Tag: HULLAH

100 Best Indie Songs of 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Song Lists24 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. This year, at the suggestion of John Gilbert, guitarist and lead vocalist of Missouri folk rock band Voodoo Planet, I’ve also compiled a list of my 100 favorite indie songs of 2024 (their song “Adrift” is included in this list). Because I follow, and am followed by, many indie musicians and bands on the various social media platforms, I want to highlight some of the really outstanding music being made by them that’s every bit as good as that from mainstream acts.

These are not “indie” songs in terms of genre (though there are many that fall into that overall category), but songs by independent or unsigned music acts. Some are in fact signed to music labels, but they’re usually small, independently owned labels. There are 89 acts represented in this list, the majority of which are from the U.S., Canada and the U.K., but also from Australia, Malaysia, Norway, Spain, Germany and Ukraine. 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 or even thousands of other songs that deserve to be here, except that I’ve never heard them.

Though they’re ranked from #1 to 100, it doesn’t mean that a song at #30 is better than one at #70. 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. I’ve created playlists on both Spotify and YouTube, which are included after the list itself. Enjoy!

  1. LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves
  2. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS
  3. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses
  4. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua
  5. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame
  6. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse
  7. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain
  8. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters
  9. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH
  10. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven
  11. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights
  12. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton
  13. BLUSH – Vazum
  14. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot
  15. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed
  16. WAR – HEALER
  17. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna
  18. HONEY – Mr Bewlay
  19. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano
  20. TOO MUCH OR NOT ENOUGH? – Candid
  21. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster
  22. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo, Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso & Gabrielle Marella & the voice of Tony Milillo
  23. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson
  24. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet & Mikey J
  25. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport
  26. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn
  27. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society
  28. HOLOGRAM – Raker
  29. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I
  30. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves
  31. IT’S OVER NOW – Oli Barton
  32. DYING TO MEET YOU – Gooseberry
  33. OH, WELL – John Serrano
  34. SUBMARINE – Homeless Radio
  35. BRAND NEW DAY – Ben Gorb
  36. DOWNING STREET – Brain Ape
  37. LOOSIE LUNA – Coppa Londra
  38. TEMPTATION – Pylon Poets
  39. WHY DO YOU CARE – The Muldoons
  40. I AM AM I? – NAVE
  41. THIS ALL ENDS HERE – Minus Cube & Natalie Lucie
  42. NEW PONY – The Nanners
  43. KEEPING SCORE – Snap Infraction
  44. WAKE ME UP – HEALER
  45. ODYSSEY – Josephine Pascoe
  46. LIKE THE SUN – A.Wake
  47. SMALL MERCIES – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster
  48. EASIER AND EASIER – Lyia Meta
  49. VICTIM – Frank Joshua
  50. SMUDGE – Mock Deer
  51. THE LOST – The Ocean Beneath
  52. INVISIBLE INK – Ships Have Sailed
  53. BY DESIGN – Amongst Liars & Felin
  54. LITTLE SELF-INDULGENT – Western Jaguar
  55. PIECE OF CAKE – Bottlecap Mountain
  56. COLLISION – The Zangwills
  57. ROADS – HULLAH
  58. GUYS LIKE YOU – Olivia Miceli
  59. YOUTH – The 23’s
  60. STATELINE – Nathan Ball
  61. CHASING YOUR DREAMS – Asgard Raven
  62. ELEVEN – Minus Cube & P’like
  63. DREAM TONIGHT – The Ocean Beneath & Liz Mann
  64. SELF CONTROL – John Laurant, Ron van den Beuken & Shimmer Johnson
  65. THE BEST – Thunder Fox
  66. NEW MOON – Morning Fuzz
  67. REPOSSESS – Western Jaguar
  68. YOU ARE NOT A SLAVE – Amongst Liars
  69. CREATURE FEATURE – dwi
  70. BAD LUCK – The Macrotones
  71. WITCH TRAIN – The Blackburns
  72. NOCTURNALLY YOURS – Scoopski
  73. TANTALUS – John Serrano
  74. REAL COLORS – The Nanners
  75. DO YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW? – Set the Tone
  76. PRETTY ALRIGHT – Caitlin Lavagna
  77. LET’S RUN AWAY – Solar Eyes
  78. ONE ROOM PAST WAITING – Chief Springs
  79. ARE YOU REALLY FREE? – Alba
  80. FIREBIRD – Josephine Pascoe
  81. CHILDHOOD FRIENDS – naive nature
  82. SPACE TRAVEL – Sandrom
  83. MORE – Andrew Neil and Code Purple
  84. SMALL TIME FISH (BIG TIME POND) – Sorry Ghost
  85. THE VOID – Fuzzle
  86. GREEN EYED MONSTER – Olivia Miceli
  87. ALL I WANT – The Heroic Enthusiasts
  88. WHY DON’T YOU LOVE ME – Tom Burton
  89. COCK OF THE FIFTH YEAR – The Empty Page
  90. NOT READY YET – Sean Magwire
  91. GHOST – Grizzly Madams
  92. ALWAYS DO – Melody Zenith
  93. MISSED YOU – Mal Fantome
  94. WOULD YOU WANT IT (IF YOU HAD IT) – The Barons
  95. THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF WHAT IF – Eleanor Collides & Emily Gray
  96. EVERYTHING FITS – Wons Phreely + The Horses
  97. ANYWAY – The Crushing Violets
  98. PUSH IT BACK – Kiffie
  99. ALL THE SAME TO YOU – Quizboy & Marc Schuster
  100. SHADE – Microfilm

