Tag: Cold War Kids

Fresh New Tracks, Vol. 47 – Bealby Point, Between Daze, Guardrail, Royel Otis

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews12 Comments

I seem to have gotten into a pattern of publishing at least one Fresh New Tracks post each week, and hopefully I’ll keep at this until I burn out or fall back into another of my periodic funks again. For my 47th edition, I’m featuring songs by, in alphabetical order, Canadian indie rock band Bealby Point, Maryland alternative pop-rock band Between Daze, Chicago pop-rock-punk band Guardrail, and Australian indie pop-rock duo Royel Otis.

Bealby Point – “Better Off Eventually”

Vancouver, British Columbia is a wellspring of musical talent, as there are several terrific acts from that fair part of Canada I’m especially fond of. I recently wrote about two of them – dwi and Western Jaguar – in a previous Fresh New Tracks post, and another favorite is alt-rock band Bealby Point. Named after a local beachside vacation spot, the four-piece consists of childhood friends Jack Armstrong (lead vocals), Clayton Dewar (lead guitar), Jordan Studer (bass), and Zack Yeager (drums). I love their buoyant, high-energy alternative/garage rock they cheekily call “music to fold laundry to“, and their sound, particularly due to Jack’s vocal style, at times reminds me of The Strokes. Their description of themselves as “four approachable guys making cool music” is genuine, based on the mutual respect, camaraderie, and joy of spending time together that’s so evident in all their photos and little acoustic performance sessions they frequently post on TikTok and Instagram. I’ve been following them for more than four years and have featured them four times on this blog, most recently two years ago when I reviewed their single “America”. Their 2021 single “Talk to Me” ended up on my 100 Best Songs of 2021 list.

On May 13th, they dropped their latest single “Better Off Eventually“, a rousing indie pop song speaking to feelings of frustration amid superficiality in the world and yearning for a life filled with meaning. The band elaborates: “This song was conceived in Clay’s basement as part of a batch of songs we wrote and tracked almost 3 years ago with our long-time friend and confidant Matt Di Pomponio (who mixed and produced the track). It’s been sittin’ in the Bealby Vault ever since and we have been patiently awaiting it’s time to be unleashed unto the world. Now is that time. It’s about struggling through life’s battles, learning along the way, owning who you are and being unapologetically true to yourself, no matter what! This song means a lot to us and we hope you find something in it for you.” I love the song’s breezy, upbeat melody, highlighted by Jack and Clay’s colorful intricate guitar work and driven by Jordan’s thumping bassline and Zack’s spirited drumbeats. All of Bealby Point’s songs are so good, and “Better Off Eventually” is no exception.

Between Daze – “Call Out”

Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland is Between Daze, an original songwriting/recording project comprised primarily of Johnny Burkhead (vocals), Scott Rodenberg (guitar) and Kenn (guitar), along with Mike Coyne (bass) and Kevin Walsh (drums). Preferring to remain rather anonymous, they have no photos of themselves on social media or music platforms. They’ve been making alternative pop/rock and roll music together for over 20 years but really began hitting their stride in 2021 with the release of their single “Burn For You”. In the years since, they’ve released a total of eleven singles at the rate of two or three a year. Their latest is “Call Out“, which dropped May 1st. Johnny reached out to me about the song, and as I do with acts who are new to me, I checked out their back catalog to get a better feel for their music. I ended up listening to all eleven of their singles, and can honestly say I like them all.

The band says “Call Out” “tells a story about finding the best in yourself and being able to take on whatever comes your way. It’s about not letting things beat you down for too long, that things will turn for you and eventually be better. Keep believing in yourself, and build the confidence to take on the world!” To drive home their optimistic message, the guys serve up a barrage of roiling gnarly riffs, driving bass and thunderous drums, creating an exhilarating backdrop for Johnny’s fervent vocals. The beautiful cover art for the single was hand painted by artist Jane Link Mangano.

