Tag: Healer

100 Best Indie Songs of 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Song Lists22 Comments
Photo courtesy of FREEP!K

At the end of each year, I publish a list of my Top 100 Songs, representing my picks for what I think are the best songs – my favorites actually – for the entire year. Last year, at the suggestion of a member of Missouri folk rock band Voodoo Planet, I also compiled a list of my 100 favorite indie songs of 2024. That blog post nearly went viral, and over the past year has amassed over 7,000 views to become my 10th most popular post ever. (In sharp contrast, my 100 Best Songs of 2024 post has garnered only around 1,100 views.)

Because I follow, and am followed by, many indie musicians and bands on social media, I enjoy showcasing some of the exceptional music being made by them that’s every bit as good as, or even better than, that from mainstream acts, so compiling a separate list of what I think are the best indie songs makes perfect sense.

These are not necessarily “indie” songs in terms of genre (though there are many that fall into that overall category), rather songs by independent or DIY music acts. While some are in fact signed to music labels, they’re usually small or independently owned. There are 82 acts represented in this list, the majority of which are from the U.S., Canada and the U.K., but also from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Germany and Ukraine. A number of acts have two songs, while English psychedelic alt-rock band Future Theory have three.

Of course, I must make note of the fact that this list contains only songs I’m aware of, and that there are likely hundreds of other great songs that deserve to be here, except that I’ve never heard them. The songs on this list – all of which are outstanding if I do say so myself – were generally released between November 2024 and October 2025.

Though they’re ranked from #1 to 100, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a song at #30 is better than one at #60. That said, the ones closer to the top are my very favorites. And though I’d love to write a narrative about each song and artist, given my limited time and energy, not to mention people’s short attention spans, I’ve decided against that again this year. I will, however, include the marvelous video for my #1 pick, “The Faithful Heart” by immensely talented and creative L.A.-based artist Wons Phreely, as it’s so delightful that everyone should watch it! I’ve also created playlists on both YouTube and Spotify, which are included after the list itself. Enjoy!

