The boisterous “HONEY (ARE U COMING?)” by Italian rock band Måneskin remains on top for a second week, while “ONE MORE TIME” by blink-182 holds at #2 for a second week after spending four weeks at #1. “More Than a Love Song” by Black Pumas spends a fourth week at #3, while the Foo Fighters‘ “Under You”, Western Jaguar‘s “Darling”, The 23s‘ “My Kinda Girl” and Bad Omens‘ “DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND” all advance a notch. Green Day enter the top 10 at #8 with “The American Dream Is Killing Me”, while The Beatles‘ “Now and Then” moves up one spot to #11. The song debuted at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 but plummeted to #76 in its second week, indicating that it was heavily streamed upon its release, but that the public seems to have quickly lost interest, which is really too bad.
As we enter the final month of 2023, five terrific songs make their debut on my chart this week. First up is the gorgeous “White Horse” by Nashville-based country-rock artist Chris Stapleton, entering at #26. The lead single from his fifth studio album Higher, “White Horse” was actually released this past July. Next up is “Modern Girl” by alternative pop-rock band Bleachers, headed by singer-songwriter and producer extraordinaire Jack Antonoff. The rousing song, which features some marvelous sax, took a while to grow on me but finally enters my chart at #27. Entering at #28 is the soulful “What Now” by American singer-songwriter Brittany Howard, who possesses one of the more powerful and interesting voices of any artist today. The song is the lead single of her forthcoming second album of the same name. Bringing up the rear are two wonderful dance singles, the first of which is the delightful “How Did You Get Here?” by talented young British singer-songwriter Antony Szmierek, which I learned about from fellow blogger Andy Peterson (who has a great blog titled The Voice Of Unreason). And last, but certainly not least, is “Houdini”, the latest single by impossibly beautiful English-Albanian singer-songwriter Dua Lipa.
HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (1)
ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (2)
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (3)
UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (5)
DARLING – Western Jaguar (6)
MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (7)
THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (8)
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (11)
SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (9)
EVICTED – Wilco (10)
NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (12)
LOVING YOU – Cannons (4)
ATOMIC CITY – U2 (16)
THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (17)
ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (18)
YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (19)
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (20)
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (21)
GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (22)
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (24)
HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (15)
WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (25)
What an exciting chart we have this week, with a new #1 song and new debuts by two legendary acts. Since winning the Eurovision Song Contest two and a half years ago with “Zitti e Buoni”, Italian rock band Måneskin have amassed enormous commercial success and legions of passionate fans, if not always critical acclaim. Formed in 2016 while still in high school, the irrepressible and charismatic foursome consists of Damiano David (lead vocals), Victoria De Angelis (bass), Thomas Raggi (guitar) and Ethan Torchio (drums). I love their bombastic rock extravaganza “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?”, which takes over the #1 spot on my Weekly Top 30 chart after spending three weeks at #2.
Released on September 1st, the song is the sixth single from their most recent album RUSH (previous chart-topping singles from the album include “SUPERMODEL” and “THE LONELIEST”). Though generally favorable, reviews for RUSH were mixed, with Sam Law of Kerrang! writing that Måneskin are “still utterly unstoppable when they tap into the youthful exuberance and fiery eccentricity that got them here in the first place“, whereas Jeremy Larson of Pitchfork called it “absolutely terrible at every conceivable level: vocally grating, lyrically unimaginative, and musically one-dimensional. It is a rock album that sounds worse the louder you play it.” While I think the album is a bit too long (it features 18 tracks, but was reissued on November 10th as RUSH (ARE U COMING?) with a whopping 22 tracks), I love the band’s explosive energy and enjoy most of their songs.
The two very notable debuts, both of which were released on November 2nd, enter my chart quite high this week. The first, entering at #11, is “The American Dream Is Killing Me” by California pop-punk trio Green Day, released alongside “Look Ma, No Brains!” as the lead single from their forthcoming 14th studio album, Saviors, due out next year. Never afraid of making a socio-political statement, band front man Billie Joe Armstrong told Stereogum that the song is “a look at the way the traditional American Dream doesn’t work for a lot of people—in fact, it’s hurting a lot of people.”
