Tag: Brandi Carlile

My Top 30 Songs for March 8-14, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's2 Comments
Photo of Royel Otis by Jamiesonfilm

With the US of A now embroiled in a war with Iran, needlessly started by our self-described “Peace President” (aka authoritarian dictator, pedophile, grifter and lunatic mob boss Donald Trump), it almost seems pointless to write about music. Nevertheless, for those few who might give a shit, I’m sharing my latest favorite songs list.

Australian duo Royel Otis takes over the top spot with their infectious pop gem “who’s your boyfriend”. With lyrics describing an on again, off again love triangle – “Who’s your boyfriend now? ‘Cause you’re sleepin’ with him, but it’s me you’re thinkin’ about” – an old guy like me probably shouldn’t but fuck, I love it! The song is from their second album hickey, released last August. I’ve become a big fan of this talented young duo, and “who’s your boyfriend” is their third song to top my chart, after “Murder on the Dancefloor” (which ranks #4 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list) and “moody” (which ranks #4 on my 100 Best Songs of 2025 list).

In other chart news of note, “Rubber Band Man” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, with added vocals by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, reverses course and moves up six spots to #11. It peaked at #7 in late January, but after seeing them on last weekend’s Saturday Night Live show, I realize how much I still like this song.

The lone new entry this week is “Different Kind Of Love”, by L.A.-based alternative pop rock band Young the Giant. Released February 6th, it’s their first new music since 2023 and the lead single from their forthcoming sixth album Victory Garden, planned for release on May 1st. It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly seven years since I saw them in concert in 2019.

  1. WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (2)
  2. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (1)
  3. THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (4)
  4. HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (5)
  5. 12 TO 12 – sombr (3) 20th week on chart
  6. HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (8)
  7. TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (9)
  8. LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (10)
  9. I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (7)
  10. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (6)
  11. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (17)
  12. DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (15)
  13. ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (14)
  14. LOST – almost monday (18)
  15. THE WRECKAGE – Silversun Pickups (19)
  16. WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (21)
  17. COBRA – Geese (22)
  18. SWEET LOVE – Stephen Sanchez (23)
  19. SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (24)
  20. DRACULA – Tame Impala (16) 20th week on chart
  21. HEATHER – Secret Postal Society (25)
  22. THE OLD LAW – Father John Misty (26)
  23. THE FEAR – Future Theory (11) 20th week on chart
  24. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (12)
  25. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (13)
  26. PARACHUTE – Hayley Williams (28)
  27. BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (29)
  28. I REMEMBER WHEN – MISSIO (28)
  29. HOLY ROLLER – The Format (20)
  30. DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE – Young the Giant (N)

My Top 30 Songs for March 1-7, 2026

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Hard to believe we’re already into March, as time seems to fly by at an ever-faster speed. YUNGBLUD remains on top for a second week with “Zombie”, while Royel Otis moves into second place with “who’s your boyfriend”. Three songs enter the top 10, beginning with “The Great Divide” by Noah Kahan, leaping seven spots to #4, “To Space” by Kings of Leon, climbing three spots to #9, and “Lost Your Ghost” by Two Feet, moving up four spots to #10.

Entering my chart this week are “Bedroom Posters” by American pop-punk band Yellowcard, along with American rock band Good Charlotte. The song is a new version of the original that’s featured on Yellowcard’s latest album Better Days, released last October. The album’s title track went to #1 last year on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and peaked at #6 on my chart. The second new entry, coming in at #30, is “I Remember When”, the hard-charging and boisterous new single by Texas-based duo MISSIO, who’ve been one of my favorite acts since 2017. I’ve written about them numerous times on this blog, and several of their songs have topped my charts.

