The marvelous jangle-pop masterpiece “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs holds firm at #1 for a second week on my latest Top 30 chart. I love this song, and never tire of hearing it. “Neon Pill” by Cage the Elephant holds at #2 for a second week, after spending two weeks at #1, and the gorgeous “Time” by MISSIO inches up a notch to #3. Another wonderful jangle-pop/rock song, “Kool Aid Blue” by Canadian band The Sylvia Platters, enters the top 10. The biggest upward mover this week is “Murder On the Dance Floor” by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, jumping seven spots to #16.
For a second consecutive week, there are three new entries to my chart. The first, coming in at #28, is “Take It Or Leave It”, a melancholy but beautiful song by Sheffield, England-based alternative rock band Dead Slow Hoot, who’ve been putting out great indie rock since 2016. Next up is the delightfully boisterous “Good Times Go” by another English alternative indie rock four-piece, London-based The Kid and I, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. Bringing up the rear at #30 is the terrific “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Austin, Texas-based rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain, which I also recently reviewedin a Fresh New Tracks post.
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (1)
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
TIME – MISSIO (4)
DILEMMA – Green Day (3)
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (6)
BLUSH – Vazum (8)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (9)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (10)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (11)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (12)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (13)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (14)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (7)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (17)
MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (23)
ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (20)
DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (21)
WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (22)
WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (18)
LANDMINES – Sum 41 (19)
DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (25)
THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (28)
THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (29)
One of the more interesting music acts around today is American indie rock duo The Lemon Twigs, consisting of the hyper-talented and charismatic brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario. Raised in a musical household on Long Island, New York (their father Ronnie D’Addario is a musician and songwriter in his own right), the two learned to play instruments and sing at an early age. Both Brian and Michael also had extensive stage experience as children; Brian played Gavroche in Les Miserables and Flounder in The Little Mermaid on Broadway, while Michael appeared in The Coast of Utopia, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and the 2008 production of All My Sons, as well in a variety of television shows and films, such as John Adams on HBO, Are We There Yet? on TBS, and the 2012 films People Like Us and Sinister.
The brothers formed The Lemon Twigs while they were both in high school, with each performing lead vocals, lead guitar, drums and other instruments. They cite as their major music influences bands ranging from The Beatles and Beach Boys to Procol Harum and Queen. They recorded their first album Go Hollywood in the spring of 2015, when the two were only 15 and 17 years old. (Both celebrate birthdays in March, and recently turned 24 and 26.) The album, released in October 2016 through British record label 4AD, was well-received by critics and earned them appearances on TV programs like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, CBS This Morning “Saturday Sessions” and Conan. They garnered a coveted spot at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California in April 2017, and during their performance they were joined by Todd Rundgren, who the brothers call one of their “favorite musicians ever, in the whole world”. That summer, they went on play at several major festivals, including Glastonbury, Outside Lands, Lollapalooza, Austin City, and the Montreux. (Wikipedia)
Photo by Stephanie Pia
Their power pop gem “My Golden Years”, the lead single from their forthcoming fifth studio album A Dream Is All We Know (co-produced by the band and Sean Ono Lennon, and set for release on May 3), is my new favorite song this week and ascends to the #1 spot. The song seems to pay homage to some of the great songs from the 60s by acts like The Byrds and Beach Boys, as well as early 70s The Raspberries. I absolutely love those gorgeous jangly Rickenbacker guitars and Beach Boys-esque harmonies. I’ve been listening to a lot of their music catalog, much of which is outstanding, but I think “My Golden Years” is their best song yet.
The fun video, directed by Ambar Navarro, features the brothers and their touring band members Danny Ayala and Reza Matin performing the song and romping about Los Angeles and the surrounding countryside. Navarro said the song and video are about “looking back at the good old days, and the highs and lows of trying to make it as a band.”