Debuting right behind at #12 is “Now and Then” by The Beatles. At first I had mixed feelings about the song and how it came to be, but I’ve come to like it. Released as a double A-side single along with a new stereo remix of their first single, “Love Me Do”, they serve as a kind of “bookends” to the band’s history. “Now and Then” was written and recorded by John Lennon in 1977 as a solo piano demo on his home tape recorder, but was never finished. After his death in 1980, the song was considered for inclusion along with “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” for The Beatles’ 1995–1996 retrospective project The Beatles Anthology, but shelved due to its poor audio quality. Paul McCartney later remarked that George Harrison disliked the song, calling Lennon’s demo recording “fucking rubbish“. (Wikipedia)
Fast forward to 2023, McCartney and Ringo Starr were able to use the machine-learning-assisted audio restoration technology – originally commissioned by Peter Jackson for his 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back– to successfully extract Lennon’s vocals from the original demo. They then added their new vocal overdubs, Harrison’s 1995 guitar tracks along with a new slide guitar solo by McCartney, Starr’s new drum parts, and a string section written by Giles Martin (son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin), McCartney, and Ben Foster, to complete the new version of “Now and Then.” The result is a song that’s, in the words of Benjamin H. Smith who wrote about it for the website Decider, “underwhelming at first, due to its minor key verse and stately tempo, [but] repeated listens pull you in with its its artistry and gravitas“, which was exactly my own personal reaction.
The song has generally been well received by many critics who felt it was a worthy finale for the Beatles, however, some have been less generous, with a few bloggers I follow bitterly denouncing the entire project. Be that as it may, “Now and Then” has already topped the music charts in the UK, Germany, and Austria, and last week debuted at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest-charting song by the Beatles since “Free as a Bird” reached #6 in 1995.
Also worth noting on this week’s chart is the 10-point jump of U2‘s anthemic “Atomic City” (another song I was initially ambivalent about, partly because the chorus sounds a lot like Blondie’s “Call Me”), which is currently #1 on the Billboard AAA chart. With songs out now by both the Beatles and Rolling Stones, as well as veteran acts U2, Green Day, Wilco, Foo Fighters and blink-182, one can be forgiven for wondering what year we’re in!
HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (2)
ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (1)
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (3)
LOVING YOU – Cannons (4)
UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (6)
DARLING – Western Jaguar (8)
MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (9)
THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (10)
SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (11)
EVICTED – Wilco (12)
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (N)
NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (N)
RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (5)
WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (7)
HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (15)
ATOMIC CITY – U2 (26)
THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (20)
ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (21)
YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (22)
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (23)
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (24)
GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (25)
DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (13)
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (27)
WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (28)
It’s been quite a while since a song has spent four weeks at #1 on my chart (the last time was two years ago this month with Two Feet’s “Don’t Bring Me Down”), but “ONE MORE TIME” by blink-182 still strongly resonates with me. “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” by Italian rock band Måneskin holds at #2 for a third week, and in fact, the entire top 7 remains unchanged from last week.
The middle of my chart, however, has lots of movement, with several songs making big upward moves. Three songs enter the top 10: “Darling” by Canadian artist Western Jaguar; “My Kinda Girl” by British synth-pop trio The 23s, and “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND” by American metalcore band Bad Omens, all of which advance six spots. The biggest climbers this week are “Summer of Luv” by Portland-based alt-rock band Portugal. The Man featuring Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and “Evicted” by Chicago alt-rock veterans Wilco, each jumping seven spots to #11 and #12, respectively. The bottom third of the chart is more sluggish, with all ten songs advancing one spot. Bringing up the rear is the lone debut, “Cool About It” by boygenius, a long-overdue addition to my chart.
ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (1)
HONEY (ARE U COMING) – Måneskin (2)
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (3)
LOVING YOU – Cannons (4)
RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (5)
UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (6)
WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (7)
DARLING – Western Jaguar (14)
MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (15)
THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (16)
SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (18)
EVICTED – Wilco (19)
DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (10)
OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (12)
HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (17)
BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (11)
PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (13)
FRANCESCA – Hozier (8)
WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (9) 21st week on chart
THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (21)
ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (22)
YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (23)
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (24)
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (25)
GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (26)
ATOMIC CITY – U2 (27)
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (28)
WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (29)
blink-182 maintains a firm grip on the #1 spot for a third week with their heartwarming “ONE MORE TIME”, while Måneskin‘s boisterous gem “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” holds at #2 for a second week. I’ve fallen in love with Black Pumas‘ soulful “More Than a Love Song”, which jumps eight spots to #3 this week. The song has now spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard AAA chart. The sensuous “Loving You” by LA dream pop trio Cannons moves up two spots to #4, and Paramore‘s rousing “Running Out of Time” – which could be my theme song – moves up two spots to #5. Foo Fighters climb four spots to #6 with “Under You”.
Three songs debut this week: the ethereal beauty “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski, from her wonderfully-titled latest album The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We, at #28; “Wild”, the cool title track from the new album by prolific Texas singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, featuring contributions by Harmoni Kelly and Marc Schuster, at #29; and the enchanting “All I Die For” by Toronto, Canada indie rock trio SWiiMS, at #30. I was introduced to the song by fellow blogger The Alternative Mixtapes, a terrific blog worth checking out.
ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (1)
HONEY (ARE U COMING) – Måneskin (2)
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (11)
LOVING YOU – Cannons (6)
RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (7)
UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (10)
WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (8)
FRANCESCA – Hozier (3)
WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (4) 20th week on chart
DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (5)
BAD IDEA RIGHT ? – Olivia Rodrigo (12)
OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (13)
PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (14)
DARLING – Western Jaguar (15)
MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (16)
THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (17)
HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (18)
SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (19)
EVICTED – Wilco (20)
KISSES – Slowdive (9)
THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (22)
ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (23)
YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (24)
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (27)
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (28)
GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (29)
ATOMIC CITY – U2 (30)
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (N)
WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelly & Marc Schuster (N)
There’s an old saying that “two heads are better than one”, and while it might not always be true, I’ve found that when it comes to music, collaborations involving two different musicians from different backgrounds often leads to greater energy and creativity. Such is the case with The Star Crumbles, a musical collaboration between singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, who’s based in Denton, Texas, and singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marc Schuster, who lives in suburban Philadelphia. (Brian, who self identifies as “Your Friendly Neighborhood Rock And Roller”, affectionately calls The Star Crumbles his “love child” with Marc.) Now don’t get me wrong, each is a prolific and talented songwriter and musician in his own right, putting out catchy songs with thoughtful lyrics. But the songs they create together are some of my favorite music by them.
Last October, the Star Crumbles released their debut album The Ghost of Dancing Slow, a brilliant work inspired by some of the 80s artists and music they love. In my review of the album, I provided quite a bit of background info on Brian and Marc, but will reiterate a few important facts about each of them here for context.
Brian is a prolific artist who’s been writing and recording music for many years, and says he’s “reinvented himself more times than he can count.” In early 2021, he challenged himself to writing, recording and producing a new song every week for an entire year, which he accomplished, and now has an incredible body of work to his credit. He just released his latest album Auto Matic Im Perfect on August 4th. Marc is an insanely creative renaissance man, who counts among his many talents being an educator, author, literary critic, songwriter and musician – both as a solo artist and as part of numerous music projects and collaborations, visual artist, blogger (he has a terrific WordPress blog called Abominations), and host of the weekly online radio program Tweetcore Radio Hour.
Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster
Now the dynamic duo are back with their second album The Stars That Shine, which dropped August 8th, just four days after Lambert released his solo album. I said he was a prolific artist! This album showcases their ongoing exploration and growth as musicians and songwriters, continuing to push themselves beyond their comfort zones. Brian elaborates: “When we started the process of the album, Marc and I discussed this theme of new beginnings and really letting go of the past to become who you actually are. Thematically it’s probably best surmised in “Brand New Sunrise.” I wrestled with it for a couple of months while trying to make sense of where things were shaping up with the rest of the great music Marc was sending me. I felt like I had to really bring something that pushed me to areas where I was uncomfortable. The scope and grandeur of the music Marc was sending me demanded that I dig and find something in myself that was a mystery even to myself. What I love about the Star Crumbles is how this interaction with the “other” in the form of a piece of music allows me to redefine my own boundaries and shed them. Musically I’m just blown away and of all the things that I have a hand in, it’s the one that I listen to for pure enjoyment. I’m very proud of the work that Marc and I have done.“
They kick things off with “Get What You Are“, which was released in March as the album’s lead single. Brian wrote the lyrics, while both of them had a hand in writing the music. While the song has a somewhat dark and eerie vibe, with intricate guitar notes layered over a droning melody and mysterious echoed synths, the lyrics are more hopeful. Brian urges us to find our true selves in order to live a better, more fulfilling life: “You’ve got this time on your hands, feel it slipping away. You always hurt, live for today. You get what you want, when you get what you are.“
The guys channel Depeche Mode on “My Own Hands“, a terrific electronic gem featuring a contrasting mix of gnarly and swirling industrial synths that add drama and texture to the track. Marc noted how his and Brian’s collaboration really paid off in the track’s development: “There’s a little “whoosh” right before the chorus kicks in. It wasn’t there when I recorded the initial backing track, but Brian wanted a little bit of breathing room between the verse and the chorus. It took me a day or so to figure out how to do it, but I feel like that extra measure really does a nice job of letting Brian’s vocal shine when it comes back in.“
“Radio” is a fascinating spoken-word interlude in which Brian muses about all the songs floating around out there, which is followed by the trippy instrumental electronic track “Eat Your Vegetables“. Brian remarked that he and Marc had been talking about Brian Eno and experimental music, which led him to do his “best jazz daredevil over super cool bedrock of sound.”
One of my favorite tracks on the album is “What I’ve Become“, a haunting synth-driven beauty highlighted by Marc’s simple but arresting piano riff. Brian’s languid, melancholy vocals here are some of the best I’ve heard by him as he contemplates ridding himself of dark and negative thoughts that held him back: “I had a feeling, my feeling go away, and now that’s it’s gone, I’m happy here to stay. I let go of loneliness that always tortured me. The gloom and the darkness penetrating all I see.”
