Tag: Green Day

Top 30 Songs for June 9-15, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

Irish singer-songwriter Hozier remains at #1 for a second week with his wonderful “Too Sweet”, while the equally wonderful “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer slides into second place. The relentlessly infectious “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Texas rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain moves up five spots to #5, and Pearl Jam are the biggest upward movers again this week, as their pleasing introspective single “Wreckage” jumps eight spots to enter the top 10 at #10.

Four excellent songs enter my chart this week, beginning with “Highway Queen” by Los Angeles-based indie folk-rock band Mt. Joy, at #27. It’s their fourth song to appear on my chart. Next up, coming in at #28, is “High In Low Places”, the latest single by Beach Weather, who are very likely my favorite band right now. The gorgeous song has a sultry Western vibe and a hook that’s so damned catchy I keep humming it long after hearing it. It’s their fifth song to appear on my chart, three of which have reached #1, and I can already guarantee that “High In Low Places” will be their fourth. The third entry is the latest single “LUNCH” by Los Angeles-based superstar Billie Eilish. The delightful song is the lead single from her new album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, which dropped May 17th. Coming in at #30 is the lovely “Like You Do” by Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, which I reviewed last month. I’ve been a long-time fan of his, and “Like You Do” is his seventh song to appear on my chart (four of which have reached #1).

  1. TOO SWEET – Hozier (1)
  2. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists and James Mercer (3)
  3. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (2)
  4. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (4)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (10)
  6. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
  7. DILEMMA – Green Day (6)
  8. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (7)
  9. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (8)
  10. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (18)
  11. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (12)
  12. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (14)
  13. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (15)
  14. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (16)
  15. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (13)
  16. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (11)
  17. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (17)
  18. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (9)
  19. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (21)
  20. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (22)
  21. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (24)
  22. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (26)
  23. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (27)
  24. TOO MUCH – girl in red (28)
  25. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (29)
  26. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (30)
  27. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (N)
  28. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (N)
  29. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (N)
  30. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 2-8, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

I just love Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, who’s had quite a resurgence over the past year or so with his critically acclaimed third studio album Unreal Unearth, which featured his two hit singles “Eat Your Young” and “Francesca”, his duet “Northern Attitude” with American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, as well as his latest single “Too Sweet”. Released in late March a week after he dropped his fifth EP Unheard, the song has turned out to be his highest charting single both in the UK and on the Billboard Hot 100 where it reached #1 in April. Now it ascends to the top of my chart, becoming his fifth song to do so (including “Take Me to Church” in 2014, “Nina Cried Power”, featuring Mavis Staples, in 2018, “Eat Your Young” in 2023 and “Northern Attitude” earlier this year). The song’s lyrics are directed at a romantic partner with totally different lifestyle preferences – the singer enjoys staying up late and drinking alcohol and black coffee, in contrast with his partner who goes to bed early, eats healthy, etc. – in other words, she’s too sweet for him.

In other significant chart developments, the delightful “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer jumps six spots to #3, while “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Texas rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain enters the top 10 at #10. Pearl Jam are the biggest upward movers this week with their latest single “Wreckage”, leaping 10 spots to #18.

And for the fourth consecutive week, there are three new debut songs, two of which are by Norwegian acts. Entering at #28 is the wonderfully infectious “Too Much” by Norwegian alternative indie pop artist girl in red, the music project of queer singer songwriter and producer Marie Ulven Ringheim, who’s been making music since the age of 16 (she’s now 25. “Too Much” was the lead single from her second album I’m Doing It Again Baby!, released in April. Next up is “Starburster” by Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C., who’ve become one of my favorite bands over the past few years. I adore band frontman Grian Chatten’s sultry drone vocal style, and his rapping on this track is fantastic. “Starburster”, which I loved at first listen, is the lead single from their forthcoming fourth studio album Romance, due for release in August. Entering at #30 is the gorgeous darkwave gem “A Foretold Ecstasy” by Norwegian psych-noir/post-punk band Mayflower Madame. I featured the song last month in one of my Fresh New Tracks posts. 

