Tag: Glass Animals

Top 30 Songs for December 15-21, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

For more than 40 years, English alternative goth rock band The Cure have masterfully captured both the joyous highs and painful depths of love, loss and existential angst in their music, and their latest single “A Fragile Thing” is a shining example of that, as well as a strong testament to their enduring creativity and relevance. Released on October 9, the song was the second single (after the epic “Alone”) from their 14th studio album Songs of a Lost World, their first new material in 16 years since the release of 4:13 Dream in 2008. Entirely written, composed, and arranged by The Cure front man Robert Smith, the album was originally recorded and intended for release in 2019, and is the band’s first album to feature Reeves Gabrels, who joined as a full-time member in 2012, on guitar. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Songs of a Lost World has received universal acclaim, based on a weighted average score of 93 out of 100 from 23 critic scores.

Like all songs on the album, “A Fragile Thing” reflects the darker sentiments Smith was feeling after the loss of his mother, father and brother in quick succession. Nevertheless, he tried to keep the album “universal” in its themes, stating “So even though most of the songs are very personal, they’re not things that only happen to me.” In an October YouTube interview, he stated that he had struggled to write “A Fragile Thing”, saying it was originally a very different song titled “Kill The Sun”, but that it “mutated into this song, which is very specific to me, I suppose. “But I’m hoping that it resonates with other people because love is a universal thing.” He further explained that “A Fragile Thing” is “the ‘love song’ of the album, but not really a love song in the way that [1989’s] ‘Lovesong’ is a love song. It’s about how love is the most enduring of emotions. It’s the most powerful emotion, and it’s incredibly resilient. And yet at the same time, incredibly fragile.” The hauntingly beautiful song becomes the latest to top my Weekly Top 30 chart.

In other chart developments of note, “Sad in Carolina” by Dexter and The Moonrocks advances two spots to #2. Entering the top 10 are “The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses, which climbs four spots to #8, and “Neverender” by French electronic music duo Justice and Australian band Tame Impala, moving up two spots to #9.

Two songs make their debut, the first of which, entering at #29, is “Darkerside” by American singer-songwriter David Kushner. Born in Chicago and now based in Los Angeles, the baritone-voiced artist began releasing singles in 2021, and the following year, his song “Mr. Miserable” went viral on TikTok. Though it didn’t chart in the U.S., it reached the top 40 in several European countries, Australia and New Zealand. His 2023 single “Daylight” also went viral on TikTok, becoming an even bigger hit, reaching #1 in the Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand and peaking at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been streamed over 1.3 billion times on Spotify alone. The anthemic “Darkerside”, along with “Daylight”, Mr. Miserable”, and his previous singles, are featured on his debut album The Dichotomy, which was released August 30th. The song has already spent 10 weeks on the Alternative Airplay chart, the past three at #23.

Entering at #30 is “You’re My Drug”, the latest single by Northern Virginia-based Talk in Waves, the music project of the very talented and affable singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos. He’s been a long-time favorite of mine, and “You’re My Drug” is his eighth song to appear on my Top 30 chart. Five of them have gone all the way to #1, most recently his previous single “Like You Do” this past September. “You’re My Drug” is a sexy rocker, featuring an edgier, harder-driving sound for him, and I like it!

  1. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (2)
  2. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (4)
  3. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  4. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (5)
  5. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (3)
  6. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (7)
  7. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (6)
  8. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (12)
  9. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (11)
  10. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (9)
  11. SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (13)
  12. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (14)
  13. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (16)
  14. KINKY – bby (15)
  15. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (8)
  16. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (18)
  17. DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (19)
  18. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (20)
  19. ARROW – The Head and the Heart (21)
  20. GIVING UP – Michigander (22)
  21. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (10)
  22. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (24)
  23. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (26)
  24. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (29)
  25. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (17)
  26. PEACE SONG – Fat Dog (30)
  27. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (25)
  28. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (23)
  29. DARKERSIDE – David Kushner (N)
  30. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 8-14, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
Photo by Theo Cottle

Fontaines D.C. remain on top for a third week with their heartwarming “Favourite”, while The Cure switches places with Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars as “A Fragile Thing” moves up a notch to #2 and “Die With A Smile” drops to #3. Dexter and The Moonrocks jump five spots to #4 with their bombastic earworm “Sad in Carolina”, while Beach Weather move up two spots with their sultry “Hardcore Romance” to round out the top five. The wonderful “The Faithful Heart” by Los Angeles-based Wons Phreely + The Horses is this week’s biggest upward mover, leaping 16 spots to #12.

