I’ve never been much of a fan of theirs, consequently this song took a while to connect with me. But I have to concede it’s pretty good. And entering at #30 is “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”, by one of my favorite Australian bands Crystal Cities, which I reviewed a few weeks ago.

  1. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (1)
  2. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (3)
  3. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (2)
  4. PARTY4ONE – dwi (5)
  5. THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (6)
  6. WET DREAM – Wet Leg (9)
  7. SISTERS – pMad (10)
  8. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (11)
  9. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (12)
  10. SNAP – Rosa Linn (13)
  11. MY BABE – Spoon (4)
  12. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (14)
  13. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (15)
  14. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (16)
  15. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (17)
  16. BOY – The Killers (7)
  17. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (8)
  18. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (19)
  19. NATURAL BORN KILLER – Highly Suspect (22)
  20. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975 (23)
  21. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (24)
  22. I.N.V.U. – Kid Kapichi (25)
  23. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (26)
  24. UNHOLY – Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras (27)
  25. TIPPA MY TONGUE – Red Hot Chili Peppers (21)
  26. THIS IS WHY – Paramore (N)
  27. PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (18)
  28. SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband (30)
  29. TEK IT – Cafuné (20)
  30. LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – Crystal Cities (N)

Top 30 Songs for November 6-12, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments

The beautiful “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” by Beach Weather remains my favorite song again this week, while Steve Lacy‘s “Bad Habit” holds at #2 for a second week after spending two weeks at #1. “Cracker Island” by Gorillaz featuring Thundercat moves up a notch to #3, while “Party4One” by Canadian artist dwi, and “The Echo” by British singer-songwriter A.A. Williams, each climb two spots to #5 and #6. “Sisters” by Irish artist pMad enters the top 10 at #10. Debuting this week are the sultry and cinematic “Unholy” by British singer-songwriter Sam Smith, featuring German singer-songwriter Kim Petras, which enters at #27, and “sail away” by Los Angeles-based alternative pop trio lovelytheband, at #30 (I find it interesting that some artists and bands spell their names and songs in all lower-case letters).

  1. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (1)
  2. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (2)
  3. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (4)
  4. MY BABE – Spoon (3)
  5. PARTY4ONE – dwi (7)
  6. THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (8)
  7. BOY – The Killers (5)
  8. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (6)
  9. WET DREAM – Wet Leg (10)
  10. SISTERS – pMad (11)
  11. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (12)
  12. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (14)
  13. SNAP – Rosa Linn (19)
  14. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (15)
  15. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (16)
  16. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (17)
  17. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (18)
  18. PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (9)
  19. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (21)
  20. TEK IT – Cafuné (13)
  21. TIPPA MY TONGUE – Red Hot Chili Peppers (23)
  22. NATURAL BORN KILLER – Highly Suspect (25)
  23. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975 (26)
  24. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (27)
  25. I.N.V.U. – Kid Kapichi (28)
  26. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (29)
  27. UNHOLY – Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras (N)
  28. BITTER – Wild Horse (20)
  29. SCARED TOGETHER – Silversun Pickups (30)
  30. SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 30-November 5, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments
Photo by Kirsten Barnett

It’s not often I fall in love with a song the moment I hear it (it usually takes a couple of listens for most songs to grow on me, even from artists and bands I love), but I fell head over heels for the gorgeous “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” by Beach Weather the instant it hit my ears. I’m certain I’ve listened to it over 100 times on Spotify! Interestingly, the song was originally recorded in 2016, and was featured on their debut EP Chit Chat. After releasing a second EP What a Drag, the band went on hiatus as the three members – Nick Santino, Reeve Powers, and Sean Silverman – relocated to different cities and began working on their own solo projects.

They reunited late last year, and began recording their forthcoming debut album Pineapple Sunrise, featuring their single “Unlovable”, which dropped August 11, their first release in five years. In the meantime, “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” went viral on TikTok, and started getting airplay on AltNation and alternative radio stations. I was immediately struck by the song’s dreamy melody, Nick’s captivating vocals and the guys’ beautiful harmonies, and it debuted on both the Billboard Alternative Airplay and my own Top 30 chart in early September. Now, after hovering in the top 5 the past few weeks, the song takes over the #1 spot on my Weekly Top 30. It’s also now #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. “Floating on my low-key vibe” indeed!

