Tag: Caamp

Top 30 Songs for June 1-7, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments

English singer-songwriter & producer Frank Joshua remains at #1 for a second week with his lush single “Walls”, while Fontaines D.C.‘s “It’s Amazing To Be Young” advances a spot to #2. Rounding out the top five are “Bad Larry” by Cloakroom, “Mortal Wound” by The Veils and “The Turnaround” by DelCobras (who just released their second single “Untied (She’s the One)” this past Friday), all moving up two spots. The biggest upward mover this week is the majestic “back to friends” by 19-year-old artist sombr, leaping eight spots to #16 (I find it interesting that some artists name themselves and/or their songs in all lower case).

I have two wonderful debut songs this week, the first of which is “Feels Right” by northern Virginia-based artist Talk in Waves (the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos). The exuberant pop-rock song is a joyous celebration of a budding romance, where everything’s coming together and just “feels right”. Jake has released an impressive amount of music since 2015, and I’ve featured him numerous times on this blog. I’ve loved all his songs, five of which have reached #1 on my Top 30 chart. One of them, “Like You Do”, topped my 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 list, and his previous single “You’re My Drug” reached #2 this past March.

The second debut, coming in at #30, is the marvelous “Bonnet Of Pins” by silky-voiced singer-songwriter Matt Berninger, who’s also frontman of alternative indie rock band The National. I love his warm baritone singing voice so much, he could literally sing the phone book and I’m certain it would sound captivating. The song is from his new album Get Sunk, his second release as a solo artist which dropped this past Friday, May 30th.

  1. WALLS – Frank Joshua (1)
  2. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (3)
  3. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (5)
  4. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (6)
  5. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (7)
  6. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (8)
  7. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (2)
  8. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (4)
  9. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (9)
  10. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (10)
  11. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (17)
  12. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (12)
  13. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (13)
  14. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (14)
  15. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (15)
  16. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (24)
  17. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (11)
  18. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (18)
  19. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (21)
  20. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (22)
  21. SO LONG – Wavves (23)
  22. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (25)
  23. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (16)
  24. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (26)
  25. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (27)
  26. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (18) 19th week on chart
  27. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (19)
  28. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (30)
  29. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (N)
  30. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 25-31, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

London, England-based Frank Joshua – an enigmatic but enormously talented singer-songwriter and producer who, wanting his music to speak for itself, shares no photos of himself – has become a favorite of mine on the strength of his gorgeous baritone voice and beguiling adult contemporary music style. The prolific artist has released a staggering amount of music over the past four years or so, including three albums, an EP and 43 singles! Every one of his songs is a captivating feast for the ears, and I love them all. I’ve previously written about four of them, most recently this past February when I reviewed his marvelous single “Walls”. After a long but steady climb, the song has finally reached #1 in its 14th week on my chart. It’s his first song to top my chart; his singles “Bluebell Wood” reached #6 in 2023 and “Winter Cowboy” reached #3 in 2024. Since “Walls”, Frank has released two more singles, including “These Words” which dropped this past Thursday, May 23rd. All of his singles have been released via British music label Numen Records.

Although Frank writes some of his songs, like the majority of his singles, “Walls” was written by his frequent collaborator Simon Pitheakley, and produced by Tony White. And like all his songs, this one’s a beauty, with gorgeous reverb-drenched bluesy guitars accompanied by warm piano keys, soaring orchestral synths and gently crashing cymbals layered over a sensuous pulsating beat. It all creates a glorious cinematic backdrop for Frank’s melancholy yet captivating vocals which are both passionate and heartfelt. It’s become my favorite of all his songs, and I never tire of listening to it. The poetic lyrics speak of the challenges of growing older and maintaining a long-term relationship, in which there’s often a tug of war between the comfort and security that comes from being with a devoted loved one, and the primal urge to be independent and free of responsibility or commitment – something I’ve long struggled with myself.

In other chart news of note, The Black Keys hold at #2 with “The Night Before”, and Fontaines D.C. move up a notch to #3 with “It’s Amazing To Be Young”. Maryland shoegaze/indie rock band Icarus Phoenix enters the top 10 with their beautiful song “Poor Sad Indie Everything”, and “Nothing I Need” by Lord Huron is the biggest upward mover this week, jumping eight spots to #17.