Making their debut are songs by two acts who are totally new to me. The first, entering at #29, is “Gild the Lily” by Michigan-based singer-songwriter and bluegrass musician Billy Strings. Born William Lee Apostol, he was given his stage name Billy Strings from his aunt, who recognized his impressive skills playing multiple traditional bluegrass instruments. He’s been releasing music as a solo artist since 2017, and has won numerous music awards, including a Grammy in 2021 for Best Bluegrass Album for his second album Home. The pleasing “Gild the Lily” is from his fourth album Highway Prayers, a 20-track colossus released this past September.

Entering at #30 is the boisterous “Peace Song” by English techno punk band Fat Dog. Formed in South London in 2020, the band consists of Joe Love, Chris Hughes, Morgan Wallace, Jacqui Wheeler and Johnny ‘Doghead’ Hutch. They released their debut seven-minute long single “King of the Slugs” in 2023, followed by a number of singles which culminated in the release of their debut album WOOF. this past September. Their latest single “Peace Song” dropped November 21st, and it was love at first listen for me.

  1. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  2. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (3)
  3. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (2)
  4. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (9)
  5. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (7)
  6. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (6)
  7. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (8)
  8. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (4)
  9. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (10)
  10. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (5)
  11. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (12)
  12. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (28)
  13. SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (15)
  14. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (16)
  15. KINKY – bby (17)
  16. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (18)
  17. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (11)
  18. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (21)
  19. DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (22)
  20. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (23)
  21. ARROW – The Head and the Heart (24)
  22. GIVING UP – Michigander (25)
  23. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (13)
  24. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (26)
  25. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (14)
  26. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (30)
  27. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (19)
  28. THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (20)
  29. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (N)
  30. PEACE SONG – Fat Dog (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 1-7, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

As its title would suggest, my favorite song again this week is “Favourite” by Irish band Fontaines D.C., who’ve also become one of my favorite bands. And from posts I’ve read, on the strength of their latest album Romance, they’ve become the favorite of many others as well. In an interview with Fontaines D.C. front man Grian Chatten in September on his Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music, Elton John told Chatten “For me, you’re the best band out there at the moment. You seem to have found your feet with this album in such a big way… it’s a brilliant record. I think this album takes you – and I’ve been around for a long time – to a different level, and it’s going to stay around for a long, long time. But what’s more important about it: the music is really, really, really special. Congratulations on everything, Grian. It’s bloody wonderful.” I couldn’t agree more. “Favourite” is the second song from Romance – and Fontaines D.C. – to top my Weekly Top 30, following “Starburster”, which spent three weeks at #1 this past August.

In other noteworthy chart developments, the wonderful duet “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars climbs two spots to #2, while “A Fragile Thing” by legendary alternative goth-rock band The Cure jumps three spots to #3. Entering the top 10 are “Sad In Carolina” by Texas rock band Dexter and The Moonrocks and “Bothering Me” by Australian singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko.

Two songs make their debut, the first of which is the heartwarming “The Faithful Heart” by Australian-born and Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Wons Phreely and his band The Horses, entering at #28. I wrote about the song and its delightful video a few days ago, which you can read here. The second, entering at #30, is “Routines In The Night” by twenty one pilots. It’s the third song from their latest album Clancy to appear on my chart, following “Overcompensate”, which reached #2, and “The Craving”, which spent three weeks at #1.

  1. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  2. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars (4)
  3. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (6)
  4. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (2)
  5. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (3)
  6. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (7)
  7. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (8)
  8. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (9)
  9. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (12)
  10. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (11)
  11. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (5)
  12. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (14)
  13. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (10)
  14. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (13)
  15. SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (17)
  16. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (18)
  17. KINKY – bby (19)
  18. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (20)
  19. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (14)
  20. THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (18)
  21. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (23)
  22. DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (24)
  23. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (26)
  24. ARROW – The Head and the Heart (28)
  25. GIVING UP – Michigander (29)
  26. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (30)
  27. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (21)
  28. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (N)
  29. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (27)
  30. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 25-31, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

Ever since learning about them nearly 10 years ago, twenty one pilots have ranked among my all-time favorite music acts. Their 2015 masterpiece Blurryface is one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time. Still based in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio, the dynamic duo consists of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. Joseph is a brilliant and imaginative songwriter, as well as a damn fine rapper, and Dun is one of the best drummers around today. Their eclectic sound is a blend of alternative rock, hip hop, synth-pop, bedroom pop, emo rap, indie and garage rock.

