Tag: Fontaines D.C.

My Top 30 Songs for September 27-October 3, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments
Photo of The Neighbourhood from their Facebook account

After spending three weeks at #2, “Private” by The Neighbourhood finally dislodges “Rein Me In” to take over the top spot on my latest chart. The captivating song is from their fifth studio album (((((ultraSOUND))))), released last November, although the track itself was actually released at the end of October but didn’t begin charting until June. Formed in Ventura County west of Los Angeles in 2011, the band consists of four of the five original members: heavily tattooed, silky-voiced vocalist Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels and bassist Mikey Margott, as well as drummer Brandon Fried who joined in 2014. I love their sophisticated style of alternative rock that incorporates elements of pop, electronic, hip hop and R&B.

I’ve been a big fan of The Neighbourhood from the moment I first heard their magnificent song “Sweater Weather” back in the summer of 2013. It ultimately became my favorite song of 2013 and 4th favorite song of the entire decade of the 2010s, and is obviously a favorite of many others, as it’s been streamed nearly 5 billion times just on Spotify alone. Since March, The Neighbourhood has been on their worldwide tour which will conclude in Los Angeles in December. “Private” is their fourth song to top my chart, after the aforementioned “Sweater Weather”, “Stargazing” in 2021, and “Hula Girl”, also from (((((ultraSOUND))))), this past April. I love the song’s hypnotic beat, gentle thumping bassline and intricate blend of jangly, chiming and grungy guitar notes. But most of all, I love Rutherford’s sensuous croons that add to the eerily enchanting sound.

Entering the top 10 are “Stone Over Water” by Death Cab for Cutie, “I Feel Hope Coming” by Alabama Shakes, and “We Might as Well Be Strangers” by Weezer featuring Wednesday.

For a third week there are two new entries to my chart, starting with “Good Times // End Times” by American progressive/funk rock band Goose. The song is from their sixth album BIG MODERN!, which dropped in June, and follows “Good2B”, which spent 12 weeks on my chart over the summer, peaking at #4. I’ve come to like this band a lot!

The second new entry is “Already Gone” by the enigmatic and dangerously sexy country artist Orville Peck (born Daniel Pitout in South Africa and now based in Los Angeles). In addition to his unique brand of alternative country and deep baritone singing voice, Peck (who is gay) is known for often wearing a fringed mask and not showing his face. In a 2023 interview for People magazine, he elaborated on his decision to wear a fringed mask: “I grew up loving country where there was an intersection between theatricality and very honest songwriting. Dolly’s a perfect example—the big wigs, the crazy outfits, but it’s her. For me, I was obsessed with the Lone Ranger, cowboys hiding their face, so that’s what I wanted to do.” He’s also an actor who made his Broadway debut on March 31, 2025, playing the Emcee in the revival of Cabaret for 16 weeks. “Already Gone” is from his fourth studio album Mule, released September 18th.

  1. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
  2. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (1)
  3. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (5)
  4. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (6)
  5. MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (7)
  6. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (4)
  7. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (3)
  8. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (11)
  9. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (12)
  10. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (13)
  11. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (14)
  12. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (10)
  13. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (8)
  14. DOORS – Noah Kahan (9)
  15. LOSER – Tame Impala (19)
  16. EVERGREEN – Young the Giant (17)
  17. EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (18)
  18. BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (20)
  19. WINDOW – Foo Fighters (22)
  20. METASTASIZED – Bealby Point (23)
  21. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (15)
  22. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (16)
  23. LOVE TO GO – Edgehill (26)
  24. YOUNG AGAIN – Shinedown (27)
  25. HIGH HOPES 3000 – ROLE MODEL (29)
  26. BLACK DOG RABBIT HOLE – Devon Gilfillian (30)
  27. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (21)
  28. SELF AWARE – Temper City (24) 20th week on chart
  29. GOOD TIMES // END TIMES – Goose (N)
  30. ALREADY GONE – Orville Peck (N)

My Top 30 Songs for September 20-26, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

It’s a third week on top for the beautiful “Rein Me In” by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean, as well as a third week at #2 for “Private” by The Neighbourhood, who’ve spent much of this year on their world tour which began in late March and concludes in their hometown of Los Angeles in December. Fontaines D.C. are the biggest upward movers again this week as their mesmerizing song “Marianne” jumps 10 spots to #7.

