My current favorite song is still “Homewrecker” by sombr, thus it remains at #1 for a third week, while Dexter and The Moonrocks‘ “Freakin’ Out” and Temper City‘s “Self Aware” hold at #2 and 3 for a second week. My friend Lyia Meta enters the top 10 with her powerful rock gem “Raging Halls”.
The sole new entry this week is “Hold Me In The Dark” by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Myles Smith, an immensely popular folk-pop artist with over 22 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 1.7 million followers on Instagram. His music is generally upbeat with infectious melodies, and his 2024 smash hit “Stargazing” has been streamed over 1.1 billion times on Spotify. Released in May, “Hold Me In The Dark” is included on his debut album My Mess, My Heart, My Life, which dropped June 16th. The talented 28-year-old also earned a degree in sociology from the University of Nottingham in 2019.
Not a lot of movement from last week for the majority of my latest chart, although there are five new entries. “Homewrecker” by sombr remains at #1 for a second week, while Dexter and The Moonrocks‘ “Freakin’ Out” inches up a spot to #2. “Repeat Offender” by Scottish band Gloom Is Okay enters the top 10 at #9.
There were at least eight songs I wanted to add to this week’s chart, but I had to cull my list down to only five as there were no other songs I was ready to drop. The first new entry is “Here” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, featuring American folk/alt-country singer-songwriter Sierra Ferrell. The song was originally recorded with Chris Stapleton and is included on the Mumford & Sons latest album Prizefighter, released this past February. This new version was recorded with Ferrell for an Apple Music Session on May 28th, and as much as I like Chris Stapleton, I like this version with Ferrell better. The song is currently #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative chart.
The second new entry is “Heart Stop”, an emotionally powerful tune by alternative roots rock band The Revivalists. Based in New Orleans, the eight-piece collective is comprised of Ed Williams (pedal steel guitar, guitar), David Shaw (lead vocals), Zack Feinberg (guitar), Rob Ingraham (saxophone), George Gekas (bass guitar), Andrew Campanelli (drums and percussion), Michael Girardot (keyboards and trumpet), and Paulet “PJ” Howard (drums and percussion). Their 2023 single “Kid” topped my chart and ranks #9 on my Top 100 for that year. “Heart Stop” is the first in a series of singles they began releasing in April.
Coming in at #28 is “In The Stars” by legendary rockers The Rolling Stones. Formed in London in 1962, the band currently consists of original founders Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, along with Ronnie Wood since 1975 – all of whom seem to have discovered the fountain of youth! – as well as touring members keyboardist Chuck Leavell (since 1982), backing vocalist Bernard Fowler (since 1989), keyboardist Matt Clifford (off and on since 1989), bassist Darryl Jones (since 1994), saxophonists Tim Ries (since 1999) and Karl Denson (since 2014), drummer Steve Jordan (since 2021) and female vocalist Chanel Haynes (since 2022).(Wikipedia) The song is from their 25th and latest studio album Foreign Tongues, which dropped this past Friday, July 10th. The song is surprisingly good, with a guitar riff reminiscent of the one played by Bill Bottrell on Michael Jackson’s hit single “Black or White”.
Debuting at #29 is “no more regrets” by San Diego, California-based indie pop band almost monday, made up of Dawson Daugherty, Luke Fabry and Cole Clisby. I’m a big fan of their breezy dance pop, so “no more regrets” immediately grabbed my attention. Their single “Jupiter” reached #1 on my chart last fall.
The fifth new entry is “Freaking Out” (not to be confused with my #2 song by Dexter and The Moonrocks) by alternative pop-rock band Michigander. Founded in 2014 by singer-songwriter and musician Jason Singer in Michigan and now based in Nashville, the band includes Jake LeMond on guitar, Aaron Senor on drums, and Connor Robertson on bass. (I’ve previously reviewed music by Michigander as well as solo music by LeMond and Senor.)
I’m pretty confident that the majority of my fellow bloggers and readers – at least those few who even bother to read my posts – probably shake their heads at my music tastes and that’s okay, as each of us likes what we like at the end of the day. That said, my new #1 song this week is “Homewrecker” by sombr (born Shane Michael Boose), who turns 21 today. Over the past year he’s become one of my favorite artists, and “Homewrecker” is his fourth song to top my chart, following “back to friends” (which was #1 on my chart a year ago today and is my top song for 2025), “undressed” and “12 to 12” (which spent five weeks at #1).
In other charts developments of note, the lovely “Exit Wound” by Ships Have Sailed, a longtime favorite act of mine from Los Angeles, enters the top 10.
And I’m thrilled to add the captivating “The Endless Border”, by Belgian four-piece Velvet Jesus, to my chart this week. I can’t remember how or where I learned about it, but I love the song’s enchanting Middle Eastern sound and beautiful intricate guitar work. Based in Leuven, the band is comprised of Anton Fannes (lead vocals, guitar, synths, samples), Bart Catoor (bass, samples, backing vocals), Christophe Vandewoude (guitar) and Peter De Clercq (drums). They released their debut single “Qatar” in 2023, which they followed a year later with their album of the same name. The band states that their latest single “is about the strange world of today, and in particular how one population imposes a border on another, while a national border is nothing more than a line on a map.”
