British alternative psychedelic rock band Future Theory remain at #1 for a second week with their exquisite song “Why”, while fellow longtime British rockers Blur slide into second place with “The Narcissist”. Beach Weather‘s title track from their wonderful album Pineapple Sunrise moves up two spots to #3. Entering the top 10 this week are “Say Yes To Heaven” by Lana Del Rey, at #8, “Stuck” by 30 Seconds to Mars, at #9, and “Puppet Show” by Beck Black at #10. This puts five women in my top 10 for the first time in recent memory. The biggest upward mover this week is “Overrated” by brilliant Canadian artist dwi, climbing seven spots to #14.
Three songs make their debut: “Odyssey”, a duet by American singer-songwriter Beck and French alternative pop rock band Phoenix, at #28 (the song is already #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart), “Francesca” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, (replacing his previous single “Eat Your Young” that drops off my chart this week), at #29, and “Daydreams and Algorithms” by British singer-songwriter Eleanor Collides (which I recently reviewed) at #30.
WHY – Future Theory (1)
THE NARCISSIST – Blur (4)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (5)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (2)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (3)
PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (6)
VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (7)
SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (11)
STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (12)
PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (13)
LEAVING – Au Gres (8)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (9)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (10)
OVERRATED – dwi (21)
BONES – HEALER (18)
WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (19)
ORBIT – Gooseberry (20)
LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (22)
CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (23)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (14)
I’ve been a fan of British alternative psychedelic rock band Future Theory since early 2017, and love their intelligent songwriting and ace musicianship. Comprised of Max Sander on rhythm guitar and vocals, Chris Moore on lead guitar, Jacob Brookes on bass and Rohan Parrett on drums, they blend alternative and progressive rock, psychedelia, grunge, shoegaze and funk to create arresting songs characterized by complex melodies and arrangements, lavish instrumentation, and Max’s distinctive mesmerizing vocals. I’ve written about them and their outstanding music many times on this blog, and it’s been gratifying to see them mature and grow as artists. One of their singles “One and the Same”, from their 2022 debut album Future Theory, spent 18 weeks on my Weekly Top 30 and ranks #42 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list. They began releasing a series of new singles this past April, the first of which, “Why”, is a dramatic and beautiful song about a dysfunctional relationship that’s breaking apart. They’ve since dropped two more great singles, “Rage” and “Too Bad”, but “Why” remains my favorite. Now, in its 14th week on my Top 30 chart, it reaches the top at last.
In other notable chart developments, the top 10 contains the same 10 songs for the third week in a row, albeit in different positions. Lana Del Rey‘s “Say Yes To Heaven” is the biggest upward mover, climbing five spots to #11. Two songs make their debut this week: Entering at #29 is the captivating “kisses” by longtime British dream rock band Slowdive, which I learned about from Andy Peterson, a superb writer with great music taste who writes his own blog The Voice Of Unreason. Bringing up the rear at #30 is “Dial Drunk” by Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who’s also represented on this list by “We’re All Gonna Die”, a duet with American singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun that sits at #14.
And now for a special rant about the Billboard Hot 100 and the questionable music tastes of the American public. Two weeks ago, Olivia Rodrigo’s “vampire” debuted at #1, which led me to believe she would enjoy a long run at the top. But I was terribly wrong, and her song has already fallen to #7. Meanwhile, the top songs on the chart are a catchy but throwaway pop song from Junk Kook, one of the members of South Korean K-pop boy band BTS, who sings about fucking his beloved seven days a week, accompanied by rapping by female rapper Latto. That is followed by three Country songs – Jason Aldean’s awful “Try That in a Small Town”, Morgan Wallen’s tiresome “Last Night” (which spent 12 weeks at #1), and Luke Combs’ remake of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”, which I concede isn’t bad. The song at #6 is the horrific “fukumean” by American rapper Gunna. Whatever…
Here’s my far superior song list:
WHY – Future Theory (5)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (1)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (2)
THE NARCISSIST – Blur (7)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (6)
PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (8)
VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (9)
LEAVING – Au Gres (3)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (4)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (10)
SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (16)
STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (14)
PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (15)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (13)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (11)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (12)
SPELLBINDING – The Smashing Pumpkins (20)
BONES – HEALER (21)
WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (22)
ORBIT – Gooseberry (23)
OVERRATED – dwi (24)
LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (25)
CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (26)
GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (27)
DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (28)
KID – The Revivalists (17) 20th week on chart
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (18)
I DON’T BELIEVE IN YOU – Brian Lambert & Jr Moz Collective (30)
I love synthpop songs with a good dance groove, and the collaborative single “Essence”, by young Danish DJ and electronic house music producer Refeci and Canadian-American singer-songwriter and musician Shimmer Johnson, fits the bill quite nicely. The mesmerizing song holds the #1 spot on my chart for a second week. The Foo Fighters‘ exhilarating “Rescued” remains at #2 for a second week after spending three weeks at #1. Sliding into third place is the beautiful “Leaving” by Michigan singer-songwriter Au Gres (aka Joshua Kemp), and “Why” by supremely talented British alt-rock band Future Theory moves up to #5. Olivia Rodrigo‘s biting “Vampire” (pun fully intended) enters the top 10 at #9.