The one new debut this week is “Scars”, a heartwarming song of love and empathy by Welsh artist Secret Postal Society, the music project of singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone. In addition to being a talented, hard-working artist, Craig’s a thoughtful, generous and kind soul, and though we’ve never met in person, I’ve grown quite fond of him on both a personal and professional level. It’s his third song to appear on my chart, the first being “Something From Nothing/Points of Light” in 2022 and more recently “Autumn Leaves”, which spent 19 weeks on my chart from late November 2024-early April 2025, peaking at #3 in March.

  1. WALLS – Frank Joshua (3)
  2. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (2)
  3. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (4)
  4. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (1)
  5. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (5)
  6. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (6)
  7. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (7)
  8. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (9)
  9. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (10)
  10. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (13)
  11. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (14)
  12. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (15)
  13. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (16)
  14. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (17)
  15. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (18)
  16. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (8)
  17. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (25)
  18. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (21)
  19. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (11)
  20. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (12)
  21. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (22)
  22. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (23)
  23. SO LONG – Wavves (24)
  24. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (29)
  25. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (28)
  26. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (26)
  27. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (30)
  28. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (19)
  29. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (20) 19th week on chart
  30. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 18-24, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments

There are several really beautiful songs on this week’s list, starting with “Time Waited” by My Morning Jacket, which holds the top spot for a second week. Three more are “Walls” by English artist Frank Joshua, moving up to #3, “Bad Larry” by Northwest Indiana shoegaze band Cloakroom and “Mortal Wound” by English/New Zealand indie/rock band The Veils, which advance two spots to #s 5 and 6. None of those three songs have appeared on any charts as far as I can tell, which is a travesty. “The Night Before” by The Black Keys moves into second place, and “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C. jumps six spots to #4. Two more gorgeous songs, “Laredo”, by Texas singer-songwriter Leon Bridges and “Snakeskin” by English singer-songwriter NAVE, enter the top 10 at #s 9 & 10.

There are two debuts this week, the first of which is “back to friends” by sombr, the music project of astonishingly talented 19-year-old singer-songwriter Shane Boose. Born and raised in New York City, he’s now based in Los Angeles. The song was actually released last December but as so often happens these days, it recently went viral on TikTok and began appearing on American charts. I’ve grown to love the song, and also love his follow-up single “Undressed”. The second debut, bringing up the rear at #30, is “Spaceman in Tulsa” by legendary alt-rock band Counting Crows. The song is from their eighth album Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!, which dropped May 9th. Still fronted by Adam Duritz who’s now 60, they sound as good as ever.

  1. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (1)
  2. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (3)
  3. WALLS – Frank Joshua (4)
  4. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (10)
  5. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (7)
  6. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (8)
  7. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (9)
  8. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (2)
  9. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (12)
  10. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (14)
  11. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (5)
  12. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (6)
  13. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (15)
  14. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (16)
  15. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (18)
  16. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (19)
  17. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (20)
  18. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (21)
  19. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (11)
  20. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (13)
  21. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (22)
  22. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (23)
  23. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (24)
  24. SO LONG – Wavves (25)
  25. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (26)
  26. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (17)
  27. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (29)
  28. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (30)
  29. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (N)
  30. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 11-17, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
Cover photo of My Morning Jacket album is

With their expansive and eclectic sound, alternative indie rock band My Morning Jacket have been making innovative music for more than a quarter century. Formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998, the band currently consists of founding members Jim James (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Tom Blankenship (bass), as well as Patrick Hallahan (drums & percussion), Bo Koster (keyboards, percussion & backing vocals), and Carl Broemel (lead guitar, pedal steel, saxophone & backing vocals). The introspective and lovely “Time Waited” takes over the #1 spot on my latest Top 30 chart. The song is from their latest and 10th album is, released on March 25th. It’s their second song to reach #1 on my chart, their previous being the gorgeous “Feel You”, which also ranks #6 on my list of 100 Best Songs of 2020.

