Tag: Gooseberry

Fresh New Tracks, Vol. 28 – Frank Joshua, The Frontier, Gooseberry, Healer

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews6 Comments

Friday, May 26th was one of the biggest days for new single releases I’ve ever seen – at least with regard to artists and bands I follow who chose that day to drop new songs. From what I could tell, at least nine of them released new singles. Because I like all these artists and their songs, and want to show them support, I’ve decided to feature them all in a Fresh New Tracks post. To make it easier on me, as well as not overload my readers with too many songs all at once, I will break them into two separate posts. For the first of two, I’m including (in alphabetical order) British singer-songwriter and producer Frank Joshua, American singer-songwriter The Frontier, American alt-rock band Gooseberry, and British indie rock band Healer. I’ve previously written about Frank Joshua, The Frontier and Gooseberry, whereas Healer is new to me. All four songs deal with navigating through the challenges and uncertainties of romantic love, in hopes of emerging a better person in the process.

Frank Joshua – “Patent Leather Car”

In just the past few months, London-based singer-songwriter and producer Frank Joshua (who wishes to remain anonymous, thus posts no photos of himself) has become a favorite of mine, on the strength of his beautiful silky vocals and enchanting music style. The prolific artist has released an impressive amount of music in a little more than two years, including two albums and numerous singles, one of which, his gorgeous song “Bluebell Wood”, has spent the last three months on my Weekly Top 30. Remarkably, his latest single “Patent Leather Car” is his 25th release since last December! It’s another superb song, with a breezy and mellow groove, and as with all of Frank’s songs, flawlessly-arranged and produced.

Titled after the famous London taxicab, the song speaks to “fear and love and finding solace in something you know probably isn’t good for you“. The video shows an old wrecked and rusted Austin being rescued and restored by a man whose face we never see, then driven across scenic landscapes. Frank says “Rebuilding is like reworking the past. Only by looking back can we take steps forward and keep the flame of dreams alive.”

Connect with Frank:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram 

The Frontier – “Walk Through the Fire”

A long-time favorite of mine is The Frontier, the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos. Based in northern Virginia, the talented, gracious and funny guy has released an impressive amount of music since 2015, and we’ve been following each other for nearly that long. Jake skillfully blends elements of pop, folk, rock and electronica to create memorable and pleasing songs about love, relationships and loss. His lyrics are honest and straightforward, as if he were having a conversation with a friend, and delivered with comforting vocals.

I’ve loved all of his songs, three of which – “Dark Places”, “Can We Go Back” and “Closer” – have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 charts. His latest offering, “Walk Through The Fire“, serves up three minutes of catchy toe-tapping grooves and beautiful jangly guitar notes. The lyrics are a plea to a loved one for a second chance: “Everyone falls sometimes. Dying to stay alive. Everyone has their fight. It’s how we walk through the fire.”

Connect with The Frontier: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Gooseberry – “Orbit”

Gooseberry is an utterly delightful and talented trio from Brooklyn, New York who formed in late 2019, and now consist of Asa Daniels (guitar, vocals), Evin Rossington (drums), and Will Hammond (bass). Together they blend indie rock, R&B and light jazz to create their own distinctive and sophisticated style of alternative rock. Their wonderful song “Sleep” spent many months on my Top 30 chart, and ranks #29 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.

Their latest single “Orbit” has a grittier, more bluesy vibe than most of their previous songs, and addresses the toll that being a musician takes on relationships. Asa elaborates: “Orbit is a love song. Or at least I’d argue on its behalf! Though I suppose it’s really about the selfishness that is required for an artist to chase such an ill-fated pursuit with such single minded obsession as is needed for fame and success in this industry. Knowing that the hours dedicated to the craft, to being on the road ultimately disrupt (and, potentially, unravel) meaningful relationships outside of music. Like a loved one. I argue this is a love song because its self awareness of its selfishness makes the sting of love that much more present.” Asa’s vocals have never sounded this raw and impassioned as he wails “I know it’s taking me further away from your orbit. I know it’s selfish and it’s ugly. I know that there’s nothing I can do.” God, I love this band!