There are two new entries to my chart again this week, starting with “High Hopes 3000” by Los Angeles-based artist ROLE MODEL, the music project of 28-year-old singer-songwriter Tucker Harrington Pillsbury. The song is from his third studio album Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, which dropped August 7th. His 2025 single “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” topped my chart exactly one year ago.

The second new entry is “Black Dog Rabbit Hole” by Nashville-based soul singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian. The song is featured on his fourth album Time Will Tell, released on June 26th. His 2020 single “Unchained” reached #10 on my chart and ranks #68 on my 100 Best Songs of 2020 list.

  1. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (1)
  2. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
  3. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (3)
  4. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (4)
  5. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (7)
  6. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (8)
  7. MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (17)
  8. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (5)
  9. DOORS – Noah Kahan (6)
  10. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (9)
  11. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (13)
  12. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (15)
  13. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (11)
  14. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (12)
  15. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (14)
  16. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (10)
  17. EVERGREEN – Young the Giant (20)
  18. EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (21)
  19. LOSER – Tame Impala (23)
  20. BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (22)
  21. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (16)
  22. WINDOW – Foo Fighters (24)
  23. METASTASIZED – Bealby Point (25)
  24. SELF AWARE – Temper City (18)
  25. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (19)
  26. LOVE TO GO – Edgehill (29)
  27. YOUNG AGAIN – Shinedown (30)
  28. PICKING DRAGON’S POCKETS – Modest Mouse (26)
  29. HIGH HOPES 3000 – ROLE MODEL (N)
  30. BLACK DOG RABBIT HOLE – Devon Gilfillian (N)

My Top 30 Songs for September 13-19, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments
Sam Fender & Olivia Dean from the “Rein Me In” video

Sam Fender and Olivia Dean remain on top for a second week with “Rein Me In”, while Los Angeles alt rock band The Neighbourhood hold the #2 spot again with their captivating “Private”. “Online” by British Columbia, Canada-based artist Western Jaguar advances two spots to #3. In addition to Western Jaguar, two other Canadian acts are represented on this chart – The Beaches, whose song “Edge of the Earth” sits at #21, and Bealby Point, whose song “Metastasized” currently ranks #25. I must state that I’m both horrified and furious that our out-of-control lunatic president has started a needless economic war with our friendly neighbors to the north.

Irish band Fontaines D.C. are this week’s biggest upward movers, as their song “Marianne” leaps 11 spots to #17.

There are two new additions to my chart this week, the first of which is the wonderfully boisterous “Love To Go” by Nashville-based alt-rock band Edgehill, comprised of Chris Kelly (lead vocals and guitar), Jake Zimmermann (lead guitar and vocals), and Aidan Cunningham (drums). The trio have been putting out great songs since 2022, but I only learned about them earlier this year with the release of their song “Doubletake”, which ultimately went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and #2 on my chart. Both “Doubletake” and “Love To Go” are from their debut album Ode to the Greyhouse, which was released this past February.

The second new entry is “Young Again” by Florida-based rock band Shinedown. Formed in 2001, the lineup presently includes founding members Brent Smith (lead vocals) and Barry Kerch (drums), as well as Zach Myers (guitar, piano, backing vocals) and Eric Bass (bass, guitar, piano, backing vocals). Shinedown has the most #1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts with 23, and all 37 of their released singles have reached the top five. To date, the band has sold more than 10 million records worldwide. (Wikipedia) “Young Again” is from their eighth album EI8HT, released this past May and also includes their song “Three Six Five”, which spent 12 weeks on my chart last year.

  1. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (1)
  2. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
  3. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (5)
  4. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (7)
  5. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (3)
  6. DOORS – Noah Kahan (4)
  7. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (10)
  8. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (9)
  9. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (8)
  10. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (6)
  11. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (15)
  12. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (16)
  13. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (17)
  14. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (14)
  15. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (20)
  16. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (11)
  17. MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (28)
  18. SELF AWARE – Temper City (12)
  19. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (13)
  20. EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 22)
  21. EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (23)
  22. BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (24)
  23. LOSER – Tame Impala (25)
  24. WINDOW – Foo Fighters (26)
  25. METASTASIZED – Bealby Point (27)
  26. PICKING DRAGON’S POCKETS – Modest Mouse (18)
  27. WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (19)
  28. LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (21)
  29. LOVE TO GO – Edgehill (N)
  30. YOUNG AGAIN – Shinedown (N)

My Top 30 Songs for September 6-12, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
Sam Fender & Olivia Dean taken from the “Rein Me In” video

After several weeks of waiting in the wings, the gorgeous “Rein Me In” by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender and English singer-songwriter Olivia Dean (who won the Best New Artist Grammy earlier this year) ascends to the top of my chart. The song is a re-recorded duet version of the original from Fender’s third studio album People Watching. The original version of “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. In addition to Fender and Dean’s great vocals, I love the beautiful piano, jangly guitar and blaring sax.

