Tag: Marc Schuster

Fresh New Tracks, Vol. 38 – The Nanners, Onism E, Marc Schuster & His Amazing Friends, Traverse the Abyss

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews10 Comments

Lots of new music continues to issue forth from more of the highly creative artists and bands I follow, so time for another Fresh New Tracks installment. Today I’m featuring new songs released over the past week by four acts I’ve previously written about, in alphabetical order: L.A.-based pyschedelic pop-rock duo The Nanners, Texas indie rock trio Onism E, Philadephia-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marc Schuster, along with an array of indie artists he calls “His Amazing Friends”, and Scranton, Pennsylvania-based metalcore band Traverse the Abyss. While each of the four songs couldn’t be more different from one another from a musical standpoint, they all address varying approaches for trying to keep sane in what seems to be an increasingly insane world.

The Nanners – “Jokes”

Hailing from Los Angeles are The Nanners, the wonderfully zany music project of Nicholas Ewing and Thomas Ferraiuolo, who have this to say about themselves: “Welcome to Banana World, where love, curiosity, angst, and nebulous speculations are explored through the lens of two meek and socially awkward grown men in banana costumes.” While at first glance they might appear to be some kind of weird novelty act, they are in fact fine musicians and songwriters who also happen to be both hilarious and charming, with their music a delightful mix of indie rock, psychedelia and jangle pop.

I first wrote about them and their song “New Pony” in a previous Fresh New Tracks post a year ago, and am now pleased to feature their latest single “Jokes“. About the song, the guys say: “When you’re tripping sometimes you trip and fall pretty hard. But when you get your face out of the mud you realize everyone and everything is laughing with you.” To drive home their message, they layer a colorful blend of twangy, jangly and edgy psychedelic guitars over a bed of quirky twinkling synths, all fueling by a pleasing rhythm of subtle bass and percussion. As great as the music is, I really love their warm harmonies as they sing of not allowing life’s trials and tribulations to get the better of us.  

 

Onism E – “Call You Home”

Photo by Jim McKay

When I last wrote about indie rock band Onism E and their powerful song “It’s Not Over” in November 2022, they were a four-piece based in New York City. Now relocated to Austin, Texas, the band is a trio comprised of uber-talented front woman, singer-songwriter and guitarist Eline Chavez, bassist Gabe Chavez and drummer Andre Atalaya. Their latest single “Call You Home“, written by all three band members and produced by Tucker Allen, is another hauntingly beautiful and compelling song in the style for which Onism E have become known.

Like all their songs, “Call You Home” features intelligent lyrics touching on life’s struggles and the human condition. In this case, Onism E explores feeling lost and untethered in a troubled world gone mad, seeking solace in people and places that can bring a little comfort and peace of mind: “The world is lost, and I’m empty. Drifting in sadness of sins I don’t even own. And I’m just trying to hold my own. I’m just trying to hold on, and all I need to know is can I call you home? When the world gets hard, and I’ve got no place to go.” I love the gorgeous mix of chiming guitars and twangy guitars, rich percussion and Eline’s always marvelous, deeply-emotive and heartfelt vocals.

Marc Schuster & His Amazing Friends – “Hole in the Boat”

Marc Schuster is an insanely creative, multi-talented guy from the Philadelphia area who’s not only an educator, author, literary critic and visual artist, but also a prolific songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, recording both as a solo artist and as part of numerous music projects and collaborations with an ever-expanding roster of musicians. As if all that weren’t enough, he also hosts a weekly hour-long music podcast where he features songs by talented indie artists, plus has a terrific blog of his own called Abominations, where he writes about music and interviews indie artists. I honestly don’t know how he finds the time and energy to accomplish all that he does!

 I’ve featured Marc many times on this blog, most recently last May when I wrote about his collaborative single “All the Same to You” with Portland-based artist Quizboy. Now he’s back with another collaboration, “Hole in the Boat”, which he recorded with the help of Quizboy and a host of other musicians he names below. The song has a somber and rather melancholy vibe, yet offers glimmers of optimism and hope that we can come together to at least achieve a bit of understanding and empathy toward each other, even if we’re unable to totally resolve or overcome our deep-seated differences. 