  1. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (1)
  2. WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (3)
  3. 12 TO 12 – sombr (2)
  4. THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (11)
  5. HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (5)
  6. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (4)
  7. I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (9)
  8. HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (10)
  9. TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (12)
  10. LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (14)
  11. THE FEAR – Future Theory (6)
  12. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (7)
  13. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (8)
  14. ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (15)
  15. DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (16)
  16. DRACULA – Tame Impala (13)
  17. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (17)
  18. LOST – almost monday (19)
  19. THE WRECKAGE – Silversun Pickups (20)
  20. HOLY ROLLER – The Format (18)
  21. WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (22)
  22. COBRA – Geese (24)
  23. SWEET LOVE – Stephen Sanchez (25)
  24. SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (26)
  25. HEATHER – Secret Postal Society (27)
  26. THE OLD LAW – Father John Misty (28)
  27. WORLD APART – Bike Routes (23)
  28. PARACHUTE – Hayley Williams (30)
  29. BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (N)
  30. I REMEMBER WHEN – MISSIO (N)

My Top 30 Songs for February 22-28, 2026

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Photo of YUNGBLUD taken from a 2025 article in Rock Sound

The beautiful anthem “Zombie” by English singer-songwriter, musician and actor YUNGBLUD takes over the top spot on my chart this week after sombr’s five-week run with “12 to 12”. He calls the song a “love letter to nurses”, and it covers me with goosebumps every time I hear it. From his fourth studio album Idols, released in June 2025, “Zombie” is the first of his singles to reach #1 on my chart, as well as the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. Both song and album were nominated for Grammys. His 2022 single “Funeral” reached #3 on my chart and ranks #40 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.

Born Dominic Richard Harrison, the charismatic YUNGBLUD’s music has been described as alternative rock, featuring elements of pop-punk, pop rock and hip-hop. He’s cited a wide range of musical influences, including such artists as Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles, The Cure, Nirvana, Avril Lavigne, the Clash, Soundgarden, My Chemical Romance, Marilyn Manson, Freddie Mercury, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Chrissie Hynde, Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Lady Gaga, Lorde, Post Malone, Kanye West, Eminem, and Katy Perry. He also had a close friendship with Ozzy Osbourne, who he considered a mentor. (Wikipedia)

Earlier this month, YUNGBLUD won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance for his cover of the Black Sabbath song “Changes”, featuring Frank Bello on bass, Nuno Bettencourt on guitar, Sleep Token II on drums, and Adam Wakeman on keyboards. Recorded at the Back to the Beginning benefit concert by Black Sabbath, along with a number of supporting artists, on July 5, 2025, the song was released as a charity single later that month.

In other chart news of note, “who’s your boyfriend” by Australian duo Royel Otis advances three spots to #3, while Deftones‘ “infinite source” moves up a spot to #4 and Brandi Carlile‘s inspirational “Human” moves up three spots to #5. L.A.-based alternative pop-rock band The Neighbourhood enter the top 10 with their lovely “Hula Girl”. Vermont folk rock artist Noah Kahan has the biggest upward mover this week with “The Great Divide”, which leaps 15 spots to #11, while “Lost Your Ghost” by Brooklyn, New York artist Two Feet jumps seven spots to #14.

The lone new entry this week is “Parachute” by singer-songwriter Haley Williams, who’s also a member of and lead vocalist for Nashville-based rock band Paramore. The song is from her third solo album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, released last August.

  1. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (2)
  2. 12 TO 12 – sombr (1)
  3. WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (6)
  4. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (5)
  5. HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (8)
  6. THE FEAR – Future Theory (3)
  7. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (4)
  8. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (7)
  9. I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (10)
  10. HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (11)
  11. THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (26)
  12. TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (12)
  13. DRACULA – Tame Impala (9)
  14. LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (21)
  15. ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (16)
  16. DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (17)
  17. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (14)
  18. HOLY ROLLER – The Format (18)
  19. LOST – almost monday (19)
  20. THE WRECKAGE – Silversun Pickups (20)
  21. TANANA – Portugal. The Man (13)
  22. WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (24)
  23. WORLD APART – Bike Routes (23)
  24. COBRA – Geese (25)
  25. SWEET LOVE – Stephen Sanchez (27)
  26. SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (28)
  27. HEATHER – Secret Postal Society (29)
  28. THE OLD LAW – Father John Misty (30)
  29. ASKING FOR A FRIEND – Foo Fighters (15)
  30. PARACHUTE – Hayley Williams (N)

My Top 30 Songs for February 15-21, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments

Given America’s ongoing descent into an authoritarian dictatorship led by a cruel and corrupt narcissistic lunatic and pedophile who operates like a literal mob boss, I haven’t been in the frame of mind to write about music since the start of the year. I’m still feeling pretty disheartened and anxious about what new horrors Combover Caligula and his odious administration will unleash upon us in the coming weeks and months, but wanted to write a post of my current favorite songs mainly because a few of my favorite indie music acts have songs on this week’s chart, and this is my way of letting them know.