Fender debuted the new version during a show at London Stadium in June, bringing Dean on stage to perform it with him. Videos of that performance went viral, and the two performed it again nine days later at Fender’s St. James’ Park concert. Fender announced the official release of the new version on June 20th, stating that Dean “added a female perspective to ‘Rein Me In,’ and I think it’s all the better for it“. The original and duet versions ended up spending a combined 23 non-consecutive weeks at number one, making it the longest-running number-one single in UK music history. The song also topped the charts in Australia and Ireland and reached #2 in New Zealand. It became Fender’s first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 45. “Rein Me In” is his second song to reach #1 on my chart, the first being his 2021 single “Seventeen Going Under”.

In other chart developments of note, The Neighbourhood move into second place with “Private”, while Cage the Elephant‘s “Beaches In Tennessee” and Phoebe Bridgers‘ “Lost Boys” enter the top 10. The sole debut this week, entering at #28, is the enthralling “Marianne”, the new single from the always wonderful Irish rock band Fontaines D.C. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming fifth album Dopamine Chamber, set for release October 16th.

  1. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (3)
  2. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (4)
  3. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (1)
  4. DOORS – Noah Kahan (2)
  5. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (6)
  6. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (7)
  7. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (8)
  8. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (10)
  9. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (11)
  10. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (12)
  11. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (5)
  12. SELF AWARE – Temper City (9)
  13. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (14)
  14. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (15)
  15. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (17)
  16. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (19)
  17. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (20)
  18. PICKING DRAGON’S POCKETS – Modest Mouse (13)
  19. WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (18)
  20. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (23)
  21. LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (16)
  22. EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 24)
  23. EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (25)
  24. BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (26)
  25. LOSER – Tame Impala (27)
  26. WINDOW – Foo Fighters (29)
  27. METASTASIZED – Bealby Point (30)
  28. MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (N)
  29. EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (21)
  30. MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (22)

100 Best Songs of 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Song Lists27 Comments

Well, I thought 2024 was a trying year, but 2025 turned out to be an even bigger shitshow! Between the death of my cat and the unending nightmare of the odious and spectacularly corrupt Trump regime, it’s a wonder I (and millions of others) survived this year intact. Thankfully, there was lots of great music to help keep us relatively sane.

As I do at the end of each year, I’ve compiled a list of my 100 favorite songs for the past year. I’ve previously posted my list of the 100 Best Indie Songs of 2025 (which you can read here), and now this new list represents a compilation of my favorite songs of 2025 (23 of which also appear on my 100 Best Indie Songs list.) I avoid ranking albums, as there are simply far too many I’ve either not heard or had the time to fully listen to, therefore any list I might compile would be woefully inadequate.

As a music blogger, I’m exposed to a tremendous amount of new music over the course of a year, both from the thousands of artists and bands I follow, as well as all the music I learn about from fellow bloggers. Despite this, I’ve heard only a tiny fraction of all the music released in 2025, which was clearly evident to me when I perused the year-end best song lists of music sites and publications like Consequence, The Fader, Rolling Stone, NPR, etc. Therefore, my list includes only songs I know, and I’m certain there are likely hundreds of great ones that should be included, except that I’ve never heard them. Among the thousands of songs I did hear in 2025, there were many outstanding ones, and it frustrates me to have to cull my list down to only 100, omitting quite a few that I really like. It’s also a challenge ranking them, because a song at #40 isn’t necessarily any better than a song at #70. Perhaps it’s a pointless exercise to even rank them at all, except for the fact that I love making lists!

