Tag: Lovejoy

Top 30 Songs for October 1-7, 2023

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It’s hard to believe we’re now into October, as 2023 continues to speed past at a dizzying pace. British dream rock band Slowdive holds the top spot for a second week with their bewitching song “kisses”. Sliding into the #2 spot is “Walk Through the Fire” by Virginia singer-songwriter The Frontier, with “Good Vibrations” by Texas duo MISSIO right behind at #3. Otherwise, the top 10 songs remain the same, albeit with a bit of shuffling around. The biggest upward mover this week is “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” by Italian rock band Måneskin, leaping nine spots to #21.

For the second week, there are three new songs making their debut, though truth be told, there were seven or eight I wanted to add, but that would have meant dropping more off, which I couldn’t do. “More Than a Love Song” by Austin, Texas-based neo-soul duo Black Pumas (currently the #1 song on the Billboard AAA chart), enters at #28, “Summer of Luv” by Portland, Oregon-based rock band Portugal. The Man, featuring New Zealand psychedelic rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra, at #29, and “The Shameful” by British hard rock band Amongst Liars (which I reviewed a month ago today), at #30.

  1. KISSES – Slowdive (1)
  2. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (3)
  3. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (4)
  4. OVERRATED – dwi (2)
  5. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (6)
  6. FRANCESCA – Hozier (9)
  7. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (7)
  8. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (8)
  9. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (5) 20th week on chart
  10. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (10)
  11. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (12)
  12. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (13)
  13. LOVING YOU – Cannons (14)
  14. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (15)
  15. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (11)
  16. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (18)
  17. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (19)
  18. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (20)
  19. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (21)
  20. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (24)
  21. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (30)
  22. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (17)
  23. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (26)
  24. DARLING – Western Jaguar (27)
  25. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (16)
  26. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (28)
  27. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (29)
  28. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (N)
  29. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man ft. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (N)
  30. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 24-30, 2023

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Without question, one of the prettiest songs of 2023 is “kisses” by British dream rock band Slowdive. Though they formed way back in 1989, I’m embarrassed to admit I was not familiar with them until hearing “kisses” this past June (which may partly be due to the fact they’ve never had a single chart in the U.S., and only two of their albums have appeared on the Billboard 200 Album chart). Consisting of Rachel Goswell on vocals, guitar and keyboard, Neil Halstead on vocals and guitar, Christian Savill on guitar, Nick Chaplin on bass guitar and Simon Scott on drums, they rose to prominence in the British shoegaze scene in the early 90s. (In a recent NPR interview with Scott Simon, Halstead explained that the term “shoegaze” originated in the early 90s when a journalist from the British music magazine Melody Maker coined it to describe bands such as Slowdive who didn’t have much stagecraft and spent a lot of time looking down at their shoes as they frequently turned their guitar pedals on and off.)

While their second studio album Souvlaki (1993) initially received mixed reviews, it has since been recognized as one of the best albums of the 90s and one of the greatest shoegaze albums of all time by Pitchfork, NME and PopMatters, among others. (Wikipedia) Slowdive broke up soon after the release of their third studio album Pygmalion in 1995, but reunited in 2014, and released their fourth studio album, the self-titled Slowdive, in 2017. They dropped their stunning fifth album Everything Is Alive on September 1st, which became their first top 10 album ever, reaching #4 in the Netherlands, #6 in the UK and #7 in Germany. Though I think it’s one of the best albums of 2023, it only peaked at #63 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. Unbelievably, “kisses” has not appeared on any singles chart, however, it’s the new #1 song on MY chart! About the gorgeous album and song, Halstead told NPR: “A lot of the album is sort of about time passing. And I suppose, seeing as we’re all getting on a bit now, that’s one of the things we’re writing songs about… and ‘kisses’ is about having a second act, having a different chance in life.” Those dreamy synths, shimmery chiming guitars and sublime harmonies are simply breathtaking.