This past May, they released their seventh album Clancy, the final installment of their nearly decade-long series of conceptual albums. Clancy concludes the storyline of the character Clancy, who resides in the fictional dystopian city of Dema in the metaphysical world of Trench we were introduced to on their 2018 album Trench. The album was co-produced by Joseph and his frequent collaborator Paul Meany, a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music director and producer who’s also front man of alt-rock act Mutemath. One of the album’s tracks, “The Craving”, was released in two different versions, one being the album cut featuring a stripped-down acoustic arrangement subtitled “Jenna’s Version”, and the other the single version featuring a fuller arrangement. Joseph wrote the song as a dedication to his wife Jenna. The beautiful single version is my new #1 song this week, making it twenty one pilots’ 11th song to reach #1 on my chart (their previous single “Overcompensate” recently peaked at #2).

In other chart news of note, Sabrina Carpenter‘s breezy dance-pop gem “Espresso” climbs six spots to enter the top 10 at #10, and Lola Young‘s powerfully defiant “Messy” moves up six spots to #21. Two songs make their debut this week: entering at #29 is the hauntingly beautiful “Into Gold” by English indie pop trio London Grammar. Formed in 2009 the band consists of Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dominic “Dot” Major. They’ve released three albums thus far, with a fourth, The Greatest Love, due for release later this year. Though their albums have been quite successful in the UK, many European countries and Australia, some reaching #1 in those countries, they’ve had only limited success in the U.S. “Into Gold” was released on June 21st as the third single from The Greatest Love, and marks London Grammar’s first appearance on my chart. Entering at #30 is the topically relevant and captivating “Permanent Record” by Welsh singer-songwriter GG Fearn, which I reviewed last month. The talented artist just released her album “Scopophobia”, a soundtrack to the independent Welsh horror film of the same name, featuring “Permanent Record”, along with previously-released songs and new ones written especially for the film.

  1. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (2)
  2. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  3. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (4)
  4. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (3)
  5. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (5)
  6. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (7)
  7. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (8)
  8. OH NO! – The Decemberists (10)
  9. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (6)
  10. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (16)
  11. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (14)
  12. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (12)
  13. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (13)
  14. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (9)
  15. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (17)
  16. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (11)
  17. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (15)
  18. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (20)
  19. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (21)
  20. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (23)
  21. MESSY – Lola Young (27)
  22. WAR – Healer (24)
  23. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (26)
  24. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (29)
  25. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (30)
  26. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Six (25)
  27. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (18)
  28. TOO SWEET – Hozier (19) 20th week on chart
  29. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (N)
  30. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 18-24, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's18 Comments

I’m still enthralled with Fontaines D.C.‘s bombastic and unsettling masterpiece “Starburster”, consequently it remains at #1 on my Top 30 chart for a third week. twenty one pilots and Beach Weather hold the #2 and #3 spots again this week with their beautiful songs “The Craving” and “High in Low Places”, while “Panoramic View” by AWOLNATION moves back up to #4. Norwegian psych-noir duo Mayflower Madame‘s darkwave gem “A Foretold Ecstasy” moves up two spots to #5 and The Decemberists move up a notch to enter the top 10 with their delightful Latin-esque “Oh No!”

Two songs, both of which have been out for a while, finally enter my chart this week. At #29 is the enchanting “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish, giving her two songs on this chart, the other being “LUNCH”, which currently sits at #6. Both songs are from her latest album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.

Coming in at #30 is “Good Luck, Babe!” by Missouri-born and now L.A.-based singer-songwriter sensation Chappell Roan. With her campy music aesthetic and performing style heavily influenced by drag queens, she’s recently gone viral, and I’ve happily climbed aboard the Chappell Roan bandwagon! Her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, released in September 2023, was not an immediate commercial success despite being included on several best albums of 2023 lists. But following her run as an opening act for Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour, which ran from February-April 2024, and performances at music festivals like Coachella, Governors Ball and Lollapalooza, where she allegedly broke the record for the most crowded set at that festival’s history, Roan and her album eventually garnered a cult following. By mid-2024, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess had climbed numerous worldwide charts, reaching #1 in Ireland, New Zealand and the UK, and the top five in Australia and on the US Billboard 200 Album chart. Subsequently, several of the album’s singles entered various charts for the first time since their release, along with her follow-up single “Good Luck, Babe!”, which reached the top 10 in many countries, making it her most successful single to date.