Music tastes are very subjective, and while I don’t understand how others cannot share my love for a particular song or artist, I fully realize that not one person will agree with all my song choices or rankings. I’m an unapologetic lover of pop, but also love dream rock, folk rock and alternative rock, so a lot of songs on my list reflect those genres. My favorite music artist this year was sombr (the hyper-talented 20-year-old American singer-songwriter and producer born Shane Michael Boose), who’s gorgeous, anthemic torch song “back to friends” is #1, while his equally great “undressed” is #11 and “12 to 12” comes in at #29. Also ranking highly are songs from favorite acts of mine who ranked highly on previous years lists, including Royel Otis, Lord Huron, Twenty One Pilots, Fontaines D.C., The Black Keys, Talk in Waves and Frank Joshua.

Most of the songs on this list were released in 2025, however, several were released in 2024 but didn’t ‘peak’ until 2025. Likewise, several songs released after November 1st are still moving up my weekly charts and won’t peak until early 2026, thus will appear on next year’s list. The few songs in this Top 100 that also appeared on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list are indicated with an asterisk *. I’ve created both YouTube and Spotify playlists for this Top 100, which are included at the end of the post. Hopefully you’ll find some of your own personal favorites on it. Let me know what songs resonated with you in 2025.

  1. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr
  2. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (my #1 indie song)
  3. SO COLD – Balu Brigada
  4. MOODY – Royel Otis
  5. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron
  6. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys
  7. THE LINE (from Arcane League of Legends) – Twenty One Pilots
  8. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C.
  9. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire
  10. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall
  11. UNDRESSED – sombr
  12. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks *
  13. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket
  14. ENSENADA – Sublime
  15. WALLS – Frank Joshua
  16. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes
  17. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots
  18. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves
  19. ARROW – The Head And The Heart
  20. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert
  21. THE WEATHER – All Time Low
  22. BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims
  23. CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots
  24. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant
  25. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL
  26. NEVER ENOUGH – TURNSTILE
  27. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child
  28. JUPITER – almost monday feat. Jordana
  29. 12 TO 12 – sombr
  30. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender
  31. DRACULA – Tame Impala
  32. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys
  33. BOBBY SOX – Green Day *
  34. SUSHI AND COLA COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones
  35. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons
  36. CONTROLLER – Moody Moody
  37. NEVERENDER – Justice feat. Tame Impala *
  38. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals *
  39. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges
  40. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom
  41. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block
  42. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves
  43. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras
  44. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo
  45. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada
  46. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White
  47. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez
  48. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society
  49. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers
  50. MISTAKES – Caamp
  51. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson
  52. LONDON TOWN – HEALER
  53. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils
  54. DETROIT – Badflower
  55. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost
  56. LAREDO – Leon Bridges
  57. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg
  58. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails
  59. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA
  60. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard
  61. SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers
  62. SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy
  63. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights
  64. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours
  65. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point
  66. SNAKESKIN – NAVE
  67. THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift
  68. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION
  69. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger
  70. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men
  71. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix
  72. WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School
  73. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers
  74. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings
  75. SPECTER – Bad Omens
  76. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated
  77. LET THINGS GO – Caamp
  78. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks
  79. SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce the Veil
  80. THE FEAR – Future Theory
  81. THE SUBWAY – Chappell Roan
  82. SPIKE ISLAND – Pulp
  83. WRECK – Neko Case
  84. MOTHER – Lyia Meta & Mark Allen Lanoue
  85. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice
  86. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton
  87. LUCY – Mt. Joy
  88. WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico
  89. HORNETS – Western Jaguar
  90. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus
  91. HESITATE – Meltt
  92. GIVING UP – Michigander
  93. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown
  94. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM
  95. AFTERLIFE – Alex G
  96. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox
  97. DANG – Rainbow Kitten Surprise
  98. SUGAR ON MY TONGUE – Tyler, The Creator
  99. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde
  100. AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten

Honorable Mention (these songs would rank #s 101-115):

EVERYBODY SCREAM – Florence + The Machine

ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – Twenty One Pilots

SCARS – Secret Postal Society

DARKERSIDE – David Kushner

MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones

REMEMBER US? – Two Feet

EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver

GOLDEN – HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AMI

TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters

WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron

EMERGENCE – Sleep Token

REALITY BUZZ – Future Theory

HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone

SO LONG – Wavves

ENOUGH – Jeff Tweedy

Here’s the YouTube playlist:

And the Spotify playlist:

My Top 30 Songs for July 27-August 2, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments
Photo of Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell by Shervin Lainez

I’m still loving “moody” by Royel Otis a lot, thus it remains at #1 for a second week, while sombr‘s “back to friends” holds at #2 for a second week after spending three weeks at #1. Twenty One Pilots and Djo move up one spot each to #s 3 and 4 with “The Contract” and “Basic Being Basic”. Entering the top 10 are “No Rain, No Flowers” by The Black Keys, jumping seven spots to #7, and “Scars” by my favorite Welsh artist Secret Postal Society, moving up a notch to #10.