About the song, Marc elaborates: “It’s a plaintive call for solidarity in difficult times. And, I suppose, a request for honesty. I had my own hole in the boat in mind when I wrote the tune back in November, but now I’m thinking of all the holes we don’t talk about. In fact, the line that inspired the song came from a Don DeLillo novel called Mao II, and the line actually refers to “holes,” plural: ‘What about the holes in the boat? All repaired?’ one characters asks. ‘We don’t speak about the holes’ another responds. Times like this, as I say in the song, all we have is each other, so I’m grateful to all of you for listening to my music — and to my friends Nick Cervini, Jim Lorino, Sam Goodman, Jaimee Jacobczak, Brian Lambert, and Quizboy for helping me out with this one!“

Traverse the Abyss – “Reasoning”

Photo by Juliana Soroka

I’ve been following heavy metal band Traverse the Abyss for over eight years, and while this genre of music isn’t one of my favorites, I do like to hear a good face-melting, speaker-rattling song now and then, and this band always delivers the goods. Their intense yet melodic sound draws from a myriad of metal sub-genres, including classic heavy metal, thrash metal, death metal, nu-metal and metalcore, as well as hard rock, rock’n’roll and even punk influences I first wrote about them in early 2017 when I reviewed their impressive debut album Gamble of Life, then again in August 2018 when I reviewed their eponymous EP Traverse the Abyss. In the years since, the Scranton-based act has undergone some changes in lineup, and from what I can tell now consist of original co-founders Eric “Abyss” Ross (Vocals) and “Iron” Mike White (Guitar), as well as Jamie Macheska (Guitar), Justin Coe (Guitar), Nick “Big Shits” Cotillo (Bass) and David “Goblin” Wilczewski (Drums). They’ve dropped a series of additional singles, along with a second EP Smiling in the Suffering, in 2022. 

Now they return with a new single “Reasoning“, the first of five tracks from their forthcoming third EP Momento Mori, due for release on April 25th. Musically, the song opens with a somber, darkly beautiful guitar riff interrupted by an occasional stab of a piercing gnarly guitar note. Soon, all hell breaks loose with an explosion of furious raging guitars, pummeling bass and aggressive drums as Eric screams the lyrics in his signature fearsome growl. The combined guitar prowess of Iron Mike, Jamie and Justin is on full display as they inject spine-tingling riffs and solos throughout the song, while Nick and David masterfully drive the rampaging rhythms forward. The lyrics speak to letting go of negative thoughts resulting from unpleasant or unhappy past events that are holding you back, keeping you from growing and achieving your full potential: “The way we feel about everything is based on our past experiences. I know negativity is haunting, lurking, stalking me. Learn from your past mistakes. How we think and respond has the power to rebuild our own lives.”

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

Fresh New Tracks, Vol. 35 – John Serrano, Mayflower Madame, Mock Deer, Quizboy & Marc Schuster

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews9 Comments

There continues to be lots of great music being released, which means it’s time for another installment of my Fresh New Tracks series. Today I’m featuring four recently-released tracks by acts from four different countries – Spanish singer-songwriter and musician John Serrano, Norwegian psych-noir band Mayflower Madame, English folk artist Mock Deer, and American singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Quizboy and Marc Schuster. I’ve recently written about John Serrano, Mock Deer and Mark Schuster, whereas this is the first time I’m featuring Mayflower Madame and Quizboy.

JOHN SERRANO – “The day I met the sun”

John with an injured arm and his new rescue kitten

Hailing from Málaga, Spain is John Serrano, a prolific singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who I cannot heap enough praise upon. Not only is he a versatile and talented musician with a beautiful singing voice, he’s also thoughtful, kind, handsome and incredibly supportive of other independent artists. Drawing from a wide range of influences, including alternative and progressive rock, blues, electronica, synthwave and jazz, he’s recorded and released an extensive, colorful and eclectic catalog of music over the past 10 years, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with other musicians. In March, I reviewed his poignant singles “Oh, well” and “Better Times”, which he’d released back to back over a two-day period. He quickly followed with two more singles, then on April 24th he dropped his album Alive, dedicated to his grandmother who passed away in March at the age of 92.

A week after that album’s release, John severely injured his left arm, requiring surgery and rendering him unable to play guitar for the time being. Undefeated, he decided to make what he’s calling a “full electronoir experimental retro futuristic jazz-noise album”, recording entirely with synthesizers. Thus far, he’s released two singles for the new album, the latest of which is “The day I met the sun“, a brilliant and haunting track that’s a significant departure from the languid and pleasing songs on Alive. The song starts off with a dreamy ethereal feel, accompanied by John’s angelic falsetto vocals, then abruptly transitions into a much darker, almost frightening song with grinding fuzzy reverb, ominous drumbeats and tortured synths. His vocals also shift into a much more menacing tone, unlike anything I’ve heard from him previously. He said he’s been throat singing for a few years, and to get the desired effect, he “panned the vocals and cut the EQ Filter right when they kick in.” Along with the first track “A wee house upon the hill”, “The day I met the sun” offers a foreboding peek into what we can expect to follow. The tracks are only available on Bandcamp at this time.