  1. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses
  2. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire
  3. WALLS – Frank Joshua
  4. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves
  5. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert
  6. CONTROLLER – Moody Moody
  7. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom
  8. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block
  9. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves
  10. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras
  11. LONDON TOWN – HEALER
  12. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost
  13. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights
  14. SNAKESKIN – NAVE
  15. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point
  16. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated
  17. THE FEAR – Future Theory
  18. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix
  19. WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School
  20. MOTHER – Lyia Meta & Mark Allen Lanoue
  21. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton
  22. WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico
  23. HORNETS – Western Jaguar
  24. SCARS – Secret Postal Society
  25. REALITY BUZZ – Future Theory
  26. AFTER ALL – Darksoft
  27. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – overpass
  28. FEEL – NAVE
  29. HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone
  30. BAD PATTERNS – HEALER
  31. ALWAYS WITH YOU – Ewan Patrick
  32. THE HAZE – Future Theory
  33. ECHOES – Antipole, Ja’kob & Pedro Code
  34. TREPHINE – Big Orange
  35. WHAT IT TAKES – The Radio Field
  36. SLOW DEATH – Western Jaguar
  37. SUPERSPREADER YEAR – Roadkeeper
  38. BLEAK COMPANION – The Brigadier
  39. MARK & KYLE – Icarus Phoenix
  40. LLUMINE – Josephine Pascoe
  41. DAYS LIKE THESE – Frank Joshua
  42. ESPIONAGE – Rusty Shipp
  43. CONSPIRACY OF SNAKES – Blake Rascals
  44. CALIFORNIA – Art Block
  45. NATIONAL TREASURE – Faint Halos
  46. ANTICIPATE THE FALL – Pilod
  47. FALLING DOWN – Holy Coves
  48. CALLING OUT – Black Bear Kiss
  49. BEERS WITH THE BEEKEEPER – The Zangwills
  50. IT’S GETTING LATE – Sorry Ghost
  51. IT’S ALRIGHT – The Radio Field & The Baumhoff Explosives
  52. OH NO – John Serrano
  53. MEDICATED – Shape of the Sun
  54. MY DOG BRUCE – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions
  55. INSIDE – Skar de Line
  56. DARLING, HE DOESN’T CARE – Olivia Miceli
  57. ALL FOR NOTHING – Set the Tone
  58. NOTHING REALLY MATTERS – Snap Infraction
  59. ALONE – The Sylvia Platters
  60. LOOK WHAT YOU DID – Jeen
  61. WHERE IS SHE NOW – Mecuzine
  62. SHUT UP – Esse. feat. Shimmer Johnson
  63. PACK IT UP – Diet Lite
  64. LOVE LIES – Caleb Nichols
  65. WHITEBOARD (YOU CALL HOME) – FRVR
  66. LIFESPAN – Cormac O Caoimh
  67. I, PHONE – INNERSPEAR
  68. EVERYTHING SEDUCTIVE – Unquiet Nights
  69. DOUBLE DISCO – Bealby Point
  70. ALRIGHT – naive nature
  71. BUNK BEDS – Lost in the City
  72. SEVENTH ROCK FROM THE SUN – Only on Weekends
  73. SOMEDAY SOON – DelCobras
  74. DON’T GO TO BED WITH A BAD MIND – The Brigadier
  75. BROKEN ANIMAL – Matt Jaffe
  76. ALL I NEED TO KNOW – PluX feat. Shimmer Johnson
  77. I WANNA FIGHT MY CLONE – Bear Ghost & Playboy Manbaby
  78. CANDY HEARTS – Risley
  79. APRIL FOOLS – The Goods
  80. GRANADA – John Serrano
  81. AIN’T THAT SOMETHING – Modern Neutrals
  82. BLUE TONIC – Defined By
  83. TIBER CREEK – Lillian King
  84. NEVER GOT THAT FAR – Thunder Fox
  85. MET YOU SOMEWHERE – Early Nites & Eunith
  86. I BET YOU HATE ME – Shallowdrown
  87. MIRRORS – Loveproof
  88. READ MY MIND (VIBES SONG) – Wild Horse
  89. FED TO THE TEETH – Homeless Radio
  90. GLIMMER – Petrov, the Hero
  91. A RECURRING THOUGHT – Terry Gomes
  92. ON THE EDGE – Drawing on Scars
  93. SOUNDS LIKE A DEAL – Alex Little
  94. CREATURE COMFORT – The Rat Utopia Experiment
  95. THE BLOOD MOON – Caged Animals
  96. POLLY AND ANDY – Rec Centre
  97. GROWING UP IS SCARY – Taylor DeRousse
  98. MARIA – Matt Csiszar
  99. LUNACY – Collette McLafferty
  100. GAMBLING WITH THE RAIN – David Gergen

The YouTube playlist:

The Spotify playlist:

My Top 30 Songs for October 5-11, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
A still photo of sombr from his YouTube video.

There are some major changes to my chart this week, with a great new #1 song and four terrific new debuts. New York City born and now Los Angeles based sombr (the musical moniker of 20-year-old singer-songwriter and producer Shane Michael Boose) scores his second #1 song on my chart with “undressed” (“back to friends” spent three weeks at #1 in July). Both songs are featured on his debut album I Barely Know Her, which dropped August 22nd. I think the 6-foot, 7-inch tall young man is one of the finest new artists to emerge on the music scene this year.

“Light Years Apart” by Unobliterated, the music project of England-born and now Portugal-based singer-songwriter and musician Gary Taylor, enters the top 10 at #10. And “Mistakes” by Columbus, Ohio-based bluegrass-folk band Caamp, and The Weather” by Maryland pop-punk/rock band All Time Low are the biggest upward movers this week, each climbing eight spots to #15 and #16, respectively.

There were at least seven songs I wanted to add to this week’s chart, but not ready to drop that many off in order to accommodate them all, I had to limit my new additions to only four, the first of which is the delightful “Sushi and Coca-Cola” by soul band St. Paul & The Broken Bones, entering at #26. Formed in Birmingham, Alabama in 2012, the eight-piece consists of Paul Janeway (vocals), Browan Lollar (guitar), Jesse Phillips (bass), Kevin Leon (drums), Al Gamble (keys), Allen Branstetter (trumpet), Amari Ansari (saxophone), and Chad Fisher (trombone). Though they’ve released five albums, two EPs and numerous singles, I’ve somehow never heard of them until recently, when I saw “Sushi and Coca-Cola” rise up the Billboard AAA chart, where it currently sits at #2. I’m loving their soulful jazz-infused sound.

