Tag: Lorde

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)

My Top 30 Songs for July 27-August 2, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments
Photo of Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell by Shervin Lainez

I’m still loving “moody” by Royel Otis a lot, thus it remains at #1 for a second week, while sombr‘s “back to friends” holds at #2 for a second week after spending three weeks at #1. Twenty One Pilots and Djo move up one spot each to #s 3 and 4 with “The Contract” and “Basic Being Basic”. Entering the top 10 are “No Rain, No Flowers” by The Black Keys, jumping seven spots to #7, and “Scars” by my favorite Welsh artist Secret Postal Society, moving up a notch to #10.

Two songs make their debut on my chart this week, the first of which is “Today’s Song” by rock legends the Foo Fighters, entering at #29. In a note accompanying the single’s release, band frontman Dave Grohl stated it’s a tribute to former band members including recently fired drummer Josh Freese, founding drummer William Goldsmith, guitarist Franz Stahl and late drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died in 2022. The second debut is the quite lovely “Incomprehensible” by Brooklyn, New York-based indie folk band Big Thief. Formed in 2015, the band now consists of vocalist-guitarist Adrianne Lenker, guitarist Buck Meek and drummer James Krivchenia. (Founding bassist Max Oleartchik left the band in 2024.) The song is the lead single from their forthcoming sixth studio album Double Infinity, set for release on September 5th.

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

My Top 30 Songs for July 20-26, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments
Photo of Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell by Shervin Lainez for Flood Magazine

We have a new #1 song this week, as well as four new debuts. Over the past year, I’ve become a fan of Australian act Royel Otis on the strength of their infectious guitar-pop sound and charming, laid-back persona. Formed in 2019 by Royel Maddell (who rarely shows his face) and Otis Pavlovic, the Sydney-based duo draw from elements of indie pop, indie rock, new wave, pop rock, post-punk and psychedelic rock in the creation of their music. They released two EPs in 2021 and 2022 to little notice until the song “Oysters in My Pocket”, from the second EP Bar n Grill, gained traction in late 2022. Their third EP Sofa Kings, released in 2023, proved more successful, with the breakthrough title track marking their first appearance on American charts and eventually peaking at #12 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. In late January 2024, they released their electrifying cover of “Murder on the Dancefloor”, the 2001 disco pop hit by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor which they performed on the Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version program. The song went viral and reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative chart, as well as my own Top 30 chart. I couldn’t get enough of it, and it ended up ranking #4 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. The guys quickly followed with their debut album Pratts & Pain in February 2024, which debuted at #1 on the Australian Albums Chart, and went on to win four awards at the 2024 ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Music Awards. They also released a wonderful cover of The Cranberries’ classic “Linger”.

Their charming single “moody“, released on May 9th, is a love song of sorts, detailing a problematic relationship with a woman who drives the singer crazy in both good ways and bad. She’s jealous, bitchy and cranky, yet he’s hopelessly in love with her: “She’s always givin’ it to me. Late nights, she always accusin’. Last time, she said she would kill me. My girl’s a bitch when she’s moody. But she’s my everything. She’s all that I need.” I love the song’s languid laid back groove, highlighted by Royel’s terrific guitar noodling and Otis’ sweet vocals, and it ascends to #1 on my latest chart.

The joyoustly upbeat “Feels Right” by northern Virginia artist Talk in Waves, who’s no stranger to my charts, enters the top 10 at #10. And as I noted above, four songs make their debut this week, three of which are spelled in all lower case letters. Entering at #27 is “jupiter” by San Diego-based indie pop band almost monday, comprised of Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Cole Clisby (guitar), and Luke Fabry (bass), and featuring L.A.-based indie pop singer-songwriter Jordana. The song was originally included on their 2014 album DIVE as a recording by only the band, but a new version with Jordana singing backing vocals was released in January on a deluxe version of DIVE. It’s the third song by almost monday to appear on my chart, following 2020’s “broken people” and last year’s smash hit “can’t slow down”.