Connect with Gooseberry:  Facebook / Instagram

HEALER – “Bones”

Photo by Tom Freer

HEALER is a five-piece indie rock band based in Grimsby, England, comprised of Steve on lead vocals, Kirk on guitars, Dave on guitars, Tony on bass, and Jazz on drums. They’ve only been together for one year, but have already built a strong following in the local music scene, as well as garnering recognition from BBC Introducing. They released their terrific debut single “Hurricane” in December 2022, followed by the equally great “Fire” this past February, and now their latest single “Bones“. Their songs explore themes of love, loss, and hope, with “Bones” addressing the latter. Band vocalist Steve explained “It’s about finding the strength to keep going, even when things are tough. We wrote it after going through a difficult time ourselves, and we wanted to share our message of hope with others. [Specifically], it addresses the fear of falling in love and the idea of it not lasting forever at the same time. The anxiety of giving yourself completely to someone but the inner need to be with them forever. Loves flickering momentary happiness being on a knife edge and enjoying your feet getting cut while you walk through it.”

Musically, the song starts off slowly, but gradually transitions to a fantastic full-on rocker, with aggressive, gnarly but beautiful riffs, driving bass and pounding drums. Steve’s vocals are passionate and heartfelt as he apologizes for the hurt and pain he’s caused, promising to be a better man: “And problems, we’ve had a few. I know now what not to do. And these bones, they’re for you, sorry for what they do. It’s your choice, it’s what you do. These bones will follow you.“

The sweet video, directed by the band and filmed and edited by Lincolnshire-based photographers and filmmakers Lola and Joel, was filmed at Howlin’ Jacks Record Store and Fryer Tuck’s Take Away. It stars Lucas Albion and Lisa February as a young couple who meet at a record store, are quickly attracted to each other, then spend the day together as romance blossoms. Their wonderful skeletal face makeup was done by Micky Stephenson Jade Wilson.

Connect with HEALER: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Top 30 Songs for July 3-9, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments

Two Feet holds at #1 for a second week with his fiercely erotic “Tell Me The Truth”, while Sam Fender‘s glorious “Seventeen Going Under” jumps four spots to #2. Despite the fact it’s been around a while, my love for the beautiful and emotionally powerful song just keeps growing stronger. And speaking of staying power, Harry Styles‘ “As It Was” and the Black Keys‘ “Wild Child” are now in their 12th week in the top 10. “As It Was” has actually spent 11 weeks in the top 5, two of them at #1, while “Wild Child” spent 10 weeks in the top 4, two of them also at #1. Entering the top 10 this week is “2am” by Foals, from their marvelous new album Life Is Yours. Leaping 11 spots to #11 is the uplifting and poignant “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” by Arcade Fire, while “The Funeral” by YUNGBLUD climbs five spots to #23.

The one debut track this week is the hauntingly beautiful and cinematic “Broken Record” by British artist NAVE, the solo music project of singer-songwriter, composer and producer Nathan Evans. The prolific and hyper-talented musician, who possesses a gorgeous singing voice, is also front man for alternative rock band Native Tongue. Nathan states “‘Broken Record’ focuses on the like, follow and share society we have transitioned into over the past decade. Likes release dopamine like a drug and we become addicted to the validation, attention and acknowledgment of our successes or happiness. We hide behind filters and fake smiles to show an inaccurate reality we wish was real.” I can attest to the fact that I’m frightfully addicted to the need for validation, attention and acknowledgment of not only my blog, but also my tweets, Instagram and Facebook posts, all of which causes me frequent disappointment and unhappiness.

  1. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (1)
  2. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (6)
  3. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (2)
  4. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (3)
  5. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (5)
  6. BELIEVE – Caamp (7)
  7. ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (8)
  8. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (9)
  9. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (4)
  10. 2am – Foals (12)
  11. UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (22)
  12. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (10)
  13. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (14)
  14. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (15)
  15. THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (16)
  16. CLOSER – The Frontier (17)
  17. LONELY – Sea Girls (18)
  18. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (13)
  19. BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (19)
  20. IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (21)
  21. WILD – Spoon (11)
  22. WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (23)
  23. THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (28)
  24. DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (26)
  25. LIN MANUEL – Onism E (27)
  26. MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (29)
  27. FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (30)
  28. SLEEP – Gooseberry (20)
  29. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (25)
  30. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 26-July 2, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's16 Comments