The second debut, coming in at #28, is the enchanting “Elegantly Wasted” by Hermanos Gutiérrez, featuring vocals by one of my favorite singers Leon Bridges. Hermanos Gutiérrez (Spanish for “Gutiérrez Brothers”) is a Latin instrumental band formed in 2015 in Zürich by Ecuadorian-Swiss brothers Alejandro Gutiérrez (guitar and lap steel) and Estevan Gutiérrez (guitar and percussion). The talented duo is totally new to me despite the fact they’ve released seven albums since 2017. One of them, El Bueno y el Malo, was recorded in Nashville in collaboration with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and released on his label Easy Eye Sound in 2022.

Next up is “Another Life” from another Alabama act, Alabama Shakes, a blues rock band comprised of Brittany Howard (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Heath Fogg (lead guitar and vocals) and Zac Cockrell (bass). Formed in 2009, they released two albums, three EPs and numerous singles, including their big 2015 hit “Don’t Wanna Fight”, before going on hiatus in 2018 so that Howard could focus on her solo career (under which she’s released two critically acclaimed albums). They reunited this past December, and on August 29th, released “Another Life”, their first new music as a band in ten years. It’s great having them back!

Last but certainly not least is “Ordinary Creature” by Icelandic folk/rock band Of Monsters and Men, another act I’m happy has released new music, as I’ve been a fan since hearing their debut single “Little Talks” back in early 2012. Formed in 2010, the five-piece consists of lead singer and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir (guitar and lead vocals) Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson (guitar and vocals), Brynjar Leifsson (lead guitar), Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson (drums), and Kristján Páll Kristjánsson (bass). “Ordinary Creature” will be featured on their forthcoming fourth studio album All Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade, due for release on October 17th.

  1. UNDRESSED – sombr (2)
  2. JUPITER – almost monday feat. Jordana (1)
  3. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (3)
  4. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (4)
  5. ENSENADA – Sublime (6)
  6. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (5)
  7. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (8)
  8. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (9)
  9. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (10)
  10. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (11)
  11. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (14)
  12. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (7)
  13. MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones (17)
  14. HORNETS – Western Jaguar (19)
  15. MISTAKES – Caamp (23)
  16. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (24)
  17. MOODY – Royel Otis (18)
  18. METAL – The Beths (20)
  19. EVERYDAY MAGIC – My Morning Jacket (21)
  20. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (12)
  21. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (14)
  22. WRECK – Neko Case (25)
  23. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (15)
  24. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (27)
  25. EVERYBODY SCREAM – Florence + The Machine (30)
  26. SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (N)
  27. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (22)
  28. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (N)
  29. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (N)
  30. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (N)

My Top 30 Songs for September 28-October 4, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's22 Comments

Given that America is now an idiocracy that’s also descending into full-blown authoritarianism under our brazenly corrupt and cruel lunatic of a president, his evil, sycophantic cabinet, a completely spineless Congress and an unethical shadow docket-loving Supreme Court (not to mention the recent loss of our beloved cat), it’s been difficult for me to feel positive about anything these days, including music. That said, I can’t not compile my weekly list of favorite current songs, therefore will continue to bore my readers with my Weekly Top 30 charts.

Furthermore, though I’m now a tired old man, I’ve never lost my love for pop music, which is reflected in quite a few songs on this week’s list, starting with my new #1 song “jupiter” by San Diego-based indie pop band almost monday (comprised of Dawson Daugherty on vocals, Cole Clisby on guitar, and Luke Fabry on bass), featuring added vocals by L.A.-based indie pop singer-songwriter Jordana. The song was originally included on almost monday’s 2014 album DIVE as a recording by only the band, but a newer version with Jordana singing backing vocals, released in January on a deluxe version of DIVE, has become a big hit for them both.