Guardrail “First”

Photo of Xack, Ty, Kevin & Ken by Kennedy Cottrell

Chicago-based Guardrail play a hard-hitting, high-energy style of rock drawn from a blend of punk, pop and metal, which on some songs reminds me of acts like Green Day, Blink-182, Sum 41, and even the Beastie Boys. Formed in 2014, the band has undergone several changes in lineup, and now consists of Kevin Andrew (lead vocals), Ken Ugel (guitar, vocals), Ty Olmstead (bass, vocals) and Xack (drums). (Ken is also guitarist for Chicago bands The Million Reasons and Wild Gravity, while Ty also plays in the band Ghoul For A Goblin.) They released their debut EP wordswords in 2015, and have since followed with two more EPs, numerous singles, (one of which, “Social Meteor”, I reviewed in 2021 and has garnered over 220,000 streams on Spotify), and a full-length album Content in 2023.

Yesterday, May 14th, Guardrail dropped their first new single in two years, appropriately a terrific cover of the Cold War Kids’ 2015 masterpiece “First“. I’m a longtime fan of Cold War Kids and “First” is my favorite song of theirs (it ranks #27 on my Top 100 Songs of the 2010s list). It can be risky for an artist or band to cover a song we love, but the moment I heard Guardrail’s version, I was thrilled. While Guardrail maintains some of the vibe of the original thanks to their chiming guitars, they speed it up with frantic drumbeats, jagged guitar riffs and Kevin’s fervent rapid-fire vocals, giving their version greater urgency and more of a punk feel. Cold War Kids’ original runs 3:20 minutes, whereas Guardrails is shortened to only 3:07 minutes. The band states they “recorded a bunch of covers during the pandemic times, so while we work on new music we’re gonna finally put ’em out.” I say, bring ’em on!

Royel Otis – “moody”

Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis was formed in 2019 by Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic over a shared love of the same music and bands. Based in Sydney, their sound draws from elements of indie pop, indie rock, new wave, pop rock, post-punk and psychedelic rock. The duo released two EPs in 2021 and 2022 to little notice until the song “Oysters in My Pocket”, from the second EP Bar n Grill, gained traction in late 2022. Their third EP Sofa Kings, released in 2023, proved more successful, with the breakthrough title track marking their first appearance on American charts, eventually peaking at #12 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. In late January 2024, they released their electrifying cover of “Murder on the Dancefloor”, the 2001 disco pop hit by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor (which she co-wrote with Gregg Alexander, former frontman of the band The New Radicals, who had a hit in the late 90s with “You Get What You Give”), which they performed on the Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version program. The song went viral and reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative chart, as well as my own Top 30 chart. I couldn’t get enough of it, and it ended up ranking #4 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. The guys quickly followed with their debut album Pratts & Pain in February 2024, which debuted at #1 on the ARIA Australian Albums Chart, and went on to win four awards at the 2024 ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Music Awards.

Now they’re back with a new single “moody“, which dropped on May 9th. It’s a love song of sorts, detailing a problematic relationship with a woman who drives the singer crazy in both good ways and bad. She’s jealous, bitchy and cranky, yet he’s hopelessly in love with her: “She’s always givin’ it to me. Late nights, she always accusin’. Last time, she said she would kill me. My girl’s a bitch when she’s moody. But she’s my everything. She’s all that I need.” I love the song’s languid laid back groove, highlighted by Royel’s terrific guitar noodling and Otis’ sweet vocals. I think it’s gonna be a hit.

Top 30 Songs for February 4-10, 2024

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American genre-bending singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, whose sound has been described by Aaron Williams of UPROXX as “Post Malone singing Lenny Williams or Jelly Roll doing Teddy Pendergrass”, takes over the top spot this week with his blistering torch song “Lose Control”. With his impassioned vocals, the soaring orchestrals and that wailing guitar solo, I get chills every time I hear it. Born Jaten Collin Dimsdale in Conyers, Georgia, the gruff-voiced artist mixes R&B, soul, country, and pop to create his own unique sound that’s earned him over 26 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. Released last June (of 2023), “Lose Control” has been a bit of a sleeper hit; now in its 24th week on the Billboard Hot 100, the song is currently at its peak position of #4, and also ranks #2 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Thus far, it’s been streamed more than 221 million times on Spotify. The song is from his debut album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1), which dropped last September.