There are three new entries to my chart this week, beginning with a long-overdue arrival of Foo Fighters‘ “The Glass”, coming in at #28. I like the song a lot, but it kept getting nudged out by other songs I liked better. The second debut, at #29, is “thoughts I have while lying in my bed” by Phoenix, Arizona-based alternative pop-rock band The Maine, featuring added vocals by Nick Santino of pop-rock band Beach Weather (who are one of my current favorite bands). The original version of the song by The Maine was released last August as the fourth single from their self-titled ninth studio album The Maine. The Maine lead singer John O’Callaghan and Nick Santino, both of whom are 35 years old and whose singing voices sound quite similar to each other, are long-time friends, and when John invited Nick to record a new version, Nick jumped at the chance. About the collaboration, John stated, “It’s not often that I get to hear someone else sing on a tune of ours. It’s even less frequent to hear someone I’ve known for 17 years on that same tune. I’m forever a fan of Nick and his voice, and now it makes it 50% less weird to listen to the thoughts I have.” The new version was released on November 24, 2023, and is finally gaining traction on the Alternative charts.
The third debut is the darkly beautiful and mesmerizing “Ceiling Tiles” by Portland, Oregon-based psychedelic shoegaze supergroup Sun Atoms. I learned about the song in a recent post by fellow blogger Holley, who writes a terrific blog Chasing Destino. It was love at first listen, earning “Ceiling Tiles” a spot on my latest Weekly Top 30. Formed in 2021 and drawing influences from such acts as Leonard Cohen, The Cure, Moon Duo and Nick Cave, the band blends psychedelic, darkwave and post-modern pop to create their own fabulous and arresting music style. “Ceiling Tiles”, accompanied by a cover of Cohen’s “Tower of Song” as its flip-side, is the band’s first new release since their 2021 debut album Let There Be Light.
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (2)
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (1)
DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
TIME – MISSIO (5)
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (6)
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (3)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (7)
BLUSH – Vazum (10)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (12)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (13)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (14)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (15)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (17)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (18)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (8)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (9)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (20)
WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (21)
LANDMINES – Sum 41 (22)
ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (23)
DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (24)
WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (25)
MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (28)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (11)
DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (30)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (16)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (19)
THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (N)
THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (N)
Cage the Elephant remain on top for a second week with “Neon Pill”, while The Lemon Twigs‘ delightful “My Golden Years” moves up another notch to #2. I just love those vibrant jangly guitars and Beach Boys-esque harmonies, and it’s hard to fathom why this song hasn’t appeared on any charts that I’m aware of. Far and away the biggest upward mover this week is the achingly beautiful “Time” by Texas-based duo MISSIO, which leaps 17 spots to #5. I had the opportunity to interview Matthew and David over Zoom last week, which was a thrill for me. The song will be included on their monumental 26-track album I AM CINCO, planned for release in early May. “Overcompensate” by another favorite duo of mine, twenty one pilots, climbs three spots to #6. These four songs, along with The Black Keys‘ “Beautiful People (Stay High)” and Green Day‘s “Dilemma”, will likely control the top six spots on my chart for many weeks to come.
Two songs make their debut this week, the first of which is “Murder on the Dance Floor ” by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis (comprised of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovi), entering at #28. The song is a wonderful cover of the 2001 hit “Murder on the Dancefloor” by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, which Royel Otis performed on the Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version program. Interestingly, the song does not appear on their debut album PRATTS & PAIN that was just released in February. The two have been putting out music since 2021, and I really like their sound! Also interesting is that Ellis-Bextor’s original gained renewed popularity earlier this year after appearing in the 2023 black comedy thriller film Saltburn, causing it to re-enter the UK Dance Singles Chart where it reached #1. It also peaked at #51 on the US Billboard Hot 100, her first song to ever appear on that chart.