More great pop abounds with “undressed” by sombr, which moves into second place, the rousing “Five More Seconds” by English duo Seafret and Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall at #4, and “polyester (yes sir)” by Los Angeles-based pop-rock band Sorry Ghost at #5. Three songs – “Ensenada” by Southern California ska punk band Sublime, “Asshole” by Denver, Colorado-based duo The Lumineers, and “Better Days” by Los Angeles-based pop punk band Yellowcard – enter the top 10 at #s 6, 9 and 10, respectively. “Better Days” recently spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.

The lone new debut this week is “Everybody Scream” by English indie rock act Florence + the Machine, a longtime favorite of mine who’s previously topped my chart with “Hunger” in 2018 and “My Love” in 2022, which ranks #2 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list (I can’t believe it’s already been three years!). Released on August 20th, “Everybody Scream” is the title track from their forthcoming sixth studio album, set to drop October 31st.

  1. JUPITER – almost monday feat. Jordana (2)
  2. UNDRESSED – sombr (3)
  3. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (1)
  4. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (5)
  5. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (6)
  6. ENSENADA – Sublime (12)
  7. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (4)
  8. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (10)
  9. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (11)
  10. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (14)
  11. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (15)
  12. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (7)
  13. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (8)
  14. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (16)
  15. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (9)
  16. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (13)
  17. MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones (20)
  18. MOODY – Royel Otis (18)
  19. HORNETS – Western Jaguar (21)
  20. METAL – The Beths (23)
  21. EVERYDAY MAGIC – My Morning Jacket (24)
  22. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (17)
  23. MISTAKES – Caamp (26)
  24. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (27)
  25. WRECK – Neko Case (28)
  26. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (25) 20th week on chart
  27. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (29)
  28. AFTERLIFE – Alex G (19)
  29. UNRAVELLING – Muse (22)
  30. EVERYBODY SCREAM – Florence + The Machine (N)

My Top 30 Songs for September 14-20, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments

Talk in Waves holds onto the top spot for a second week with his exuberant ear worm “Feels Right”, while ROLE MODEL moves up two spots into second place this week with his delightful “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out”. London singer-songwriter Art Block remains at #3 with his darkly beautiful “Love Is A Fire”. The prolific artist has released three more singles since “Love Is A Fire”, and in fact, numerous acts have since dropped newer singles than their songs on this chart, including Healer, almost monday, sombr, Sorry Ghost, Twenty One Pilots, Royel Otis, Unobliterated, Western Jaguar, Caamp and Matt Maeson, and I simply cannot keep up with them all! “Five More Seconds” by English duo Seafret and Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall enters the top 10 at #9.

There are two new debuts again this week, the first of which is “”Wreck” by American singer-songwriter Neko Case, who since the late 1990s has released music both as a solo artist (including with her backing band Her Boyfriends) and as a member and lead singer of Canadian indie rock band The New Pornographers. “Wreck” is the lead single from her forthcoming eighth studio album Neon Grey Midnight Green, to be released on September 26. The second debut, entering at #30, is “Downstairs” by American singer-songwriter and musician Matt Maeson. The song is featured on his third and latest album A Quiet and Harmless Living, which dropped this past Friday, September 12th. Matt’s great single “Hallucinogenics” ranks #5 on my 100 Best Songs of 2020 list.

  1. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (1)
  2. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (4)
  3. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (3)
  4. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (2)
  5. LONDON TOWN – Healer (5)
  6. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (8)
  7. UNDRESSED – sombr (9)
  8. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (10)
  9. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (11)
  10. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (6)
  11. MOODY – Royel Otis (7)
  12. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (12)
  13. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (14)
  14. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (15)
  15. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (16)
  16. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (18)
  17. UNRAVELLING – Muse (20)
  18. AFTERLIFE – Alex G (21)
  19. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (22)
  20. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (17)
  21. ENSENADA – Sublime (23)
  22. MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones (24)
  23. HORNETS – Western Jaguar (25)
  24. METAL – The Beths (26)
  25. EVERYDAY MAGIC – My Morning Jacket (27)
  26. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (13)
  27. MISTAKES – Caamp (29)
  28. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (30)
  29. WRECK – Neko Case (N)
  30. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (N)

My Top 30 Songs for September 7-13, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's14 Comments

It’s been a rough week at my house, as we had to say goodbye to our beloved cat Panda, who was part of our family for almost 19 years and finally lost his battle with kidney disease. Feeling heartbroken, I’m not much in the frame of mind to write about music. But given that the new top song on my chart this week is by an artist I’m particularly fond of, I felt I needed to soldier on for his sake, as well as the other indie artists who follow me that have songs on my chart.