John’s socials:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

MAYFLOWER MADAME – “A Foretold Ecstasy”

Mayflower Madame (what a great band name!) is a psych-noir/post-punk band from Oslo, Norway, comprised of Trond Fagernes (vocals, guitar, bass) and Ola J. Kyrkjeeide (drums). For studio recordings they are joined by Kenneth Eknes (synth), and for live performances, additional musicians are brought in to form a full band. They’ve released a fair amount of music since 2015, including two albums – Observed in a Dream in 2016 and Prepared for a Nightmare in 2020, as well as an EP Premonition in 2018 and numerous singles. Ironically, Prepared for a Nightmare now seems to have indeed been a “premonition” to the Covid-19 pandemic that followed the album’s release.

I just learned about Mayflower Madame yesterday when their PR rep reached out to me about their new single “A Foretold Ecstasy“, which I loved the moment I heard it. As I do for all artists and bands I write about for the first time, I listened to as much of their music catalog as time permitted so I could get a good feel for their sound. And I can emphatically state that I really like this band’s music, which has been compared to that of Sisters of Mercy, Jesus and Mary Chain and The Cure. Their compelling sound, which they describe as “the perfect soundtrack for the nightly walks of restless city dwellers“, is a masterful blend of post-punk, darkwave, psychedelia and shoegaze, featuring pulsating rhythms, lush atmospheric synths and reverb-drenched guitars.

About “A Foretold Ecstasy”, band songwriter and vocalist Fagernes said the lyrics speak about “constantly chasing some sort of elation or intoxicating sensation to relieve one’s inner turmoil, while still being aware that it’s just a passing state followed by an inevitable downfall”. The song is a gorgeous darkwave gem in the vein of The Cure or Depeche Mode, two of my favorite bands from that genre. Fagernes’ vocals are intoxicating as he breathily croons “Well, I’m just glad you made me feel something. But it won’t last, I still believe it’s all or nothing.“

Mayflower Madame’s socials:  Facebook / Instagram

MOCK DEER – “Smudge”

Mock Deer is the music project of London-based singer-songwriter and musician Ricky Damiani, whose sound can generally be described as indie folk/singer-songwriter with elements of alternative rock. He’s released a fair amount of music over the past 12 years, including his debut album The Art of Loneliness in 2020, several EPs and numerous singles, as well as composing original music for TV programs and theatre. Last month, I featured his haunting and powerful single “Harbinger” on a Fresh New Tracks post. Now he returns, with “Smudge”, a wonderful song and the second track from his forthcoming EP Pilgrims. 

As with “Harbinger”, for “Smudge” Damiani sang vocals, Mat Martin played lead guitar, Jayden Pegler played bass, Will Inscoe played keyboards, Aaron Carpenter played drums, Matthew Herd played saxophone, and Lola Hepper sang backing vocals. The track was produced by Scott Fitzgerald and mastered by John Nicholls. Written during the first Covid lockdown, the song touches on themes of mental illness, alcoholism and friendship. The song has a darkly beautiful, meandering melody, with a melancholy feel reminiscent of some of Radiohead’s songs of the 90s, featuring gorgeous shimmery guitars, warm saxophone, spacey synths and soaring choruses. Damiani’s vibrant, emotive vocals run the gamut from quiet introspection to impassioned lamentation as he addresses a troubled friend: “You play that part of tough guy so well, but we all know it’s just a show. So lets be random, let’s be odd. Let’s turn this normal on its head. Let’s go there, for one last jolly. You’re well aware it’s all just folly. Just one more, for the road I swear.”  

Mock Deer’s Socials:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

QUIZBOY & MARC SCHUSTER – “All the Same to You”

Quizboy is an enigmatic yet highly sociable artist who, in his own words, creates “dirt-made rock and roll from the Pacific Northwest“. Based in Portland, Oregon, the insanely busy guy also occasionally records music under his dark and sludgy post-hardcore project Never Say Never (NsN), as well as runs an online radio station Audio Mirage Studios, where he hosts Marc Schuster’s Tweetcore Radio Hour. As if all that’s not enough, he also has his own music blog, also titled Audio Mirage Studios.

Marc Schuster is an even busier guy with his hands in so many projects it literally makes my head spin! It’s all I can do to write 2-4 posts per week for this blog, and I’m now mostly retired. At any rate, I’ve written about him and his music many times, most recently when I featured his song “Paul Giamatti (Is Everywhere Tonight)” on a Fresh New Tracks post, but to summarize, he’s a creative and multi-talented Renaissance man from the Philadelphia area who’s an educator, author, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and visual artist. Over the past decade, he’s recorded quite a bit of music, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with too many other artists and bands to mention here. In addition to hosting the aforementioned weekly Tweetcore Radio Hour program, where he features songs by talented indie artists he’s met through Twitter (now X), he also has a terrific blog called Abominations, where he writes about music and interviews indie artists. He also broke his right shoulder a few months ago, but still managed to put out his latest album Arguably.