  1. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  2. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (2)
  3. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (3)
  4. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
  5. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (7)
  6. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (8)
  7. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (9)
  8. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (10)
  9. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (4)
  10. OH NO! – The Decemberists (11)
  11. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (6)
  12. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (12)
  13. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (16)
  14. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (17)
  15. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (18)
  16. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (19)
  17. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (20)
  18. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (13)
  19. TOO SWEET – Hozier (14) 19th week on chart
  20. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (21)
  21. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (22)
  22. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (15)
  23. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (25)
  24. WAR – Healer (26)
  25. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Sex (27)
  26. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (28)
  27. MESSY – Lola Young (29)
  28. DOWNING STREET – Brain Ape (30)
  29. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (N)
  30. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 11-17, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments
Photo of Fontaines D.C. taken from their Facebook account

Last week’s top seven songs remain in the top seven this week, with the irrepressible Fontaines D.C. holding on to the top spot for a second week with their darkly beautiful and bombastic tour de force “Starburster”. twenty one pilots and Beach Weather switch places, with the former’s “The Craving” moving into the #2 spot. Entering the top 10 are “Like You Do” by a long-time favorite of mine, Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, and “Lost In Space” by another long-time favorite band Foster the People. Fun fact: I’ve seen twenty one pilots, Beach Weather and Foster the People in concert.

“Oh No!” by The Decemberists jumps eight spots to #11, making it the biggest upward mover for a second week. Two songs make their debut, the first of which is “Messy”, a defiant song of self affirmation by English singer-songwriter and musician Lola Young. I heard the song on a recent post by fellow blogger Katie Hartless on her wonderful blog Yard Sale of Thoughts, and loved it at first listen. Though Lola Young has been recording and releasing music for the past five years, I wasn’t familiar with her or her music. Her provocative songwriting and smoky vocal style have earned her comparisons with the late Amy Winehouse. “Messy” is from her third album This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway, which dropped June 21st. The second debut, entering at #30, is “downing street” by innovative London-based alt-rock band Brain Ape, who I’ve featured many times on this blog. I reviewed the song when it came out last month.

  1. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  2. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (3)
  3. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (2)
  4. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (4)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
  6. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (6)
  7. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (7)
  8. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (9)
  9. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (11)
  10. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (12)
  11. OH NO! – The Decemberists (19)
  12. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (14)
  13. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (8)
  14. TOO SWEET – Hozier (10)
  15. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (15)
  16. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (16)
  17. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (17)
  18. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (18)
  19. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (20)
  20. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (21)
  21. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (24)
  22. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (28)
  23. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (13)
  24. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (25)
  25. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (26)
  26. WAR – Healer (27)
  27. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Sex (29)
  28. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (30)
  29. MESSY – Lola Young (N)
  30. DOWNING STREET – Brain Ape (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 4-10, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C. are one of the most exciting and interesting acts making music today, and I love their always arresting sound, thanks in part to charismatic lead vocalist Grian Chatten’s distinctive baritone Irish brogue. Formed in Dublin in 2017 and now based in London, in addition to Chatten, the band is comprised of Carlos O’Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), and Tom Coll (drums). They’ve released three critically acclaimed albums since 2018 (none of which have charted on the Billboard 200 Album chart, which is a travesty), with a fourth, Romance, due for release on August 23.

“Starburster”, the bombastic lead single from Romance, rises to the pinnacle of my Top 30 chart this week. It’s one of the most sonically thrilling and complex songs I’ve heard in a while, and I could listen to it on an endless loop. It’s become their highest-charting single in the U.S. thus far and, shockingly, their first to ever make the UK and Canadian singles charts.