Entering at #30 is “Don’t Forget Me” by immensely talented American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers. Citing artists like Carrie Brownstein, Patti Smith, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, Björk, Brandi Carlile and Sharon Van Etten as her musical inspirations, the latter two who’ve also become her mentors — I think she’s one of the finest female singer-songwriters making music today. Her thoughtful lyrics and heartfelt vocals always make for a pleasing, deeply moving and compelling listen.
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (1)
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (3)
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (2)
DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
TIME – MISSIO (22)
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (9)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (8)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (5)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (6)
BLUSH – Vazum (12)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (7)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (13)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (14)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (16)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (17)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (10)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (19)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (20)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (15)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (23)
My goodness, there’s so much great music out now, including numerous songs by some of my favorite major acts of the past 20 years. One of them is American rock band Cage the Elephant. Originally formed in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2006, the band currently consists of Matt Shultz (vocals), his older brother Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar), Nick Bockrath (lead guitar), Matthan Minster (guitar, keyboards), Daniel Tichenor (bass), and Jared Champion (drums). They relocated to London in 2008, shortly before their self-titled first album was released, then later settled in Nashville, though I can’t find any dates as to when that occurred. They followed with four more albums, Thank You, Happy Birthday in 2011, Melophobia in 2013, Tell Me I’m Pretty (produced by Dan Auerbach) in 2015, and Social Cues in 2019, the latter two winning Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album.
I first learned about them in the fall of 2013 when I heard their brilliant song “Come a Little Closer”, from Melophobia, and after listening to more of their music, I became a fan. I grew even more fond of them when they followed me on Twitter (now X) in 2017. Now they’re set to release their sixth studio album Neon Pill on May 17, and its wonderful lead and title single “Neon Pill” ascends to the top of my latest Weekly Top 30.
In other notable chart developments, “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs moves up a notch to #3, and “Dilemma”, by another of my long-time favorite bands Green Day, climbs six spots to #4. I’m thrilled to have a new song by yet another of my favorite acts, twenty one pilots, make its debut this week. Their latest single “Overcompensate”, their first new music in three years since their last album Scaled and Icy, enters quite high on the chart at #9. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming seventh studio album Clancy, scheduled for release May 17 (on what appears to be a big day for new album releases). It looks to be another ambitious concept album by the highly creative Columbus, Ohio-based duo.
The other debut this week, coming in at #30, is “Wanting and Waiting” by long-time Atlanta, Georgia-based blues rock band The Black Crowes, giving us three bands with ‘Black’ in their name on the same chart. The song is the lead single from their tenth studio album Happiness Bastards, their first new music since 2010.
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (4)
DILEMMA – Green Day (10)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (3)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (5)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (6)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (8)
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (N)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (7)
BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (9)
BLUSH – Vazum (15)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (16)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (17)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (18)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (19)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (20)
NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (12)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (21)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (22)
ALIVE! – Bakar (11)
TIME – MISSIO (29)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (23)
The Black Keys maintain their firm grip on the top spot for a third week with “Beautiful People (Stay High)”, while Cage the Elephant‘s “Neon Pill” holds at #2 for a second week. “Winter Cowboy” by Frank Joshua, “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs, “The Tower” by Future Islands, and “Mother Nature” by MGMT all advance one spot to #s 3, 4, 5 and 6. The biggest upward mover again this week is “Dilemma” by Green Day, leaping nine spots to #10.
Two songs make their debut this week. Entering at #29 is the deeply captivating “Time” by one of my favorite acts MISSIO. The song will be included on their monumental fifth album I AM CINCO, scheduled for release on May 3rd. And entering at #30 is “Dark Matter”, by legendary alternative grunge rock band Pearl Jam. The blistering song is the lead and title single from their forthcoming twelfth studio album Dark Matter, due for release April 19th.