The second debut, coming in at #28, is the relentessly catchy “undressed” by sombr, whose single “back to friends” just spent three weeks at #1 and now sits at #2. The song continues the theme exploring the challenges of moving on from a failed relationship that was first introduced in “back to friends”. Next up is “Backseat” by New Zealand-born and now New York City-based duo Balu Brigada, comprised of multi-instrumentalist brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley, whose single “So Cold” spent three weeks at #1 on my chart in March. Though a long one, running nearly six and a half minutes, “Backseat” is a compelling, melodically complex song that’s sure to be another hit for the talented brothers.

Last but certainly not least is the delightful “polyester (yes sir)” by L.A. indie pop-rock band Sorry Ghost, which I featured in a recent Fresh New Tracks post. As I noted in that post, the charismatic band – comprised of Dan Anton (vocals), Matt Polito (guitar and vocals), Tate Silver (drums) and Sean Duong (guitar and vocals) – have a cheeky sense of humor and frequently delight their fans and followers with hilarious and endearing video reels of themselves on Instagram and TikTok. I love the song’s mellow vibe that sits in a sweet spot between sunny and melancholy, as well as the colorful blend of jangly and chiming guitars accompanied by pleasing harmonies.

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

I feel guilty including a Spotify playlist anymore, but here it is in case anyone cares to check out any of the songs:

Top 30 Songs for July 13-19, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's3 Comments

20-year-old artist sombr has a firm grip on the top spot as his song “back to friends” spends a third week at #1, while Australian duo Royel Otis move up two spots to #2 with “moody” (I find it fascinating that a lot of acts today use all lowercase letters for their names and song titles). Twenty One Pilots (who for many years also spelled their name in all lowercase) advance five spots to enter the top 10 at #8 with “The Contract”, followed by Dexter and The Moonrocks‘ “Ritalin” and Matt Berninger‘s “Bonnet of Pins”, coming in at #s 9 and 10, respectively. The Black Keys are this week’s biggest upward mover with “No Rain, No Flowers”, jumping eight spots to #18.

The lone new debut this week is “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” by ROLE MODEL, the music project of American singer-songwriter Tucker Harrington Pillsbury. Born in Maine and now based in Los Angeles, he began his music career in 2016, rapping under his first name Tucker, but soon changed his stage name to Dillis, under which he released an album Moth. In early 2017, he again changed his name, this time to ROLE MODEL, and switched from rapping to singing. He released his debut EP Arizona in the Summer that December, which earned him a following online and captured the attention of the late rapper Mac Miller, who invited him to Los Angeles to work with him on a music project. ROLE MODEL was subsequently signed to Interscope in 2018, and continued releasing singles and two more EPs, culminating in the release of his debut album Rx, though none of them charted.

In July 2024 he released his sophomore album Kansas Anymore, featuring a more country folk sound. He followed this past February with a deluxe edition of the album, Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), accompanied by the sweet single “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”. Like many songs these days, it became popular on TikTok, undoubtedly helped by Tucker’s good looks and charming persona, and is his first song to chart in the U.S. and several countries, including Canada, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Israel.

  1. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (1)
  2. MOODY – Royel Otis (4)
  3. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (2)
  4. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (3)
  5. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (6)
  6. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (7)
  7. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (5)
  8. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (13)
  9. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (11)
  10. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (12)
  11. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (15)
  12. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (14)
  13. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (16)
  14. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (8)
  15. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (9)
  16. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (10)
  17. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (19)
  18. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (26)
  19. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (22)
  20. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (23)
  21. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (24)
  22. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (25)
  23. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (28)
  24. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (29)
  25. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (17) 19th week on chart
  26. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (30)
  27. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (18)
  28. WALLS – Frank Joshua (20) 21st week on chart
  29. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (21)
  30. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 6-12, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments
Photo of sombr from his Facebook account

The cinematic anthem “back to friends” by sombr holds onto the top spot for a second week, while Lord Huron‘s “Nothing I Need” remains at #2 again after spending two weeks at #1. Irish pop rock band Somebody’s Child moves up a spot to #3 with their beautiful “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)” and Australian duo Royel Otis slide into fourth place with “moody”.