On the timely and relevant “Don’t Wanna Be Angry Anymore“, Brian calls out the constant anger that seems to permeate society today, with people on both sides of the political spectrum railing about one thing or another, always at war with each other: “It’s always something else, a brand new travesty. Conspiracies I do not see, and you just seethe and shout. And I don’t wanna be angry any more. I don’t even know what we’re fighting for. Can you tell me how you’re keeping score, because I don’t wanna be angry anymore.”
Those who follow Brian on social media know him to be a thoughtful guy who frequently poses questions about the music industry, our culture, emotional well-being, and life in general. The second spoken-word interlude “Space” is a great example of this, where he ponders the impact of spaces between scenes in a film or between tracks on a record. Next up is the upbeat and catchy song “Brand New Sunrise“, where he sings of seeing things with a new, more positive outlook. “Now I see the look in your eyes, I’m waking up to a brand new sunrise. I didn’t know we could be so much more than we thought we’d be.”
Continuing on a positive note, the delightful “Quiet Wonderful Day” celebrates the simple joys of everyday moments spent with a loved one: “Silent smiles we sit there blissfully, nothing that we need to say. In the park, holding hands on a quiet wonderful day.” I love the bouncy melody, lighthearted synths and Marc’s breezy piano chords, all of which make this another one of my favorites. On “See You Want You“, Brian confides to someone he’s besotted with of his clear-eyed adoration: “I see you and I want you, exactly for who you are.”
“Read My Mind” is a fast-paced, spacey synthpop song with a melody that sounds a lot like Semisonic’s 1998 classic “Closing Time”, and while I like it well enough, for me it’s the weakest track on the album. The lyrics seem to speak of feeling fulfilled and at peace with oneself: “If you could read my mind you would know that I am done trying to fill in the holes./I am here, feeling whole.” Closing track “You Are Much More” seems to question our beliefs that form the basis of our worldview: “Are stories you tell, what you believe? Is what you’re giving, what you receive? Do memories make meanings that hold us in place? …searching for answers in the thoughts between space. Won’t you come with me. We’ll see all we can see.” I like the nifty bassline, reverb-soaked fuzzy guitar notes and crisp drumbeats that give the song an urgent, fascinating vibe.
With The Stars That Shine, The Star Crumbles have crafted another stellar album for our listening pleasure. I love these guys, and trust we’ll be hearing much more great music from them in the months and years to come!
New music releases continue at a dizzying pace, so much so that it often feels overwhelming. I should be featuring at least some of it on this blog, but alas, I just haven’t much felt like writing of late. But when I hear new songs that pique my interest, I want to share them with the world. That means it’s time for another Fresh New Tracks post, and today I’m featuring three terrific tracks from artists with totally different sounds. They are, in alphabetical order, British alt-rock band Oli Barton & the Movement, British synthpop band Magnetic Skies, and American singer-songwriter & musician Marc Schuster. I’ve previously written about Oli Barton & the Movement and Marc Schuster, while Magnetic Skies is new to me.
OLI BARTON & THE MOVEMENT – “Paid Off”
London-based Oli Barton & the Movement are a long-time favorite of mine. As indicated by their name, the band is headed by the wildly creative and charismatic singer-songwriter Oli Barton, with the Movement comprised of exceptionally talented musicians Jamal Lagoon on guitar, Marco Paone on bass, and Josh Needham on drums. Together, their eccentric yet sophisticated style of alternative rock is a colorful mix of post-punk and psychedelia, fortified with touches of funk, grunge and pop. I’ve featured them many times on this blog over the past six years, and have loved every one of their releases. Four of their songs have appeared on my Weekly Top 30 lists – their provocative 2017 single “Kinky” went all the way to #1, while “44”, “Martyr” and “JustLike Always” all reached the top 5.
On February 17th, they dropped their latest single “Paid Off“, and it’s a certifiable banger! Produced by the band’s longtime collaborator Jules Gulon, and featuring beguiling backing vocals by Portugal-born and now London-based singer-songwriter Carlota Rocchi, the song is an exhilarating, infectiously catchy romp. Opening with Needham’s galloping drum beats and Paone’s throbbing bass, which are soon joined by Barton’s distinctive croon, the song explodes into a chugging rocker, fueled by Lagoon’s scorching riffs, Barton’s vocals rising to an impassioned wail. The lyrics seem to speak of people who use others for their own gain, bleeding them until they’re dry: “I’m just a fraction of the fragment of what I was. The moment they penetrated me./ They just want to be paid off by you, by you, by you!” I love it, and the guys have another future top 5 hit on their hands!