Top 30 Songs for September 29-October 5, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments
Photo by Sophie Jones

A new week, another new song to top my chart. “Messy”, the defiant, emotionally-charged single by English singer-songwriter and musician Lola Young, ascends to the #1 spot. The 23-year-old South London-based artist lists Joni Mitchell, Prince, Adele, SZA, Frank Ocean, and Anderson .Paak among her musical influences, and her provocative songwriting and smoky vocal style have earned her comparisons with the late Amy Winehouse. “Messy” is from her critically-acclaimed third album This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway, which dropped June 21st. Young named-dropped its title in a statement: “Here is my first born child, a fuck you to all my exes, and basically me just trying to figure out some shit openly and honestly on record. First of many and if you don’t like it, then this wasn’t meant for you anyway.”

Accordingly, “Messy” is an angry tirade to a romantic partner, with brilliantly written, highly relatable lyrics expressing her exasperation with them for never being satisfied with her, no matter how hard she’s tried to please them: “Cause I’m too messy and then I’m too fucking clean. You told me get a job then you ask where the hell I’ve been. And I’m too perfect till I open my big mouth. I want to be me, is that not allowed? And I’m too perfect till I show you that I’m not. A thousand people I could be for you, and you hate the fucking lot.” I love both the song and video.

Three songs enter the top 10 this week – “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Jack White, “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan, and “You Just Played My Mind” by English singer-songwriter Oli Barton, charting at #8, #9 and #10, respectively. Teddy Swims has the biggest upward mover with his marvelous single “The Door”, jumping eight spots to #20. The lone debut this week is “Die With A Smile”, the beautiful collaborative single by music heavyweights Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, finally entering my chart at #29. Though I really like both artists, it took a while for the song to grow on me for some inexplicable reason.

  1. MESSY – Lola Young (4)
  2. LIKE YOU DO – Talk in waves (1)
  3. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (3)
  4. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (5)
  5. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (2)
  6. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (8)
  7. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (10)
  8. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (14)
  9. GOOD LUCK, BABE!” – Chappell Roan (11)
  10. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (13)
  11. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (6)
  12. OH NO! – The Decemberists (7)
  13. WAR – Healer (15)
  14. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (16)
  15. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (17)
  16. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (18)
  17. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (20)
  18. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (9)
  19. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (12)
  20. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (28)
  21. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (23)
  22. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (22)
  23. HOLOGRAM – Raker (24)
  24. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (25)
  25. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (26)
  26. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (27)
  27. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (19) 21st week on chart
  28. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (30)
  29. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (N)
  30. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (21)