About the song, James told Stereogum: “I made a loop of that piano intro and listened as I went for a walk, and all these melodies started coming to me. For a long time, I didn’t have lyrics, but then I had a dream where I was in a café and a song was playing, and the lyrics to that song became the lyrics to ‘Time Waited’ — the melodies just fit perfectly. And the lyrics are about how flexible time is, how we can bend and warp time, especially if we are following our hearts, the universe and time itself can flow to work with us.” In addition to that beautiful piano, I also love the marvelous guitar work.

In other chart news of note, The Black Keys advance two spots to #3 with “The Night Before”, and English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua climbs three spots to #4 with “Walls”. Two songs enter the top 10: “The Turnaround” by Philadelphia power pop trio DelCobras, and “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C., whose song “Starburster” was my favorite song of 2024.

Two songs make their debut, the first of which is “Ritalin” by Texas rock band Dexter and The Moonrocks, who’s previous single “Sad in Carolina” went to # in late December-early January. The second new entry is “catch these fists” by English indie rock duo Wet Leg, comprised of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. With a winning combination of infectious melodies, ascerbic lyrics, and their quirky deadpan vocal style, they burst onto the music scene in 2021 with their critically acclaimed eponymous album Wet Leg, which spawned two hits, “Chaise Longue” and “Wet Dream”. “catch these fists” is the lead single from their forthcoming second album Moisturizer, to be released in July.

  1. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (2)
  2. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (1)
  3. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (5)
  4. WALLS – Frank Joshua (7)
  5. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (3)
  6. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (4)
  7. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (9)
  8. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (10)
  9. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (11)
  10. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (12)
  11. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (8)
  12. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (14)
  13. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (6)
  14. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (15)
  15. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (16)
  16. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (17)
  17. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (13)
  18. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (20)
  19. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (21)
  20. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (23)
  21. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (24)
  22. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (22)
  23. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (26)
  24. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (27)
  25. SO LONG – Wavves (28)
  26. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (30)
  27. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (18) 19th week on chart
  28. SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (19)
  29. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (N)
  30. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 4-10, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's18 Comments
Photo of Cage the Elephant by Neil Krug

Alt rock band Cage the Elephant have been one of my favorite acts for well over 10 years, and I’ve loved most of their music. Founded in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2006, the band relocated to London, England in early 2008, then moved to Nashville in 2009, where they remain today. Their current lineup consists of founding members Matt Shultz (lead vocals & rhythm guitar), his brother Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar, keyboards), Daniel Tichenor ( bass, backing vocals) and Jared Champion (drums, percussion), as well as Nick Bockrath (lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) and Matthan Minster (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), both of whom joined the band in 2017. Since 2008 they’ve released six critically acclaimed albums, two of which – Tell Me I’m Pretty in 2017 and Social Cues in 2020 – won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album.

“Metaverse”, the third single from their latest album Neon Pill, ascends to #1 on this week’s chart. It’s their second single from that album to reach #1, after last year’s title track “Neon Pill”, and their eighth song to reach #1 on my chart. The song seems to be about the struggles of being in a band and striving for perfection but sometimes failing to achieve it: “It’s a natural progression. No need for affection. Just a perfect deflection when you got no perspective. Every day spent far from my family. Double check, checked out, I’m half asleep. What the hell? Oh, well, that’s life. What the hell? I keep running and running.“

There are lots of really lovely songs out now, and one of the best is the poignant “Time Waited” by My Morning Jacket, which moves up two spots to #2. The song is from their latest album is, released on March 25th. Two songs enter the top 10, the first of which is “Bad Larry”, by northwest Indiana stoner emo band Cloakroom. From their latest album Last Leg of the Human Table, the song has a bit of a Lord Huron sound, courtesy of achingly beautiful twangy guitars and the velvety-smooth vocals of lead singer Doyle Martin. The second is the gorgeous “Mortal Wound” by British indie rock band The Veils, from their seventh and latest album Asphodels. And speaking of Lord Huron, the L.A.-based indie folk rock band’s latest single “Nothing I Need” is the lone debut song this week. Fronted by singer-songwriter Ben Schneider, they’ve become one of my favorite bands since the release of their magnificent 2021 album Long Lost.