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (4)
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (5)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (6)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (7)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (3)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (10)
BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (9)
DILEMMA – Green Day (19)
ALIVE! – Bakar (8)
NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (12)
YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (13)
NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (14)
BLUSH – Vazum (15)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (16)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (17)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (20)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (21)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (22)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (23)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (24)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (27)
The Black Keys remain on top for a second week with their exuberant foot-stomper “Beautiful People (Stay High), while Cage the Elephant slide into second place with “Neon Pill”. The Lemon Twigs‘ delightful jangle pop gem “My Golden Years” climbs another five spots this week to #5, and Jack Harlow‘s “Lovin On Me” moves up a notch to enter the top 10. British singer-songwriter Bakar, who’s song “Alive!” sits at #8 this week, will be touring with Cage the Elephant and Young the Giant this summer. The biggest upward mover is “Dilemma” by Green Day, leaping 10 spots to #19.
Debuting this week are three songs that have been out for a while. The first, entering at #28, is the enchanting “Water Underground” by Brooklyn, New York-based indie rock band Real Estate, an act who’s been around since 2008 but I only recently learned about. The song is from their wonderful sixth studio album Daniel, released on February 23rd. Entering at #29 is “Landmines” by Canadian rock veterans Sum 41, a band I’ve not followed very closely. The lead single from their forthcoming eighth and final studio album Heaven :x: Hell, set for release on March 29, “Landmines” is the new #1 song on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, finally toppling Blink-182’s “ONE MORE TIME” after its 20-week run. The third new entry, at #30, is “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)”, the infectious latest single by Austin, Texas psychedelic soul band Black Pumas. The duo scored a #1 hit on my chart in December with “More Than a Love Song”. Both songs are from their second studio album Chronicles of a Diamond.
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (4)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (2)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (6)
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (10)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (7)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (8)
ALIVE! – Bakar (9)
BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (5)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (11)
LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (4)
NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (14)
YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (15)
NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (16)
BLUSH – Vazum (18)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (19)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (20)
MEANT TO BE – Wilco (17)
DILEMMA – Green Day (29)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (24)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (25)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (26)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (27)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (28)
ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (12)
NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (13)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (30)
It was only a matter of time before The Black Keys reached the top spot on my weekly chart with their infectiously upbeat single “Beautiful People (Stay High)”. I’m a long-time fan of the duo, comprised of guitarist-vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, and the song clicked with me the first time I heard it. I love its exuberant melody, bluesy, foot-stomping groove and celebratory chorus. The lead single from their forthcoming twelfth studio album Ohio Players, due for release April 5th, the song was co-written with their longtime collaborators Beck and producer Dan the Automator (aka Daniel M. Nakamura). In a press statement about the recording of the album, Auerbach noted “We’d never worked harder to make a record. It’s never taken us this long to make an album. We took our time and did it right.” Carney added “What we wanted to accomplish with this record was make something that was fun. And something that most bands 20 years into their career don’t make, which is an approachable, fun record that is also cool.” (Pitchfork)
The wonderful video, directed by Chris Saunders, produced by Elizabeth Silver and choreographed by Natalie Fisher, is reminiscent of the ones created for Pharrell Williams’ massive 2014 hit “Happy”, featuring a wide cross-section of people of all ages and ethnicities joyously dancing to the song in various settings.
In other chart developments, the delightful jangle pop gem “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs, climbs another six spots this week to enter the top 10 at #10. Making their debut are “Dilemma” by Green Day, from their latest album Saviors, at #29 (giving them two songs on this chart), and the gospel-like “Good People”, an interesting collaboration between British folk-rock band Mumford & Sons and the aforementioned American singer-songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams. at #30.
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (2)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (1)
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (4)
LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (3)
BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (7)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (8)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (9)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (10)
ALIVE! – Bakar (11)
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (16)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (13)
ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (5)
NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (6)
NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (17)
YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (18)
NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (19)
MEANT TO BE – Wilco (20)
BLUSH – Vazum (21)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (22)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (23)
MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (12)
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (14)
WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (15)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (26)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (27)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (28)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (29)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (30)
DILEMMA – Green Day (N)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (N)
There’s so much great music out now that it pains me to have to limit this week’s chart to only 30 songs. The gorgeous duet “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan and Hozier holds onto the top spot for a second week, while The Black Keys‘ “Beautiful People (Stay High)” moves up two spots to #2. The biggest upward mover again this week is “Neon Pill” by Cage the Elephant, leaping 10 spots to #4, and entering the top 10 are “The Tower” by Future Islands and “Mother Nature” by MGMT. Another big upward mover this week is the delightful “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs, jumping six spots to #16.