Two wonderful songs make their debut this week. Entering at #28 is the hauntingly beautiful “Daylight” by American singer-songwriter David Kushner. A relative newcomer to the music business, in just a year and a half, his songs have already racked up more than 725 million streams on Spotify alone, thanks to some of them going viral on TikTok (a platform I rarely look at, but is far and away the most popular for young people). In an interview with webzine Paper, Kushner remarked “TikTok has played the biggest role in my music career. It started as a fun thing. I definitely had not planned to market my music. …after writing “Miserable Man”, I decided to just leak the song on the platform. I didn’t expect that the next day I’d wake up to a couple hundred thousand likes. Not even a few weeks later, “Mr. Forgettable” did the same thing. At that point, I knew that TikTok would be a powerful tool to be able to connect with new people.” Released in April, the gospel-like “Daylight” has already been streamed over 387 million times on Spotify.
The second debut is “I Don’t Believe In You” by Texas-based singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, entering at #30. The powerful song, which I reviewed a month ago today, is a reimagining of the original track written and performed by Jr Moz Collective (aka singer-songwriter Mike Mosley, who played guitar, bass and synths on the track, with drums by Paul Prater).
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (1)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (2)
LEAVING – Au Gres (4)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (3)
WHY – Future Theory (6)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (7)
THE NARCISSIST – Blur (8)
PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (10)
VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (11)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (5)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (9)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (12)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (15)
STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (16)
PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (17)
SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (21)
KID – The Revivalists (13)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (14)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (18)
SPELLBINDING – The Smashing Pumpkins (23)
BONES – HEALER (24)
WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (25)
ORBIT – Gooseberry (26)
OVERRATED – dwi (27)
LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (28)
CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (29)
GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (30)
DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (N)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (20)
I DON’T BELIEVE IN YOU – Brian Lambert & Jr Moz Collective (N)
After a long, steady climb up my chart, I’m happy to announce that “Essence”, the stunning electro-pop collaboration between young Danish DJ and electronic house music producer Refeci (aka Victor Cornelius Tommerup) and Canadian-American singer-songwriter and musician Shimmer Johnson, has reached #1. They’ve each released an impressive amount of music both as solo artists and in collaboration with numerous musicians and vocalists. Refeci composed the mesmerizing and sensuous music, while Shimmer wrote the lyrics that speak to the importance of having faith in ourselves to forge our own path: “Don’t ever ever doubt your life.Make a wish and just believe. Find the path that’s right. It’s the essence of life.” It’s Shimmer’s second song to top my chart, her first being “Starts With You” early last year.
In other notable changes this week, “The Narcissist” by Brit pop band Blur enters the top 10 at #8, and “Psychos” by American singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis leaps 10 spots to #10. Three songs enter the chart, the first of which, “Vampire”, by 20-year-old Southern California-based singer-songwriter and actress Olivia Rodrigo, debuts at #11. Released on June 30, the heartrending song debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, her third single to do so (the others were her 2021 monster hit “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U”). “Call Me What You Like” by British indie rock band Lovejoy, enters at #29, and “Good Vibrations” by Texas duo MISSIO (which I recently reviewed) enters at #30.
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (2)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (1)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (4)
LEAVING – Au Gres (5)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (3)
WHY – Future Theory (7)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (9)
THE NARCISSIST – Blur (12)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (10)
PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (20)
VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (N)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (15)
KID – The Revivalists (8)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (11)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (17)
The Foo Fighters remain on top for a third week with their cathartic “Rescued”, while the mesmerizing “Essence”, by Danish electronic artist Refeci and Canadian-American singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson, slides into the #2 spot. Rounding out the top five are “Not Strong Enough” by supergroup boygenius, “Rescue Me” (lots of rescuing going on!) by L.A. ska band Dirty Heads, and “Leaving” by Michigan singer-songwriter Au Gres. Entering the top 10 are “Why” by British alt-rock band Future Theory, at #7, “Pineapple Sunrise” by Beach Weather, at #9, and “In My Head” by Mike Shinoda and Kailee Morgue, at #10.