  1. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (2)
  2. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (4)
  3. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (1)
  4. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (3)
  5. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (6)
  6. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (5)
  7. WALLS – Frank Joshua (8)
  8. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (7)
  9. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (12)
  10. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (13)
  11. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (14)
  12. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (15)
  13. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (11)
  14. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (20)
  15. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (17)
  16. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (18)
  17. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (19)
  18. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (9)
  19. SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (10)
  20. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (22)
  21. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (23)
  22. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (25)
  23. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (26)
  24. WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (16)
  25. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (27)
  26. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (28)
  27. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (29)
  28. SO LONG – Wavves (30)
  29. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (21) 19th week on chart
  30. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 27-May 3, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's17 Comments
Photo of Brian Lambert by Olivia Rodriguez

The rousing garage rocker “Take This Heart” by Denton, Texas-based singer-songwriter Brian Lambert remains at #1 for a second week, while “Metaverse” by Nashville alt-rock band Cage the Elephant moves up two spots to #2 and “Rushmere” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons holds at #3.

Four songs make their debut on my chart this week, starting with the upbeat and gentle “Let Things Go” by Columbus, Ohio-based folk band Caamp, comprised of Evan Westfall, Taylor Meier, Matt Vinson and
Joseph Kavalec. Their songs have always performed well on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart, with three reaching #1; “Let Things Go” currently sits at #5 on that chart.

The second debut, entering at #28, is “Three Six Five” by long-time Florida rock band Shinedown. Formed in 2001, the band presently consists of founding member and front man Brent Smith, as well as Barry Kerch, Zach Myers and Eric Bass. They’ve garnered the most #1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts with 20 and counting, and every one of their singles have reached the top five on that chart.

The third debut is “Everything Is Peaceful Love” by American indie folk band Bon Iver. Originally founded in 2006 as a solo project by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, Bon Iver eventually became a band consisting of Vernon, Sean Carey, Michael Lewis, Matthew McCaughan, Andrew Fitzpatrick and Jenn Wasner. The sweet, uplifting song is from their fifth studio album SABLE, fABLE, released on April 11th.

Entering at #30 is the fourth and final debut, “So Long” by San Diego-based indie rock band Wavves. Like Bon Iver, Wavves was originally formed as a solo project in 2008 by singer-songwriter Nathan Williams, but ultimately grew to become a full band, and after several lineup changes now also includes Alex Gates, Stephen Pope and Ross Traver. Their first new music since their 2021 album Hideaway, “So Long” was released on February 28th, and will be included on their forthcoming ninth album Spun, set for release in June. I love the song’s exuberant pop-punk sound that’s reminiscent of songs by Green Day, Blink-182 and The Orwells, and it marks their first appearance on my chart.

  1. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (1)
  2. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (4)
  3. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (3)
  4. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (5)
  5. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (2)
  6. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (8)
  7. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (9)
  8. WALLS – Frank Joshua (10)
  9. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (6)
  10. SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (7)
  11. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (13)
  12. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (14)
  13. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (15)
  14. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (16)
  15. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (17)
  16. WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (11)
  17. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (19)
  18. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (20)
  19. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (21)
  20. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (22)
  21. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (12)
  22. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (24)
  23. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (25)
  24. BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (18)
  25. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (29)
  26. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (30)
  27. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (N)
  28. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (N)
  29. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (N)
  30. SO LONG – Wavves (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 7-13, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

I’m thrilled to place Lizzo‘s infectious feel-good single “About Damn Time” at #1 on my latest Weekly Top 30. I love a good dance song, and with its funky bass-driven groove, “About Damn Time” fits the bill quite nicely. From her fourth album Special, it’s her first song to top my chart, and her second to top the Billboard Hot 100. Born Melissa Jefferson in Detroit, the 34-year-old singer has already had an interesting life. After moving with her family to Houston when she was 10, Lizzo began studying the flute with renowned music teacher Claudia Momen. She also started rapping in her early teens, and formed a musical group called Cornrow Clique with her friends, at which time she acquired the nickname “Lizzo”. After graduating from high school, she studied classical music with a concentration on flute at the University of Houston, but by 21, was living out of her car for a year while trying to break into the music industry. She released two studio albums, Lizzobangers in 2013 and Big Grrrl Small World in 2015, but neither charted. Lizzo finally achieved breakthrough success in 2019 with her single “Truth Hurts” after it was featured in the Netflix film Someone Great. The song became a viral sleeper hit, reaching #1 two years after its initial release. Lizzo’s life-long struggles with her weight have led her to become a fearless advocate for body positivity and self-love.