In other chart developments, Wet Leg‘s delightfully cheeky “Wet Dream” enters the top 10, while the lovely “SNAP” by Rosa Linn is this week’s biggest upward mover, climbing seven spots to #19. Four songs enter my chart this week. Debuting at #26 is The 1975‘s “I’m in Love With You”, replacing “Part of the Band” which dropped off the chart; “I.N.V.U.” by British band Kid Kapichi at #28; “Shadows in the Dark” by the amazing duo The Star Crumbles at #29; and “Scared Together” by Silversun Pickups at #30.

  1. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (2)
  2. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (1)
  3. MY BABE – Spoon (3)
  4. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (6)
  5. BOY – The Killers (4)
  6. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (5)
  7. PARTY4ONE – dwi (9)
  8. THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (10)
  9. PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (7)
  10. WET DREAM – Wet Leg (11)
  11. SISTERS – pMad (13)
  12. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (14)
  13. TEK IT – Cafuné (8)
  14. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (17)
  15. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (18)
  16. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (19)
  17. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (20)
  18. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (22)
  19. SNAP – Rosa Linn (26)
  20. BITTER – Wild Horse (16)
  21. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (27)
  22. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (12)
  23. TIPPA MY TONGUE – Red Hot Chili Peppers (25)
  24. BONES – Imagine Dragons (15)
  25. NATURAL BORN KILLER – Highly Suspect (28)
  26. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975 (N)
  27. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (30)
  28. I.N.V.U. – Kid Kapichi (N)
  29. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (N)
  30. SCARED TOGETHER – Silversun Pickups (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 23-29, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments

Steve Lacy remains at #1 for a second week on my Top 30 chart with his endearing single “Bad Habit”, while Beach Weather‘s dreamy “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” moves up to #2, with Spoon‘s “My Babe” right behind at #3. Entering the top 10 are the delightful “Party4One” by the wildly creative Canadian artist dwi, climbing three spots to #9, and the magnificent “The Echo” by immensely talented British singer-songwriter A.A. Williams, leaping eight spots to #10.

Two songs make their debut this week: the lovely ballad “SNAP” by Armenian singer-songwriter Rosa Linn (aka Roza Kostandyan), who represented her country with the song at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, enters at #26; and “Offcuts” by British alternative pop-rock band Mount Famine, which enters at #30. It’s their second appearance on my Top 30 chart this year; their previous single “Distance” spent 11 weeks on my chart this past April-June.

  1. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (1)
  2. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (4)
  3. MY BABE – Spoon (5)
  4. BOY – The Killers (2)
  5. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (3)
  6. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (7)
  7. PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (6)
  8. TEK IT – Cafuné (8)
  9. PARTY4ONE – dwi (12)
  10. THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (18)
  11. WET DREAM – Wet Leg (15)
  12. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (9)
  13. SISTERS – pMad (16)
  14. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (17)
  15. BONES – Imagine Dragons (10)
  16. BITTER – Wild Horse (19)
  17. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (21)
  18. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (22)
  19. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (23)
  20. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (24)
  21. PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (11)
  22. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (27)
  23. FREE – Florence + the Machine (13)
  24. SOMETHING LOUD – Jimmy Eat World (14)
  25. TIPPA MY TONGUE – Red Hot Chili Peppers (28)
  26. SNAP – Rosa Linn (N)
  27. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (30)
  28. NATURAL BORN KILLER – Highly Suspect (29)
  29. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (20)
  30. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 16-22, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

Southern California-based singer-songwriter Steve Lacy has been making music since his teens, not only as a solo act and guitarist for alternative R&B band The Internet, but also as a producer who’s worked with such acts as Denzel Curry, Kendrick Lamar, Ravyn Lenae, Solange, Mac Miller and Vampire Weekend. But it’s his monster hit “Bad Habit”, from his second album Gemini Rights, that’s finally catapulted the 24-year old to stardom. Not only is it his first song as a solo artist to chart in the U.S., it’s gone all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, also becoming the first song ever to simultaneously top the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts. And this week, it also tops my own Top 30 chart.