Top 30 Songs for September 22-28, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

Talk in Waves, the newly-rechristened music project of Northern Virginia-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos that was formerly known as The Frontier, is a long-time favorite artist of mine. The talented, hard working guy skillfully blends elements of folk, pop, indie rock and electronica to create songs that are incredibly melodic, flawlessly crafted and always catchy, all self-recorded and produced in his home studio. As with many singer-songwriters, Jake’s songs are often inspired by personal experiences, touching on relatable topics like love, relationships and loss, which are expressed through lyrics that are honest and straightforward, and delivered with his warm, pleasing vocals.

His latest single “Like You Do” (which I reviewed in May) finally ascends to the #1 spot on my Top 30 after a long, steady climb. The bittersweet song is directed toward a former romantic partner who the singer desperately longs for, and wishes would come back into his life. It’s his fifth song to reach #1 on my chart, following “Dark Places” (2019), “Can We Go Back” (2021), “Closer” (2022) and “Walk Through the Fire” (2023), while his 2020 single “Sleep” reached #2.

In other chart news of note, both Cage the Elephant‘s “Rainbow” and Lola Young‘s “Messy” advance five spots to #3 and #4, respectively, while Billie Eilish moves up two spots to enter the top 10 with her lovely song “BIRDS OF A FEATHER”. “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Jack White also climbs five spots to #14, while “Peaceful Place” by Leon Bridges leaps eight spots to #20, making it the biggest upward mover this week.

Two songs enter my chart this week, starting with the hard-driving and soulful “The Door” by American singer-songwriter Teddy Swims (aka Jaten Collin Dimsdale). Co-written by Swims and John Ryan, John Sudduth, Sherwyn Nicholls, Joshua Coleman, and Julian Bunetta, he says the song is about saving his own life and finding the courage to walk out on an abusive relationship that played a part in driving his friends and family out of his life. (Wikipedia) “The Door” was originally released last September as one of the tracks on his debut album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1), and as the album’s third single this past April. Swims reached #1 on my chart earlier this year with “Lose Control”. Entering at #30 is “Up All Night”, a rousing collaboration by a powerhouse lineup of English singer-songwriter James Bay, Colorado-based alternative folk band The Lumineers and Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan. All three acts have previously scored #1 songs on my chart.

  1. LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (3)
  2. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (1)
  3. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (8)
  4. MESSY – Lola Young (9)
  5. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (6)
  6. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (2)
  7. OH NO! – The Decemberists (5)
  8. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (10)
  9. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (4)
  10. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (12)
  11. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (13)
  12. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (7)
  13. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (15)
  14. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (19)
  15. WAR – Healer (16)
  16. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (17)
  17. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (18)
  18. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (20)
  19. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (11) 20th week on chart
  20. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (28)
  21. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (14)
  22. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (22)
  23. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (23)
  24. HOLOGRAM – Raker (25)
  25. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (26)
  26. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (29)
  27. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (30)
  28. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (N)
  29. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (21)
  30. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 15-21, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

Three and a half months after its release, “Lost In Space” by Foster the People finally ascends to the #1 spot, something I would not have predicted when it first appeared on my chart 12 weeks ago. Though they’ve been one of my favorite bands for well over 10 years, I wasn’t sure about the song at first. With its throwback disco/funk beat and heavy electronic vibe , it sounded quite different from anything they’d done before. In time, however, it eventually grew on me to the point where I now love it. I like its exuberant cinematic feel, especially the lush orchestral strings. “Lost In Space” was the lead single from their fourth studio album Paradise State of Mind, released on August 16, and is their fourth song to top my chart, following “Pumped Up Kicks”, “Coming of Age” and “Sit Next To Me”.