Mr. Swims isn’t the only “swim” act on this chart, as the enchanting dream pop gem “All I Die For”, by Canadian indie rock band SWiiMS, moves into the #2 spot. “Northern Attitude”, by Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, jumps five spots to #4, and “Beautiful People (Stay High)” by The Black Keys leaps 14 spots to enter the top 10 at #8.

Two songs make their debut this week. Entering at #29 is “Neon Pill” by Nashville-based Cage the Elephant, their first new music in nearly three years. They’re one of my long-time favorite bands, so I’m thrilled to hear new music from them. Coming in at #30 is “Diamond and the Missing Son” by Northern Ireland alt-rock band Unquiet Nights, which I reviewed last month. The song is from their third album Seasons in Exile, which dropped January 19th.

  1. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (2)
  2. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (5)
  3. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
  4. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (9)
  5. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (3)
  6. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (6)
  7. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (8)
  8. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (22)
  9. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (4)
  10. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (7)
  11. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (12)
  12. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (13)
  13. THE TOWER – Future Islands (15)
  14. ALIVE! - Bakar (16)
  15. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (17)
  16. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (19)
  17. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (11)
  18. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (14)
  19. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (10)
  20. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (18)
  21. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (20)
  22. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (23)
  23. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (24)
  24. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (25)
  25. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (27)
  26. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (28)
  27. BLUSH – Vazum (29)
  28. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (30)
  29. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (N)
  30. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 28-February 3, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments

Well, Green Day return to the top spot this week with “The American Dream Is Killing Me”, making it their fourth non-consecutive week at #1. It was the lead single to their critically-acclaimed 14th studio album Saviors, which dropped January 19th. Georgia genre-bending singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, whose sound has been described by Aaron Williams of webzine UPROXX as “Post Malone singing Lenny Williams or Jelly Roll doing Teddy Pendergrass”, moves into second place with his blistering torch song “Lose Control”. The song is from his debut album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1). The captivating “All I Die For” by Canadian indie rock band SWiiMS, which I love more each time I hear it, moves up two spots to #5, while Bleachers‘ “Modern Girl” and The Last Dinner Party‘s “Nothing Matters” also advance two spots to #6 and #8, respectively. Noah Kahan and Hozier enter the top 10 with their rousing “Northern Attitude”, which is now in its third non-consecutive week at #1 on the Billboard AAA chart.

Five excellent new songs make their debut this week. The first and highest debuting is “Beautiful People (Stay High)” by one of my long-time favorite bands The Black Keys, entering at #22. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming 12th studio album Ohio Players. Entering at #27 is “Meant To Be” by Chicago alt-rock band Wilco, the lovely second single from their 13th album Cousin. Coming in at #28 is the delightful “My Golden Years” by indie rock duo The Lemon Twigs. Based in Long Island, the band is comprised of the hyper-talented and charismatic brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario, who began making music in their teens. I love those jangly guitars and beautiful vocal harmonies.

Next up is “Blush” by Detroit-based deathgaze act Vazum, the music project of Zach Pliska and Emily Sturm, entering at #29. The marvelous song is reminiscent of great 80s darkwave and goth rock songs by such bands as Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure. Last but certainly not least is “Lunar Eclipse” by English indie rock band The Vaccines. Though they’ve been around since 2010, I only recently learned about them from fellow blogger Christian’s Music Musings when he featured one of their songs in a post. “Lunar Eclipse” is one of many great songs from their outstanding sixth studio album Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations, which dropped January 12th.