In other chart developments, “Walk Through the Fire” by Virginia singer-songwriter The Frontier, and “Good Vibrations” by Texas duo MISSIO move up two spots to #3 and #4, and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier enters the top 10 with his magnificent “Francesca”. The biggest upward movers are “Loving You” by L.A. dream pop band Cannons, and “Running Out of Time” by Nashville alt-rock band Paramore, both jumping 6 spots to #14 and #15, respectively. Debuting this week are “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND” by American metalcore band Bad Omens, at #28, “Hold Me Like a Grudge” by American rock band Fall Out Boy, at #29, and “HONEY (ARE YOU COMING?)” by Italian rock band Måneskin, at #30.

  1. KISSES – Slowdive (2)
  2. OVERRATED – dwi (1)
  3. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (5)
  4. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (6)
  5. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (3)
  6. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (8)
  7. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (9)
  8. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (4)
  9. FRANCESCA – Hozier (11)
  10. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (7)
  11. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (14)
  12. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick(15)
  13. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (17)
  14. LOVING YOU – Cannons (20)
  15. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (21)
  16. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (10)
  17. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (19)
  18. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (22)
  19. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (24)
  20. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (25)
  21. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (26)
  22. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (12)
  23. BONES – Healer (13)
  24. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (28)
  25. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (16)
  26. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (29)
  27. DARLING – Western Jaguar (30)
  28. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (N)
  29. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (N)
  30. HONEY (ARE YOU COMING?) – Måneskin (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 17-23, 2023

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The wonderfully trippy and boisterous “Overrated” by Canadian artist dwi holds the top spot for a second week on my latest Top 30 chart. Sliding into second place is the enchanting love song “Kisses” by British indie dream pop band Slowdive. Songs by two of my favorite acts – “Walk Through the Fire” by Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, and “Good Vibrations” by Texas-based duo MISSIO – both climb four spots to #5 and #6, respectively. Moving up five spots and entering the top 10 are “Dial Drunk” by Vermont-based singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, at #8, and “Odyssey”, a breezy collaboration between French alt-rock band Phoenix and American singer-songwriter Beck, at #9. “Dial Drunk” has become a huge breakout hit for Kahan, and his version of the song with guest vocals by Post Malone, is currently #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay and Adult Alternative Airplay charts.

Three songs make their debut this week: “Under You” by the mighty Foo Fighters, at #28, the sultry love song “My Kinda Girl” by British collective The 23s (which I recently reviewed), at #29, and the sweet love song “Darling” by Canadian artist Western Jaguar, from his wonderful album Oblivion (which I also reviewed), at #30. 

  1. OVERRATED – dwi (1)
  2. KISSES – Slowdive (4)
  3. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (2)
  4. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (3)
  5. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (9)
  6. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (10)
  7. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (5)
  8. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (13)
  9. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (14)
  10. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (6)
  11. FRANCESCA – Hozier (15)
  12. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (7)
  13. BONES – HEALER (8)
  14. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (16)
  15. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (17)
  16. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (11)
  17. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (18)
  18. ORBIT – Gooseberry (12)
  19. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (21)
  20. LOVING YOU – Cannons (22)
  21. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (23)
  22. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (24)
  23. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (20)
  24. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (25)
  25. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (26)
  26. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (30)
  27. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (19)
  28. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (N)
  29. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (N)
  30. DARLING – Western Jaguar (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 10-16, 2023

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One of my favorite Canadian artists is dwi, the music project of singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Dwight Abell, an immensely creative, talented and imaginative guy with a totally original sound and an endearingly quirky vocal style that make his music so uniquely distinctive. Based on the outskirts of Vancouver, British Columbia, he’s also the longtime bassist for Canadian alternative/power pop band The Zolas. He’s released two phenomenal albums – Mild Fantasy Violence in October 2021, which explored feelings of disconnect from the everyday normalities of relationships, addiction, politics and environmentalism, and Zoo Life this past July, which addressed Dwight’s childhood experiences in foster care, which he equates with being “taken away to a zoo”. (I reviewed both albums, which you can read here and here.)