Brooklyn, New York-based Two Feet (the music moniker of singer-songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire Bill Dess) has been my favorite music artist for the past four years or so. I’ve written about him numerous times on this blog, and have seen three of his live shows. His latest single “Tell Me The Truth” assumes the #1 spot on this week’s Top 30, his tenth song to top my weekly chart. Many of his songs are sultry and sensual, but “Tell Me The Truth”, taken from his fourth album Shape & Form, is one of his darkest and sexiest yet. The lyrics are sung from the perspective of a man who’s tried everything to win the love of a woman he desires, to no avail. “For too long, I dream of you, All that you do. I watch you float on, float on. For too long, I contemplate, I try to be all that you need. So tell me the truth, my baby, baby. Is it me, is it you?“

It’s a powerful and gorgeous song, and I love how it transitions from haunting interludes of restrained instrumentals and vocals in the verses, to an explosive, cinematic crescendo in the choruses, in which Two Feet’s vocals are more impassioned and raw than we’ve ever heard before. It’s also longer than most of his previous songs, and his scorching guitar solo in the final chorus is well worth the wait. He’s commented that it’s his favorite of all the songs he’s written and recorded, and I have to say that it’s certainly one of mine. The steamy video, directed by Brian Lipko and starring a finely chiseled Two Feet and sexy LA-based model and restauranteur Tina Louise, shows them experiencing the throes of unrequited sexual desire and angst, both together and alone.

Entering the top 10 this week are “About Damn Time” by Lizzo and “A Little Bit of Love” by Weezer, who I’m happy are still making music after nearly 30 years together. Making a strong upward movement are My Chemical Romance‘s “The Foundations of Decay” and Arcade Fire‘s “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)”, both of which climb seven spots to #16 and #22, respectively. Three new songs make their debut: “The Funeral” by British artist YUNGBLUD (which I realized I really like after reading this post by fellow blogger The Alternative Mixtapes), “Mistakes” by the always wonderful Sharon Van Etten, and the haunting “Failure to Comply” by MISSIO, another one of my favorite artists, who I’ll finally be seeing perform live in LA on July 30.

  1. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (3)
  2. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (1)
  3. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (2)
  4. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (4)
  5. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (5)
  6. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (7)
  7. BELIEVE – Caamp (9)
  8. ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (12)
  9. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (11)
  10. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (8)
  11. WILD – Spoon (6)
  12. 2am – Foals (13)
  13. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (10)
  14. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (15)
  15. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (16)
  16. THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (23)
  17. CLOSER – The Frontier (20)
  18. LONELY – Sea Girls (21)
  19. BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (22)
  20. SLEEP – Gooseberry (14)
  21. IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (25)
  22. UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (29)
  23. WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses(26)
  24. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (17)
  25. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (18)
  26. DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (28)
  27. LIN MANUEL – Onism E (30)
  28. THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (N)
  29. MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (N)
  30. FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 19-25, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments

One of my best new finds of 2022 is the young British singer-songwriter Charley Hullah, who goes by just his last name, stylized as HULLAH. I learned about the handsome and talented London-based artist as a result of being a guest moderator for the BBC Music weekly song competition Fresh On The Net, for which he’d entered his single “Chasing Trains”. I loved the beautiful song the moment I heard it, and chose it as one of my five top picks out of the 170 entries. (Three others of those top five have also appeared on my Weekly Top 30: “Deception” by Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard, which reached #1 in late April, “The Hurt Within” by Holy Coves and “La Cienega” by Chief Springs, which is still on this list.) Now in its 15th week on my list, I’m thrilled to finally place “Chasing Trains” at the top. HULLAH’s compelling lyrics, haunting melody, sparkling atmospheric synths and ethereal vocals are gorgeous, and I love this song more with every listen.

In other chart developments, Two Feet moves up three spots to #3 with his smoldering song of desire “Tell Me The Truth”, and Florence + the Machine, The Black Keys, Harry Styles, Spoon, Sam Fender and Bob Moses continue to dominate the top 10. Caamp climbs three spots to #9 with their lovely “Believe”, Weezer‘s optimistic “A Little Bit of Love” also moves up three to #11, and Lizzo‘s delightful “About Damn Time” leaps 14 spots to #12. Making their debut this week are “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” by Arcade Fire, and the brilliant “Lin Manuel” by New York-based indie rock band Onism E.