There are three new debuts this week, starting with “The Contract” by my favorite music act Twenty One Pilots, comprised of the dynamic duo Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, entering my chart at lucky #13. The lead single from their forthcoming eighth studio album Breach, to be released September 5th, “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.

Entering at #29 is “Bloom Baby Bloom” by English alt-rock band Wolf Alice, consisting of Ellie Rowsell on lead vocals, Joff Oddie on guitar, Theo Ellis on bass and Joel Amey on drums. The song is the lead single from their fourth studio album The Clearing, to be released August 29th. And coming in at #30 is “Asshole” by Denver, Colorado-based alternative folk rock band The Lumineers, now a duo consisting of Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Also dubbed “First We Ever Met” to mollify radio censors and self-righteous Puritans, “Asshole” is from their fifth and latest studio album Automatic, which dropped February 14th.

  1. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (1)
  2. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (2)
  3. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (4)
  4. MOODY – Royel Otis (6)
  5. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (3)
  6. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (9)
  7. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (10)
  8. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (5)
  9. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (7)
  10. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (8)
  11. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (15)
  12. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (16)
  13. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (N)
  14. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (18)
  15. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (19)
  16. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (20)
  17. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (11)
  18. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (12)
  19. RIPPLE – Neighbours (23)
  20. WALLS – Frank Joshua (13) 20th week on chart
  21. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (14)
  22. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (24)
  23. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (25)
  24. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (26)
  25. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (28)
  26. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (29)
  27. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (17)
  28. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (30)
  29. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (N)
  30. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 29-July 5, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments
Photo of sombr from his Facebook account

‘With its sweeping cinematic ‘wall of sound’ arrangement and lush orchestration, the beautiful anthem “back to friends” by alternative pop-rock artist sombr is exactly the kind of song I love, so it was only a matter of time before it reached the pinnacle of my top 30 chart. The music project of talented and charismatic young singer-songwriter Shane Michael Boose – who will turn 20 on July 5th – sombr was born and raised in New York City but now based in Los Angeles. The gorgeous song was released in late December but as so often happens these days, it went viral on TikTok this past Spring along with his other single “Undressed”, and began appearing on multiple charts around the world, including the Billboard Hot 100 and other American charts. Currently enjoying a long stay at #1 on the Alternative Airplay chart, “back to friends” surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify in April and has now garnered more than 381 million streams.’

The straightforward, relatable lyrics describe feelings of heartbreak resulting from learning someone you thought you had a strong romantic and emotional connection with turns out to not share the same feelings, something I’m confident nearly all of us experienced at one time or another during our late adolescence or early adulthood. “How can we go back to being friends when we just shared a bed? How can you look at me and pretend I’m someone you’ve never met? The devil in your eyes won’t deny the lies you’ve sold, I’m holding on too tight. While you let go, this is casual.”

In other chart news of note, “Moody” by Australian duo Royel Otis is the biggest upward mover again this week, jumping nine spots to enter the top 10 at #6. Also entering the top 10 are “Basic Being Basic” by Djo, the music project of American actor and musician Joseph David Keery, who starred in the Netflix hit series Stranger Things, the comedy film Free Guy and season five of Fargo, and “Catch These Fists” by English indie rock band Wet Leg.

Two songs make their debut this week, the first of which is “No Rain, No Flowers” by Nashville-based blues rock duo The Black Keys, who are certainly no strangers to my chart. The marvelous ear worm is the title track and third single (after “The Night Before”, which recently peaked at #2, and “Babygirl”) from their forthcoming 13th studio album No Rain, No Flowers, scheduled for release on August 8th. Entering at #30 is “London Town” by English alternative indie rock band HEALER, a great song I recently reviewed. It’s their third song to appear on my chart, after “Bones” in 2023 and “War” in 2024.