One of my favorite songs from Zoo Life is “Overrated“, an incredibly infectious track featuring a poweful foot-stomping groove, gnarly bass, spacey synths and dwi’s wonderfully-crazed vocals as he ticks off a number of popular things in culture, like VR, Top Gun, licorice and 69, as well as passion, anger and temper, he feels are overrated. I love the song so much it’s risen to the top of my latest Weekly Top 30 chart. It’s his third song to top my chart, the previous two being “Good Friend” and “Party4One”. The surreal video shows dwi as a kind of gaming character, reflecting his life-long love of video games.

In other chart developments, “Good Vibrations” by another favorite act of mine, Austin, Texas-based MISSIO, enters the top 10 at #10. The biggest upward movers this week are “Cannonballers” by Tennessee indie rock band Colony House and “Forgiving Ties” by Rhode Island alternative folk-rock band Deer Tick, both of which jump six spots to #16 and 17, respectively. The sole debut, at #30, is “Pull Me Through” by British rock duo Royal Blood. The song is from their newly-released fourth studio album Back to the Water Below, which dropped September 1st.

  1. OVERRATED – dwi (3)
  2. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (1)
  3. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (2)
  4. KISSES – Slowdive (6)
  5. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (5)
  6. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (4)
  7. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (7)
  8. BONES – HEALER (8)
  9. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (9)
  10. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (12)
  11. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (11)
  12. ORBIT – Gooseberry (13)
  13. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (14)
  14. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (15)
  15. FRANCESCA – Hozier (16)
  16. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (22)
  17. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (23)
  18. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (21)
  19. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (10)
  20. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (20)
  21. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (24)
  22. LOVING YOU – Cannons (25)
  23. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (27)
  24. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (28)
  25. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (29)
  26. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (30)
  27. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (17)
  28. WHY – Future Theory (18) 20th week on chart
  29. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (19) 22nd week on chart
  30. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 3-9, 2023

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As we slide into September, Beach Weather remain on top for a second week with their breezy love song “Pineapple Sunrise”. Lana Del Rey’s “Say Yes To Heaven” moves into second place, while Canadian artist dwi inches up a notch to #3 with his delightfully boisterous “Overrated”.

Three songs enter the top 10 this week, the first of which is the enchanting dream pop gem “Kisses” by British band Slowdive. After slowly inching up my chart since debuting five weeks ago, the song leaps 12 spots to #6. It’s the lead single from their stunning fifth studio album everything is alive, which dropped this past Friday, September 1st. Shockingly, though it was released in late June, “Kisses” hasn’t yet charted either in the UK or the U.S. “Bones” by British rock band HEALER, which features some of the best power drumming of any song I’ve heard in a long while, moves up three spots to #8. “Walk Through the Fire” by one of my favorite American indie singer-songwriters The Frontier also moves up three spots to #9. And after dropping two spots last week, Beck Black‘s exuberant “Puppet Show” enjoys a resurgence, moving back up three spots to #7.

Making their debut this week are “bad idea right?”, the latest single from American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, at #29, and “Overcome” by British alt-rock band Nothing But Thieves, at #30.

  1. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (1)
  2. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (3)
  3. OVERRATED – dwi (4)
  4. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (2)
  5. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (5)
  6. KISSES – Slowdive (18)
  7. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (10)
  8. BONES – HEALER (11)
  9. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (12)
  10. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (6)
  11. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (14)
  12. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (16)
  13. ORBIT – Gooseberry (13)
  14. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (19)
  15. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (20)
  16. FRANCESCA – Hozier (21)
  17. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (7)
  18. WHY – Future Theory (8)
  19. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (15) 21st week on chart
  20. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (17)
  21. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (22)
  22. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (23)
  23. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (24)
  24. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (25)
  25. LOVING YOU – Cannons (27)
  26. STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (9)
  27. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (28))
  28. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (30)
  29. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (N)
  30. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 27-September 2, 2023

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Frequent readers of this blog know that over the past year, American pop-rock trio Beach Weather have become one of my favorite bands on the strength of their breezy, melodic sound and charming and colorful personalities. Their music just makes me feel happy! Originally formed in 2015, the band released two excellent EPs, then went on hiatus in 2017. Thankfully, they reformed in early 2022, and now consist of founding members Nick Santino (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Reeve Powers (bass, backing vocals), and relative newcomer Sean Silverman (lead guitar). This past March, they released their debut album Pineapple Sunrise, which is so good, I can honestly state that I love every track. The summery title track “Pineapple Sunrise” is my new #1 song this week, becoming the third Beach Weather song to top my Weekly Top 30 chart (the previous were “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” and “Trouble With This Bed”). All their videos are delightful, and the one for “Pineapple Sunrise” is no exception!