It’s a sweet song, with lyrics directed to someone he finds attractive, but thinking he wasn’t good enough, never had to courage to make a move: “I bite my tongue, it’s a bad habit. Kinda mad that I didn’t take a stab at it. Thought you were too good for me, my dear. Never gave me time of day, my dear. It’s okay, things happen for reasons that I think are sure, yeah.” But later in the song, he calls her out for toying with his emotions: “You grabbin’ me hard ’cause you know what you found. It’s biscuits, it’s gravy, babe.” It has an irresistible lo-fi funk-pop vibe, and as someone on YouTube put it so perfectly, it’s “one of those songs that feels nostalgic even though it’s new”.

In other chart developments, “Cracker Island” by Gorillaz, featuring Thundercat, finally enters the top 10 at #7, and three songs make their debut at #s 28-30: “Tippa My Tongue” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (which just reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, but took a while to click with me), “Natural Born Killer” by Highly Suspect, and “Tonight” by Phoenix, featuring Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend. I didn’t care for their odd previous single “Alpha Zulu”, but really like “Tonight”, and Ezra Koenig’s pleasing vocals are a nice addition.

  1. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (3)
  2. BOY – The Killers (1)
  3. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (2)
  4. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (4)
  5. MY BABE – Spoon (5)
  6. PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (7)
  7. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (11)
  8. TEK IT – Cafuné (6)
  9. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (8)
  10. BONES – Imagine Dragons (9)
  11. PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (10)
  12. PARTY4ONE – dwi (16)
  13. FREE – Florence + the Machine (13)
  14. SOMETHING LOUD – Jimmy Eat World (14)
  15. WET DREAM – Wet Leg (19)
  16. SISTERS – pMad (18)
  17. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (21)
  18. THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (22)
  19. BITTER – Wild Horse (20)
  20. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (12)
  21. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (24)
  22. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (25)
  23. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (26)
  24. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (27)
  25. UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (15)
  26. GIANTS – WALK THE MOON (17)
  27. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (30)
  28. TIPPA MY TONGUE – Red Hot Chili Peppers (N)
  29. NATURAL BORN KILLER – Highly Suspect (N)
  30. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 9-15, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

Not a lot of big changes on my latest Weekly Top 30. The Killers remain on top for a third week with “boy”, and Death Cab for Cutie‘s “Here to Forever” holds at #2. It’s interesting that the top two artists have rather malevolent-sounding names, yet make such lovely music. Steve Lacy‘s “Bad Habit” inches up a notch to #3, and Beach Weather‘s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” moves into 4th place. Spoon continue their rapid climb up my chart with “My Babe”, jumping five spots to #5, and indie pop duo Cafuné‘s “Tek It” inches up to #6. Granfalloon‘s wonderful “Please Write Responsibly” moves up two spots to #7, and The 1975 finally enter the top 10 with their cerebral “Part of the Band”. In contrast to last week’s jackpot of six new entries, only one song makes its debut this week, the beautiful “Weird Goodbyes” by The National featuring Bon Iver. Such a marvelous melding of two distinctive voices!

  1. BOY – The Killers (1)
  2. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (2)
  3. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (4)
  4. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (5)
  5. MY BABE – Spoon (10)
  6. TEK IT – Cafuné (7)
  7. PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (9)
  8. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (3)
  9. BONES – Imagine Dragons (6)
  10. PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (11)
  11. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (14)
  12. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (8)
  13. FREE – Florence + the Machine (15)
  14. SOMETHING LOUD – Jimmy Eat World (17)
  15. UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (12)
  16. PARTY4ONE – dwi (20)
  17. GIANTS – WALK THE MOON (19)
  18. SISTERS – pMad (22)
  19. WET DREAM – Wet Leg (24)
  20. BITTER – Wild Horse (23)
  21. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (25)
  22. THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (26)
  23. VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (13)
  24. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (27)
  25. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (28)
  26. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (29)
  27. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (30)
  28. FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (16)
  29. BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (18)
  30. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (N)