The two recently collaborated on their first song together, “All the Same to You“. Released May 3rd on Bandcamp, (and most other streaming services except Spotify on May 17) the song was co-written, recorded and produced by them both, with Quizboy playing acoustic and electric guitar and singing vocals, and Schuster playing drums, bass, electric piano, synths, acoustic guitar and singing backing vocals. The release also includes a master by fellow musician Brian Lambert. Over a mellow groove, the guys layer crisp, reverb-drenched jangly guitars and sharp, colorful synths to create a jarring, yet somehow pleasing backdrop for Quizboy’s raw, melancholy vocals. Lyrically, the song is a bit of a downer, and seems to speak to the futility of life: “Miss me when I’m gone. Suffer me while I’m here. Pain has led me home. Whatcha say won’t do. They place these chains on me and you to break. Honestly, I can’t wait. If it’s all the same to you, I forsake.” Good job guys!

Quizboy’s Socials: Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / Threads

Marc Schuster’s Socials: X (Twitter) / Instagram / Threads

Fresh New Tracks, Vol. 33 – Neil Billinness, David Gergen, Marc Schuster, Soda Cracker Jesus

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews7 Comments

So much new music, but only so much time to write about it all! That means it’s time for another installment of my Fresh New Tracks series. Today, I’m featuring new songs by four talented gentlemen – Scottish electronic composer, singer-songwriter and producer Neil Billinness, L.A.-based singer-songwriter and musician David Gergen, Philadelphia area-based singer-songwriter and musician Marc Schuster, and Tacoma, Washington-based psychedelic indie pop musician Soda Cracker Jesus. I’ve previously written about all four of them, though it’s been many years since I featured Neil B. and David G.

NEIL BILLINNESS – “Spring”

Hailing from Rosyth, Scotland (located on the Firth of Forth northwest of Edinburgh), is Neil Billinness, a singer-songwriter and musician who composes, records and produces electronic music influenced by 80’s artists he grew up with like Howard Jones, OMD, The Human League, Tears For Fears, David Bowie, Prince and Madonna. In December 2016, I featured him in an Artist Spotlight where I wrote a fair amount about him, but to summarize, he spent time as a member of a few rock bands beginning in high school, but later put music on the back burner while he built his professional career. Starting around 2011, he took up songwriting again in earnest and set up his own home studio, where he embraced sequencing, sampling and programming which enabled him to produce music more easily. He subsequently established an independent label NeRo Music with his life partner Robert, who tragically passed away suddenly the day after Neil released his single “Passing Thoughts”, in January 2016. He followed with a few more singles, and began working on a sci-fi concept album, but lingering depression over losing Robert, as well as a health event that resulted in the partial loss of his eyesight, caused him to shelve the project. He later compiled the demo tracks into an album Space Travels, which he released on Bandcamp in 2018.  

More recently, Neil’s been working with singer-songwriter Jill Jones (who worked with Prince in the 1980s, including singing backing vocals on some of the tracks on his album 1999, as well as appearing in his movies Purple Rain and Graffiti Bridge), remastering and cleaning up the audio on tracks she’d originally recorded in 1989 into a new album to be released later this month. He’s also recorded and released some new material of his own, one of which is his latest single “Spring“, a dramatic electronic instrumental piece he released on April 1st. About the song, Neil explains: “This piece was written in the darkest of times eight years ago, when I was in a deep depression but starting to see light creeping into the darkness. It’s an instrumental piece, with some seemingly-random, cold electronic noises interspersed throughout. What they represent is for the listener’s interpretation. This track has a bittersweet memory, as it was a track that my dad heard and liked, before he passed away. My dad said things as they were and if he didn’t like something I’d written he would have no hesitation in telling me. But I remember when he heard this I could see him nodding his head and smiling, and he told me he liked it.” Well, I like it too, and despite its 7:25 minute run time, it doesn’t feel overly long. Though somewhat dark, it features a fascinating, almost otherworldly soundscape layered over a continuous pulsating beat, punctuated by spritely little flourishes and sci-fi sounds that served to lighten the overall mood of the piece.