First off, the amazing singer-songwriter sombr holds the top spot for a fifth week with his exuberant pop gem “12 to 12”. The talented 20-year-old was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy, and his song “back to friends” was my favorite song last year. Moving into second place is “Zombie” by English singer-songwriter, musician and actor YUNGBLUD (born Dominic Richard Harrison). The biggest upward mover is “Lost Your Ghost” by New York City-based singer-songwriter and musician Two Feet (aka Bill Dess), jumping nine spots to #21.

The aforementioned favorite indie acts with songs on this chart are English psychedelic rock band Future Theory, who’s fantastic track “The Fear” spends its fifth week in the top 3 (peaking at #2 last week), Virginia singer-songwriter and musician Talk in Waves (aka Jake Mimikos), who’s “Waiting for Me” sits at #24, and Welsh singer-songwriter and musician Secret Postal Society (aka Craig Mapstone), who’s song “Heather” debuts at #29.

Other new debuts include “The Great Divide” by singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, at #26, “SWEET LOVE” by young Nashville-based singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez, at #27, “Slumber Party” by Chicago-based alternative rock band Brigitte Calls Me Baby, at #28, and “The Old Law” by American singer-songwriter, musician and producer Father John Misty (aka Joshua Michael Tillman), at #30. (It seems nearly every artist has a musical alter-ego.)

  1. 12 TO 12 – sombr (1) 5th week at #1
  2. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (5)
  3. THE FEAR – Future Theory (2)
  4. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (3)
  5. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (6)
  6. WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (9)
  7. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (7)
  8. HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (8)
  9. DRACULA – Tame Impala (4) Spent 3 weeks at #1
  10. I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (10)
  11. HULA GIRL – The Neighbourhood (13)
  12. TO SPACE – Kings of Leon (15)
  13. TANANA – Portugal. The Man (11)
  14. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (12)
  15. ASKING FOR A FRIEND – Foo Fighters (14)
  16. ALL MY FRIENDS ARE SO DEPRESSED – Joyce Manor (17)
  17. DOUBLETAKE – Edgehill (19)
  18. HOLY ROLLER – The Format (20)
  19. LOST – almost monday (21)
  20. THE WRECKAGE – Silversun Pickups (22)
  21. LOST YOUR GHOST – Two Feet (30)
  22. STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (16)
  23. WORLD APART – Bike Routes (27)
  24. WAITING FOR ME – Talk in Waves (28)
  25. COBRA – Geese (29)
  26. THE GREAT DIVIDE – Noah Kahan (N)
  27. SWEET LOVE – Stephen Sanchez (N)
  28. SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (N)
  29. HEATHER – Secret Postal Society (N)
  30. THE OLD LAW – Father John Misty (N)

My Top 30 Songs for December 21-27, 2025

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There aren’t many changes to my chart for the final full week of 2025. Twenty One Pilots remain at #1 with “City Walls”, while Tame Impala‘s “Dracula” moves into second place and sombr‘s “12 to 12” moves up a notch to #3. English psychedelic alt-rock band Future Theory enter the top ten with “The Fear”.

Two songs – both of which have been around a while – finally enter my chart, starting with “Asking For A Friend” by venerable rock band Foo Fighters, coming in at #29. The second new entry is “Caramel” by English alternative metal rock band Sleep Token, who charted earlier in the year with their dramatically beautiful song “Emergence”. Both tracks are from their fourth studio album Even In Arcadia, released this past May.

  1. CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (1)
  2. DRACULA – Tame Impala (3)
  3. 12 TO 12 – sombr (4)
  4. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (2)
  5. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (5)
  6. THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (6)
  7. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (7)
  8. SPECTER – Bad Omens (8)
  9. SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce The Veil (12)
  10. THE FEAR – Future Theory (10)
  11. LUCY – Mt. Joy (11)
  12. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (13)
  13. WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (14)
  14. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (17)
  15. REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (20)
  16. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (9)
  17. TANANA – Portugal. The Man (18)
  18. BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (19)
  19. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (21)
  20. MADALENA – Goose (22)
  21. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (23)
  22. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (24)
  23. HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (25)
  24. STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (26)
  25. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (15)
  26. ENSENADA – Sublime (16)
  27. WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (28)
  28. I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (29)
  29. ASKING FOR A FRIEND – Foo Fighters (N)
  30. CARAMEL – Sleep Token (N)