  1. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (2)
  2. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (3)
  3. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (1)
  4. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (4)
  5. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (7)
  6. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (8)
  7. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (5)
  8. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (10)
  9. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (14)
  10. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (6)
  11. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (12)
  12. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (13)
  13. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (16)
  14. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (15)
  15. THE TOWER – Future Islands (17)
  16. ALIVE! - Bakar (18)
  17. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (20)
  18. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (9)
  19. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (21)
  20. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (19)
  21. DARLING – Western Jaguar (11) 20th week on chart
  22. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (N)
  23. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (28)
  24. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (29)
  25. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (30)
  26. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (22)
  27. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (N)
  28. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (N)
  29. BLUSH – Vazum (N)
  30. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 21-27, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
Photo by Ryan Fleisher/imageSPACE

Brittany Howard remains at #1 for a second week with “What Now”, while Green Day‘s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” and Teddy Swims‘ “Lose Control” hold at #2 and #3 for a second week as well. boygenius move up two spots to #4 with “Cool About It”, and Mitski holds at #5 again with “My Love Mine All Mine”. Otherwise, there’s quite a bit of movement on the rest of the chart as several long-running hit songs move downward, making way for several that have been stuck in the lower reaches for weeks.

“Nothing Matters” by English all-female band The Last Dinner Party leaps 10 spots to enter the top 10 at #10. It took me a while to warm up to this song for some reason I can’t explain, but now I love it! “How Did You Get Here?” by English singer-songwriter Antony Szmierek moves up five spots to #12, “Blame Brett” by The Beaches, another all-female indie rock band, jumps six spots to #13, “Northern Attitude” by Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier leaps nine spots to #14, “Pretty Vicious” by English rock band The Struts moves up six spots to #15, and “Winter Cowboy” by English crooner Frank Joseph also moves up six notches to #16. Jumping eight spots each are Future Islands‘ “The Tower”, to #17, English singer-songwriter Bakar‘s “Alive!”, to #18, and American rapper Jack Harlow‘s “Lovin On Me”, to #21. “Mother Nature” by American psychedelic pop-rock duo MGMT, moves up seven spots to #20. The sole debut this week is “Normal People Things” by yet another English act, indie rock band Lovejoy, entering at #30. It’s their second song to appear on my chart, the first being “Call Me What You Like” last year.

  1. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (1)
  2. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (2)
  3. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (3)
  4. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (6)
  5. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (5)
  6. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (4)
  7. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (9)
  8. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (10)
  9. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (7)
  10. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (20)
  11. DARLING – Western Jaguar (8)
  12. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (17)
  13. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (19)
  14. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (23)
  15. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (21)
  16. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (22)
  17. THE TOWER – Future Islands (25)
  18. ALIVE! - Bakar (26)
  19. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (18)
  20. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (27)
  21. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (29)
  22. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (11)
  23. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (12)
  24. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (14)
  25. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (13)
  26. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (15)
  27. LOVING YOU – Cannons (16) 23rd week on chart
  28. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (28)
  29. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (30)
  30. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 14-20, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments
Photo by Ryan Fleisher/imageSPACE

Alabama-born and now Nashville-based singer-songwriter Brittany Howard takes over the top spot this week with her soulful and funky kiss-off single “What Now”, displacing Green Day‘s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” after it’s three week run at #1. The astonishingly talented artist with a powerhouse voice was front woman of rock band Alabama Shakes, but went solo in 2018 when the band went on hiatus. She released her debut album Jaime in 2019 to widespread acclaim, and was nominated for numerous music awards, winning a Grammy in 2021 for Best Rock Song for her single “Stay High”. “What Now” is the lead and title single from her forthcoming second album of the same name, scheduled for release on February 2. About the single, Howard explains “It was written during the pandemic when the question “What now” was on all of our minds.  I think it is a feeling that has continued to the present moment in the world we live in. It is also the title of the new album and I think when you hear it you will understand why I landed on that title…but more on that later.” The dark video was directed by Danilo Parra, produced by Adam Braun and filmed by Benjamin Whatley. In addition to Howard, the video features Mohnsta Simmons, Anaelle Rabotoson, Laquane Barnes and Andre Lambert.