After a long, steady climb, the ebullient “Feels Right” by Talk in Waves, the music project of northern Virginia-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos, ascends to #1. It’s his sixth song to top my chart, the previous being “Dark Places” (2019), “Can We Go Back” (2021), “Closer” (2022), “Walk Through the Fire” (2023), and last year’s “Like You Do”, which also holds the honor of being my #1 indie song of 2024. And two more of his singles – “Sleep” in 2020 and “You’re My Drug” from earlier this year – have reached #2. Several of those outstanding songs are featured on his debut album Medicine for the Apocalypse, which he released on July 18th.

Entering the top 10 this week are three great songs all spelled in lower case letters – “jupiter” by San Diego-based indie pop band almost monday, featuring added vocals by L.A.-based indie pop singer-songwriter Jordana, “undressed” by New York City-based sombr (whose single “back to friends” recently spent three weeks at #1 and now sits at #17), and “polyester (yes sir)” by L.A. indie pop-rock band Sorry Ghost, at #s 8, 9 & 10, respectively.

Two songs make their debut this week, starting with “Mistakes” by Columbus, Ohio-based bluegrass-folk band Caamp, whose single “Let Things Go” reached #8 on my chart in early July. Formed in 2012 by childhood friends Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall, Caamp was later joined by Matt Vinson on bass, Joseph Kavalec on keyboards, and NIck Falk on drums. Many of their songs have done well on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart, with four, including “Let Things Go” reaching #1. “Mistakes” is from their sixth and latest album Copper Changes Color, which dropped June 6th.

Entering at #30 is “The Weather” by American pop-punk/rock band All Time Low. Formed in Towson, Maryland, in 2003, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson. They’ve released a total of nine studio albums, six EPs, two live albums and thirty-seven singles. “The Weather” is the second single from their forthcoming tenth album Everyone’s Talking!, set for release on October 17th. Their single “Sleepwalking” spent 11 weeks on my chart in 2023.

  1. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (2)
  2. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (1)
  3. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (5)
  4. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (7)
  5. LONDON TOWN – Healer (6)
  6. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (3)
  7. MOODY – Royel Otis (4)
  8. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (11)
  9. UNDRESSED – sombr (12)
  10. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (15)
  11. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (17)
  12. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (14)
  13. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (8)
  14. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (13)
  15. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (16)
  16. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (18)
  17. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (10)
  18. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (20)
  19. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (9)
  20. UNRAVELLING – Muse (21)
  21. AFTERLIFE – Alex G (22)
  22. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (23)
  23. ENSENADA – Sublime (24)
  24. MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones (25)
  25. HORNETS – Western Jaguar (26)
  26. METAL – The Beths (29)
  27. EVERYDAY MAGIC – My Morning Jacket (30)
  28. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (19)
  29. MISTAKES – Caamp (N)
  30. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 31-September 6, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments
Photo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney by Larry Niehues

“No Rain, No Flowers” by The Black Keys holds onto the top spot for a third week, while the equally infectious “Feels Right” by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Talk in Waves moves into second place. “Back to Friends” by sombr racks up its 13th week in my top 10, three of them spent at #1.

Two songs make their debut this week, starting with the wonderful “Metal” by New Zealand indie pop-rock band The Beths. Formed in Auckland in 2014, the band’s lineup includes lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes, guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck. The lead single from their fourth and latest album Straight Line Was A Lie – released this past Friday, August 29th – “Metal” is their first single to chart in the U.S., currently sitting at #10 on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart. I love the lively melody and jangly guitars!