Follow Neil:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

DAVID GERGEN – “Into the Woods”

David Gergen is another artist I wrote about several years ago, back in March 2018 when I reviewed his beautiful album The Golden Light. A singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, David has been writing and recording music for nearly three decades, and including The Golden Light, has released 10 albums, two of which are experimental instrumental-only works. Like Neil above, David also suffered the terrible loss of his life partner Michelle, who passed away in 2015, a life-changing event that can’t help but have a major impact on one’s songwriting and music. Accordingly, he writes thoughtful lyrics about love, loss and renewal, which he delivers with warm, comforting vocals backed by sublime piano and guitar-driven melodies drawn from elements of alternative, indie and experimental rock, Americana and easy-listening. 

On March 29th, David released “Into the Woods“, his first new single in five years. The song speaks of finding peace of mind and renewing one’s soul by getting in touch with nature and its healing powers. Anyone who’s ever hiked through a forest has experienced the beneficial calming effects that result from being in a serene and beautiful setting, leaving you feeling refreshed and even a bit more centered. Musically, the song is an agreeable blend of alternative rock and Americana, though David’s fuzzy electric guitars add an edgy vibe to the proceedings. His smooth vocals are both pleasing and commanding as he encourages us to seek solace and find healing in the woods.

Follow David:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

MARC SCHUSTER – “Paul Giamatti (Is Everywhere Tonight)”

Marc Schuster is an insanely creative, multi-talented and very busy guy from the Philadelphia area who I got to know several years ago through blogging (he has a terrific WordPress blog called Abominations, where he writes about music and interviews indie artists). Not only is he an educator, author, literary critic and visual artist, he’s also a prolific songwriter and musician, recording both as a solo artist and as part of numerous music projects and collaborations with an ever-expanding roster of musicians. As if all that weren’t enough, he also hosts a weekly hour-long music podcast called “Tweetcore Radio Hour”, where he features songs by talented indie artists he’s met through Twitter (now X). I honestly don’t know how he finds the time and energy to accomplish all that he does!

Though Marc likes to experiment with different sounds, styles and textures, most of the songs he records as a solo artist have a delightful, indie bedroom-pop sensibility. Not only are they infectiously catchy, he has a wonderful knack for putting a youthful, often tongue-in-cheek perspective on everyday situations and problems many of us have faced at one time or another. His latest single, “Paul Giamatti (Is Everywhere Tonight“, is yet another lighthearted example of this. Marc explained his inspiration for writing the song: “I wrote it a few months back when, for no apparent reason, the thought occurred to me that it would be funny if Paul Giamatti had played George Costanza on ‘Seinfeld’ instead of Jason Alexander. That idea didn’t make it into the final version (it was in one of the verses that I cut), but the thought of Paul Giamatti showing up in unexpected places stuck with me, and soon I was imagining him everywhere.” The song has a breezy vibe, highlighted by cool piano keys and an infectious toe-tapping beat, and I love those horn synths in the bridge. James Lorino, aka Scoopski, sang backing vocals at the end of the track.

Follow Marc:  Website / Twitter / Instagram

SODA CRACKER JESUS – “Asleep But Awake”

One of the more fascinating and flamboyant artists I know of is Soda Cracker Jesus, the solo music project of the wildly imaginative and enormously talented singer-songwriter and producer Regan Lane. Based in Tacoma, Washington, Regan has been actively involved in the Pacific Northwest music scene for 40 years, with his hands in many projects, including serving as front man and ringmaster for psychedelic punk-rock band Strangely Alright. He created Soda Cracker Jesus in early 2021 as a way of expressing his punkier power pop side, and has released an impressive number of singles, several of which I’ve reviewed (my most recent was for “Space Boy” last May). 

His latest and twelfth single is “Asleep but Awake“, a collaboration with his friend Jimm Boudreau of The Dissonance Theory, itself a collaborative music project based in the Seattle area. Regan and Jimm co-wrote the music and lyrics, with Regan singing vocals and playing guitar, keyboards and strings, Jimm playing bass and John Hargis playing drums. The song is an alternative rock gem, with strong psychedelic overtones, and I love the intricate instrumentation and lush orchestration, not to mention Regan’s wonderful emotive vocals that always remind me of David Bowie. In fact, the song sounds like a long lost Bowie song from the late 70s. I may be off-base, but the lyrics seem to speak of letting go of unpleasant memories of past mistakes, and choosing to live in the here and now with a more positive outlook. “I don’t know if the stars will always shine. There’s a game I play while I’m lost in space. And I’m happy to be alive. This Is Dreaming. This Is Dreaming. And I’m Awake but I’m Asleep.” The colorful and trippy animated video was created by Regan/Soda Cracker Jesus.