Two songs make their debut on my chart this week, the first of which is “Today’s Song” by rock legends the Foo Fighters, entering at #29. In a note accompanying the single’s release, band frontman Dave Grohl stated it’s a tribute to former band members including recently fired drummer Josh Freese, founding drummer William Goldsmith, guitarist Franz Stahl and late drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died in 2022. The second debut is the quite lovely “Incomprehensible” by Brooklyn, New York-based indie folk band Big Thief. Formed in 2015, the band now consists of vocalist-guitarist Adrianne Lenker, guitarist Buck Meek and drummer James Krivchenia. (Founding bassist Max Oleartchik left the band in 2024.) The song is the lead single from their forthcoming sixth studio album Double Infinity, set for release on September 5th.

  1. MOODY – Royel Otis (1)
  2. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (2)
  3. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (4)
  4. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (5)
  5. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (3)
  6. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (6)
  7. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (14)
  8. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (9)
  9. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (10)
  10. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (11)
  11. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (12)
  12. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (7)
  13. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (15)
  14. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (8)
  15. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (16)
  16. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (18)
  17. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (19)
  18. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (20)
  19. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (21)
  20. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (17)
  21. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (26)
  22. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (27)
  23. UNDRESSED – sombr (28)
  24. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (13)
  25. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (25)
  26. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (29)
  27. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (30)
  28. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (22) 19th week on chart
  29. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (N)
  30. INCOMPREHENSIBLE – Big Thief (N)

My Top 30 Songs for July 20-26, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments
Photo of Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell by Shervin Lainez for Flood Magazine

We have a new #1 song this week, as well as four new debuts. Over the past year, I’ve become a fan of Australian act Royel Otis on the strength of their infectious guitar-pop sound and charming, laid-back persona. Formed in 2019 by Royel Maddell (who rarely shows his face) and Otis Pavlovic, the Sydney-based duo draw from elements of indie pop, indie rock, new wave, pop rock, post-punk and psychedelic rock in the creation of their music. They 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 and 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 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 Australian Albums Chart, and went on to win four awards at the 2024 ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Music Awards. They also released a wonderful cover of The Cranberries’ classic “Linger”.

Their charming single “moody“, released on May 9th, is 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, and it ascends to #1 on my latest chart.

The joyoustly upbeat “Feels Right” by northern Virginia artist Talk in Waves, who’s no stranger to my charts, enters the top 10 at #10. And as I noted above, four songs make their debut this week, three of which are spelled in all lower case letters. Entering at #27 is “jupiter” by San Diego-based indie pop band almost monday, comprised of Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Cole Clisby (guitar), and Luke Fabry (bass), and featuring L.A.-based indie pop singer-songwriter Jordana. The song was originally included on their 2014 album DIVE as a recording by only the band, but a new version with Jordana singing backing vocals was released in January on a deluxe version of DIVE. It’s the third song by almost monday to appear on my chart, following 2020’s “broken people” and last year’s smash hit “can’t slow down”.

The second debut, coming in at #28, is the relentessly catchy “undressed” by sombr, whose single “back to friends” just spent three weeks at #1 and now sits at #2. The song continues the theme exploring the challenges of moving on from a failed relationship that was first introduced in “back to friends”. Next up is “Backseat” by New Zealand-born and now New York City-based duo Balu Brigada, comprised of multi-instrumentalist brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley, whose single “So Cold” spent three weeks at #1 on my chart in March. Though a long one, running nearly six and a half minutes, “Backseat” is a compelling, melodically complex song that’s sure to be another hit for the talented brothers.