Still based in Los Angeles since forming in 2009, Foster the People now consists of founding member and front man Mark Foster and multi-instrumentalist Isom Innis, who started as a touring member of the band way back in 2010. A lot has happened with Foster and the band since the release of their 2017 album Sacred Hearts Club; he got sober in 2018, married actress Julia Garner in 2019, and saw the departure of the band’s founding drummer Mark Pontius in early 2021 during the waning days of the Covid pandemic, when they were unable to tour or perform live. All these changes caused Foster to look inward. In an interview with GRAMMY.com, he explained “I just dove into myself, really unpacking a lot of things emotionally, psychologically. Finding out who Mark is outside of music and getting comfortable with that.” He decided to explore new musical sounds for their next record Paradise State of Mind, diving into the disco/funk crossover pioneered by artists like Nile Rodgers and Giorgio Moroder in the late ’70s, utilizing synth stylings similar to that of P-Funk’s Bernie Worrell. In a Reddit thread, he noted that 95% of the synths are analog, and all of the strings are live.

The colorful video, a great deal of which is shot in vivid red hues, was directed by Rupert Höller. It’s kind of a modernized and trippy take on the Busby Berkeley movie musicals of the 1930s, with Mark Foster filmed on various sets, one of them a tall red staircase, and surrounded by lots of dancers. Though it’s a pretty enjoyable video overall, I can’t figure out the intended meaning of all those hands swaying, fluttering and caressing Foster’s face.

In other chart news of note, Virginia-based singer-songwriter Jake Mimikos, who’s been recording and releasing music as The Frontier for the past 10 years, has just changed his music moniker to Talk in waves, to reflect his evolving sound. His latest single “Like You Do” advances a spot to #3. English singer-songwriters Lola Young and Myles Smith enter the top 10 with their songs “Messy” and “Stargazing”, each moving up two spots to #9 and #10, respectively.

Three marvelous songs make their debut this week, the first of which is the lovely and captivating “Peaceful Place” by enormously talented Texas-based singer-songwriter Leon Bridges. I love his pleasing style of R&B-influenced neo soul, particularly his smooth and warm vocals. The song is the lead single from his fourth studio album Leon, scheduled for release on October 4, 2024, and marks Bridges’ sixth appearance on my chart, four times as a solo artist and twice in collaboration with Texas-based psych rock band Khruangbin. His beautiful song “Bad Bad News” ranks #29 on my Top 100 Songs of the 2010’s list.

Entering at #29 is the delightful “can’t slow down” by San Diego-based indie pop trio almost monday. It’s their second appearance on my chart, their first being their 2020 single “broken people”. They’ll be releasing their debut studio album Dive on September 25th. Last, but certainly not least, is “Favourite” by Irish band Fontaines D.C., the second single to be released from their outstanding latest album Romance, which dropped August 23rd. Along with “Starburster”, which spent three weeks at #1 and currently sits at #4, “Favourite” gives the band two songs on this chart.

  1. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (3)
  2. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (1)
  3. LIKE YOU DO – Talk in waves (4)
  4. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (2)
  5. OH NO! – The Decemberists (6)
  6. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (8)
  7. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (5)
  8. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (10)
  9. MESSY – Lola Young (11)
  10. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (12)
  11. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (7)
  12. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (14)
  13. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (15)
  14. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (9)
  15. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (16)
  16. WAR – Healer (18)
  17. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (19)
  18. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (20)
  19. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (21)
  20. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (22)
  21. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (13)
  22. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (26)
  23. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (27)
  24. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (17)
  25. HOLOGRAM – Raker (29)
  26. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (30)
  27. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (24)
  28. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (N)
  29. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (N)
  30. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 8-14, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

The past week has been blazing hot in Southern California, with many locations either reaching or breaking their all-time record high temperatures (112 in downtown L.A., 114 in Burbank, 119 in Woodland Hills and 121 in Palm Springs, the sixth time this summer it’s reached or exceeded 120 here!). My latest top 30 is sizzling hot too, filled with terrific songs by some of the best artists making music today.