My second new entry is “Everyday Magic” by Louisville, Kentucky-based My Morning Jacket, whose music is a glorious blend of indie, alternative and psychedelic rock, country, Americana and Southern rock. Formed in 1998, the band presently consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Koster. The delightful “Everyday Magic” is from their tenth and latest album is, which dropped this past March. Another track from that album, “Time Waited”, topped my chart in May. “Everyday Magic” is currently #1 on the Billboard AAA chart, which is a major influence on my own chart.

  1. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (1)
  2. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (3)
  3. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (2)
  4. MOODY – Royel Otis (4)
  5. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (7)
  6. LONDON TOWN – Healer (8)
  7. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (9)
  8. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (6)
  9. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (5)
  10. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (10)
  11. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (12)
  12. UNDRESSED – sombr (13)
  13. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (14)
  14. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (15)
  15. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (16)
  16. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (17)
  17. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (18)
  18. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (19)
  19. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (11)
  20. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (23)
  21. UNRAVELLING – Muse (24)
  22. AFTERLIFE – Alex G (26)
  23. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (27)
  24. ENSENADA – Sublime (28)
  25. MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones (29)
  26. HORNETS – Western Jaguar (30)
  27. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (20) 20th week on chart
  28. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (21)
  29. METAL – The Beths (N)
  30. EVERYDAY MAGIC – My Morning Jacket (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 24-30, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments
Photo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney by Larry Niehues

Last week’s top ten songs remain in place again this week, with a bit of shuffling here and there. The Black Keys top my chart for a second week with “No Rain, No Flowers”, while “The Contract” by Twenty One Pilots holds at #2 again after a two-week run at #1. “Feels Right” by northern Virginia singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Talk in Waves moves up a spot to secure the third place ranking.

We have three new debuts, two of which are by legendary alt-rock favorites, and another by one of my favorite Canadian indie artists. Entering at #28 is “Ensenada” by American ska punk band Sublime, who originally formed way back in 1988 in Long Beach, California and consisted of Bradley Nowell (vocals and guitar), Bud Gaugh (drums) and Eric Wilson (bass). Over their eight-year run, Sublime released three studio albums, a live album, five compilation albums, three EPs, one box set and six singles, three of which – “What I Got”, “Santeria” and “Wrong Way” – have remained longtime alt-rock radio staples. The band disbanded after singer Bradley Nowell’s death from a heroin overdose in 1996 but subsequently reformed in 2023 with Bradley’s son Jakob Nowell singing lead vocals alongside original band members Wilson and Gaugh. Their latest single “Ensenada”, released July 18th, carries on with the band’s original signature sound, almost as if no time has passed.

Coming in at #29 is “my mind is a mountain” by American alternative metal band Deftones. Also formed in 1988, in Sacramento, California (where I lived from 1989-1994), they originally consisted of frontman Chino Moreno (lead vocals), Stephen Carpenter (lead guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums) and Chi Cheng (bass). Frank Delgado later joined the band as keyboardist and turntablist in 1999. Cheng, who was seriously injured in an auto accident in 2008 and subsequently died in 2013, was replaced on bass by Sergio Vega, who remained with the band until early 2021. Deftones have released 10 studio albums, four EPs, three compilation albums, five demo albums, 32 music videos and 25 singles. Though none of their songs have ever made the Billboard Hot 100, several have appeared on the Alternative and Rock charts. On July 10th, they released “my mind is a mountain”, the lead single from their 10th and latest album private music (which dropped this past Friday, August 22nd), their first new music since their 2020 album Ohms. With the intensely heavy and melodic “my mind is a mountain”, it’s clear Deftones haven’t lost a step and I’m really liking the new album as well.

Last but certainly not least is “Hornets” by British Columbia-based Western Jaguar, the music project of the personable and talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor. I’ve been a fan of his for over seven years, and two of his songs – “Disappear” (2019) and “Darling” (2023) have reached #1 on my chart. His latest single “Hornets” represents a somewhat edgier, more rock-oriented sound from him and I like it!