Last but certainly not least is the delightful “polyester (yes sir)” by L.A. indie pop-rock band Sorry Ghost, which I featured in a recent Fresh New Tracks post. As I noted in that post, the charismatic band – comprised of Dan Anton (vocals), Matt Polito (guitar and vocals), Tate Silver (drums) and Sean Duong (guitar and vocals) – have a cheeky sense of humor and frequently delight their fans and followers with hilarious and endearing video reels of themselves on Instagram and TikTok. I love the song’s mellow vibe that sits in a sweet spot between sunny and melancholy, as well as the colorful blend of jangly and chiming guitars accompanied by pleasing harmonies.

  1. MOODY – Royel Otis (2)
  2. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (1)
  3. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (4)
  4. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (8)
  5. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (5)
  6. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (3)
  7. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (6)
  8. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (9)
  9. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (10)
  10. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (11)
  11. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (12)
  12. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (13)
  13. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (7)
  14. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (18)
  15. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (17)
  16. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (19)
  17. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (20)
  18. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (21)
  19. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (22)
  20. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (23)
  21. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (24)
  22. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (14)
  23. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (15)
  24. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (16)
  25. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (26)
  26. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (30)
  27. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (N)
  28. UNDRESSED – sombr (N)
  29. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (N)
  30. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (N)

I feel guilty including a Spotify playlist anymore, but here it is in case anyone cares to check out any of the songs:

Top 30 Songs for July 13-19, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's3 Comments

20-year-old artist sombr has a firm grip on the top spot as his song “back to friends” spends a third week at #1, while Australian duo Royel Otis move up two spots to #2 with “moody” (I find it fascinating that a lot of acts today use all lowercase letters for their names and song titles). Twenty One Pilots (who for many years also spelled their name in all lowercase) advance five spots to enter the top 10 at #8 with “The Contract”, followed by Dexter and The Moonrocks‘ “Ritalin” and Matt Berninger‘s “Bonnet of Pins”, coming in at #s 9 and 10, respectively. The Black Keys are this week’s biggest upward mover with “No Rain, No Flowers”, jumping eight spots to #18.

The lone new debut this week is “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” by ROLE MODEL, the music project of American singer-songwriter Tucker Harrington Pillsbury. Born in Maine and now based in Los Angeles, he began his music career in 2016, rapping under his first name Tucker, but soon changed his stage name to Dillis, under which he released an album Moth. In early 2017, he again changed his name, this time to ROLE MODEL, and switched from rapping to singing. He released his debut EP Arizona in the Summer that December, which earned him a following online and captured the attention of the late rapper Mac Miller, who invited him to Los Angeles to work with him on a music project. ROLE MODEL was subsequently signed to Interscope in 2018, and continued releasing singles and two more EPs, culminating in the release of his debut album Rx, though none of them charted.

In July 2024 he released his sophomore album Kansas Anymore, featuring a more country folk sound. He followed this past February with a deluxe edition of the album, Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), accompanied by the sweet single “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”. Like many songs these days, it became popular on TikTok, undoubtedly helped by Tucker’s good looks and charming persona, and is his first song to chart in the U.S. and several countries, including Canada, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Israel.

  1. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (1)
  2. MOODY – Royel Otis (4)
  3. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (2)
  4. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (3)
  5. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (6)
  6. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (7)
  7. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (5)
  8. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (13)
  9. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (11)
  10. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (12)
  11. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (15)
  12. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (14)
  13. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (16)
  14. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (8)
  15. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (9)
  16. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (10)
  17. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (19)
  18. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (26)
  19. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (22)
  20. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (23)
  21. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (24)
  22. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (25)
  23. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (28)
  24. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (29)
  25. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (17) 19th week on chart
  26. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (30)
  27. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (18)
  28. WALLS – Frank Joshua (20) 21st week on chart
  29. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (21)
  30. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 6-12, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments
Photo of sombr from his Facebook account

The cinematic anthem “back to friends” by sombr holds onto the top spot for a second week, while Lord Huron‘s “Nothing I Need” remains at #2 again after spending two weeks at #1. Irish pop rock band Somebody’s Child moves up a spot to #3 with their beautiful “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)” and Australian duo Royel Otis slide into fourth place with “moody”.

There are three new debuts this week, starting with “The Contract” by my favorite music act Twenty One Pilots, comprised of the dynamic duo Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, entering my chart at lucky #13. The lead single from their forthcoming eighth studio album Breach, to be released September 5th, “The Contract” starts the final act of the narrative begun on their 2015 album Blurryface and continued through Trench, Scaled And Icy, and last year’s Clancy.