The song was inspired by a panic attack that Chatten suffered in London’s St Pancras tube station, and the jarring gasps heard at the end of each line suggest the gasps or quick breaths of someone experiencing a panic attack. To drive home their message, Fontaines D.C. start with a foreboding Mellotron string loop quickly followed by an elegant piano riff before the music explodes into a bombastic soundscape of stomping trip hop beats, sharp percussion and reverb-soaked twangy guitars. Chatten does a fine job with his commanding rapid-fire rapping of the lyrics, which he’d previously done on the collaborative single “Better Way To Live” with Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap. The song transitions to a calm interlude in the bridge with a majestic string arrangement and Chatten’s vocals now a warm and soothing croon, then finishes with a return of the stomping beats and jarring music. I love it!

The song’s rather unsettling video, directed by Aube Pierre, features Chatten performing a variety of daily activities in differing personas ranging from angelic to demonic, sometimes wounded and other times wearing a mask or wig. It’s as ambiguous and scattered as the song’s lyrics.

In other notable chart developments, Billie Eilish‘s “LUNCH” enters the top 10 at #9, and The Decemberists‘ “Oh No!” leaps nine spots to #19, making it the biggest upward mover this week. Three newish songs make their debut this week, starting with “Stargazing” by English singer-songwriter Myles Smith, entering at #28. He wrote the song along with Jesse Fink and Peter Fenn after being inspired while watching a sunset together in Malibu. The song has become his biggest hit yet, and first to chart in the U.S. Next up is “Baby Blue Movie” by Texas dream pop band Cigarettes After Sex. Released on June 4th, the captivating ethereal song was the third single from their recently-released third studio album X’s. The third new entry is the sensuous “Honey” by Welsh art pop artist Mr Bewlay, which I reviewed in late June. This is the first appearance on my chart for all three acts.

  1. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (3)
  2. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (1)
  3. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (4)
  4. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (2)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
  6. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (7)
  7. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (9)
  8. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (6)
  9. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (11)
  10. TOO SWEET – Hozier (8)
  11. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (14)
  12. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (15)
  13. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (10)
  14. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (16)
  15. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (17)
  16. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (18)
  17. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (19)
  18. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (20)
  19. OH NO! – The Decemberists (28)
  20. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (23)
  21. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (25)
  22. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (12)
  23. TOO MUCH – girl in red (13)
  24. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (27)
  25. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (26)
  26. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (29)
  27. WAR – Healer (30)
  28. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (N)
  29. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Sex (N)
  30. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (N)

Top 30 Songs July 28-August 3, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments

Beach Weather remain at #1 for a third week with their gorgeous and cinematic Spaghetti Western-esque “High in Low Places”, which I love more with every listen. Nine days ago, they released their latest and appropriately-titled single “Hottest Summer on Record”, which is guaranteed to appear on my chart in the coming weeks. Pearl Jam‘s “Wreckage” holds at #2 for a second week, while “Starburster”, by the always remarkable Fontaines D.C. moves up two spots to #3. I love this song, and can’t get enough of its contrasting bombastic and melodic brooding vibe. twenty one pilots‘ poignant “The Craving” also advances two spots, to #4, while “Lost In Space” by Foster the People is this week’s biggest upward mover, jumping six spots to #15.

Three songs make their debut this week, the first of which is the wonderful Latin-flavored “Oh No!” by The Decemberists, entering at #28. Along with “Burial Ground”, which spent two weeks at #1 and now sits at #21, the esteemed band currently has two songs on this chart. Both are from their excellent latest album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. Next up is “You Just Played My Mind” by English singer-songwriter Oli Barton, which I reviewed upon its release on June 21. This is his sixth song to appear on my chart over the past seven years. Entering at #30 is “War” by English alt-rock band Healer, which also came out on June 21st, and which I also reviewed. This is their second song to appear on my chart, their first being last year’s “Bones”.

  1. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (1)
  2. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (2)
  3. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (5)
  4. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (6)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (4)
  6. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (3)
  7. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (7)
  8. TOO SWEET – Hozier (8)
  9. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (10)
  10. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (9)
  11. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (13)
  12. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (14)
  13. TOO MUCH – girl in red (15)
  14. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (18)
  15. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (21)
  16. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (17)
  17. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (20)
  18. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (22)
  19. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (23)
  20. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (24)
  21. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (11)
  22. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (12)
  23. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (25)
  24. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (16)
  25. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (27)
  26. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (28)
  27. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (30)
  28. OH NO! – The Decemberists (N)
  29. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (N)
  30. WAR – Healer (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 21-27, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

Some of you who read my blog or this post may wonder what my weekly Top 30 lists represent or how they’re compiled. They’re essentially lists of my favorite songs for a given week, my own personal Top 30 that I would focus on were I the program manager of my own radio station.