  1. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (1)
  2. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (2)
  3. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (4)
  4. MOODY – Royel Otis (3)
  5. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (6)
  6. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (7)
  7. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (8)
  8. LONDON TOWN – Healer (9)
  9. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (10)
  10. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (5)
  11. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (12)
  12. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (13)
  13. UNDRESSED – sombr (14)
  14. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (15)
  15. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (19)
  16. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (20)
  17. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (21)
  18. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (22)
  19. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (24)
  20. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (11)
  21. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (17)
  22. INCOMPREHENSIBLE – Big Thief (25)
  23. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (26)
  24. UNRAVELLING – Muse (27)
  25. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (16)
  26. AFTERLIFE – Alex G (29)
  27. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (30)
  28. ENSENADA – Sublime (N)
  29. MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones (N)
  30. HORNETS – Western Jaguar (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 17-23, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments
Photo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney by Larry Niehues

“No Rain, No Flowers”, the title track from Nashville-based blues rock duo The Black Keys‘ 13th and latest album No Rain, No Flowers, is my new #1 song this week. Though the song, along with many of the other tracks on the album, has a decidedly more polished, poppy sound than their usual musical fare, I really like it. I love its smooth head-bopping dance groove, twangy guitars and Dan Auerbach’s always-cool vocals, plus it’s catchy as hell. The song and album have received mostly positive reviews, though some have criticized it for being too pop-oriented, overly produced or simply veering too far away from their blues rock roots. That said, the album’s lead single “The Night Before” spent two weeks at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart this past May, whereas “No Rain, No Flowers” peaked at only #28 and is now falling. The song did recently peak at #2 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, however.

In other chart news of note, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” by Los Angeles-based ROLE MODEL (the music project of singer-songwriter Tucker Harrington Pillsbury), advances six spots to enter the top 10 at #10. And curiously, the songs at numbers 11 and 12 both have three-word titles in all B’s – “Basic Being Basic” and Bloom Baby Bloom”.

There are two new debuts again this week, the first of which is the delightful “Afterlife” by American musician, producer, and singer-songwriter Alex G (born Alexander Giannascoli in Havertown, Pennsylvania). Since 2011, the prolific musician has released ten studio albums, four EPs, three live albums, two soundtrack albums and 30 singles. The lead single from his 10th and latest album Headlights, “Afterlife” has become Alex G’s highest charting single in the U.S., currently sitting at #8 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart. That ukelele is utterly charming.

The second new entry is “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, their first new music release in four years since “ISN’T EVERYONE”, a collaborative single with Los Angeles-based industrial/noise rock band Health. Formed in 1988 as a solo act by singer-songwriter, musician, and composer Trent Reznor (who was inspired by Prince to play all instruments himself except drums, which he programmed electronically), Nine Inch Nails for many years consisted of Reznor as the only official member, aided by an ever-changing group of backing musicians for live performances. He finally added English musician and long-time collaborator Atticus Ross as the act’s second permanent member in 2016. Released on July 17th, “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” is from the forthcoming soundtrack album Tron: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), to be released September 19th. Nine Inch Nails composed the score for the film Tron: Ares, the third installment in the Tron series scheduled for release October 10th. At the age of 60, Reznor sounds as good as ever.

  1. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (3)
  2. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (1)
  3. MOODY – Royel Otis (2)
  4. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (5)
  5. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (4)
  6. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (7)
  7. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (8)
  8. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (9)
  9. LONDON TOWN – Healer (10)
  10. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (16)
  11. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (6)
  12. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (15)
  13. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (17)
  14. UNDRESSED – sombr (18)
  15. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (20)
  16. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (11)
  17. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (12)
  18. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (13)
  19. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (21)
  20. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (22)
  21. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (23)
  22. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (24)
  23. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (14)
  24. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (29)
  25. INCOMPREHENSIBLE – Big Thief (26)
  26. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (28)
  27. UNRAVELLING – Muse (30)
  28. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (19)
  29. AFTERLIFE – Alex G (N)
  30. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 10-16, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments

It’s a second week on top for “The Contract” by Twenty One Pilots, with “moody” by Royel Otis holding onto second place for a second week after two weeks at #1. The Black Keys move up two to #3 with “No Rain, No Flowers”, the title track to their 13th and latest album No Rain, No Flowers, which dropped this past Friday, while Talk in Waves moves up a spot to #5 with his jubilant ear worm “Feels Right”. Entering the top 10 are “Ripple” by English indie rock duo Good Neighbours, “Better Off Eventually” by Canadian alt-rock band Bealby Point, “Love Is A Fire” by English singer-songwriter Art Block and “London Town” by English rock band Healer.