Follow Soda Cracker Jesus: Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

Top 30 Songs for March 17-23, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
Photo by Neil Krug

My goodness, there’s so much great music out now, including numerous songs by some of my favorite major acts of the past 20 years. One of them is American rock band Cage the Elephant. Originally formed in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2006, the band currently consists of Matt Shultz (vocals), his older brother Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar), Nick Bockrath (lead guitar), Matthan Minster (guitar, keyboards), Daniel Tichenor (bass), and Jared Champion (drums). They relocated to London in 2008, shortly before their self-titled first album was released, then later settled in Nashville, though I can’t find any dates as to when that occurred. They followed with four more albums, Thank You, Happy Birthday in 2011, Melophobia in 2013, Tell Me I’m Pretty (produced by Dan Auerbach) in 2015, and Social Cues in 2019, the latter two winning Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album.

I first learned about them in the fall of 2013 when I heard their brilliant song “Come a Little Closer”, from Melophobia, and after listening to more of their music, I became a fan. I grew even more fond of them when they followed me on Twitter (now X) in 2017. Now they’re set to release their sixth studio album Neon Pill on May 17, and its wonderful lead and title single “Neon Pill” ascends to the top of my latest Weekly Top 30.

In other notable chart developments, “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs moves up a notch to #3, and “Dilemma”, by another of my long-time favorite bands Green Day, climbs six spots to #4. I’m thrilled to have a new song by yet another of my favorite acts, twenty one pilots, make its debut this week. Their latest single “Overcompensate”, their first new music in three years since their last album Scaled and Icy, enters quite high on the chart at #9. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming seventh studio album Clancy, scheduled for release May 17 (on what appears to be a big day for new album releases). It looks to be another ambitious concept album by the highly creative Columbus, Ohio-based duo.

The other debut this week, coming in at #30, is “Wanting and Waiting” by long-time Atlanta, Georgia-based blues rock band The Black Crowes, giving us three bands with ‘Black’ in their name on the same chart. The song is the lead single from their tenth studio album Happiness Bastards, their first new music since 2010.

  1. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
  2. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
  3. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (4)
  4. DILEMMA – Green Day (10)
  5. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (3)
  6. THE TOWER – Future Islands (5)
  7. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (6)
  8. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (8)
  9. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (N)
  10. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (7)
  11. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (9)
  12. BLUSH – Vazum (15)
  13. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (16)
  14. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (17)
  15. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (18)
  16. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (19)
  17. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (20)
  18. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (12)
  19. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (21)
  20. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (22)
  21. ALIVE! – Bakar (11)
  22. TIME – MISSIO (29)
  23. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (23)
  24. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (24)
  25. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (25)
  26. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (13)
  27. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (28)
  28. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (30)
  29. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (14)
  30. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (N)

Top 30 Songs for March 10-16, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments
Photo taken from The Black Keys Facebook page

The Black Keys maintain their firm grip on the top spot for a third week with “Beautiful People (Stay High)”, while Cage the Elephant‘s “Neon Pill” holds at #2 for a second week. “Winter Cowboy” by Frank Joshua, “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs, “The Tower” by Future Islands, and “Mother Nature” by MGMT all advance one spot to #s 3, 4, 5 and 6. The biggest upward mover again this week is “Dilemma” by Green Day, leaping nine spots to #10.

Two songs make their debut this week. Entering at #29 is the deeply captivating “Time” by one of my favorite acts MISSIO. The song will be included on their monumental fifth album I AM CINCO, scheduled for release on May 3rd. And entering at #30 is “Dark Matter”, by legendary alternative grunge rock band Pearl Jam. The blistering song is the lead and title single from their forthcoming twelfth studio album Dark Matter, due for release April 19th.

  1. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
  2. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
  3. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (4)
  4. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (5)
  5. THE TOWER – Future Islands (6)
  6. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (7)
  7. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (3)
  8. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (10)
  9. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (9)
  10. DILEMMA – Green Day (19)
  11. ALIVE! – Bakar (8)
  12. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (12)
  13. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (13)
  14. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (14)
  15. BLUSH – Vazum (15)
  16. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (16)
  17. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (17)
  18. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (20)
  19. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (21)
  20. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (22)
  21. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (23)
  22. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (24)
  23. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (27)
  24. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (28)
  25. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (29)
  26. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (11)
  27. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (18)
  28. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (30)
  29. TIME – MISSIO (N)
  30. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (N)

Top 30 Songs for March 3-9, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

The Black Keys remain on top for a second week with their exuberant foot-stomper “Beautiful People (Stay High), while Cage the Elephant slide into second place with “Neon Pill”. The Lemon Twigs‘ delightful jangle pop gem “My Golden Years” climbs another five spots this week to #5, and Jack Harlow‘s “Lovin On Me” moves up a notch to enter the top 10. British singer-songwriter Bakar, who’s song “Alive!” sits at #8 this week, will be touring with Cage the Elephant and Young the Giant this summer. The biggest upward mover is “Dilemma” by Green Day, leaping 10 spots to #19.