My Top 30 Songs for December 14-20, 2025

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Photo of Twenty One Pilots from their Facebook account

It’s a particularly exciting chart this week as we approach the end of 2025, with a new #1 song and two fantastic new debuts, incidentally all by duo acts. Twenty One Pilots, my favorite music act for the past ten years, takes over the top spot with “City Walls”, marking their 14th song to top my chart, and their third this year alone, following “The Line” this past March and “The Contract” in August. Like “The Contract”, “City Walls” is from their eighth studio album Breach, which was released September 12th and serves as the final installment in their decade-long narrative arc explored by their previous albums Blurryface (2015), Trench (2018), Scaled and Icy (2021), and Clancy (2024).

(For those who’ve been living under a rock, Twenty One Pilots are based in Columbus, Ohio and consist of the dynamic duo of singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Tyler Joseph and power drummer Josh Dun. “City Walls” was written and produced by Joseph and his longtime collaborator Paul Meany, the lead singer and keyboardist for alternative rock project Mutemath, who opened for Twenty One Pilots on their Emotional Roadshow Tour that I saw in 2016.)

According to songsdiscussion.com, “‘City Walls’ delves into powerful themes of betrayal, reluctant leadership, and the immense psychological cost of rebellion, all set within the band’s established Dema and Trench narrative. The song’s core meaning centers on a protagonist who feels utterly abandoned by a trusted guide who was supposed to show him the way past the oppressive “city walls.” Now, he is forced to lead a dangerous and uncertain “breach” on his own, all while battling the severe fragmentation of his own mental state under the crushing weight of his new responsibility.“

The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Jensen Noen, runs for nearly ten minutes, making it the longest music video Twenty One Pilots have ever released. (The track itself is 5:22 minutes long.) Band frontman Tyler Joseph stated that the video serves as the proper conclusion to the story surrounding the conceptual city of “Dema”, a fictional location in the world of “Trench”, and its two central characters, Clancy (portrayed by Joseph) and Torchbearer (portrayed by drummer Josh Dun). With a production budget of $1 million, “City Walls” is one of the most expensive music videos of all time, as well as the second most expensive music video of the 2020s. Wikipedia

As I noted earlier, we have two marvelous new debuts, starting with “who’s your boyfriend” by Sydney, Australia-based duo Royel Otis. Comprised of Otis Pavlovic (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano) and Royel Maddell (lead guitar, backing vocals, bass, synthesizer), they’ve previously reached #1 twice on my chart, with “Murder on the Dancefloor” in 2024 and “moody” earlier this year. Like “moody”, “who’s your boyfriend” is from their third studio album hickey.

The second debut is “I’ve Got A Broken Heart”, the latest single by hyper-talented jangle pop-rock duo The Lemon Twigs. Based in Long Island, New York, they consist of brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario, both of whom are vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. Their wonderful song “My Golden Years” reached #1 on my chart and ranks #5 on my Top 100 Songs of 2024 list (right behind “Murder on the Dancefloor”). “I’ve Got A Broken Heart” was released on November 25th as a double single also featuring “Friday (I’m Gonna Love You)”.

  1. CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (2)
  2. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (1)
  3. DRACULA – Tame Impala (3)
  4. 12 TO 12 – sombr (10)
  5. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (5)
  6. THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (6)
  7. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (7)
  8. SPECTER – Bad Omens (9)
  9. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (4)
  10. SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce The Veil (12)
  11. THE FEAR – Future Theory (13)
  12. LUCY – Mt. Joy (14)
  13. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (15)
  14. WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (16)
  15. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (8)
  16. ENSENADA – Sublime (11)
  17. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (18)
  18. TANANA – Portugal. The Man (19)
  19. BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (20)
  20. REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (21)
  21. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (22)
  22. MADALENA – Goose (23)
  23. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (24)
  24. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (25)
  25. HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (30)
  26. STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (29)
  27. SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (17)
  28. WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (N)
  29. I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (N)
  30. DANG – Rainbow Kitten Surprise (28)

My Top 30 Songs for December 7-13, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments
Photo from All Time Low’s Facebook Account

Pop-punk rockers All Time Low remain at #1 for a second week with “The Weather”, while “City Walls” by my favorite band Twenty One Pilots closes in at #2 and Tame Impala‘s “Dracula” advances to #3. sombr – which my Spotify Wrapped revealed was my top artist of 2025 – enters the top 10 with “12 to 12”.