There’s so much great music out now that I could have included 40 songs on this week’s Top 30. And all the songs in this week’s top six could easily be #1 (two of them already have). The sultry “High in Low Places” by Beach Weather remains on top for a second week, while Pearl Jam‘s gorgeous song “Wreckage” moves up a notch to #2. I love Glass Animals‘ “Creatures in Heaven”, AWOLNATION‘s “Panoramic View” and Fontaines D.C.’s “Starburster” so much, as well as “The Craving”, which reinforces yet again why twenty one pilots continue to be one of my favorite music acts of all time.

Entering the top 10 this week are “On the Game” by The Black Keys and “A Foretold Ecstasy” by Norwegian psych-noir band Mayflower Madame. The one debut is “Waking Life” by Nicholas a. Milillo featuring Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo. I reviewed the dramatic song when it came out four weeks ago. 

  1. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (1)
  2. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (3)
  3. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (2)
  4. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
  5. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (6)
  6. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (10)
  7. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (7)
  8. TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
  9. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (12)
  10. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (14)
  11. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (8)
  12. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (9)
  13. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (17)
  14. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (15)
  15. TOO MUCH – girl in red (16)
  16. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (11)
  17. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (19)
  18. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (20)
  19. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (13)
  20. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (22)
  21. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (23)
  22. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (24)
  23. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (25)
  24. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (26)
  25. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (27)
  26. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (18)
  27. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (29)
  28. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (30)
  29. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (21)
  30. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 14-20, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

On the strength of their infectious melodies, ace musicianship, strong charisma, and lead singer Nick Santino’s beautiful vocals, pop-rock trio Beach Weather have become one of my top favorite bands. In fact, a photo I took of them at a concert last year graces the header of my X (formerly Twitter) page. In addition to Santino, the band includes Reeve Powers on bass and Sean Silverman on guitar. I’ve loved every one of their songs, and their latest single “High In Low Places” becomes their fourth to top my weekly Top 30 chart (the previous three are “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, “Trouble With This Bed” and “Pineapple Sunrise”.

The song has a brooding cinematic vibe in the vein of Ennio Morricone that would make it a great addition to the soundtrack of a Spaghetti Western film, and I love the twangy guitars and Santino’s sensuous vocals. He had this to say about the song: “We like to call ‘High in Low Places’ our apocalyptic love song. There was beauty in the idea of finding peace in one another while the world was slowly melting. We wanted to create something that felt cinematic, the closing credits of a modern end-of-times western. There are hints of those influences in the guitars and strings running through the chorus where we want to pull everyone into a world but stay hopeful that we can all rise above that insanity transpiring around us.” The lyrics speak to remaining positive and optimistic in the face of life’s problems and obstacles: “You and I got some troubles we’re facing, I know we can make it staying high in low places. Never mind all the tears that we wasted, I know we can make it staying high in low places.”

The video, which was shot in the Arizona desert outside Phoenix, involved the guys getting stuck by cholla cactus and other hazards that come from being in a beautiful but hostile environment – one I’m intimately familiar with living in the Coachella Valley.

In other chart happenings of note, “The Craving” by twenty one pilots moves up five to enter the top 10 at #10, and “Foretold Ecstasy” by the wonderfully-named Norwegian psych-noir band Mayflower Madame advances four spots to #14. Two songs make their debut this week. Entering at #29 is “Rainbow”, by another favorite band of mine, Nashville-based Cage the Elephant, whose previous single “Neon Pill” was a huge #1 hit on all the Alternative charts, as well as my personal Top 30. And coming in at #30 is the rousing garage rock gem “Just Wanna Sleep” by Iowa indie rock band Halfloves, which I reviewed last month.

  1. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (2)
  2. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (1)
  3. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (3)
  4. TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (6)
  6. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (9)
  7. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (10)
  8. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (5)
  9. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (7)
  10. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (15)
  11. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (8)
  12. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (13)
  13. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (12)
  14. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (18)
  15. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (16)
  16. TOO MUCH – girl in red (17)
  17. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (19)
  18. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (11)
  19. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (21)
  20. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (22)
  21. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (14)
  22. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (25)
  23. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (26)
  24. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (27)
  25. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (28)
  26. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (29)
  27. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (30)
  28. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (20)
  29. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (N)
  30. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (N)