Entering at #29 is “Bloom Baby Bloom” by English alt-rock band Wolf Alice, consisting of Ellie Rowsell on lead vocals, Joff Oddie on guitar, Theo Ellis on bass and Joel Amey on drums. The song is the lead single from their fourth studio album The Clearing, to be released August 29th. And coming in at #30 is “Asshole” by Denver, Colorado-based alternative folk rock band The Lumineers, now a duo consisting of Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Also dubbed “First We Ever Met” to mollify radio censors and self-righteous Puritans, “Asshole” is from their fifth and latest studio album Automatic, which dropped February 14th.

  1. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (1)
  2. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (2)
  3. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (4)
  4. MOODY – Royel Otis (6)
  5. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (3)
  6. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (9)
  7. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (10)
  8. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (5)
  9. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (7)
  10. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (8)
  11. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (15)
  12. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (16)
  13. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (N)
  14. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (18)
  15. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (19)
  16. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (20)
  17. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (11)
  18. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (12)
  19. RIPPLE – Neighbours (23)
  20. WALLS – Frank Joshua (13) 20th week on chart
  21. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (14)
  22. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (24)
  23. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (25)
  24. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (26)
  25. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (28)
  26. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (29)
  27. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (17)
  28. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (30)
  29. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (N)
  30. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 29-July 5, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments
Photo of sombr from his Facebook account

‘With its sweeping cinematic ‘wall of sound’ arrangement and lush orchestration, the beautiful anthem “back to friends” by alternative pop-rock artist sombr is exactly the kind of song I love, so it was only a matter of time before it reached the pinnacle of my top 30 chart. The music project of talented and charismatic young singer-songwriter Shane Michael Boose – who will turn 20 on July 5th – sombr was born and raised in New York City but now based in Los Angeles. The gorgeous song was released in late December but as so often happens these days, it went viral on TikTok this past Spring along with his other single “Undressed”, and began appearing on multiple charts around the world, including the Billboard Hot 100 and other American charts. Currently enjoying a long stay at #1 on the Alternative Airplay chart, “back to friends” surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify in April and has now garnered more than 381 million streams.’

The straightforward, relatable lyrics describe feelings of heartbreak resulting from learning someone you thought you had a strong romantic and emotional connection with turns out to not share the same feelings, something I’m confident nearly all of us experienced at one time or another during our late adolescence or early adulthood. “How can we go back to being friends when we just shared a bed? How can you look at me and pretend I’m someone you’ve never met? The devil in your eyes won’t deny the lies you’ve sold, I’m holding on too tight. While you let go, this is casual.”

In other chart news of note, “Moody” by Australian duo Royel Otis is the biggest upward mover again this week, jumping nine spots to enter the top 10 at #6. Also entering the top 10 are “Basic Being Basic” by Djo, the music project of American actor and musician Joseph David Keery, who starred in the Netflix hit series Stranger Things, the comedy film Free Guy and season five of Fargo, and “Catch These Fists” by English indie rock band Wet Leg.

Two songs make their debut this week, the first of which is “No Rain, No Flowers” by Nashville-based blues rock duo The Black Keys, who are certainly no strangers to my chart. The marvelous ear worm is the title track and third single (after “The Night Before”, which recently peaked at #2, and “Babygirl”) from their forthcoming 13th studio album No Rain, No Flowers, scheduled for release on August 8th. Entering at #30 is “London Town” by English alternative indie rock band HEALER, a great song I recently reviewed. It’s their third song to appear on my chart, after “Bones” in 2023 and “War” in 2024.

  1. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (2)
  2. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (1)
  3. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (4)
  4. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (5)
  5. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (3)
  6. MOODY – Royel Otis (15)
  7. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (7)
  8. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (10)
  9. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (11)
  10. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (13)
  11. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (6)
  12. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (12)
  13. WALLS – Frank Joshua (8)
  14. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (9)
  15. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (17)
  16. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (19)
  17. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (18)
  18. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (21)
  19. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (22)
  20. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (23)
  21. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (14)
  22. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (16)
  23. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (26)
  24. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (27)
  25. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (28)
  26. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (29)
  27. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (20)
  28. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (30)
  29. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (N)
  30. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (N)