Debuting this week are three songs that have been out for a while. The first, entering at #28, is the enchanting “Water Underground” by Brooklyn, New York-based indie rock band Real Estate, an act who’s been around since 2008 but I only recently learned about. The song is from their wonderful sixth studio album Daniel, released on February 23rd. Entering at #29 is “Landmines” by Canadian rock veterans Sum 41, a band I’ve not followed very closely. The lead single from their forthcoming eighth and final studio album Heaven :x: Hell, set for release on March 29, “Landmines” is the new #1 song on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, finally toppling Blink-182’s “ONE MORE TIME” after its 20-week run. The third new entry, at #30, is “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)”, the infectious latest single by Austin, Texas psychedelic soul band Black Pumas. The duo scored a #1 hit on my chart in December with “More Than a Love Song”. Both songs are from their second studio album Chronicles of a Diamond.

  1. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
  2. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (4)
  3. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (2)
  4. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (6)
  5. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (10)
  6. THE TOWER – Future Islands (7)
  7. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (8)
  8. ALIVE! – Bakar (9)
  9. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (5)
  10. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (11)
  11. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (4)
  12. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (14)
  13. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (15)
  14. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (16)
  15. BLUSH – Vazum (18)
  16. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (19)
  17. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (20)
  18. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (17)
  19. DILEMMA – Green Day (29)
  20. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (24)
  21. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (25)
  22. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (26)
  23. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (27)
  24. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (28)
  25. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (12)
  26. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (13)
  27. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (30)
  28. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (N)
  29. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (N)
  30. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (N)

Top 30 Songs for February 25-March 2, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's14 Comments

It was only a matter of time before The Black Keys reached the top spot on my weekly chart with their infectiously upbeat single “Beautiful People (Stay High)”. I’m a long-time fan of the duo, comprised of guitarist-vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, and the song clicked with me the first time I heard it. I love its exuberant melody, bluesy, foot-stomping groove and celebratory chorus. The lead single from their forthcoming twelfth studio album Ohio Players, due for release April 5th, the song was co-written with their longtime collaborators Beck and producer Dan the Automator (aka Daniel M. Nakamura). In a press statement about the recording of the album, Auerbach noted “We’d never worked harder to make a record. It’s never taken us this long to make an album. We took our time and did it right.” Carney added “What we wanted to accomplish with this record was make something that was fun. And something that most bands 20 years into their career don’t make, which is an approachable, fun record that is also cool.” (Pitchfork)

The wonderful video, directed by Chris Saunders, produced by Elizabeth Silver and choreographed by Natalie Fisher, is reminiscent of the ones created for Pharrell Williams’ massive 2014 hit “Happy”, featuring a wide cross-section of people of all ages and ethnicities joyously dancing to the song in various settings.

In other chart developments, the delightful jangle pop gem “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs, climbs another six spots this week to enter the top 10 at #10. Making their debut are “Dilemma” by Green Day, from their latest album Saviors, at #29 (giving them two songs on this chart), and the gospel-like “Good People”, an interesting collaboration between British folk-rock band Mumford & Sons and the aforementioned American singer-songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams. at #30.

  1. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (2)
  2. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (1)
  3. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (4)
  4. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (3)
  5. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (7)
  6. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (8)
  7. THE TOWER – Future Islands (9)
  8. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (10)
  9. ALIVE! – Bakar (11)
  10. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (16)
  11. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (13)
  12. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (5)
  13. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (6)
  14. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (17)
  15. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (18)
  16. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (19)
  17. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (20)
  18. BLUSH – Vazum (21)
  19. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (22)
  20. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (23)
  21. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (12)
  22. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (14)
  23. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (15)
  24. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (26)
  25. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (27)
  26. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (28)
  27. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (29)
  28. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (30)
  29. DILEMMA – Green Day (N)
  30. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (N)

Top 30 Songs for February 18-24, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

There’s so much great music out now that it pains me to have to limit this week’s chart to only 30 songs. The gorgeous duet “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan and Hozier holds onto the top spot for a second week, while The Black Keys‘ “Beautiful People (Stay High)” moves up two spots to #2. The biggest upward mover again this week is “Neon Pill” by Cage the Elephant, leaping 10 spots to #4, and entering the top 10 are “The Tower” by Future Islands and “Mother Nature” by MGMT. Another big upward mover this week is the delightful “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs, jumping six spots to #16.