Three stupendous songs make their debut this week. The first, entering at #28, is “I’m in Love” by Jelani Aryeh, a remarkably talented young Filipino/African-American singer and songwriter from San Diego I recently learned about from fellow blogger K.F. Hartless (who has a wonderful blog Yard Sale of Thoughts, in which she pairs her outstanding poetry with specially selected songs). Aryeh’s music is a glorious blend of indie rock, R&B, hip-hop, pop and experimental sounds, and I fell in love with his infectious song the moment I heard it. The second debut, coming in at #29, is the heartwarming “Find My Way” by L.A.-based duo ShipsHave Sailed (which I reviewed last month). It’s their sixth song to appear in my Top 30. Finally, we have “Everything We Need” by Southern California duo Mojave Grey, entering at #30. Based in Joshua Tree and consisting of Zander Bleck and Michael Pozzi, they play a captivating and sophisticated style of electronic music they call Desert Minimal Rock, drawing inspiration from such electronic dance acts as RÜFÜS DU SOL and Bob Moses.
Over the past year, Vermont-based singer-songwriter Noah Kahan exploded onto the music scene after seven years in the business on the strength of his third album Stick Season. Thus far, the album has generated three hits, including the title track, “Dial Drunk” and “Northern Attitude”. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kahan describes the album as a “love letter to New England.” “Northern Attitude”, which he co-wrote with producer Gabe Simon, addresses what he calls his “northern attitude”, the stereotypical perception that folks from Northern New England can be reserved or even a bit cold, thanks to the “harsh winters that toughen up the locals, with the added challenge of enduring long dark New England nights”.
Kahan teamed up with Irish singer-songwriter Hozier to release a new version of “Northern Attitude” on November 10, 2023, and it’s a match made in heaven! According to Songfacts, the two got to know each other when they both performed at the Iron Blossom Festival at Monroe Park in Richmond, Virginia, in late August 2023, and first performed this song together during a show in Nashville in October. Kahan was thrilled with the harmony Hozier brought to the chorus. “That song was recorded so quickly that we didn’t really have a ton of time or the ability, really, to go back and change a lot of it,” he explained to American Songwriter. “So having the harmony there kind of filled it out a lot. In some ways I feel like his voice lends itself to a specific feeling that maybe mine didn’t. Like, it’s more tender and forgiving in some parts but also more powerful and angry.“
It’s an exuberant Americana song in the style of early Mumford and Sons, and I just love that vibrant banjo and the guys’ gorgeous soaring harmonies. The song has spent several weeks at #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart and is now #1 on mine.
In other chart developments, “Beautiful People (Stay High)” by The Black Keys climbs four spots to #4, the defiantly boisterous “Blame Brett” by Toronto-based indie rock band The Beaches (which is based on the breakup of lead singer Jordan Miller and Brett Emmons from The Glorious Sons) and the hauntingly beautiful “Winter Cowboy” by English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua enter the top 10. The biggest upward mover this week is “Neon Pill” by Cage the Elephant, leaping 15 spots to #14. Making their debut are two songs I recently reviewed: “Bicycle Away” by Brooklyn, New York-based singer-songwriter Sam Rappaport, his third song to appear on my Weekly Top 30, and “Kool Aid Blue” by wonderfully-named Vancouver, Canada-based jangle pop band The Sylvia Platters.
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.
LOSECONTROL – Teddy Swims (2)
ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (5)
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (9)
WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (3)
MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (6)
NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (8)
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (22)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 