  1. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (2)
  2. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (1)
  3. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (4)
  4. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (5)
  5. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (3)
  6. MOODY – Royel Otis (15)
  7. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (7)
  8. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (10)
  9. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (11)
  10. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (13)
  11. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (6)
  12. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (12)
  13. WALLS – Frank Joshua (8)
  14. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (9)
  15. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (17)
  16. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (19)
  17. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (18)
  18. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (21)
  19. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (22)
  20. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (23)
  21. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (14)
  22. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (16)
  23. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (26)
  24. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (27)
  25. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (28)
  26. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (29)
  27. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (20)
  28. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (30)
  29. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (N)
  30. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 22-28, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's2 Comments

Lord Huron‘s achingly beautiful “Nothing I Need” remains at #1 for a second week, while sombr‘s cinematic “back to friends” closes in at #2. Jack White advances four spots to #4 with his boisterous satirical takedown of televangelist hucksters “Archbishop Harold Holmes”, and Irish indie rock band Somebody’s Child jump five spots to #5 with “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)”. Ohio indie folk band Caamp enter the top 10 with their gentle song of positivity “Let Things Go”. The biggest upward mover this week is “Moody” by Australian duo Royel Otis, leaping 10 spots to #15.

We have three wonderful new debuts this week, starting with “Relationships” by Los Angeles-based pop-rock trio HAIM, comprised of sisters Este (bass guitar and vocals), Danielle (lead vocals, guitar, and drums), and Alana Haim (guitars, keyboards, and vocals). The lead single from their fourth album I Quit, which dropped this past Friday, June 20th, the song has a languid yet edgy hip hop vibe with the ladies’ marvelous signature harmonies, and I love it. It’s the sisters’ first song to appear on my chart.

Entering at #29 is the darkly beautiful and musically complex “Emergence” by English rock band Sleep Token, whose music is an electrifying blend of alternative, metal, progressive, R&B, hip hop and djent. Though they formed in 2016 and have released four albums, they’re new to me. In addition to their dynamic music, they’re also know for remaining physically anonymous by wearing masks. “Emergence” is the lead single from their fourth album Even in Arcadia, which was released in May, and their first to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at #57. The song is currently #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #17 on the Alternative Airplay chart.

Last but certainly not least is the haunting “Love Is A Fire” by the remarkably talented and prolific London-based artist Art Block, which I reviewed upon its release four weeks ago. A favorite artist of mine who I’ve featured many times on this blog, it’s his second song to appear on my chart, the previous being “White Horses”, which went all the way to #1 in December 2022.

  1. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (1)
  2. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (3)
  3. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (2)
  4. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (8)
  5. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (10)
  6. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (4)
  7. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (9)
  8. WALLS – Frank Joshua (5)
  9. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (6)
  10. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (11)
  11. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (13)
  12. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (14)
  13. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (15)
  14. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (7)
  15. MOODY – Royel Otis (25)
  16. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (12)
  17. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (19)
  18. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (20)
  19. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (21)
  20. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (18)
  21. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (22)
  22. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (23)
  23. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (24)
  24. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (16)
  25. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (17)
  26. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (29)
  27. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (30)
  28. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (N)
  29. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (N)
  30. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 15-21, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments
Photo of Lord Huron by Christian Waite

Another favorite music act of mine is American folk rock band Lord Huron. Originally formed as a solo act by singer-songwriter and guitarist Ben Schneider in 2010 after he relocated from Michigan to Los Angeles (his name was inspired by the Great Lake he grew up near), Lord Huron eventually became a four-piece that now includes Miguel Briseño on bass, keyboards & theremin, Tom Renaud on guitar, and Mark Barry on drums & percussion. Their uniquely beautiful music is a glorious mash-up of folk, western, rock and roll, pop, surf rock and new age, and has been described by music writers as evoking the ‘high-lonesome’ sound of such legendary acts as The Band and Neil Young, as well as newer acts like Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket (whose song “Time Waited” has spent the past three months on my chart, peaking at #1). The most striking features of their sound are the lush twangy and shimmery guitars, backed by stirring orchestral strings, and lead singer Ben Schneider’s beautiful warm vocals, which often convey an arresting and heartfelt vulnerability.