  1. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (2)
  2. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (1)
  3. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (6)
  4. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (3)
  5. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (4)
  6. WILD – Spoon (5)
  7. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (8)
  8. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (10)
  9. BELIEVE – Caamp (12)
  10. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (9)
  11. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (14)
  12. ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (26)
  13. 2am – Foals (15)
  14. SLEEP – Gooseberry (7)
  15. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (17)
  16. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (18)
  17. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (11)
  18. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (13)
  19. SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (16)
  20. CLOSER – The Frontier (22)
  21. LONELY – Sea Girls (23)
  22. BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (24)
  23. THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (25)
  24. ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (19)
  25. IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (28)
  26. WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (29)
  27. DISTANCE – Mount Famine (20)
  28. DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (30)
  29. UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (N)
  30. LIN MANUEL – Onism E (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 12-18, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

No matter how often I listen to “My Love” by Florence + the Machine, my love for it (no pun intended) only grows stronger, and the gorgeous song maintains a firm grip on the #1 spot for a third week. Moving up two notches to #2 is “Chasing Trains” by London singer songwriter HULLAH, another beautiful song I never tire of hearing. In other notable chart movements, my favorite artist Two Feet jumps six spots to #6 with his darkly sexy “Tell Me The Truth”, and Ohio band Caamp leaps 10 spots with their lovely song “Believe”.

Three new songs make their debut this week: “About Damn Time” by Lizzo, her first ever appearance on my chart, enters at #26. I know she’s one of the most popular artists around today, but none of her previous songs have really appealed to me until “About Damn Time”, and I can’t resist its infectious 70s dance groove. At #29 is “Warning Signs” by the wonderful Band of Horses, whose songs never disappoint. And bringing up the rear is “Desperately Wanting”, a haunting collaboration by prolific and talented singer-songwriters Brian Lambert and Marc Schuster.

  1. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (1)
  2. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (4)
  3. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (2)
  4. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (5)
  5. WILD – Spoon (6)
  6. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (12)
  7. SLEEP – Gooseberry (3)
  8. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (9)
  9. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (7)
  10. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (11)
  11. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (8)
  12. BELIEVE – Caamp (22)
  13. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (10)
  14. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (16)
  15. 2am – Foals (17)
  16. SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (18)
  17. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (19)
  18. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (20)
  19. ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (13)
  20. DISTANCE – Mount Famine (15)
  21. THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (14)
  22. CLOSER – The Frontier (24)
  23. LONELY – Sea Girls (25)
  24. BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (26)
  25. THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (29)
  26. ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (N)
  27. DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (21)
  28. IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (30)
  29. WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (N)
  30. DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 5-11, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's2 Comments

Florence + the Machine‘s cinematic “My Love” holds the #1 spot for a second week, while The Black Keys‘ “Wild Child” remains at #2. Brooklyn band Gooseberry climbs a notch to #3 with their wonderful “Sleep”, and London artist HULLAH moves up to #4 with his ethereal and moody “Chasing Trains”. British band The Amazons‘ “Bloodrush” climbs four spots to #11, Two Feet jumps seven spots to #12 with his smoldering “Tell Me The Truth”, and Caamp’s “Believe” leaps eight spots to #22. Two songs make their debut this week – the epic “The Foundations of Decay” by My Chemical Romance, their first new music in eight years, and the buoyant “In The Mirror” by Los Angeles ska punk band The Interrupters, entering at #29 and 30, respectively.

  1. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (1)
  2. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (2)
  3. SLEEP – Gooseberry (4)
  4. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (5)
  5. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (3)
  6. WILD – Spoon (6)
  7. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (7)
  8. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (8)
  9. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (10)
  10. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (9)
  11. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (15)
  12. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (19)
  13. ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (11)
  14. THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (13)
  15. DISTANCE – Mount Famine (14)
  16. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (17)
  17. 2am – Foals (18)
  18. SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (20)
  19. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (21)
  20. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (22)
  21. DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (12)
  22. BELIEVE – Caamp (30)
  23. ANIMAL – Partisan (25)
  24. CLOSER – The Frontier (27)
  25. LONELY – Sea Girls (28)
  26. BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (29)
  27. I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (16)
  28. WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (23)
  29. THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (N)
  30. IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 29-June 4, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments

I love the music of British band Florence + the Machine. Fronted by singer-songwriter Florence Welch, their sound is a glorious blend of indie rock, baroque pop, folk, art rock and soul. Their gorgeous song “My Love” takes over the #1 spot on my Weekly Top 30. The third single from their new album Dance Fever, Welch told Rolling Stone that she initially envisioned the song as a “sad little poem” to be performed acoustically, but later transformed it into a number she describes as “Nick Cave at the club.” In an interview with BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, she commented “Sometimes the biggest dance songs, I think, have a really sad core to them.” The song was co-written by Glass Animals vocalist Dave Bayley, with whom she collaborated on Dance Fever along with Jack Antonoff. The video for “My Love” was directed by Autumn de Wilde, who also directed the videos for the previous two Florence + the Machine singles “King” and “Heaven Is Here”. In the video, Welch is shown performing a concert in a pretentious nightclub, where she hypnotizes and immobilizes people, then arranges them in dances. Very baroque and cinematic.

In other chart developments, the songs at #s 3-7 remain in their same positions, while two beautiful songs – “Virginia (Wind in the Night)” by The Head and the Heart and “Seventeen Going Under” by Sam Fender – enter the top 10. Debuting this week are “Beds Are Burning”, a terrific remake of the Midnight Oil classic by AWOLNATION, featuring guest vocals by Rise Against lead singer Tim McIlrath, and “Believe” by American folk band Caamp, making their first appearance on my Weekly Top 30.

  1. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (2)
  2. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (1)
  3. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (3)
  4. SLEEP – Gooseberry (4)
  5. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (5)
  6. WILD – Spoon (6)
  7. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (7)
  8. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (10)
  9. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (11)
  10. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (12)
  11. ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (13)
  12. DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (8)
  13. THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (14)
  14. DISTANCE – Mount Famine (16)
  15. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (17)
  16. I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (9)
  17. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (20)
  18. 2am – Foals (21)
  19. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (25)
  20. SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (22)
  21. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (23)
  22. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (24)
  23. WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (15)
  24. BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlile (18)
  25. ANIMAL – Partisan (28)
  26. BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (19)
  27. CLOSER – The Frontier (29)
  28. LONELY – Sea Girls (30)
  29. BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (N)
  30. BELIEVE – Caamp (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 22-28, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

Not a lot of changes from last week on my latest Weekly Top 30. The Black Keys hold at #1 for a second week with their raucous “Wild Child”, while Florence + the Machine‘s “My Love” closes in at #2. British five-piece Chief Springs enter the top 10 with their lovely song “La Cienega”, named after the famous boulevard that runs through West Hollywood and Los Angeles. The lone new debut this week is “Lonely” by British band Sea Girls, who’ve been around since 2015, but I sadly didn’t learn about until a few weeks ago.

  1. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (1)
  2. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (3)
  3. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (2)
  4. SLEEP – Gooseberry (6)
  5. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (7)
  6. WILD – Spoon (8)
  7. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (5)
  8. DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (4)
  9. I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (10)
  10. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (13)
  11. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (16)
  12. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (19)
  13. ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (14)
  14. THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (15)
  15. WHAT, ME WORRY – Portugal. The Man (9)
  16. DISTANCE – Mount Famine (17)
  17. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (18)
  18. BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlile (11)
  19. BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (12)
  20. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (22)
  21. 2am – Foals (23)
  22. SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (24)
  23. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (25)
  24. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (26)
  25. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (27)
  26. BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (20)
  27. GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN’ – Jamie Alimorad (21)
  28. ANIMAL – Partisan (29)
  29. CLOSER – The Frontier (30)
  30. LONELY – Sea Girls (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 15-21, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

Though their latest album Dropout Boogie has gotten mixed reviews, I love The Black Keys‘ lead single “Wild Child”, which knocks Harry Styles’ “As It Was” from the #1 spot after a two-week run. The rousing stomper sees them going back to their blues rock roots, highlighted by Dan Auerbach’s gnarly guitars and Patrick Carney’s muscular drumbeats. Though the simple lyrics are directed to a woman the singer wants to love – “I just wanna hold you at the end of every day. Girl, I wanna please you, oh, I’m needing you to stay. The sun is gonna shine if you would just come out and play. Baby, won’t you show me your wild child ways” – the outrageous video portrays Auerbach and Carney as guys who show up for menial jobs at an out of control high school, then add to the ensuing mayhem.

