Tag: Holy Coves

Top 30 Songs for July 24-30, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments
Photo by María José Govea

My new favorite song this week is the uplifting and poignant “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid” by Canadian art-rock band Arcade Fire. Released in late April, it’s the second single from their sixth studio album WE. About the song, band front man Win Butler told Pitchfork “‘Lookout Kid’” is a reminder, a lullaby for the end times, sung to my son, but for everyone…. Trust your heart, trust your mind, trust your body, trust your soul. Shit is going to get worse before it gets better, but it always gets better, and no one’s perfect.” The video, produced by Ben Matheny and Nathan Harrison, and directed by Benh Zeitlin, is delightful.

Singer-songwriter and rapper Lizzo advances to #2 with her feel-good dance song “About Damn Time”. Debuting this week at #s 28-30 are “Lemon Tree” by L.A.-based alternative/indie folk rock band Mt. Joy“, “Tek It” by Brooklyn-based electro-pop duo Cafuné, and “Compliance” by British alt-rock band Muse.

  1. UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (2)
  2. ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (3)
  3. SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (1)
  4. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (6)
  5. TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (4)
  6. BELIEVE – Caamp (5)
  7. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (8)
  8. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (10)
  9. THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (11)
  10. CLOSER – The Frontier (12)
  11. LONELY – Sea Girls (13)
  12. THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (14)
  13. IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (15)
  14. WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (16)
  15. MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (17)
  16. 2am – Foals (7)
  17. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (9)
  18. DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (20)
  19. LIN MANUEL – Onism E (21)
  20. FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (22)
  21. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (23)
  22. UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (25)
  23. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (26)
  24. BONES – Imagine Dragons (29)
  25. GREY – Holy Coves (30)
  26. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (19)
  27. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (18) 20th week on list
  28. LEMON TREE – Mt. Joy (N)
  29. TEK IT – Cafuné (N)
  30. COMPLIANCE – Muse (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 17-23, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews7 Comments

There’s so much great music out now, I have at least 50 songs I’d like to put on my Weekly Top 30. “Seventeen Going Under” by Sam Fender remains at #1 for a second week. Closing in at #2 is Arcade Fire‘s heartwarming ““Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)”, while Lizzo slides into the #3 spot with her funk-pop earworm “About Damn Time”. German alt-rock band Milky Chance enter the top 10 with their cool song “Synchronize”. For some reason I cannot fathom, the song has not been anywhere near as popular as their previous single “Colorado”, even though I think it’s a better song.

Two songs make their debut this week: “Bones” by Imagine Dragons and “Grey” by Welsh rock band Holy Coves. While I’m a fan of Imagine Dragons, I didn’t care for their previous single “Enemy”, a massive hit now in it’s 35th week in the top 40 of the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, nine of them at #1, but I do like “Bones” a lot. (“Enemy” and “Bones” currently hold the #4 and #5 spots on the Alternative chart.) I’ve resisted putting “Bones” on my chart for the past several weeks, but it’s just too damn infectious! “Grey” is the second song by Holy Coves to appear on my Weekly Top 30; their single “The Hurt Within” spent 11 weeks on my list this past Spring.

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

Top 30 Songs for June 12-18, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

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

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

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

Top 30 Songs for June 5-11, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's2 Comments

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

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

Top 30 Songs for May 29-June 4, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments

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

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

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

Top 30 Songs for May 22-28, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

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

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

Top 30 Songs for May 15-21, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

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

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

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

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

Top 30 Songs for May 8-14, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

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

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

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

Top 30 Songs for May 1-7, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments

Harry Styles‘ delightful synthpop song “As It Was” takes over the top spot on my latest Weekly Top 30. Though I was not a fan of the boy band One Direction, I think that most of its members are pretty talented singers in their own right. That said, Harry Styles stands head and shoulders above the rest, and I’ve really liked a lot of his music as a solo artist. “As It Was” is the lead single from his forthcoming album Harry’s House, to be released on May 20.

In other chart highlights, entering the top 10 are Florence + the Machine‘s gorgeous “My Love”, which climbs five spots to #6, and Brandi Carlisle‘s haunting “Broken Horses”, which moves up four notches to #8. Two songs make their debut this week: “Synchronize” by German duo Milky Chance, and “That’s Where I Am” by the amazing American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers.

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

HOLY COVES – Single Review: “Desert Storm”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

Hailing from beautiful Holy Island, situated just off Anglesey Island in northwest Wales roughly halfway between Dublin and Liverpool, alternative psychedelic rock outfit Holy Coves is the brain child of singer-songwriter Scott Marsden. Since its formation in 2005, the band has consisted of an ever-changing group of musicians, as Marsden brings in who he wants to work with for each project. Holy Coves released their debut album The Lizzies Ynys Môn on New Years Day 2008, then followed in 2011 with an EP and two singles, which were later included on their second album Peruvian Mistake, released in 2012.

After a nearly 10-year hiatus, brought on in part by the death of his best friend and manager, as well as his personal struggles with addiction and subsequent recovery, Marsden assembled a new group of esteemed musicians to record his third album Druids and Bards, due for release this coming August via his label Yr Wyddfa Records. These musicians are (with previous acts they’ve played with in parentheses) John Lawrence on guitar (Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci), Owain Ginsberg on guitar & synths (WE//ARE//ANIMAL, Hippies Vs Ghosts, The Heights), Jason Hughes on bass (The Painkillers), and Spike T Smith on drums (Morrissey, The Damned, New York Dolls). Marsden told me “It was a honour to work with them. I’ve wanted to work with all of them since I was a teenager. I’m very lucky. They are all geniuses.” He wrote and sang all songs, and co-produced the album with Lawrence, who also engineered the album. The two men shown flanking Marsden in the header photo are friends he’s brought in for live performances, who will also play on his next record.

In late March, Holy Coves released their first single from Druids and Bards, the brilliant “The Hurt Within”, which is currently enjoying a run on my Weekly Top 30. Now, only a month later, they return with the second single “Desert Storm“, and it’s another brooding cinematic stunner. Over a stomping, mesmerizing groove, they layer mysterious, psychedelic synths, crisp percussion and an arresting blend of droning and jangly guitars to create a dark and moody soundscape, but with a hint of optimism. Marsden has a clear and pleasing singing voice, and his slightly echoed vocals have a somewhat ethereal quality here as he earnestly details his struggles of keeping a troubled relationship together while suffering from severe drug addiction. 

What you see is what you get
What you needs irrelevant
It's time we need to heal my friend
Let's go until we reach the end
Look how far we've come
We've only just begun
You're holding onto me
But I'm so far gone

Were coming up don't fight the feeling
Let's ride the storm
Were coming up don't fight the feeling
It's the desert storm
Were coming up don't fight the feeling
Let's ride the storm
Were coming up don't fight the feeling
It's the desert storm

I come to feel her love again
And take away all the pain
It seems like everyday I fight her now
It's tearing us apart
Right now I'm falling hard
Let's go back to the start
I'm falling off again
She's got me hook line babe

“Desert Storm” is a marvelous track, and if it and “The Hurt Within” are any indication, Druids and Bards is guaranteed to be a spectacular album.

To coincide with their album release, Holy Coves will kick off their 24 date Druids And Bards UK Tour on August 19th in Wrexham.

Connect with Holy Coves:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

Purchase on Bandcamp