“The Craving” by twenty one pilots maintains a firm grip on the top spot for a third week, while Fontaines D.C.‘s “Starburster” still has the power to excite and amaze, and thus remains at #2 for a third week after spending three weeks at #1. Moving into third place is “Lost In Space” by one of my longtime favorite acts Foster the People. The song took a while to really grab me, but now I love it! Always dependable singer-songwriter The Frontier moves up a notch to #4 with his heartwarming “Like You Do”, while Beach Weather‘s sultry “High In Low Places” inches down a notch to #5. It’s the song’s 11th week in the top five, three of which were spent at #1. Cage the Elephant‘s “Rainbow” moves up one, entering the top 10 at #10. The biggest upward movers this week are “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Jack White and “Death Valley High” by Orville Peck & Beck, each advancing seven spots to #21 and #22, respectively.

Two songs make their debut this week, starting with the lovely “Hologram” by Miami-based pop-rock duo Raker (which I reviewed last month). The second is the captivating and sensuous “Garmonbozia” by Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, musician and producer Flying Lotus (aka Steven Ellison), which I learned about in a recent post on the wonderful New Music Jason’s Picks blog. The talented and multi-faceted artist has had a long and successful career since 2007, releasing ten albums, numerous EPs, and collaborating with the likes of Thundercat, Denzel Curry, Anderson .Paak and Smoke DZA, among others. Ellison named the song after the mysterious substance that looks like creamed corn and represents “pain and sorrow” referenced in the TV series Twin Peaks.

  1. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (1)
  2. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (2)
  3. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (6)
  4. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (5)
  5. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (4)
  6. OH NO! – The Decemberists (7)
  7. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (3)
  8. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (8)
  9. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (9)
  10. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (11)
  11. MESSY – Lola Young (12)
  12. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (15)
  13. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (13)
  14. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (19)
  15. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (20)
  16. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (18)
  17. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (10)
  18. WAR – Healer (21)
  19. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (22)
  20. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (26)
  21. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (28)
  22. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (29)
  23. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (14)
  24. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (16)
  25. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (17)
  26. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (27)
  27. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (30)
  28. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (23)
  29. HOLOGRAM – Raker (N)
  30. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 1-7, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

twenty one pilots hold on to the top spot for a second week with their heartwarming love song “The Craving”, while Fontaines D.C., AWOLNATION and Beach Weather remain at #2, 3 & 4 for a second week with “Starburster”, “Panoramic View” and “High In Low Places”, respectively. Northern Virginia singer-songwriter The Frontier‘s uplifting song of tribute “Like You Do” moves up a notch to #5, and the melancholy and introspective “What if i feel like this my whole life?” by English singer-songwriter HULLAH enters the top 10 at #9. He just released another new single “Roads” this past Friday, August 30th. The biggest upward mover this week is “Messy” by English singer-songwriter Lola Young, advancing nine spots to #12.

Debuting this week are three great songs by innovative and rather unorthodox artists, the first of which is “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Detroit-born and now Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire Jack White. The song is from his sixth studio album No Name, which dropped August 2nd. White gained more of my respect a few days ago when he posted this scathing rant against the despicable Donald Trump after a woman named Margo Martin played “Seven Nation Army” at one of his campaign rallies: “Oh….Don’t even think about using my music you fascists. Law suit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your 5 thousand others.) Have a great day at work today Margo Martin. And as long as I’m here, a double fuck you DonOLD for insulting our nation’s veterans at Arlington you scum. You should lose every military family’s vote immediately from that if ANYTHING makes sense anymore.” His words pretty closely mirror my feelings for the odious mutherfucker.

The second debut is the delightfully catchy “Death Valley High” by enigmatic gay alt-country singer-songwriter Orville Peck (born Daniel Pitout in Johannesburg, South Africa, and known for always wearing a mask so as not to show his face publicly) and legendary singer-songwriter Beck. Co-written with Beck, the song is from Peck’s third studio album Stampede, also released on August 2nd. The album features 16 tracks, all of which are duets with other artists. Beck’s influence is immediately apparent, as the song features a riff that’s similar to the recent Black Keys #1 hit song “Beautiful People (Stay High)”, which he also co-wrote and produced.