In other noteworthy chart developments, “Say Yes To Heaven” by Lana Del Rey advances three spots to #3, “Overrated” by brilliant Canadian artist dwi jumps five spots to #4, and “Call Me What You Like” by British indie rock band Lovejoy leaps six spots to #5. Debuting this week are “Running Out of Time” by American alt-rock band Paramore, at #28, and “When We Were Close” by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, at #30.

  1. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (2)
  2. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (1)
  3. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (6)
  4. OVERRATED – dwi (9)
  5. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (11)
  6. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (4)
  7. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (5)
  8. WHY – Future Theory (3)
  9. STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (7)
  10. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (8)
  11. BONES – HEALER (12)
  12. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (13)
  13. ORBIT – Gooseberry (14)
  14. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (15)
  15. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (10) 20th week on chart
  16. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (17)
  17. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (18)
  18. KISSES – Slowdive (20)
  19. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (21)
  20. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (22)
  21. FRANCESCA – Hozier (23)
  22. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (24)
  23. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (25)
  24. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (26)
  25. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (27)
  26. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (16)
  27. LOVING YOU – Cannons (30)
  28. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (N)
  29. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (19) 22nd week on chart
  30. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 20-26, 2023

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“The Narcissist” by British rock band Blur maintains its grip on the #1 spot for a second week on my latest Top 30, while American pop-rock trio Beach Weather slide into second place with their charming “Pineapple Sunrise”. Entering the top 10 are the deliriously zany “Overrated” by Canadian singer-songwriter dwi, at #9, and “Rescue Me” by L.A. ska band Dirty Heads, re-entering at #10 after spending two weeks at #12. The song peaked at #3 a month ago on my chart, and is currently #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. The biggest upward mover this week is “Call Me What You Like” by British indie rock band Lovejoy, jumping six spots to #11.

Two beautiful songs make their debut this week; the first is the ethereal “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish, which enters at #27. Written by Eilish and her brother Finneas for the motion picture Barbie, the melancholy but hopeful song has already topped the music charts in the UK, Australia, Ireland and Switzerland. The second new entry is the captivating “Loving You” by L.A. dream pop band Cannons, at #30. I can’t believe it’s nearly been a year since I saw them in concert.

  1. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (1)
  2. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (3)
  3. WHY – Future Theory (2)
  4. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (4)
  5. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (5)
  6. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (6)
  7. STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (7)
  8. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (8)
  9. OVERRATED – dwi (11)
  10. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (12)
  11. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (17)
  12. BONES – HEALER (13)
  13. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (14)
  14. ORBIT – Gooseberry (15)
  15. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (16)
  16. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (10)
  17. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (19)
  18. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (20)
  19. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (9) 21st week on chart
  20. KISSES – Slowdive (22)
  21. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (23)
  22. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (24)
  23. FRANCESCA – Hozier (25)
  24. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (27)
  25. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (29)
  26. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (30)
  27. WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – Billie Eilish (N)
  28. LEAVING – Au Gres (18)
  29. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (21) 21st week on chart
  30. LOVING YOU – Cannons (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 13-19, 2023

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Formed in 1988, British rock band Blur went on to become one of the most successful bands of the 1990s, releasing six albums in that decade alone. They were far more popular in the UK than in the U.S., and though a few of their singles made the top 10 on the Billboard Alternative chart, I’m embarrassed to admit that I never heard of them until only a few years ago. Over the course of their career, they’ve released nine studio albums (seven of which reached #1 in the UK), five live albums, five compilation albums, one remix album, four EPs, 35 singles, 10 promotional singles and 37 music videos.