HOMEWRECKER – sombr (2)
GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (1)
FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (4)
HEADLIGHTS – In Color (5)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (6)
RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (3)
DROP DEAD – Olivia Rodrigo (7)
GOOD2B – Goose (8)
UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES – Sublime (9)
EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (11)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom Is Okay (12)
IN MY ROOM – Julia Wolf (10)
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (18)
RIDE LONESOME – Beck (16)
PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (17)
BACK IN LOVE – Suki Waterhouse (21)
MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (22)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (23)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (25)
DRAG PATH – Twenty One Pilots (15)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (27)
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (28)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (13) 21st week on chart
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (14)
The Strokes remain on top for a second week with “Going Shopping”, while sombr moves into second place with “Homewrecker”. Three songs enter the top 10: “Good2B” by Goose, “Until The Sun Explodes” by Sublime and “In My Room” by Julia Wolf, at #s 8, 9 and 10, respectively. Scottish band Gloom Is Okay are this week’s biggest upward movers as their darkly beautiful “Repeat Offender” leaps 10 spots to #12.
Four songs make their debut this week, beginning with “Private” by Los Angeles alt-rock band The Neighbourhood, which enters at #27. The song is from their fifth studio album (((((ultraSOUND))))), which also features “Hula Girl” that spent two weeks at #1 on my chart in April. I can’t think of a single song of theirs I haven’t loved, and “Private” is no exception.
Next up is “Rein Me In”, a beautiful song by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender, with added vocals by English singer-songwriter Olivia Dean, who won the Best New Artist Grammy earlier this year (which should have gone to sombr, but I digress). The song is a remix of the original from Fender’s third studio album People Watching. “Rein Me In” was released in June 2025 as the sixth single from the album and eventually became Fender’s first song to reach #1 on the UK Singles Chart in February 2026, as well as winning the Brit Award for Song of the Year. It also topped the charts in Australia and Ireland, reached #2 in New Zealand, and became Fender’s first song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 64.
Entering at #29 is “Who Will You Follow” by American alternative metal rock band Evanescence. Formed in Little Rock in 1994, the band has undergone some lineup changes over the years and now consists of founding member Amy Lee (lead vocals, piano, keyboards, harp), Troy McLawhorn (guitar), Tim McCord (guitar, bass), Emma Anzai (bass, backing vocals) and Will Hunt (drums). They released their debut album Fallen in 2003 and followed with five more albums at the rate of one every three to six years. “Who Will You Follow” is the second single from their sixth and latest album Sanctuary, which dropped June 5th.
Coming in at #30 is “Go Fuck Urself” by English techno punk band Fat Dog. Formed in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the band consists of Joe Love, Chris Hughes, Morgan Wallace, and Ellis D, and is known for their boisterous live performances. The provocative and deliciously catchy song was released as their eighth single on May 11th and I love it!
GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (1)
HOMEWRECKER – sombr (4)
RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (2)
FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (5)
HEADLIGHTS – In Color (3)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (7)
DROP DEAD – Olivia Rodrigo (6)
GOOD2B – Goose (11)
UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES – Sublime (12)
IN MY ROOM – Julia Wolf (16)
EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (17)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom Is Okay (22)
SLUMBER PARTY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (8) 20th week on chart
BEDROOM POSTERS – Yellowcard feat. Good Charlotte (9)
I just reviewed a song titled “Under These Scars”, and now turn my attention to Drawing on Scars, an online alternative rock music project based in Atlanta, Georgia. The creative brainchild of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Will Thacker, Drawing on Scars seeks to collaborate with guest vocalists from across the U.S. in the creation of unique, ever-changing music. Generally, Thacker writes the music and lyrics, which the different vocalists then interpret in their own distinct ways, keeping Drawing on Scars’ repertoire sounding fresh and delivering the unexpected.
Formed in 2012, the project produced an EP featuring seven artists, then went on hiatus in 2017, during which time Thacker formed the band Fieldcrest. He resurrected Drawing on Scars in early 2019, and since March has released four singles, the latest of which is “Rewrite“, which I’ve chosen as my New Song of the Week.
The song features vocals by Jena Jones, who is also vocalist for Fieldcrest (I reviewed their EP Canvas last October.) The song has an Evanescence feel, not only because of the dark, complex melody and powerful instrumentation, but also because Jones’ strong, resonant vocals remind me of Amy Lee’s. Thacker’s a skilled guitarist, and his work really shines here as he dazzles our ears with crushing riffs of grimy guitars and heavy bass. The spooky synths and thunderous percussion are pretty fantastic too, and combined with the intense guitars, create a massive backdrop for Jones’ mesmerizing vocals.
The lyrics seem to speak about someone suffering from mental illness or an emotional breakdown, and their desperate plea for help and support in getting their life together. Jones’ emotion-filled vocals beautifully convey the anguish expressed in the powerful lyrics:
I need you here babysitting my thoughts I can’t control them, they’ll tear me apart There’s just little things that go straight for my heart It makes me sick
I hope I can keep control and not let myself down But I’m a fake, how much can you take Can’t you see that I’m afraid
Distorted perception of who I am Help me rewrite it, begin again This war going on inside of my head
I don’t know how to fix myself The words that kill me are my own Oh, I’m the harshest critic I know
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 