  1. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  2. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
  3. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (9)
  4. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (6)
  5. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  6. DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
  7. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (5)
  8. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (8)
  9. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (10)
  10. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (11)
  11. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (7)
  12. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (14)
  13. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (16)
  14. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (18)
  15. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (19)
  16. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (20)
  17. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (22)
  18. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (28)
  19. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (12)
  20. TIME – MISSIO (13)
  21. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (24)
  22. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (25)
  23. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (17)
  24. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (27)
  25. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (15)
  26. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (29)
  27. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (30)
  28. TOO MUCH – girl in red (N)
  29. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (N)
  30. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 26-June 1, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

I never tire of hearing the buoyant “Murder on the Dancefloor ”, by Australian duo Royel Otis, and it remains my favorite song for a third week. In fact, all the other top five songs – “Too Sweet” by Hozier, “Overcompensate” by twenty one pilots, “Dilemma” by Green Day, and “Don’t Forget Me” by Maggie Rogers – remain in place for a second week. Entering the top 10 are “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer, the biggest upward mover this week, leaping 14 spots to #9, and the melancholy and beautiful “Take It Or Leave It” by British alt-rock band Dead Slow Hoot, at #10.

For the third week in a row, three songs make their debut on my chart. I actually had seven songs I wanted to add but that would have required dropping seven off, which I just couldn’t do. So, I had to settle for just three, leaving some of the others to be added next week. The first debut, at #28, is “Wreckage” by Pearl Jam, a pleasing downtempo track that essentially replaces their hard-hitting previous single “Dark Matter”. Both tracks are from their latest album Dark Matter, which dropped April 19th. Entering at #29 is “End of Beginning”, a lovely and poignant song by American indie rock artist Djo, the musical moniker of Joseph David Keery. He’s also an actor who became well known for his roles in the TV series Stranger Things and Fargo. Bringing up the rear is the exceedingly infectious “The Break” by American alt-rock band Blame My Youth. Fronted by Sean Van Vleet, they formed in 2020 and released their debut EP Dance With My Demons in 2022. They’ve since followed with a number of singles, including “The Break”, which was released last December. Though they’re new to me, I’m really liking their music.

  1. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  3. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  4. DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
  5. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (5)
  6. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (8)
  7. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (9)
  8. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (10)
  9. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (23)
  10. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (12)
  11. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (13)
  12. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (7)
  13. TIME – MISSIO (6)
  14. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (17)
  15. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (11)
  16. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (19)
  17. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (18)
  18. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (20)
  19. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (21)
  20. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (24)
  21. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (15)
  22. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (28)
  23. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (14)
  24. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (27)
  25. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (29)
  26. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (16)
  27. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (30)
  28. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (N)
  29. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (N)
  30. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 19-25, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

The delightfully ebullient “Murder on the Dancefloor ”, by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, remains on top for a second week, while “Too Sweet” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier slides into second place. Entering the top 10 are “Creatures in Heaven” by English indie rock band Glass Animals, “Capricorn” by New York indie art pop/rock band Vampire Weekend, and “Mustang” by Nashville alt-rock band Kings of Leon, which leaps nine spots to #10, making it the biggest upward mover this week.

There are three debut songs again this week. First up is the lovely and heartwarming “Scared To Start” by Cincinnati, Ohio-based Americana singer-songwriter Michael Marcagi, which frankly should have entered my chart a month ago, but better late than never. He began his music career as a member of the band the Heavy Hours, but released his first single, “The Other Side”, as a solo artist last December. In January, he signed with Warner Records and released “Scared to Start”, which soon gained popularity on TikTok. The song recently peaked at #54 on the Billboard Hot 100, though it’s reached the top 10 in Ireland and the UK, as well as on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Both singles are included on his debut EP American Romance, which was released in February.

The second debut, at #29, is “On The Game” by Nashville duo The Black Keys. The bluesy anthemic song follows their recent #1 hit “Beautiful People (Stay High)”, both of which are from their latest album Ohio Players. Last, but certainly not least, is “Adrift”, by Missouri rock band Voodoo Planet, featuring some lovely cello by Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mikey J. The bittersweet song, which I reviewed last month, is another long-overdue entry into my Weekly Top 30,

  1. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
  3. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  4. DILEMMA – Green Day (2)
  5. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (6)
  6. TIME – MISSIO (5)
  7. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (7)
  8. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (11)
  9. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (15)
  10. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (19)
  11. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (12)
  12. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (17)
  13. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (18)
  14. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (8)
  15. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (9)
  16. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (10)
  17. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (20)
  18. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (21)
  19. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (22)
  20. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (23)
  21. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (24)
  22. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (13)
  23. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (28)
  24. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (29)
  25. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (14)
  26. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (16)
  27. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (30)
  28. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (N)
  29. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (N)
  30. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 12-18, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

“Murder on the Dancefloor ”, by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis (comprised of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovi), is turning out to be one of my favorite songs of 2024. I can honestly listen to it on repeat, and love it more each time I hear it! It’s a marvelous 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 released in February. The two have been putting out music since 2021, and I really like their sound a lot.