In other notable chart developments, Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims is the biggest upward mover for the third consecutive week, as his bluesy and blistering “Lose Control” leaps nine spots to #3. Moving into fourth place is “Attraction”, the sweet song of budding love by talented young British trio Wild Horse, followed by “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski at #5. Entering the top 10 after a long slow climb are the ethereal “All I Die For” by Canadian indie rock band SWiiMS and “Modern Girl” by pop-rock band Bleachers.

Making their debut this week are two songs that couldn’t be more different from each other: Entering at #29 is “Lovin On Me” by the enormously popular rapper Jack Harlow, who’s racked up a stream of hits over the past five years, some of them collaborations with other artists. The song is already a massive hit, currently returning to the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 after all the Christmas songs that dominated the chart in December dropped off. I’m not generally a fan of his type of music, but with its infectious groove, “Lovin On You” has finally grown on me. Entering at #30 is the lovely “Your World Now” by fellow blogger, musician and all-around Renaissance man Marc Schuster. About the song, he explains: “On the surface, it sounds like it could be a wistful breakup song in the style of Jens Lekman or Belle & Sebastian, but it isn’t really influenced by any personal experiences beyond the broad strokes of realizing that the world is changing and that I’m okay with handing the reins over to people who will do things differently than I would.” I think it’s one of Schuster’s best songs yet, and his vocals have never sounded better.

  1. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (2)
  2. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
  3. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (12)
  4. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (5)
  5. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (6)
  6. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (8)
  7. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (7)
  8. DARLING – Western Jaguar (3)
  9. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (13)
  10. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (14)
  11. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (4)
  12. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (9)
  13. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (10)
  14. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (11)
  15. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (15)
  16. LOVING YOU – Cannons (17) 22nd week on chart
  17. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (19)
  18. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (20)
  19. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (21)
  20. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (23)
  21. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (22)
  22. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (24)
  23. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (25)
  24. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (16)
  25. THE TOWER – Future Islands (27)
  26. ALIVE! – Bakar (28)
  27. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (29)
  28. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (30)
  29. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (N)
  30. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 7-13, 2024

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Not a lot of changes to this week’s Top 30, with the songs in the top six spots remaining in place for a second week. Green Day‘s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” is #1 for a third week, while Brittany Howard‘s “What Now” holds on the #2 spot for a second week. The lovely “Cool About It” by boygenius climbs three spots to enter the top 10 at #8. The biggest upward mover again this week is “Lose Control” by Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, jumping seven spots to #12. The sole debut this week is “nice to know you” by L.A. pop-rock trio lovelytheband, who I had the pleasure of seeing in concert last June. In fact, in addition to lovelytheband, I’ve also seen two other acts on this list – Cold War Kids and Cannons.

  1. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
  2. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (2)
  3. DARLING – Western Jaguar (3)
  4. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (4)
  5. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (5)
  6. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (6)
  7. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (10)
  8. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (11)
  9. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (7)
  10. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (8)
  11. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (9)
  12. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (19)
  13. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (14)
  14. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (15)
  15. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (12)
  16. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (13)
  17. LOVING YOU – Cannons (16) 21st week on chart
  18. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (18)
  19. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (20)
  20. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (21)
  21. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (22)
  22. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (23)
  23. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (24)
  24. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (26)
  25. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (27)
  26. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (17)
  27. THE TOWER – Future Islands (28)
  28. ALIVE! – Bakar (29)
  29. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (30)
  30. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 31, 2023 – January 6, 2024

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Happy New Year! As we transition from 2023 to 2024, Green Day remain on top for a second week with their protest anthem “The American Dream Is Killing Me”. They’ve been a long-time favorite of mine, and I’m glad they’re still making music nearly 34 years after the release of their first album 39/Smooth. They’ll be dropping their 14th studio album Savior on January 19th. Brittany Howard‘s gloriously defiant “What Now” climbs five spots into second position, while Cold War Kids (who I saw open for Tears for Fears last August) enter the top 10 with “Run Away With Me”. British pop-rock band Wild Horse move up three spots to #5 with their breezy love song “Attraction”, followed at #6 by Mitski‘s contemplative “My Love Mine All Mine”. The biggest upward mover this week is the bluesy “Lose Control” by Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, leaping 10 spots to #19.