Though they disbanded in 2003, reunited in 2009, then went on a hiatus in 2015 that lasted seven years, Blur has always consisted of their original lineup of singer-songwriter Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Their sound started out as a blend of Madchester (a musical and cultural scene that developed in Manchester in the late 1980s) and shoegaze, evidenced by their debut album Leisure, but for their next three albums, they transitioned to Britpop, a style influenced by English guitar pop acts like the Kinks, the Beatles and XTC. Their self-titled fifth album Blur, released in 1997, saw another stylistic shift toward the lo-fi styles of American indie rock groups, whereas their sixth album 13 (1999) saw them experimenting with electronic and gospel music. Their seventh album Think Tank (2003) continued their experimentation with electronic sounds and was shaped by Albarn’s growing interest in hip hop and world music. After they disbanded, he focused on his very successful virtual band Gorillaz, which he’d created in 1998 and with whom he would release eight studio albums, three compilation albums, 11 EPs, one remix album, and 46 singles. (Gorillaz’ recent single “New Gold”, a wonderful collaboration with Tame Impala and Bootie Brown, spent three weeks at #1 on my Weekly Top 30 earlier this year,)

After Blur reunited in 2009, they released a series of live albums in quick succession, but it wasn’t until 2015 that they would release a new studio album The Magic Whip, which went to #1 in the UK, and became their highest-charting album in the U.S., peaking at #24 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. The band went on yet another hiatus after touring for The Magic Whip, only to reunite for a second time in 2022. They went on to record their ninth album The Ballad of Darren, which they released on July 21. The album’s beautiful lead single “The Narcissist”, which Albarn describes as “an aftershock record, a reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now“, is my new #1 song this week.

Two fine songs make their debut this week: “Cannonballers” by Tennessee-based indie rock four-piece Colony House, at #29, and “Forgiving Ties” by Rhode Island-based alternative rock-folk band Deer Tick, at #30. It’s the first appearance on my Weekly Top 30 for both bands.

  1. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (2)
  2. WHY – Future Theory (1)
  3. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (3)
  4. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (6)
  5. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (7)
  6. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (8)
  7. STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (9)
  8. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (10)
  9. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (3)
  10. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (4)
  11. OVERRATED – dwi (14)
  12. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (12)
  13. BONES – HEALER (15)
  14. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (16)
  15. ORBIT – Gooseberry (17)
  16. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (18)
  17. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (19)
  18. LEAVING – Au Gres (11)
  19. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (22)
  20. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (23)
  21. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (13) 20th week on chart
  22. KISSES – Slowdive (26)
  23. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (27)
  24. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (28)
  25. FRANCESCA – Hozier (29)
  26. WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (20)
  27. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (30)
  28. HELLO – GROUPLOVE (21)
  29. CANNONBALLERS – Colony House (N)
  30. FORGIVING TIES – Deer Tick (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 6-12, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

British alternative psychedelic rock band Future Theory remain at #1 for a second week with their exquisite song “Why”, while fellow longtime British rockers Blur slide into second place with “The Narcissist”. Beach Weather‘s title track from their wonderful album Pineapple Sunrise moves up two spots to #3. Entering the top 10 this week are “Say Yes To Heaven” by Lana Del Rey, at #8, “Stuck” by 30 Seconds to Mars, at #9, and “Puppet Show” by Beck Black at #10. This puts five women in my top 10 for the first time in recent memory. The biggest upward mover this week is “Overrated” by brilliant Canadian artist dwi, climbing seven spots to #14.

Three songs make their debut: “Odyssey”, a duet by American singer-songwriter Beck and French alternative pop rock band Phoenix, at #28 (the song is already #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart), “Francesca” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, (replacing his previous single “Eat Your Young” that drops off my chart this week), at #29, and “Daydreams and Algorithms” by British singer-songwriter Eleanor Collides (which I recently reviewed) at #30.