The lone new entry to this week’s chart is “Human”, a beautiful, uplifting song by the wonderful singer-songwriter and producer Brandi Carlile. Over her 21-year career, she’s released nine studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, three demo albums, 15 EPs, and 31 singles. She’s won 11 Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards, and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for her collaboration with Elton John on the single “Never Too Late”, the theme to John’s 2024 documentary of the same name. In addition to John, she’s also collaborated with scores of artists, including Amanda Shires, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby in their country music supergroup the Highwomen, Joni Mitchell, Tanya Tucker, The Secret Sisters, Lucius, Dave Matthews Band, Pat Monahan (of Train) and Noah Kahan.

“Human” is from her latest album Returning to Myself, released on October 24th. Written by Carlile along with her long-time collaborators, twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth, & watt (singer-songwriter, musician and producer Andrew Wotman), the song is about accepting that each of us in only human and on this earth for a short time, and to try and find bits of happiness and joy along the way.

  1. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (1)
  2. CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (3)
  3. DRACULA – Tame Impala (4)
  4. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (2)
  5. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (7)
  6. THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (8)
  7. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (9)
  8. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (5)
  9. SPECTER – Bad Omens (10)
  10. 12 TO 12 – sombr (12)
  11. ENSENADA – Sublime (6)
  12. SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce the Veil (13)
  13. THE FEAR – Future Theory (14)
  14. LUCY – Mt. Joy (15)
  15. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (16)
  16. WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (17)
  17. SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (11)
  18. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (20)
  19. TANANA – Portugal. The Man (21)
  20. BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (23)
  21. REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (24)
  22. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (25)
  23. MADALENA – Goose (26)
  24. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (28)
  25. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (29)
  26. EVERYBODY SCREAM – Florence + The Machine (18)
  27. MISTAKES – Caamp (19)
  28. DANG – Rainbow Kitten Surprise (21)
  29. STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (30)
  30. HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 29-June 4, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments

I love the music of British band Florence + the Machine. Fronted by singer-songwriter Florence Welch, their sound is a glorious blend of indie rock, baroque pop, folk, art rock and soul. Their gorgeous song “My Love” takes over the #1 spot on my Weekly Top 30. The third single from their new album Dance Fever, Welch told Rolling Stone that she initially envisioned the song as a “sad little poem” to be performed acoustically, but later transformed it into a number she describes as “Nick Cave at the club.” In an interview with BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, she commented “Sometimes the biggest dance songs, I think, have a really sad core to them.” The song was co-written by Glass Animals vocalist Dave Bayley, with whom she collaborated on Dance Fever along with Jack Antonoff. The video for “My Love” was directed by Autumn de Wilde, who also directed the videos for the previous two Florence + the Machine singles “King” and “Heaven Is Here”. In the video, Welch is shown performing a concert in a pretentious nightclub, where she hypnotizes and immobilizes people, then arranges them in dances. Very baroque and cinematic.

In other chart developments, the songs at #s 3-7 remain in their same positions, while two beautiful songs – “Virginia (Wind in the Night)” by The Head and the Heart and “Seventeen Going Under” by Sam Fender – enter the top 10. Debuting this week are “Beds Are Burning”, a terrific remake of the Midnight Oil classic by AWOLNATION, featuring guest vocals by Rise Against lead singer Tim McIlrath, and “Believe” by American folk band Caamp, making their first appearance on my Weekly Top 30.