The third debut, entering at #30, is “Big Cat Tattoos” by Scottish singer-songwriter Hamish Hawk, whose music has been described as sophisti-pop, post-punk and art rock. His rich baritone voice has been compared to those of Scott Walker, Neil Hannon and Morrissey. Released in late April, the song is from his third solo studio album A Firmer Hand, which dropped August 16th. The critically acclaimed album features 12 tracks touching on Hawk’s relationships with the men in his life including friends, lovers, family members and colleagues, and exploring themes of sex, lust, rejection, masculinity, shame and sexual repression.

  1. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (1)
  2. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (2)
  3. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (3)
  4. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (4)
  5. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (6)
  6. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (7)
  7. OH NO! – The Decemberists (8)
  8. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (10)
  9. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (11)
  10. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (5)
  11. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (15)
  12. MESSY – Lola Young (21)
  13. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (18)
  14. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (9)
  15. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (19)
  16. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (13)
  17. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (12)
  18. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (20)
  19. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (24)
  20. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (25)
  21. WAR – Healer (22)
  22. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (23)
  23. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (14)
  24. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (17)
  25. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (16)
  26. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (29)
  27. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (30)
  28. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (N)
  29. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (N)
  30. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 25-31, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

Ever since learning about them nearly 10 years ago, twenty one pilots have ranked among my all-time favorite music acts. Their 2015 masterpiece Blurryface is one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time. Still based in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio, the dynamic duo consists of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. Joseph is a brilliant and imaginative songwriter, as well as a damn fine rapper, and Dun is one of the best drummers around today. Their eclectic sound is a blend of alternative rock, hip hop, synth-pop, bedroom pop, emo rap, indie and garage rock.

This past May, they released their seventh album Clancy, the final installment of their nearly decade-long series of conceptual albums. Clancy concludes the storyline of the character Clancy, who resides in the fictional dystopian city of Dema in the metaphysical world of Trench we were introduced to on their 2018 album Trench. The album was co-produced by Joseph and his frequent collaborator Paul Meany, a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music director and producer who’s also front man of alt-rock act Mutemath. One of the album’s tracks, “The Craving”, was released in two different versions, one being the album cut featuring a stripped-down acoustic arrangement subtitled “Jenna’s Version”, and the other the single version featuring a fuller arrangement. Joseph wrote the song as a dedication to his wife Jenna. The beautiful single version is my new #1 song this week, making it twenty one pilots’ 11th song to reach #1 on my chart (their previous single “Overcompensate” recently peaked at #2).

In other chart news of note, Sabrina Carpenter‘s breezy dance-pop gem “Espresso” climbs six spots to enter the top 10 at #10, and Lola Young‘s powerfully defiant “Messy” moves up six spots to #21. Two songs make their debut this week: entering at #29 is the hauntingly beautiful “Into Gold” by English indie pop trio London Grammar. Formed in 2009 the band consists of Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dominic “Dot” Major. They’ve released three albums thus far, with a fourth, The Greatest Love, due for release later this year. Though their albums have been quite successful in the UK, many European countries and Australia, some reaching #1 in those countries, they’ve had only limited success in the U.S. “Into Gold” was released on June 21st as the third single from The Greatest Love, and marks London Grammar’s first appearance on my chart. Entering at #30 is the topically relevant and captivating “Permanent Record” by Welsh singer-songwriter GG Fearn, which I reviewed last month. The talented artist just released her album “Scopophobia”, a soundtrack to the independent Welsh horror film of the same name, featuring “Permanent Record”, along with previously-released songs and new ones written especially for the film.

  1. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (2)
  2. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  3. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (4)
  4. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (3)
  5. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (5)
  6. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (7)
  7. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (8)
  8. OH NO! – The Decemberists (10)
  9. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (6)
  10. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (16)
  11. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (14)
  12. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (12)
  13. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (13)
  14. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (9)
  15. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (17)
  16. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (11)
  17. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (15)
  18. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (20)
  19. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (21)
  20. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (23)
  21. MESSY – Lola Young (27)
  22. WAR – Healer (24)
  23. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (26)
  24. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (29)
  25. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (30)
  26. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Six (25)
  27. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (18)
  28. TOO SWEET – Hozier (19) 20th week on chart
  29. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (N)
  30. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 18-24, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's18 Comments