In other chart highlights, “Closer” by The Frontier and “The Funeral” by YUNGBLUD, hold at #3 and #4, and “Mistakes” by Sharon Van Etten climbs four spots to #5. Entering the top 10 are “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez, which jumps six spots to #6, “Broken Record” by NAVE, up seven spots to #9, and “SUPERMODEL” by Måneskin, which leaps 10 spots to #10.

I wanted to add at least six new songs to my chart this week, but had room for only these three, each of which could not be more different from one another: “BREAK MY SOUL” by Beyoncé, “What’s the Trick?” by Jack White, and “Please Write Responsibly” by British artist Granfalloon, the music project of talented singer-songwriter Richard Lomax, making his first appearance on my chart.

  1. ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (2)
  2. UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (1)
  3. CLOSER – The Frontier (3)
  4. THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (4)
  5. MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (9)
  6. UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (12)
  7. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (7)
  8. IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (8)
  9. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (16)
  10. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (20)
  11. WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (10)
  12. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (5)
  13. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (6)
  14. FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (19)
  15. DESPERATELY WANTING – The Star Crumbles (17)
  16. LIN MANUEL – Onism E (18)
  17. BONES – Imagine Dragons (22)
  18. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (11)
  19. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (14)
  20. LEMON TREE – Mt. Joy (24)
  21. TEK IT – Cafuné (25)
  22. GREY – Holy Coves (23)
  23. BELIEVE – Caamp (13)
  24. VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (28)
  25. THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (15)
  26. SIDELINES – Phoebe Bridgers (30)
  27. COMPLIANCE – Muse (29)
  28. BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (N)
  29. WHAT’S THE TRICK? – Jack White (N)
  30. PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 31-August 6, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments
Photo by María José Govea

While the top two songs on my latest Weekly Top 30 – Arcade Fire‘s “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” and Lizzo‘s “About Damn Time” – remain in place for a second week, there are lots of changes to the rest of the list. Several songs fall out of the top 10, including Harry Styles‘ “As It Was” after a 15-week run in that rarefied group, clearing the way for a newer crop of songs to move up. Jumping seven spots to #3 is “Closer”, by The Frontier (the music project of the very gracious, funny and talented Northern Virginia-based Jake Mimikos). We’ve followed one another on social media for over six years, and I’m quite fond of both him and his music. Entering the top 10 are: “The Funeral” by YUNGBLUD, which leaps eight spots to #4, “In the Mirror” by The Interrupters, climbing five spots to #8, “Mistakes” by Sharon Van Etten, up six spots to #9, and “Warning Signs” by Band of Horses, which moves up four spots to #10.

Other big movers this week are Stephen Sanchez, with his stunning retro love ballad “Until I Found You”, which leaps 10 spots to #12, and British artist NAVE, whose hauntingly beautiful “Broken Record” climbs five spots to #16. Two songs make their debut this week, “Viva Las Vengeance” by Panic! At the Disco (which recently spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, and took a while to click with me) at #28, and “Sidelines” by Phoebe Bridgers, which enters at #30.

  1. UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (1)
  2. ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (2)
  3. CLOSER – The Frontier (10)
  4. THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (12)
  5. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (3)
  6. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (5)
  7. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (8)
  8. IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (13)
  9. MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (15)
  10. WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (14)
  11. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (5)
  12. UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (22)
  13. BELIEVE – Caamp (6)
  14. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (7)
  15. THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (9)
  16. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (21)
  17. DESPERATELY WANTING – The Star Crumbles (18)
  18. LIN MANUEL – Onism E (19)
  19. FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (20)
  20. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (23)
  21. LONELY – Sea Girls (11)
  22. BONES – Imagine Dragons (24)
  23. GREY – Holy Coves (25)
  24. LEMON TREE – Mt. Joy (28)
  25. TEK IT – Cafuné (29)
  26. 2am – Foals (16)
  27. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (17)
  28. VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (N)
  29. COMPLIANCE – Muse (30)
  30. SIDELINES – Phoebe Bridgers (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 24-30, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments
Photo by María José Govea