Also based in London, Magnetic Skies was originally formed as a duo in early 2019 by singer-songwriters and keyboardists Simon Kent and Jo Womar. With a shared love of 80s synth-driven post-punk and vintage analogue synths, they quickly got busy writing and recording an impressive amount of material they released in a succession of singles and three EPs – Dreams And Memories, Hold On and Into Paradise. They became a four-piece in 2021 with the addition of guitarist Carlos Aguilar and drummer Lenin Alegria, and since then have released six more singles. In preparation for writing about them, I listen to quite a bit of their back music catalogue, and it’s really outstanding. Their latest single, “You Shine On“, which dropped February 17th, will be included on their forthcoming debut album Empire Falling, set for release later this year.
Released via independent label ReprinT Records, “You Shine On” features a dreamy melody set to hypnotic driving beats and lush, atmospheric soundscapes reminiscent of such defining 80s acts as The Human League, Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode. There are so many fabulous touches, like the dominant pulsating bassline, gorgeous jangly guitars, swirling synths, crashing percussion and soaring vocal harmonies. About the song, the band explains: “This is a love song, a story about two people finding each other despite divisions from outside, and about being true to yourself even when that doesn’t fit with expectations from society or other people. It’s celebrating a really positive self-belief.” The track is accompanied by a stylish video featuring kaleidoscopic images of a beautiful woman dressed in a flowing, butterfly-like golden garment, interspersed with similarly-kaleidoscopic images of the band performing the song.
Marc Schuster is an insanely creative, multi-talented guy from the Philadelphia area who I first got to know several years ago through blogging (he has a terrific WordPress blog called Abominations, where he writes about music and interviews lots of 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, including his latest project The Star Crumbles with fellow musician Brian Lambert (their song “Shadows in the Dark” recently spent two weeks at #1 on my Top 30 chart). As if all that weren’t enough, he also started doing a weekly hour-long music podcast a few months ago he calls “Tweetcore”, where he features songs by talented indie artists he’s met through Twitter. 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. He doesn’t have a powerful singing voice, but he more than makes up for it with a quirky, endearing vocal delivery that never fails to put a huge smile on my face. I seriously adore this man, who’s also been incredibly supportive of both me and my blog.
Almost a year ago to the day, I reviewed his delightful EP There Is No Down. In addition to his work with The Star Crumbles, Marc has continued putting out solo singles, his latest of which is “George Around the Corner“, a sweet song he released on February 16th. He cleverly name-drops his neighbor George, as well as a few of his fellow artist collaborators like Tim Simmons and Brian Lambert. He elaborated about the song on his blog: “‘George Around the Corner’ is more or less about real people I know. George does, in fact, live around the corner, and he did, in fact, fly a fighter jet in 1969 (and the years on either side of it). The line about him not remembering my name was true when I started working on the song, but more recently he has begun to remember my name when I see him. Tim stops by for coffee fairly regularly if not actually once a week, and sometimes I stop by his house. The line about us not speaking, however, is entirely false. We talk a lot. But ‘speak’ rhymes with ‘week.’ And Brian did visit Philadelphia once. He was actually visiting family in Delaware when he made the additional trek out to see me. His son came with him and did take a picture of us waiting for the train. However, that was not the only picture he took. Also, I stand by my claim that sometimes the best of times move kind of slow.” If you click on the Bandcamp link below, you’ll see the lyrics to the song.
It’s been over two and a half months since my last Fresh New Tracks post, as I haven’t felt much enthusiasm for writing about music, but I thought it was time to try and get back into the groove. Accordingly, today I’m featuring three new singles by three very different artists I’ve previously featured on this blog. They are, in alphabetical order, German collective 5ON5, Texas singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, and British indie pop-rock band Wild Horse.
5ON5 – “Balloon”
Based in beautiful, cosmopolitan Berlin, Germany, 5ON5 is a collaborative music project comprised of four distinctly unique artists spanning two generations and coming from completely different music backgrounds. The brainchild of Max Koffler, a singer-songwriter, musician and producer with over 20 years experience in the music industry and two solo albums to his credit, 5ON5 also includes singer-songwriter and producer $INAN (aka Sinan Pakar), rapper and visual artist Maxx B, and singer Yumin. Their unusual name 5ON5 was inspired by Max’s music label sonsounds, and reflects the group’s eclectic blend of music genres and styles, including EDM, synth pop, hip hop and alternative rock. I’ve previously featured Koffler’s music on this blog twice in 2018, as well as two of 5ON5’s singles, “Runaway” in 2021, and most recently last January, “Don’t Dance” (which was one of my most-read reviews of 2022). They followed with four more singles in 2022, and now kick off 2023 with their latest single “Balloon“, accompanied by an animated video, which dropped January 12th.