The song was co-written by Ellis-Bextor and Gregg Alexander, former frontman of the band The New Radicals (who had a hit in the late 90s with “You Get What You Give”), and produced by Alexander and Matt Rowe. Ellis-Bextor’s original version 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 #3 on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and #51 on the Hot 100, her first song to ever appear on that chart. The delightful version by Royel Otis currently sits at #7 on the Alternative Airplay chart, and this week takes over the top spot on my own Top 30 chart.

In other major chart developments, Maggie Rogers enters the top 10 with her poignant ballad “Don’t Forget Me”, which climbs five spots to #6. The song recently spent two weeks at #1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. “Creatures in Heaven” by Glass Animals jumps eight spots to #11, and “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift, featuring Post Malone, leaps 10 spots to #20, making it this week’s biggest upward mover.

Three songs make their debut this week: Entering at #28 is the infectiously pleasing “Burial Ground” by Portland, Oregon-based indie folk-rock band The Decemberists, featuring James Mercer, who’s also a member of the bands The Shins and Broken Bells. The Decemberists have been putting out music off and on since forming in 2001. “Burial Ground” is the lead single from their forthcoming ninth studio album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, to be released June 14th. I love those jangly guitars and cool horns. Next up is “Panoramic View”, the beautiful new single by L.A.-based alt-rock band AWOLNATION. Fronted by Aaron Bruno, who has a distinctive singing voice I love, the band blasted onto the music scene in 2011 with their monster hit “Sail”, one of the many great songs from their debut album Megalithic Symphony. They’ve released a total of four albums and numerous singles, several of which have appeared on my Top 30 chart. Entering at #30 is the bold and brassy “Gold”, by uber-talented Welsh-Gibraltarian singer-songwriter Caitlin Lavagna, which I reviewed last month. This is Caitlin’s third song to appear on my chart, the previous two being “How Not to Start a Fight” and “Night Bus”.

  1. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (3)
  2. DILEMMA – Green Day (2)
  3. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (4)
  4. TOO SWEET – Hozier (7)
  5. TIME – MISSIO (1)
  6. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (11)
  7. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (10)
  8. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (5)
  9. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (6)
  10. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (9)
  11. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (19)
  12. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (13)
  13. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (8)
  14. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (12)
  15. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (18)
  16. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (16)
  17. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (17)
  18. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (21)
  19. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (23)
  20. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (30)
  21. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (22)
  22. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (26)
  23. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (27)
  24. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (28)
  25. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (14)
  26. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (15)
  27. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (20)
  28. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (N)
  29. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (N)
  30. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 5-11, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's17 Comments
Photo of MISSIO by Ima Leupp

MISSIO holds on to the top spot on my chart for a third week with “Time”, one of the many outstanding songs from their latest album I AM CINCO, an epic work featuring 26 tracks that dropped this past Friday, May 3rd. (Read my review and interview with the guys here.) Green Day moves into second place with “Dilemma”, while Royel Otis climb two spots to #3 with their delightful cover of “Murder on the Dance Floor”. Hozier‘s “Too Sweet” leaps another eight spots this week, entering the top 10 at #7, while Black Pumas‘ “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)” moves up a notch to enter the top 10 at #10. Also moving up eight spots are “Capricorn” by Vampire Weekend, to #18, and “Creatures in Heaven” by Glass Animals, to #19.

The sole debut this week, at #30, is “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift, featuring Post Malone, who co-wrote the song with Swift and singer-songwriter/producer Jack Antonoff. The downtempo synthpop ballad is from her latest and 15th album The Tortured Poets Department, which has received generally positive reviews and broken numerous sales and streaming records. The album, released April 19th after weeks of advance hype, features 16 tracks. But only two hours later, Swift surprise-released a double album edition, subtitled The Anthology and containing 15 bonus tracks, for a total of 31 in two volumes. While I’m not a huge fan of Swift, I do acknowledge her strong songwriting abilities, and really like some of her songs. As an example of her massive popularity, she currently holds every single one of the top 14 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Fortnight” at #1.