  1. WHY – Future Theory (1)
  2. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (4)
  3. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (5)
  4. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (2)
  5. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (3)
  6. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (6)
  7. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (7)
  8. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (11)
  9. STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (12)
  10. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (13)
  11. LEAVING – Au Gres (8)
  12. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (9)
  13. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (10)
  14. OVERRATED – dwi (21)
  15. BONES – HEALER (18)
  16. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (19)
  17. ORBIT – Gooseberry (20)
  18. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (22)
  19. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (23)
  20. WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (14)
  21. HELLO – GROUPLOVE (16)
  22. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (24)
  23. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (25)
  24. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (15)
  25. SPELLBINDING – The Smashing Pumpkins (17)
  26. KISSES – Slowdive (29)
  27. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (30)
  28. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (N)
  29. FRANCESCA – Hozier (N)
  30. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 30-August 5, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's14 Comments
Photo by Alex Finlay

I’ve been a fan of British alternative psychedelic rock band Future Theory since early 2017, and love their intelligent songwriting and ace musicianship. Comprised of Max Sander on rhythm guitar and vocals, Chris Moore on lead guitar, Jacob Brookes on bass and Rohan Parrett on drums, they blend alternative and progressive rock, psychedelia, grunge, shoegaze and funk to create arresting songs characterized by complex melodies and arrangements, lavish instrumentation, and Max’s distinctive mesmerizing vocals. I’ve written about them and their outstanding music many times on this blog, and it’s been gratifying to see them mature and grow as artists. One of their singles “One and the Same”, from their 2022 debut album Future Theory, spent 18 weeks on my Weekly Top 30 and ranks #42 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list. They began releasing a series of new singles this past April, the first of which, “Why”, is a dramatic and beautiful song about a dysfunctional relationship that’s breaking apart. They’ve since dropped two more great singles, “Rage” and “Too Bad”, but “Why” remains my favorite. Now, in its 14th week on my Top 30 chart, it reaches the top at last.

In other notable chart developments, the top 10 contains the same 10 songs for the third week in a row, albeit in different positions. Lana Del Rey‘s “Say Yes To Heaven” is the biggest upward mover, climbing five spots to #11. Two songs make their debut this week: Entering at #29 is the captivating “kisses” by longtime British dream rock band Slowdive, which I learned about from Andy Peterson, a superb writer with great music taste who writes his own blog The Voice Of Unreason. Bringing up the rear at #30 is “Dial Drunk” by Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who’s also represented on this list by “We’re All Gonna Die”, a duet with American singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun that sits at #14.

And now for a special rant about the Billboard Hot 100 and the questionable music tastes of the American public. Two weeks ago, Olivia Rodrigo’s “vampire” debuted at #1, which led me to believe she would enjoy a long run at the top. But I was terribly wrong, and her song has already fallen to #7. Meanwhile, the top songs on the chart are a catchy but throwaway pop song from Junk Kook, one of the members of South Korean K-pop boy band BTS, who sings about fucking his beloved seven days a week, accompanied by rapping by female rapper Latto. That is followed by three Country songs – Jason Aldean’s awful “Try That in a Small Town”, Morgan Wallen’s tiresome “Last Night” (which spent 12 weeks at #1), and Luke Combs’ remake of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”,  which I concede isn’t bad. The song at #6 is the horrific “fukumean” by American rapper Gunna. Whatever…

Here’s my far superior song list:

  1. WHY – Future Theory (5)
  2. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (1)
  3. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (2)
  4. THE NARCISSIST – Blur (7)
  5. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (6)
  6. PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (8)
  7. VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (9)
  8. LEAVING – Au Gres (3)
  9. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (4)
  10. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (10)
  11. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (16)
  12. STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (14)
  13. PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (15)
  14. WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (13)
  15. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (11)
  16. HELLO – GROUPLOVE (12)
  17. SPELLBINDING – The Smashing Pumpkins (20)
  18. BONES – HEALER (21)
  19. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (22)
  20. ORBIT – Gooseberry (23)
  21. OVERRATED – dwi (24)
  22. LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (25)
  23. CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (26)
  24. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (27)
  25. DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (28)
  26. KID – The Revivalists (17) 20th week on chart
  27. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (18)
  28. I DON’T BELIEVE IN YOU – Brian Lambert & Jr Moz Collective (30)
  29. KISSES – Slowdive (N)
  30. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (N)