The song, which was produced by Koffler along with Steve van Velvet, and mixed and mastered by Jeson Huang, seems to be about going on a journey without any particular agenda “I don’t know where we’re meant to fly so purposeless, so purposeless…” One of the things I like most about 5ON5’s music is how well their individual voices harmonize together, and I love the song’s airy dance groove, spacey synths and delicate mix of chiming and twangy guitar notes.
The colorful video, created by Max Klumker, shows animated versions of the four band members singing and dancing against a glorious ever-changing backdrop of figures, ranging from Mary Poppins and Easter Island statues to astronauts and lovable aliens, floating through the skies in hot air balloons, spaceships or by their own accord.
Brian Lambert is an engaging, thoughtful and extremely prolific singer-songwriter and musician based in Denton, Texas. He’s been writing and recording music for many years, and says he’s “reinvented himself more times than he can count.” He even tried his hand at country music for a while, but came to the realization that it just wasn’t for him. More recently, he’s been making indie rock music inspired by some of his favorite acts like Spoon, Gang of Youths, Soul Asylum and the Replacements. He used to play gigs all over the DFW metroplex, but with Covid putting a halt to that, in 2021 he challenged himself to writing, recording and producing a new song every week for a year, an ambitious feat he went on to accomplish! He’s continued to write and record songs both as a solo artist and in collaboration with a host of other musicians he’s met on Twitter. One he’s worked with the most is Marc Schuster, a singer-songwriter and musician from the Philadelphia area who’s also an educator, author, literary critic, blogger and visual artist. Together they’ve collaborated to create a separate music act The Star Crumbles, and last September, they released their fantastic debut album The Ghost of Dancing Slow (which I reviewed). Now Brian returns with his latest single “It’s Good“, which dropped yesterday, January 27th.
The song is a collaboration with Schuster as well as fellow musician Mike Mosely, who performs under his own musical moniker Jr Moz Collective. Brian elaborates: “I had Covid over Christmas, and had some pretty wild dreams. In this particular dream, I got the chords to a song, and whenever that happens, it seems to make sense to get up as soon as you can, and grab your guitar and write it down. Lyrically, I wasn’t exactly sure where to go with it, so I decided to write a letter to my 11-year-old self. I cut a demo, and sent it to my friend Mike Mosely, who said ‘cut the song today’“. Even though Brian’s voice was still gravelly due to the effects of Covid, he went ahead and recorded the song anyway. He also played acoustic guitar and keyboards, with electric guitars and bass played by Mike and drums by Marc.
The result is a really compelling tune with a bit of a roots rock vibe, highlighted by some fine guitar work. The heartfelt lyrics, which Brian’s ravaged vocals make all the more poignant, offer encouragement to a young boy in that awkward transitional period between his childhood and teen years: “And you are, whatever you think you are. As bright as a shining star. Yeah, it’s good.” The video shows Brian driving around town and visiting vintage and resale shops in what I’m guessing are in and around his hometown of Denton.
Hailing from East Sussex, England is the talented and very charismatic young pop-rock band Wild Horse, consisting of brothers Henry and Jack Baldwin and long-time friend Ed Barnes. Now in their early 20s, the guys are seasoned musicians who’ve been writing and recording songs since forming in 2013, when they were barely teenagers. Both Henry and Jack are multi-instrumentalists who play guitar, bass and keyboards, as well as sing vocals, while Ed plays drums and percussion, sings backing vocals and plays guitar on a few tracks. The Baldwin brothers are also prolific songwriters who’ve penned hundreds of songs over the years, with five albums, three EPs and numerous singles to their credit. I’ve been following them for over five years, and love their music. I have reviewed two of their albums, DANCE!! Like An Animal in 2019, and When the Pool Is Occupied in late 2021, as well as one of their singles “Bitter” last September (which you can read here)The song spent two months on my weekly top 30 last fall. They’ve been releasing new singles every few months, and their latest is “Cougar” which also dropped yesterday, January 27th.
Despite their young ages, Wild Horse are not afraid to tackle mature subjects, and “Cougar” is perhaps their most ‘adult’ song yet. The band explains: “‘Cougar’ is a tale of a lonely housewife who starts using psychedelics and visiting younger men to escape the pain of real life and her failing marriage. Told from the point of view of one of her conquests, the funky indie pop track expresses secret desires, bitter regrets and sweet oblivion. The song’s ending refrain of “how sweet the sound” features the soulful gospel vocals of Jalissa Livermore and reminds everyone that even if you know it won’t end well, you can’t turn back. It simply feels too good.”
It’s a terrific song, and I love the sensuous groove, lush synths, sparkling keyboards, snappy drums, and funky guitars. Jack’s plaintive vocals nicely convey the conflicting emotions expressed in the lyrics “Cougar, You tell me that you’re married. You say it’s not a problem. He’s always working out of town. You tell me that you want me. You’re getting yourself ready. And like a deer under the headlights I find myself drawn into your life. This isn’t gonna end well. That man has left you broken. Confined inside these four gold walls.”