In other chart news, Florence + the Machine‘s gorgeous “My Love” continues its march toward the top, climbing a notch to #3. “Sleep” by Brooklyn four-piece Gooseberry, “Chasing Trains” by British singer-songwriter HULLAH, and “Wild” by Spoon all climb three spots to #6, 7 and 8, respectively, and Fontaines D.C.’s haunting “I Love You” finally enters the top 10.

Three songs make their debut this week. The first is “Seventeen Going Under” by British singer-songwriter Sam Fender, which enters at #19. The beautiful song was released in July 2021, and I ranked it at #44 on my Top 100 Songs of 2021 list, so when it started getting a lot of airplay a few months ago, I resisted placing it on my Weekly Top 30. But now that’s it climbing up the Alternative charts, I’m compelled to add it to mine too. The other two debuts are “Tell Me The Truth” by my favorite artist Two Feet, who just dropped his fourth album Shape and Form, and “Closer” by another favorite artist of mine, singer-songwriter The Frontier.

  1. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (2)
  2. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (1)
  3. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (4)
  4. DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (3)
  5. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (5)
  6. SLEEP – Gooseberry (9)
  7. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (10)
  8. WILD – Spoon (11)
  9. WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (6)
  10. I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (14)
  11. BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlile (8)
  12. BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (7)
  13. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (15)
  14. ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (16)
  15. THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (17)
  16. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (18)
  17. DISTANCE – Mount Famine (19)
  18. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (20)
  19. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (N)
  20. BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (12)
  21. GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN’ – Jamie Alimorad (13)
  22. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (21)
  23. 2am – Foals (22)
  24. SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (26)
  25. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (28)
  26. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (29)
  27. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (N)
  28. I’LL CALL YOU MINE – girl in red (24)
  29. ANIMAL – Partisan (30)
  30. CLOSER – The Frontier (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 8-14, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

Some have asked me how I come up with my Weekly Top 30 lists – i.e., what my song rankings are based on, and how and why I include the songs that I do. Well, it’s simple: it’s basically a list of my 30 current favorite songs for each week. If I had my own radio station, these are the songs I’d play most, along with favorite older songs, of course. I’m a big fan of alternative rock, dream rock, pop-rock and synthpop, so my lists are strongly influenced by the Billboard Alternative and Adult Alternative Airplay charts. I also write about and like to promote indie artists as much as possible, many of whom are putting out outstanding music, so each week I try to include at least 10 songs I really like by indie artists and bands.

It’s not often that a song that reaches #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 also tops my chart, as a lot of them are crap, but every once in a while a great pop song comes along that I also love, such as last year’s “Drivers License”, “Levitating” and “Leave the Door Open”. Harry Styles‘ “As It Was” is another such hit song, now in its third week at #1 on the Hot 100, and #1 for a second week on my chart. The Black Keys‘ “Wild Child” closes in at #2, while Florence + the Machine‘s gorgeous “My Love” rises to #4. Entering the top 10 are songs by two indie artists I’ve come to really like: “Sleep” by Brooklyn four-piece Gooseberry, who just released their wonderful EP Broken Dance, and the achingly beautiful “Chasing Trains” by British singer-songwriter HULLAH. The lone debut this week is “Animal” by British rock group Partisan, a long-time favorite band of mine.

  1. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (1)
  2. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (3)
  3. DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (2)
  4. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (6)
  5. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (5)
  6. WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (4)
  7. BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (7)
  8. BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlile (8)
  9. SLEEP – Gooseberry (11)
  10. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (12)
  11. WILD – Spoon (13)
  12. BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (9)
  13. GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN’ – Jamie Alimorad (10)
  14. I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (17)
  15. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (18)
  16. ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (19)
  17. THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (20)
  18. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (21)
  19. DISTANCE – Mount Famine (22)
  20. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (23)
  21. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (24)
  22. 2am – Foals (25)
  23. JUST LIKE ALWAYS – Oli Barton & the Movement with Maella (14)
  24. I’LL CALL YOU MINE – girl in red (15)
  25. CHEER UP BABY – Inhaler (16)
  26. SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (27)
  27. MIRACLE MILE – Head Noise (28)
  28. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (29)
  29. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (30)
  30. ANIMAL – Partisan (N)