My new favorite song this week is the uplifting and poignant “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid” by Canadian art-rock band Arcade Fire. Released in late April, it’s the second single from their sixth studio album WE. About the song, band front man Win Butler told Pitchfork “‘Lookout Kid’” is a reminder, a lullaby for the end times, sung to my son, but for everyone…. Trust your heart, trust your mind, trust your body, trust your soul. Shit is going to get worse before it gets better, but it always gets better, and no one’s perfect.” The video, produced by Ben Matheny and Nathan Harrison, and directed by Benh Zeitlin, is delightful.

Singer-songwriter and rapper Lizzo advances to #2 with her feel-good dance song “About Damn Time”. Debuting this week at #s 28-30 are “Lemon Tree” by L.A.-based alternative/indie folk rock band Mt. Joy“, “Tek It” by Brooklyn-based electro-pop duo Cafuné, and “Compliance” by British alt-rock band Muse.

  1. UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (2)
  2. ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (3)
  3. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (1)
  4. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (6)
  5. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (4)
  6. BELIEVE – Caamp (5)
  7. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (8)
  8. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (10)
  9. THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (11)
  10. CLOSER – The Frontier (12)
  11. LONELY – Sea Girls (13)
  12. THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (14)
  13. IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (15)
  14. WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (16)
  15. MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (17)
  16. 2am – Foals (7)
  17. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (9)
  18. DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (20)
  19. LIN MANUEL – Onism E (21)
  20. FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (22)
  21. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (23)
  22. UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (25)
  23. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (26)
  24. BONES – Imagine Dragons (29)
  25. GREY – Holy Coves (30)
  26. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (19)
  27. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (18) 20th week on list
  28. LEMON TREE – Mt. Joy (N)
  29. TEK IT – Cafuné (N)
  30. COMPLIANCE – Muse (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 17-23, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews7 Comments

There’s so much great music out now, I have at least 50 songs I’d like to put on my Weekly Top 30. “Seventeen Going Under” by Sam Fender remains at #1 for a second week. Closing in at #2 is Arcade Fire‘s heartwarming ““Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)”, while Lizzo slides into the #3 spot with her funk-pop earworm “About Damn Time”. German alt-rock band Milky Chance enter the top 10 with their cool song “Synchronize”. For some reason I cannot fathom, the song has not been anywhere near as popular as their previous single “Colorado”, even though I think it’s a better song.

Two songs make their debut this week: “Bones” by Imagine Dragons and “Grey” by Welsh rock band Holy Coves. While I’m a fan of Imagine Dragons, I didn’t care for their previous single “Enemy”, a massive hit now in it’s 35th week in the top 40 of the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, nine of them at #1, but I do like “Bones” a lot. (“Enemy” and “Bones” currently hold the #4 and #5 spots on the Alternative chart.) I’ve resisted putting “Bones” on my chart for the past several weeks, but it’s just too damn infectious! “Grey” is the second song by Holy Coves to appear on my Weekly Top 30; their single “The Hurt Within” spent 11 weeks on my list this past Spring.

  1. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (1)
  2. UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (3)
  3. ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (5)
  4. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (2)
  5. BELIEVE – Caamp (4)
  6. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (6)
  7. 2am – Foals (9)
  8. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (8)
  9. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (7)
  10. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (12)
  11. THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (13)
  12. CLOSER – The Frontier (14)
  13. LONELY – Sea Girls (15)
  14. THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (17)
  15. IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (18)
  16. WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (19)
  17. MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (21)
  18. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (10) 19th week on list
  19. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (11)
  20. DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (22)
  21. LIN MANUEL – Onism E (23)
  22. FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (25)
  23. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (27)
  24. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (16)
  25. UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (29)
  26. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (30)
  27. BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (20)
  28. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (26) 21st week on list
  29. BONES – Imagine Dragons (N)
  30. GREY – Holy Coves (N)