Three stupendous songs make their debut this week. The first, entering at #28, is “I’m in Love” by Jelani Aryeh, a remarkably talented young Filipino/African-American singer and songwriter from San Diego I recently learned about from fellow blogger K.F. Hartless (who has a wonderful blog Yard Sale of Thoughts, in which she pairs her outstanding poetry with specially selected songs). Aryeh’s music is a glorious blend of indie rock, R&B, hip-hop, pop and experimental sounds, and I fell in love with his infectious song the moment I heard it. The second debut, coming in at #29, is the heartwarming “Find My Way” by L.A.-based duo Ships Have Sailed (which I reviewed last month). It’s their sixth song to appear in my Top 30. Finally, we have “Everything We Need” by Southern California duo Mojave Grey, entering at #30. Based in Joshua Tree and consisting of Zander Bleck and Michael Pozzi, they play a captivating and sophisticated style of electronic music they call Desert Minimal Rock, drawing inspiration from such electronic dance acts as RÜFÜS DU SOL and Bob Moses.

  1. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (1)
  2. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (4)
  3. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (2)
  4. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (14)
  5. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (3)
  6. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (6)
  7. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (9)
  8. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (10)
  9. THE TOWER – Future Islands (11)
  10. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (12)
  11. ALIVE! – Bakar (13)
  12. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (7)
  13. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (15)
  14. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (5)
  15. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (8)
  16. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (22)
  17. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (18)
  18. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (19)
  19. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (20)
  20. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (21)
  21. BLUSH – Vazum (25)
  22. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (26)
  23. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (27)
  24. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (16)
  25. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (17)
  26. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (29)
  27. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (30)
  28. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (N)
  29. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (N)
  30. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (N)

Top 30 Songs for February 11-17, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments

Over the past year, Vermont-based singer-songwriter Noah Kahan exploded onto the music scene after seven years in the business on the strength of his third album Stick Season. Thus far, the album has generated three hits, including the title track, “Dial Drunk” and “Northern Attitude”. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kahan describes the album as a “love letter to New England.” “Northern Attitude”, which he co-wrote with producer Gabe Simon, addresses what he calls his “northern attitude”, the stereotypical perception that folks from Northern New England can be reserved or even a bit cold, thanks to the “harsh winters that toughen up the locals, with the added challenge of enduring long dark New England nights”.

Kahan teamed up with Irish singer-songwriter Hozier to release a new version of “Northern Attitude” on November 10, 2023, and it’s a match made in heaven! According to Songfacts, the two got to know each other when they both performed at the Iron Blossom Festival at Monroe Park in Richmond, Virginia, in late August 2023, and first performed this song together during a show in Nashville in October. Kahan was thrilled with the harmony Hozier brought to the chorus. “That song was recorded so quickly that we didn’t really have a ton of time or the ability, really, to go back and change a lot of it,” he explained to American Songwriter. “So having the harmony there kind of filled it out a lot. In some ways I feel like his voice lends itself to a specific feeling that maybe mine didn’t. Like, it’s more tender and forgiving in some parts but also more powerful and angry.“

It’s an exuberant Americana song in the style of early Mumford and Sons, and I just love that vibrant banjo and the guys’ gorgeous soaring harmonies. The song has spent several weeks at #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart and is now #1 on mine.

In other chart developments, “Beautiful People (Stay High)” by The Black Keys climbs four spots to #4, the defiantly boisterous “Blame Brett” by Toronto-based indie rock band The Beaches (which is based on the breakup of lead singer Jordan Miller and Brett Emmons from The Glorious Sons) and the hauntingly beautiful “Winter Cowboy” by English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua enter the top 10. The biggest upward mover this week is “Neon Pill” by Cage the Elephant, leaping 15 spots to #14. Making their debut are two songs I recently reviewed: “Bicycle Away” by Brooklyn, New York-based singer-songwriter Sam Rappaport, his third song to appear on my Weekly Top 30, and “Kool Aid Blue” by wonderfully-named Vancouver, Canada-based jangle pop band The Sylvia Platters.

  1. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (4)
  2. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (1)
  3. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (2)
  4. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (8)
  5. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (3)
  6. NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (7)
  7. MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (6)
  8. WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (5)
  9. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (11)
  10. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (12)
  11. THE TOWER – Future Islands (13)
  12. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (15)
  13. ALIVE! – Bakar (14)
  14. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (29)
  15. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (16)
  16. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (9)
  17. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (10)
  18. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (22)
  19. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (23)
  20. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (24)
  21. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (25)
  22. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (26)
  23. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (17)
  24. PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (18)
  25. BLUSH – Vazum (27)
  26. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (28)
  27. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (30)
  28. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (19)
  29. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (N)
  30. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (N)