Making their debut this week are songs by two legendary bands, the first of which is “Better Days” by pop punk band Yellowcard, who formed in 1997, broke up in 2017, then reunited in 2022. Their lineup has changed over the years, and now consists of Ryan Key (lead vocals), Ryan Mendez (lead guitar), Josh Portman (bass) and Sean Mackin (violin). Their music is notable for its distinct and unique sound due to their prominent use of Mackin’s violin. The song is the lead single and title track from their forthcoming eleventh studio album Better Days, due for release on October 10. The album was produced by blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who played drums on every song.

The second debut, coming in at #30, is “Unravelling” by English alternative space rock band Muse, who since forming in 1994 have consisted of Matt Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Chris Wolstenholme (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Dominic Howard (drums, percussion). Though I’m a pretty big fan of Muse, I find it always takes several listens for many of their songs to grab me, which was the case with “Unravelling”. But grab me it did, and I now like it a lot.

  1. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (1)
  2. MOODY – Royel Otis (2)
  3. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (5)
  4. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (3)
  5. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (6)
  6. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (4)
  7. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (11)
  8. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (13)
  9. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (14)
  10. LONDON TOWN – Healer (15)
  11. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (7)
  12. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (8)
  13. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (9)
  14. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (10)
  15. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (16)
  16. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (18)
  17. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (19)
  18. UNDRESSED – sombr (20)
  19. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (12)
  20. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (22)
  21. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (23)
  22. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (24)
  23. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (27)
  24. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (29)
  25. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (17)
  26. INCOMPREHENSIBLE – Big Thief (28)
  27. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (21)
  28. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (30)
  29. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (N)
  30. UNRAVELLING – Muse (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 3-9, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments
Photo of Twenty One Pilots from their Facebook account

One of my favorite music acts for the past ten years is Twenty One Pilots, comprised of the dynamic duo of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph and power drummer Josh Dun. Their latest single “The Contract” is my new #1 song this week, marking their 13th song to reach the top of my chart, and their third in just the past year, following “The Craving” last September and “The Line” this past March. The lead single from their forthcoming eighth studio album Breach, to be released September 12th, “The Contract” starts the final act of the narrative begun on their 2015 album Blurryface and continued through Trench, Scaled And Icy, and last year’s Clancy.

The song is a frenetic and electrifying mash-up of music styles, something Twenty One Pilots have incorporated into many of their songs over the years. As Kory Grow observed in his article about the single for Rolling Stone, the song “ping-pongs between pop, rap, emo, and drumline practice.” While I love that about the song and their music in general, some do not. Paulo Ragusa, a writer who’s obviously not a Twenty One Pilots fan, trashed the song in his article for Consequence Sound, calling it “a complete mess, a sloppy hodge-podge of genres and styles that directly compete with one another from moment to moment.” Well, to each their own I say, as “The Contract” takes its place among a long line of songs I love by this talented duo.

In other chart news, Lorde enters the top 10 with “What Was That”, and we have two new debuts. The first is “Five More Seconds”, a wonderfully exuberant collaboration by English duo Seafret and Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, which enters at #29. Seafret, based in Yorkshire and comprised of singer Jack Sedman and guitarist Harry Draper, released three albums and a number of singles from 2015-2023 and saw their debut 2015 single “Atlantis” go viral on TikTok over the past three years, eventually racking up over 1.1 billion streams on Spotify alone. KT Tunstall burst onto the British music scene in 2004 with her debut album Eye to the Telescope, which spawned the hit singles “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See”, which won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song in 2006. “Five More Seconds” marks both Seafret and KT Tunstall’s first new music in two years.

The second debut is “light years apart” by Unobliterated, the music project of England-born and now Portugal-based singer-songwriter and musician Gary Taylor. In my review of the song upon its July 11 release, I described it as “majestic”, with a haunting melody driven forward by a strong pulsating groove and layered with swirling atmospheric synths and warm guitar notes to create a mesmerizing backdrop for Taylor’s arresting vocals that masterfully convey a sense of both despair and hopeful optimism.

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