Music act The Star Crumbles came to be rather serendipitously earlier this year when singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, who’s based in Denton, Texas, reached out to singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marc Schuster, who lives in suburban Philadelphia, for some help with his song “Kids” (which I wrote about last March in a Fresh New Tracks post). The two had previously met on Twitter, but had never before worked with each other. Well, they immediately hit it off, so much so that they decided to collaborate together on more music projects, eventually leading to their creation of a new music act they dubbed The Star Crumbles. On September 30th, their debut album The Ghost of Dancing Slow was released on Bandcamp, and will go live on most other streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) on October 7th.
Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster
Before I get into the album, I want to provide a bit of background on Brian, Marc and The Star Crumbles. Brian has been writing and recording music for many years, and says he’s “reinvented himself more times than he can count.” He even tried his hand at country music for a while, but eventually realized that it just wasn’t for him. More recently, the prolific songwriter’s been making indie rock music inspired by some of his favorite acts like Spoon, Gang of Youths and the Replacements, and beginning in 2021, he challenged himself to writing, recording and producing a new song every week for an entire year. He now has an incredible body of work to his credit.
Marc is an insanely creative renaissance man in every sense of the word. Not only is he an educator, author and literary critic, 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’s also a pretty good visual artist, is incredibly supportive of other artists and music bloggers (including yours truly), and has a terrific WordPress blog of his own called Abominations, where he writes about music and interviews lots of indie artists. I’ve featured him three times on my blog, including a review last February of his wonderful EP There Is No Down.
In addition to making music, both Brian and Marc are wildly imaginative and funny guys. Soon after forming The Star Crumbles, they came up with the idea of creating a tongue-in-cheek back story for the act. Since their music is strongly influenced by their shared love of 80s new wave music by such bands as The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, Ultravox and New Order, they decided that The Star Crumbles would have its origins in the early 80s, but due a number of unexplained circumstances, they suddenly disappeared from the music scene before having a chance to release their first album: “From 1982 to 1986, The Star Crumbles were always on the verge of something big – until they vanished without a trace, taking their eagerly anticipated album, ‘The Ghost of Dancing Slow’, with them. Everyone thought they had potential, but they were dogged by misfortune and bad timing. Also, they had terrible business sense.“
The guys recruited a motley crew of friends and fans to provide their own unfiltered insight into what became of The Star Crumbles. The result (which I was honored to be a part of) is a brilliant and hilarious video documentary Beyond the Music. The inventiveness, originality and deadpan delivery of those who participated is really quite impressive! Please press play:
Okay, now lets get to the music. The Ghost of Dancing Slow was a DIY project, totally self-recorded and produced by Marc and Brian. Marc mixed the tracks, and they both had a hand in the final mastering. Marc played guitars and drums on all tracks, while both he and Brian played synths. All but one of the ten songs on the album were written by Brian and Marc, the exception being “Cool Down”, which was written by fellow musician Mike Mosley (who also appears in the documentary).
Opening track “Desperately Wanting” was The Star Crumbles’ first official single, released this past May. It’s a beautiful and compelling song about a couple who are unable to communicate their needs to each other, leaving their relationship in a perpetual state of limbo, with each of them feeling unfulfilled and unhappy. The album’s title is taken from the song’s lyrics: “The space that lies in between. The gap that lies in between, what we’re really wanting, we don’t want to talk about. The ghost of dancing slow, inside what we’re speaking. But we pretend not to know, what we’re really thinking.” Musically, the song is driven by Marc’s hypnotic bassline, over which he’s layered somber droning synths, thumping drumbeats and gently crashing cymbals. Both he and Brian played guitars. Brian’s plaintive vocals are both comforting and melancholy, nicely conveying the sad sense of resignation expressed in the lyrics. It’s a great song, and spent 12 weeks on my Top 30 chart this past summer.
Next up is their follow-up single “Shadows in the Dark“, another winning tune with a strong retro 80s vibe that borders on darkwave. The guitar work is fantastic, and I love that sizzling little guitar solo in the bridge. Brian’s fervent vocals are great as well. The cool video, which was created by Marc, features pixelated renditions of the band trapped in an eight-bit Atari nightmare.
On the timely and relevant “Conspiracy“, the guys take on those who spread conspiracy theories, and the damage it does to society: “While bald-faced lies are told, the rhythm of what’s true skips a beat. We wonder how they get away with it. There is no consequence for ineloquence that harms the trust. I think it’s more than just a bit intentional.” The gravity of the subject is driven home by the song’s unsettling vibe, created by a rather menacing groove, overlain with dark industrial synths and distorted guitars.