Four songs debut this week: Entering at #27 is “Northern Attitude”, a terrific duet by Vermont-based singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. The song is a newly-recorded version of the track from Kahan’s critically-acclaimed album Stick Season, which also features his hit single “Dial Drunk”. He’s also recorded collaborative versions of a number of the album’s tracks, including “Dial Drunk” with Post Malone. Hozier also scored a successful and acclaimed album in 2023, Unreal Unearth, which features his hit songs “Eat Your Young” and “Francesca”. Next up is “The Tower” by always wonderful Baltimore-based synth pop band Future Islands. The song is from their forthcoming seventh studio album People Who Aren’t There Anymore, slated for release on January 26. Coming in at #29 is “Alive!” by British singer-songwriter Bakar, marking his third appearance on my chart. The song is the lead single from his second album Halo, which was released in September. Last but certainly not least is the lovely “Mother Nature” by American neo-psychedelic rock band MGMT. The song is the lead single from their upcoming fifth studio album Loss of Life, due for release on February 23, their first new music in six years.

  1. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
  2. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (7)
  3. DARLING – Western Jaguar (2)
  4. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (3)
  5. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (8)
  6. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (9)
  7. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (4)
  8. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (5)
  9. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (6)
  10. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (12)
  11. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (16)
  12. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (10)
  13. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (14)
  14. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (15)
  15. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (17)
  16. LOVING YOU – Cannons (13) 20th week on chart
  17. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (11)
  18. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (18)
  19. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (29)
  20. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (23)
  21. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (25)
  22. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (26)
  23. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (27)
  24. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (28)
  25. WHITE HORSE – Chris Stapleton (20)
  26. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (30)
  27. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (N)
  28. THE TOWER – Future Islands (N)
  29. ALIVE! – Bakar (N)
  30. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 24-30, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments
Photo by Emmie America

We’ve arrived at the final week of 2023, and though it would be nice to have a sweet song at the top of my chart to bring us a bit of Christmas cheer, alas, that’s not to be. Instead, Green Day‘s boisterous protest anthem “The American Dream Is Killing Me” ascends to the #1 spot. The black and white video they made for the song is pretty violent and dark, with Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool made up as zombies, performing the song amidst hordes of zombies rioting in the streets and attacking people. Some scary stuff indeed!

In other chart developments, Brittany Howard‘s “What Now” is once again the biggest climber of the week, jumping eight spots to #7. The song is now #1 on the Billboard AAA chart. After spending three weeks at #4 in November, “Loving You” by Cannons reverses its downward course and moves back up five spots to #13, followed by “Wild” by Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster, “All I Die For” by SWiiMS, and “Cool About It” by boygenius, all of which advance five spots. Bleachers‘ “Modern Girl” moves up six spots to #17. Making their debut are the bluesy “Lose Control” by the gruff-voiced Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims (born Jaten Collin Dimsdale), at #29, and “Winter Cowboy” by silky-voiced British artist Frank Joshua, at #30. It’s Frank’s second song to appear on my chart, the first being his beautiful “Bluebell Wood”, which peaked at #6 this past Spring.