The biggest upward mover this week is “The Narcissist” by legendary British band Blur, leaping 10 spots to #12. Two fantastic new songs make their debut: “Overrated” by the brilliant Canadian artist dwi, who’s wonderful album Zoo Life I reviewed last Friday, at #29, and the gorgeous “Last Time Every Time Forever” by also-brilliant Fontaines D.C. front man Grian Chatten. The song is one of the singles from his superb debut solo album Chaos For The Fly.
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (1)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (3)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (2)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (5)
LEAVING – Au Gres (6)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (4)
WHY – Future Theory (11)
KID – The Revivalists (8)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (13)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (14)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (7)
THE NARCISSIST – Blur (22)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (9)
THOSE EYES – New West (10)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (15)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (17)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (18)
Not a lot of changes from last week’s Top 30. Foo Fighters‘ “Rescued” remains at #1 for a second week, while boygenius‘ “Not Strong Enough” holds at #2 again after having spent two weeks at #1. The mesmerizing “Essence”, by Danish electronic artist Refeci and Canadian-American singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson, climbs four spots to #3, and the beautiful “Those Eyes” by Toronto collective New West enters the top 10. Debuting this week are “Say Yes To Heaven” by the always captivating Lana Del Rey, at #29, and the bluesy “Orbit” by the exceptionally-talented Brooklyn trio Gooseberry, which enters at #30.
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (1)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (2)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (7)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (3)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (8)
LEAVING – Au Gres (9)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (4)
KID – The Revivalists (5)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (6)
THOSE EYES – New West (11)
WHY – Future Theory (12)
1982 – Morgendust (10)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (15)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (13)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (14)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (16)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (18)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (19)
Too many bands have faced the sudden and tragic loss of an integral member, and one of the more heartbreaking in recent memory was the death last year of Taylor Hawkins, the beloved longtime drummer of American rock band Foo Fighters. Picking up the pieces and soldiering on after such a loss is always difficult, and sometimes impossible, as Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl knows all too well from his Nirvana experience. He and Foo Fighters bandmates channeled their grief to create one of the best albums of their nearly 30-year career in the form of But Here We Are, which they describe as “10 songs that run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between.” The album’s blistering, heart-wrenching lead single “Rescued” takes over the #1 spot on my latest Weekly Top 30.
The song is about trying to cope with, then move on from, a sudden, unexpected event, expressed in the opening lyrics “It came in a flash, it came outta nowhere. It happened so fast, and then it was over.” Later in the song, Grohl acknowledges the overwhelming numbness and grief he and his bandmates experienced after Hawkins’ death, wondering if they’ll ever truly feel ‘alive’ again: “We’re all free to some degree to dance under the lights.I’m just waitin’ to be rescued, bring me back to life.” For the recording of “Rescued”, along with the entire album But Here We Are, Dave Grohl played drums, but a few months ago, legendary drummer Josh Freese officially joined Foo Fighters as their new drummer.
(Freese has an impressive resume, being a noted session drummer who’s appeared on over 400 records and worked with a literal who’s who of artists and bands. He’s been an active member of the Vandals since 1989 and Devo since 1996, also previously serving as a member of Guns N’ Roses from 1997-2000 and alt-rock band A Perfect Circle from 1999-2012. The very busy guy also served as touring drummer for Nine Inch Nails from 2005-2008, Weezer from 2009-2011, and Sublime with Rome from 2011-2017, as well as Sting in 2005 and 2016, Paramore in 2011, the Replacements in 2013 and The Offspring in 2021.) Wikipedia
And here’s their electrifying performance of “Rescued” at the Glastonbury Festival on June 23rd:
Other than for a new #1 song, the top 10 remains the same, with a bit of musical chairs among the top five tracks. Two new songs make their debut this week, both of which I featured in a recent Fresh New Tracks post: “Bones” by British indie rock band HEALER, entering at #29, and “Walk Through the Fire” by Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier (aka Jake Mimikos), at #30. A long-time favorite act of mine, The Frontier has had several songs appear on my Top 30, three of them going all the way to #1.
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (2)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (1)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (5)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (3)
KID – The Revivalists (4)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (6)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (7)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (8)
LEAVING – Au Gres (9)
1982 – Morgendust (10)
THOSE EYES – New West (12)
WHY – Future Theory (13)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (14)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (16)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (17)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (19)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (12)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (20)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (22)
CHEMICAL – Post Malone (23)
STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (24)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (18)
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.”
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.”
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!
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.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 