  1. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (2)
  2. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (1)
  3. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (3)
  4. SLEEP – Gooseberry (4)
  5. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (5)
  6. WILD – Spoon (6)
  7. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (7)
  8. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (10)
  9. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (11)
  10. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (12)
  11. ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (13)
  12. DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (8)
  13. THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (14)
  14. DISTANCE – Mount Famine (16)
  15. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (17)
  16. I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (9)
  17. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (20)
  18. 2am – Foals (21)
  19. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (25)
  20. SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (22)
  21. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (23)
  22. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (24)
  23. WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (15)
  24. BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlile (18)
  25. ANIMAL – Partisan (28)
  26. BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (19)
  27. CLOSER – The Frontier (29)
  28. LONELY – Sea Girls (30)
  29. BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (N)
  30. BELIEVE – Caamp (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 22-28, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

Not a lot of changes from last week on my latest Weekly Top 30. The Black Keys hold at #1 for a second week with their raucous “Wild Child”, while Florence + the Machine‘s “My Love” closes in at #2. British five-piece Chief Springs enter the top 10 with their lovely song “La Cienega”, named after the famous boulevard that runs through West Hollywood and Los Angeles. The lone new debut this week is “Lonely” by British band Sea Girls, who’ve been around since 2015, but I sadly didn’t learn about until a few weeks ago.

  1. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (1)
  2. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (3)
  3. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (2)
  4. SLEEP – Gooseberry (6)
  5. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (7)
  6. WILD – Spoon (8)
  7. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (5)
  8. DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (4)
  9. I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (10)
  10. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (13)
  11. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (16)
  12. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (19)
  13. ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (14)
  14. THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (15)
  15. WHAT, ME WORRY – Portugal. The Man (9)
  16. DISTANCE – Mount Famine (17)
  17. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (18)
  18. BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlile (11)
  19. BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (12)
  20. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (22)
  21. 2am – Foals (23)
  22. SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (24)
  23. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (25)
  24. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (26)
  25. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (27)
  26. BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (20)
  27. GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN’ – Jamie Alimorad (21)
  28. ANIMAL – Partisan (29)
  29. CLOSER – The Frontier (30)
  30. LONELY – Sea Girls (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 15-21, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

Though their latest album Dropout Boogie has gotten mixed reviews, I love The Black Keys‘ lead single “Wild Child”, which knocks Harry Styles’ “As It Was” from the #1 spot after a two-week run. The rousing stomper sees them going back to their blues rock roots, highlighted by Dan Auerbach’s gnarly guitars and Patrick Carney’s muscular drumbeats. Though the simple lyrics are directed to a woman the singer wants to love – “I just wanna hold you at the end of every day. Girl, I wanna please you, oh, I’m needing you to stay. The sun is gonna shine if you would just come out and play. Baby, won’t you show me your wild child ways” – the outrageous video portrays Auerbach and Carney as guys who show up for menial jobs at an out of control high school, then add to the ensuing mayhem.

In other chart news, Florence + the Machine‘s gorgeous “My Love” continues its march toward the top, climbing a notch to #3. “Sleep” by Brooklyn four-piece Gooseberry, “Chasing Trains” by British singer-songwriter HULLAH, and “Wild” by Spoon all climb three spots to #6, 7 and 8, respectively, and Fontaines D.C.’s haunting “I Love You” finally enters the top 10.

Three songs make their debut this week. The first is “Seventeen Going Under” by British singer-songwriter Sam Fender, which enters at #19. The beautiful song was released in July 2021, and I ranked it at #44 on my Top 100 Songs of 2021 list, so when it started getting a lot of airplay a few months ago, I resisted placing it on my Weekly Top 30. But now that’s it climbing up the Alternative charts, I’m compelled to add it to mine too. The other two debuts are “Tell Me The Truth” by my favorite artist Two Feet, who just dropped his fourth album Shape and Form, and “Closer” by another favorite artist of mine, singer-songwriter The Frontier.

  1. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (2)
  2. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (1)
  3. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (4)
  4. DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (3)
  5. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (5)
  6. SLEEP – Gooseberry (9)
  7. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (10)
  8. WILD – Spoon (11)
  9. WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (6)
  10. I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (14)
  11. BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlile (8)
  12. BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (7)
  13. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (15)
  14. ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (16)
  15. THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (17)
  16. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (18)
  17. DISTANCE – Mount Famine (19)
  18. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (20)
  19. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (N)
  20. BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (12)
  21. GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN’ – Jamie Alimorad (13)
  22. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (21)
  23. 2am – Foals (22)
  24. SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (26)
  25. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (28)
  26. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (29)
  27. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (N)
  28. I’LL CALL YOU MINE – girl in red (24)
  29. ANIMAL – Partisan (30)
  30. CLOSER – The Frontier (N)