They’ve released four outstanding albums – Lonesome Dreams in 2012, Strange Trails in 2015, Vide Noir in 2018 and the gorgeous Long Lost in 2021, which is one of my favorite albums of the last 10 years. Their beautiful ballad “The Night We Met”, from Strange Trails, was their breakout hit and, shockingly, their only song to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at only #84. Nevertheless, it’s been streamed more than three billion times on Spotify. In January they released “Who Laughs Last?”, a hard-charging rock song featuring spoken word verses from actress Kristen Stewart, which they followed in late March with “Nothing I Need”. Those tracks, along with their latest single “Looking Back”, will be included on their forthcoming fifth album The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, scheduled for release on July 18th.

“Nothing I Need” is gorgeous, featuring the band’s signature rich and colorful guitar work and Schneider’s marvelous vocals. It takes over the #1 spot on my latest Top 30 chart, marking Lord Huron’s third song to reach #1, after “Not Dead Yet” and “Mine Forever”, both from Long Lost, and both of which ended up placing in the top 10 of my 100 Best Songs of 2021 list, with “Mine Forever” ranking #2.

The bittersweet lyrics tell of a man lamenting his lost youth and the love he squandered away through his endless traveling, possibly for his career that now brings him no pleasure: “I fell asleep and when I woke up, I was old. I said goodbye to my youth and my blood ran cold. I got a feeling I just had to get away. I left it all behind on an endless road, but I see her face everywhere I go. I got everything I want and I got nothing that I need.” Schneider, who wrote and sang the lyrics, stated “Nothing I Need” “wonders if it’s possible — within the short time you’ve got — to ever truly know what you want, if it’s worthwhile wanting anything at all, and if there’s any point in pondering what’s down the roads you didn’t take.“

In other chart highlights, sombr‘s “back to friends” continues its strong upward movement, climbing three spots to #3. Three songs enter the top 10 after hovering in the low teens the past few weeks – “Archbishop Harold Holmes” by Jack White, “Barbarian” by L.A.-based alt-rock band AWOLNATION and “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)” by Irish indie pop-rock band Somebody’s Child – all advancing three spots to #s 8, 9 and 10, respectively.

There are two new debuts again this week, the first of which is the exuberant “Ripple” by English indie rock duo Good Neighbours. Based in London and comprised of Oli Fox and Scott Verrill, they released their debut single “Home” in January 2024, The song was successful, reaching #26 in the UK and #2 on the Billboard AAA chart. I was never wild about that song, but I do like “Ripple”, which I find more infectious and appealing. The second debut is the wonderful “Better Off Eventually” by British Columbia, Canada-based alt-rock band Bealby Point, which I featured in the same Fresh New Tracks post as last week’s debut entry “Moody” by Royel Otis. 

  1. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (3)
  2. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  3. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (6)
  4. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (4)
  5. WALLS – Frank Joshua (2)
  6. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (5)
  7. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (9)
  8. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (11)
  9. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (12)
  10. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (13)
  11. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (14)
  12. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (10)
  13. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (17)
  14. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (18)
  15. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (20)
  16. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (7)
  17. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (8)
  18. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (19)
  19. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (22)
  20. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (23)
  21. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (27)
  22. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (25)
  23. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (26)
  24. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (29)
  25. MOODY – Royel Otis (30)
  26. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (15)
  27. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (16)
  28. SO LONG – Wavves (21)
  29. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (N)
  30. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (N)