  1. TIME – MISSIO (1)
  2. DILEMMA – Green Day (3)
  3. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (5)
  4. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (2)
  5. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (4)
  6. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (6)
  7. TOO SWEET – Hozier (15)
  8. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (7)
  9. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (9)
  10. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (11)
  11. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (13)
  12. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (12)
  13. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (14)
  14. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (8)
  15. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (10)
  16. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (19)
  17. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (20)
  18. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (26)
  19. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (27)
  20. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (18)
  21. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (23)
  22. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (22)
  23. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (24)
  24. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (16)
  25. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (17)
  26. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (28)
  27. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (29)
  28. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (30)
  29. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (21)
  30. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 28-May 4, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments
Photo of MISSIO by Ima Leupp

MISSIO remain on top for a second week with their hauntingly beautiful song “Time”, one of the many great tracks that will be featured on their forthcoming monumental album I AM CINCO, to be released next Friday, May 3rd. “Overcompensate” by twenty one pilots moves up a notch to #2, while “Dilemma” by Green Day reverses course by moving back up to #3. Australian duo Royel Otis climb two spots to #5 with their delightful cover of “Murder on the Dance Floor”, and “Good People”, by Mumford & Sons and Pharrell Williams, finally enters the top 10 at #10. The song recently spent one week at #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

The biggest upward mover is “Too Sweet”, by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, jumping eight spots to #15. The song has quickly become an unexpected hit that’s even surprised the singer, reaching #1 in many countries including the U.S., where it’s become his highest-charting single and first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, besting his monster hit “Take Me to Church”, which peaked at #2.

Three songs make their debut this week, the first of which is “Broken Man” by American artist St. Vincent, the musical project of uniquely talented and innovative singer-songwriter and musician Annie Clark, coming in at #28. The song is from her seventh studio album All Born Screaming, which dropped this past Friday, April 26th. The second new entry, at #29, is “Loneliness” by the legendary British synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. The song is the lead single from their fifteenth studio album Nonetheless, which also dropped this past Friday. They were one of my favorite acts from 1986-88, and I’m happy they’re still putting out new music all these years later. The third new entry is “For Us All”, a superb song by English singer-songwriter Asgard Raven, which I reviewed last week. 

  1. TIME – MISSIO (1)
  2. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  3. DILEMMA – Green Day (5)
  4. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (2)
  5. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (7)
  6. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (4)
  7. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (6)
  8. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (9)
  9. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (10)
  10. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (12)
  11. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (14)
  12. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (15)
  13. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (17)
  14. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (16)
  15. TOO SWEET – Hozier (23)
  16. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (8)
  17. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (11)
  18. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (19)
  19. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (20)
  20. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (22)
  21. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (13)
  22. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (24)
  23. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (25)
  24. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (26)
  25. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (18)
  26. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (29)
  27. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (30)
  28. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (N)
  29. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (N)
  30. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 21-27, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's17 Comments

Austin, Texas-based duo MISSIO have been one of my favorite acts ever since I first learned about them and their music back in 2017. I love their uniquely eclectic sound that’s an arresting blend of alternative rock, electronic and hip hop, and have written about them several times on this blog. Three of their songs – “I See You”, “Underground” and “Can You Feel the Sun” – have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30, and now their darkly captivating “Time” joins that esteemed group by ascending to the top spot on my latest chart. The gorgeous song will be included on their forthcoming fifth album I AM CINCO, an epic work scheduled for release on May 3rd. I love Matthew Brue’s distinctive tenor voice, which sounds especially vulnerable and heartfelt here. And the complexity of their arrangements, combined with intricate instrumentation, always makes for an exciting listen. The simple but profound lyrics touch on anxieties over some of the issues facing our current world and society, with MISSIO reminding us that “time goes wherever you are, now, in each moment” and to “live like it’s your last because you’re not guaranteed a tomorrow.”

In other chart highlights, “Overcompensate” by twenty one pilots inches up a notch to #3, “Kool Aid Blue” by Canadian band The Sylvia Platters moves up one to #6 and “Murder On the Dance Floor” by Australian duo Royel Otis advances three spots to #7. The dreamy “Everything We Need” by electro-rock duo Mojave Grey enters the top 10 at #10.