I’m still enthralled with Fontaines D.C.‘s bombastic and unsettling masterpiece “Starburster”, consequently it remains at #1 on my Top 30 chart for a third week. twenty one pilots and Beach Weather hold the #2 and #3 spots again this week with their beautiful songs “The Craving” and “High in Low Places”, while “Panoramic View” by AWOLNATION moves back up to #4. Norwegian psych-noir duo Mayflower Madame‘s darkwave gem “A Foretold Ecstasy” moves up two spots to #5 and The Decemberists move up a notch to enter the top 10 with their delightful Latin-esque “Oh No!”

Two songs, both of which have been out for a while, finally enter my chart this week. At #29 is the enchanting “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish, giving her two songs on this chart, the other being “LUNCH”, which currently sits at #6. Both songs are from her latest album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.

Coming in at #30 is “Good Luck, Babe!” by Missouri-born and now L.A.-based singer-songwriter sensation Chappell Roan. With her campy music aesthetic and performing style heavily influenced by drag queens, she’s recently gone viral, and I’ve happily climbed aboard the Chappell Roan bandwagon! Her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, released in September 2023, was not an immediate commercial success despite being included on several best albums of 2023 lists. But following her run as an opening act for Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour, which ran from February-April 2024, and performances at music festivals like Coachella, Governors Ball and Lollapalooza, where she allegedly broke the record for the most crowded set at that festival’s history, Roan and her album eventually garnered a cult following. By mid-2024, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess had climbed numerous worldwide charts, reaching #1 in Ireland, New Zealand and the UK, and the top five in Australia and on the US Billboard 200 Album chart. Subsequently, several of the album’s singles entered various charts for the first time since their release, along with her follow-up single “Good Luck, Babe!”, which reached the top 10 in many countries, making it her most successful single to date.

  1. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  2. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (2)
  3. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (3)
  4. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
  5. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (7)
  6. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (8)
  7. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (9)
  8. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (10)
  9. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (4)
  10. OH NO! – The Decemberists (11)
  11. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (6)
  12. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (12)
  13. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (16)
  14. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (17)
  15. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (18)
  16. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (19)
  17. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (20)
  18. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (13)
  19. TOO SWEET – Hozier (14) 19th week on chart
  20. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (21)
  21. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (22)
  22. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (15)
  23. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (25)
  24. WAR – Healer (26)
  25. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Sex (27)
  26. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (28)
  27. MESSY – Lola Young (29)
  28. DOWNING STREET – Brain Ape (30)
  29. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (N)
  30. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 11-17, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments
Photo of Fontaines D.C. taken from their Facebook account

Last week’s top seven songs remain in the top seven this week, with the irrepressible Fontaines D.C. holding on to the top spot for a second week with their darkly beautiful and bombastic tour de force “Starburster”. twenty one pilots and Beach Weather switch places, with the former’s “The Craving” moving into the #2 spot. Entering the top 10 are “Like You Do” by a long-time favorite of mine, Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, and “Lost In Space” by another long-time favorite band Foster the People. Fun fact: I’ve seen twenty one pilots, Beach Weather and Foster the People in concert.

“Oh No!” by The Decemberists jumps eight spots to #11, making it the biggest upward mover for a second week. Two songs make their debut, the first of which is “Messy”, a defiant song of self affirmation by English singer-songwriter and musician Lola Young. I heard the song on a recent post by fellow blogger Katie Hartless on her wonderful blog Yard Sale of Thoughts, and loved it at first listen. Though Lola Young has been recording and releasing music for the past five years, I wasn’t familiar with her or her music. Her provocative songwriting and smoky vocal style have earned her comparisons with the late Amy Winehouse. “Messy” is from her third album This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway, which dropped June 21st. The second debut, entering at #30, is “downing street” by innovative London-based alt-rock band Brain Ape, who I’ve featured many times on this blog. I reviewed the song when it came out last month.