“Cool Down” sounds like a long-lost song by Joy Division or The Cure, with gorgeous shimmery guitars and swirling synths, and Brian’s vocals sound better than ever here. “Cozumel” is a sweet song about spending time with a loved one in the Mexican resort, and though the subject matter is quite different, it made me think of Suzanne Vega’s great song “Tom’s Diner”. Those great jangly guitars return on the haunting new wave gem “Trees in the Forest“, with lyrics that seem to speak of feeling lost and disconnected from the world.
With its bouncy new wave vibe, “What Are We Waiting For” urges us to stop doubting ourselves and seize the moment so that we can move forward and live our fullest lives. “Spectres in Waiting” has a decidedly different feel than the other tracks on the album, with a somber, more introspective feel, highlighted by rather mournful guitar notes. The wonderfully-titled “Past, Present and Future Walk Into a Bar, It Was Tense” is another terrific story song, in which Brian talk-sings about his present self encountering his past and future selves in a bar, and wanting to ask them questions to gain a better understanding of himself: “All these years older, what do you get? I hope not colder, nor full of regret.” I love the song’s darker vibe and rather menacing gnarly guitars.
Closing track “If I Could” is the longest on the album, running over five minutes, and has a gentle, upbeat cadence that’s really pleasing. The song seems to be about searching for the truths that will help guide us to a better life, which I also think kind of encapsulates the overall them of the album: “Every time I thought I had an answer, there is just another question that begs that I go searching. Even when I find it, I’m left not truly knowing. I guess it will always be that way.”
The Ghost of Dancing Slow is a marvelous album, and we’re so fortunate The Star Crumbles were successful in retrieving the lost masters to these new wave gems so that we can enjoy them these many years later 😉
Those who purchase the album on Bandcamp will receive a bonus song. Also Friday, October 7th is Bandcamp Friday, meaning all proceeds from purchases go directly to the artists.
My new favorite song this week is the uplifting and poignant “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid” by Canadian art-rock band Arcade Fire. Released in late April, it’s the second single from their sixth studio album WE. About the song, band front man Win Butler told Pitchfork “‘Lookout Kid’” is a reminder, a lullaby for the end times, sung to my son, but for everyone…. Trust your heart, trust your mind, trust your body, trust your soul. Shit is going to get worse before it gets better, but it always gets better, and no one’s perfect.” The video, produced by Ben Matheny and Nathan Harrison, and directed by Benh Zeitlin, is delightful.
Singer-songwriter and rapper Lizzo advances to #2 with her feel-good dance song “About Damn Time”. Debuting this week at #s 28-30 are “Lemon Tree” by L.A.-based alternative/indie folk rock band Mt. Joy“, “Tek It” by Brooklyn-based electro-pop duo Cafuné, and “Compliance” by British alt-rock band Muse.
UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (2)
ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (3)
SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (1)
A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (6)
TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (4)
BELIEVE – Caamp (5)
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (8)
SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (10)
THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (11)
CLOSER – The Frontier (12)
LONELY – Sea Girls (13)
THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (14)
IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (15)
WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (16)
MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (17)
2am – Foals (7)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (9)
DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (20)
There’s so much great music out now, I have at least 50 songs I’d like to put on my Weekly Top 30. “Seventeen Going Under” by Sam Fender remains at #1 for a second week. Closing in at #2 is Arcade Fire‘s heartwarming ““Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)”, while Lizzo slides into the #3 spot with her funk-pop earworm “About Damn Time”. German alt-rock band Milky Chance enter the top 10 with their cool song “Synchronize”. For some reason I cannot fathom, the song has not been anywhere near as popular as their previous single “Colorado”, even though I think it’s a better song.
Two songs make their debut this week: “Bones” by Imagine Dragons and “Grey” by Welsh rock band Holy Coves. While I’m a fan of Imagine Dragons, I didn’t care for their previous single “Enemy”, a massive hit now in it’s 35th week in the top 40 of the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, nine of them at #1, but I do like “Bones” a lot. (“Enemy” and “Bones” currently hold the #4 and #5 spots on the Alternative chart.) I’ve resisted putting “Bones” on my chart for the past several weeks, but it’s just too damn infectious! “Grey” is the second song by Holy Coves to appear on my Weekly Top 30; their single “The Hurt Within” spent 11 weeks on my list this past Spring.
SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (1)
UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (3)
ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (5)
TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (2)
BELIEVE – Caamp (4)
A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (6)
2am – Foals (9)
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (8)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (7)
SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (12)
THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (13)
CLOSER – The Frontier (14)
LONELY – Sea Girls (15)
THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (17)
IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (18)
WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (19)
MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (21)
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (10) 19th week on list
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (11)
DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (22)
LIN MANUEL – Onism E (23)
FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (25)
BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (27)
BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (16)
UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (29)
SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (30)
BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (20)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 