Two songs make their debut this week. The first, and long overdue, is “Capricorn” by New York City-based indie rock/art pop band Vampire Weekend, entering at #29. I love frontman Ezra Koenig’s pleasing drawl, that lovely piano riff and the gnarly cinematic chorus. The poignant song, described by Alex Hudson of Canadian music webzine Exclaim! as being about the “aching, unavoidable melancholy of growing old and discovering that adults feel just as powerless as kids do“, is from their fifth studio album Only God Was Above Us, which dropped April 5th.

Entering at #30 is “Creatures in Heaven” by English indie/psychedelic pop/rock band Glass Animals. Like the aforementioned Vampire Weekend, their music is hard to classify, as both bands incorporate a myriad of genres and styles into their sound. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming fourth album I Love You So F***ing Much, scheduled for release on July 19th. In an interview with Consequence Sound, band frontman Dave Bayley – whose singing voice I adore – said the song is about “a moment in time, having the capacity to be enormously formative and life-changing.”

  1. TIME – MISSIO (2)
  2. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (1)
  3. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (4)
  4. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (3)
  5. DILEMMA – Green Day (5)
  6. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (7)
  7. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (10)
  8. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (6)
  9. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (9)
  10. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (12)
  11. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (8)
  12. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (15)
  13. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (11)
  14. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (16)
  15. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (17)
  16. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (18)
  17. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (19)
  18. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (13)
  19. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (20)
  20. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (22)
  21. BLUSH – Vazum (14)
  22. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (25)
  23. TOO SWEET – Hozier (30)
  24. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (27)
  25. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (28)
  26. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (29)
  27. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (21)
  28. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (23)
  29. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (N)
  30. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 14-20, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments

I think “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs is a perfect power pop tune, and I just can’t get enough of it. Consequently, it remains at #1 on my Top 30 for a third week. Aiming for the top spot, the hauntingly beautiful “Time” by MISSIO slides into second place, while twenty one pilots‘ “Overcompensate” moves up a notch to #4. Entering the top 10 at #9 is the delightful dance-pop song “I’m in Love” by San Diego singer-songwriter Jelani Aryeh, followed by the equally delightful “Murder On the Dance Floor” by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, jumping six spots to #10.

Two songs make their debut on my chart this week, the first of which is “Mustang” by Kings of Leon. While I’m a pretty big fan of theirs, this song took a while to grow on me, as I initially found Caleb Followill’s screaming vocals a bit off-putting. “Mustang” was the lead single from their forthcoming ninth studio album Can We Please Have Fun, scheduled for release on May 10. Entering at #30 is “Two Sweet” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. Shockingly, the song debuted at #5 two weeks ago on the Billboard Hot 100, and currently sits at #4, a major feat for an artist like Hozier in today’s streaming-dominated chart. My guess is that the song must have gone viral on TikTok. In any case, it’s another great song by this talented and beloved artist, so seeing it ranked so highly on the Hot 100 is a welcome sight indeed.

  1. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (1)
  2. TIME – MISSIO (3)
  3. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
  4. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
  5. DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
  6. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (9)
  7. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (10)
  8. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (9)
  9. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (11)
  10. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (16)
  11. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (12)
  12. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (13)
  13. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (6)
  14. BLUSH – Vazum (7)
  15. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (15)
  16. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (17)
  17. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (18)
  18. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (19)
  19. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (22)
  20. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (23)
  21. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (14)
  22. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (24)
  23. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (20)
  24. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (21)
  25. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (28)
  26. CEILING TILES – Sun Atoms (27)
  27. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (29)
  28. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (30)
  29. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (N)
  30. TOO SWEET – Hozier (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 7-13, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments
Photo by Stephanie Pia

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 reviewed in a Fresh New Tracks post.

  1. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (1)
  2. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
  3. TIME – MISSIO (4)
  4. DILEMMA – Green Day (3)
  5. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
  6. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (6)
  7. BLUSH – Vazum (8)
  8. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (9)
  9. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (10)
  10. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (11)
  11. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (12)
  12. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (13)
  13. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (14)
  14. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (7)
  15. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (17)
  16. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (23)
  17. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (20)
  18. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (21)
  19. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (22)
  20. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (18)
  21. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (19)
  22. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (25)
  23. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (28)
  24. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (29)
  25. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (15)
  26. THE TOWER – Future Islands (16)
  27. CEILING TILES – Sun Atoms (30)
  28. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (N)
  29. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (N)
  30. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (N)