  1. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  2. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (3)
  3. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (2)
  4. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (4)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
  6. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (6)
  7. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (7)
  8. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (9)
  9. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (11)
  10. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (12)
  11. OH NO! – The Decemberists (19)
  12. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (14)
  13. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (8)
  14. TOO SWEET – Hozier (10)
  15. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (15)
  16. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (16)
  17. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (17)
  18. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (18)
  19. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (20)
  20. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (21)
  21. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (24)
  22. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (28)
  23. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (13)
  24. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (25)
  25. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (26)
  26. WAR – Healer (27)
  27. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Sex (29)
  28. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (30)
  29. MESSY – Lola Young (N)
  30. DOWNING STREET – Brain Ape (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 4-10, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C. are one of the most exciting and interesting acts making music today, and I love their always arresting sound, thanks in part to charismatic lead vocalist Grian Chatten’s distinctive baritone Irish brogue. Formed in Dublin in 2017 and now based in London, in addition to Chatten, the band is comprised of Carlos O’Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), and Tom Coll (drums). They’ve released three critically acclaimed albums since 2018 (none of which have charted on the Billboard 200 Album chart, which is a travesty), with a fourth, Romance, due for release on August 23.

“Starburster”, the bombastic lead single from Romance, rises to the pinnacle of my Top 30 chart this week. It’s one of the most sonically thrilling and complex songs I’ve heard in a while, and I could listen to it on an endless loop. It’s become their highest-charting single in the U.S. thus far and, shockingly, their first to ever make the UK and Canadian singles charts.

The song was inspired by a panic attack that Chatten suffered in London’s St Pancras tube station, and the jarring gasps heard at the end of each line suggest the gasps or quick breaths of someone experiencing a panic attack. To drive home their message, Fontaines D.C. start with a foreboding Mellotron string loop quickly followed by an elegant piano riff before the music explodes into a bombastic soundscape of stomping trip hop beats, sharp percussion and reverb-soaked twangy guitars. Chatten does a fine job with his commanding rapid-fire rapping of the lyrics, which he’d previously done on the collaborative single “Better Way To Live” with Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap. The song transitions to a calm interlude in the bridge with a majestic string arrangement and Chatten’s vocals now a warm and soothing croon, then finishes with a return of the stomping beats and jarring music. I love it!

The song’s rather unsettling video, directed by Aube Pierre, features Chatten performing a variety of daily activities in differing personas ranging from angelic to demonic, sometimes wounded and other times wearing a mask or wig. It’s as ambiguous and scattered as the song’s lyrics.

In other notable chart developments, Billie Eilish‘s “LUNCH” enters the top 10 at #9, and The Decemberists‘ “Oh No!” leaps nine spots to #19, making it the biggest upward mover this week. Three newish songs make their debut this week, starting with “Stargazing” by English singer-songwriter Myles Smith, entering at #28. He wrote the song along with Jesse Fink and Peter Fenn after being inspired while watching a sunset together in Malibu. The song has become his biggest hit yet, and first to chart in the U.S. Next up is “Baby Blue Movie” by Texas dream pop band Cigarettes After Sex. Released on June 4th, the captivating ethereal song was the third single from their recently-released third studio album X’s. The third new entry is the sensuous “Honey” by Welsh art pop artist Mr Bewlay, which I reviewed in late June. This is the first appearance on my chart for all three acts.

  1. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (3)
  2. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (1)
  3. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (4)
  4. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (2)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
  6. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (7)
  7. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (9)
  8. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (6)
  9. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (11)
  10. TOO SWEET – Hozier (8)
  11. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (14)
  12. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (15)
  13. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (10)
  14. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (16)
  15. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (17)
  16. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (18)
  17. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (19)
  18. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (20)
  19. OH NO! – The Decemberists (28)
  20. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (23)
  21. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (25)
  22. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (12)
  23. TOO MUCH – girl in red (13)
  24. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (27)
  25. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (26)
  26. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (29)
  27. WAR – Healer (30)
  28. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (N)
  29. BABY BLUE MOVIE – Cigarettes After Sex (N)
  30. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (N)