  1. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (2)
  2. DARLING – Western Jaguar (1)
  3. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (3)
  4. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (4)
  5. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (5)
  6. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (6)
  7. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (15)
  8. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (9)
  9. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (11)
  10. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (8)
  11. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (7)
  12. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (15)
  13. LOVING YOU – Cannons (18)
  14. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (19)
  15. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (20)
  16. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (21)
  17. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (23)
  18. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (17)
  19. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (10)
  20. WHITE HORSE – Chris Stapleton (22)
  21. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (12)
  22. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (14)
  23. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (25)
  24. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (16)
  25. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (27)
  26. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (28)
  27. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (29)
  28. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (30)
  29. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (N)
  30. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 17-23, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

We’re now into the home stretch of 2023 with just two weeks left in the year, and though the Billboard Hot 100 is dominated by vintage Christmas songs, my chart says ‘no’ to that! Accordingly, the delightful love song “Darling” by Canadian artist Western Jaguar holds onto the top spot for a second week. Green Day moves into second place with their rousing protest anthem “The American Dream is Killing Me”, while The Beatles‘ nostalgic “Now and Then” climbs three spots to #3. (The song is #1 for a second week on the Billboard AAA chart.) “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND” by American hard rock band Bad Omens spends a fourth week at #7.

British pop-rock band Wild Horse enter the top 10 with their sweet song “Attraction”, moving up four spots to #9, and Brittany Howard‘s wonderful “What Now” is this week’s biggest climber, leaping 10 spots to #15. The lone debut this week, entering at #30, is “Nothing Matters” by British all-female indie rock band The Last Dinner Party. Although the song’s been a sizable hit on the Alternative charts, and seems to be almost everyone’s favorite, it’s taken a while to grow on me.

  1. DARLING – Western Jaguar (1)
  2. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (3)
  3. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (6)
  4. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (2)
  5. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (4)
  6. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (5)
  7. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (7)
  8. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (9)
  9. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (13)
  10. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (10)
  11. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (16)
  12. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (8)
  13. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (15)
  14. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (12)
  15. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (25)
  16. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (11)
  17. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (18)
  18. LOVING YOU – Cannons (19)
  19. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (20)
  20. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (21)
  21. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (22)
  22. WHITE HORSE – Chris Stapleton (23)
  23. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (24)
  24. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (14)
  25. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (26)
  26. EVICTED – Wilco (17)
  27. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (28)
  28. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (29)
  29. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (30)
  30. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 10-16, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

One of my favorite indie artists is Western Jaguar, the music project of Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor. Based in the eastern outskirts of Vancouver, British Columbia, Western Jaguar was born in 2012 when Trainor turned to music to get him out of a low point in his life. With the help of an evolving lineup of musicians, he released three EPs and several singles between 2013 and 2019, including the excellent “Disappear”, which went to #1 on my Weekly Top 30 in 2019. After experiencing a creative slump that began during the Covid pandemic, when he all but gave up on Western Jaguar, he later resurrected the project and completed an outstanding album of new and previously-written songs. The album, which he named Oblivion, was released in July (you can read my review here).

Though many of the album’s tracks deal with loss, Trainor is in fact a happily-married man, which he celebrates on the sweet love song “Darling“. Calling it the poppiest song he’s ever written, it’s definitely the most upbeat track on the album, with a bouncy melody, sunny guitar lines, plucky bass, cheerful xylophone and exuberant hand claps, accompanied by Trainor’s earnest and pleasing vocals. It’s a perfect little pop song, and I’ve grown to love it. Accordingly, it ascends to the top spot on my latest Weekly Top 30, becoming Western Jaguar’s second song to top my chart. The endearing video was filmed in the beautiful Fraser River valley of British Columbia.

Otherwise, not many changes from last week, and there are no new debuts.

  1. DARLING – Western Jaguar (4)
  2. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (1)
  3. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (5)
  4. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (2)
  5. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (3)
  6. NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (9)
  7. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (7)
  8. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (6)
  9. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (10)
  10. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (11)
  11. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (12)
  12. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (13)
  13. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (14)
  14. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (8)
  15. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (16)
  16. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (19)
  17. EVICTED – Wilco (15)
  18. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (18)
  19. LOVING YOU – Cannons (20)
  20. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (21)
  21. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (22)
  22. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (23)
  23. WHITE HORSE – Chris Stapleton (24)
  24. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (25)
  25. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (26)
  26. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (27)
  27. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man ft. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (17)
  28. HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (28)
  29. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (29)
  30. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (30)