We’re now into the first full week of 2025, and last week’s top four songs remain in place, with Dexter and The Moonrocks‘ boisterous “Sad In Carolina” holding on to the top spot for a second week. The song is now in its fifth week at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, making it their most successful single yet. “The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses, “A Fragile Thing” by The Cure and “Hardcore Romance” by Beach Weather remain at #s 2, 3 and 4. Entering the top 10 are “Arrow” by The Head and the Heart, finally breaking loose and jumping seven spots to #8 (the song has spent the past three weeks at #1 on the Billboard AAA chart), and “In The Living Room” by Maggie Rogers, which advances five spots to #9.
Making their debut this week are the enchanting “She Wants To Go Dancing” by Los Angeles-based alternative roots rock band Mt. Joy, entering at #29. The single was released last October, but took a while to appear on my chart, unfortunately. It’s their sixth song to appear on my Top 30. The second debut, at #30, is “People Watching” by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender. Released in November, the song has a pleasing and fast-paced anthemic groove similar to his 2021 hit “Seventeen Going Under”, which went to #1 on my chart.
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (1)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (2)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (3)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (4)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (7)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (8)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (10)
ARROW – The Head and the Heart (15)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (14)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (5)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (6)
GIVING UP – Michigander (16)
GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (20)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (9)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (11)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (18)
ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (19)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (12)
Photo of Dexter and The Moonrocks from their Facebook account
It’s hard to believe we’re sailing into 2025, and I think it’s highly appropriate to paraphrase Bette Davis (as Margo Channing in the 1950 film classic All About Eve) here by saying “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy year!”
Hailing from Abilene, Texas, four-piece rock band Dexter and the Moonrocks is comprised of James Tuffs on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Ryan Anderson on lead guitar and backing vocals, Ty Anderson on bass, and Fox on drums and backing vocals. According to their website bio, they were formed when “a former fry cook, oil field operator, concrete surface decorator and kids’ baseball coach met up in a small town in West Texas and started playing country western music together (as one does in small town West Texas). But something didn’t feel right – so their roots in country began to cross-pollinate with the rock and grunge music they heard their parents playing at home. ‘Grunge and country are honestly so similar,’ says Fox. ‘Look at Johnny Cash’s cover of ‘Hurt’ by Nine Inch Nails. Both speak to the oppressed and the depressed – country with twang and grunge with a bite. A pair of boots can mean cowboy or combat. We are huge fans of artists like Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and Noah Kahan – and when you take that sound and plug it into amps with electric guitars, you get Dexter and the Moonrocks. We took a bet on ourselves, and it’s paying off immensely,’ he continues. ‘We believed we had something special, and if we could just get people to pay attention they’d fall in love, and we did just that.’ ‘It feels like a fever dream, and it’s definitely helped the health of my knees’, says Ty’s cousin guitarist Ryan Anderson, who never plans to decorate concrete again.”
Describing their sound as “sad cowboy music”, they released their debut single “Couch” (which has been streamed over 17 million times on Spotify alone) in late August 2021, followed by their self-titled EP that November. The rousing ear worm “Sad in Carolina”, one of six songs featured on their latest EP Western Space Grunge, released on Nashville-based label Severance Records this past July, is my new #1 song in a week that straddles the new year. Judging from their prodigious social media posts, the guys appear to have a wicked sense of humor. And on their Spotify account, they wryly state “Our entire lives we dreamed of being pool cleaners, but we guess this will work.” I’m confident it most definitely will!
In other chart developements of note, the endearing “The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses – which I love with all my heart – moves up two spots to second place, while “Bobby Sox” by Green Day advances two spots to enter the top 10 at #10. Debuting this week are two songs, the first of which, entering at #27, is the delicious “So Cold” by New Zealand alt-pop duo Balu Brigada, the music project of multi-instrumentalist writer/producer brothers, Henry and Pierre Beasley. The song was released last June, but I only learned about it – and them – a few months ago when it appeared on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. I honestly liked it when I first heard it, but inexplicably, it’s taken until now for me to add it on my chart. I now love it, along with many of their songs. Balu Brigada opened for twenty one pilots on the North American leg of their Clancy World Tour, which ran from mid-August to mid-October.
The second debut, coming in at #30, is the enchanting “Afterlife” by Sharon Van Etten, along with her backing band The Attachment Theory (consisting of percussionist Jorge Balbi, bassist Devra Hoff, and multi-instrumentalist Teeny Lieberson). The song is the lead single from her forthcoming seventh studio album Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, due for release February 7, 2025. I love Van Etten’s voice, and it’s her fourth song to appear on my chart, the previous three being “Seventeen” in 2019, “Like I Used To” (with Angel Olsen) in 2021 and “Mistakes” in 2022.
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (2)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (4)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (1)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (3)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (5)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (6)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (8)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (10)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (7)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (12)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (9)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (13)
We’ve reached the last full week of 2024, and the Cure‘s “A Fragile Thing” remains at #1 on my Top 30 for a second week. Dexter and The Moonrocks also hold at #2 for a second week with “Sad in Carolina, while Beach Weather moves into third place with “Hardcore Romance”. “The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses climbs four spots to #4, while “Favourite” by Fontaines D.C. moves down two to #5. “A Tear in Space (Airlock)” by Glass Animals moves up three spots to enter the top 10 at #10.
Three songs make their debut this week, beginning with “Detroit” by Los Angeles-based alternative hard rock band Badflower. Released this past summer, the song took a while to fully grow on me, which is weird since it’s a really good, high-energy anthem. It’s their second song to appear on my chart, the first being their 2018 masterpiece “Ghost”, which peaked at #2 and ranks #21 on my 100 Best Songs of 2018 list. Formed in 2015, the band is still comprised of the four original founding members singer/guitarist Josh Katz, lead guitarist Joey Morrow, bassist Alex Espiritu and drummer Anthony Sonetti.
Entering at #29 is another song that’s been out awhile, “Sailor Song” by American singer-songwriter Gigi Perez. (Coincidentally, it was released on July 26, the same day as Badflower’s “Detroit”.) She’s been putting out music since 2021, but “Sailor Song” is her first song to chart after going viral on TikTok a few months ago. It’s reached #1 in the UK, Ireland and Latvia, and the top five in New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the Billboard Hot Rock and Alternative Songs chart. Thus far, it’s reached #22 on the Hot 100. The infectious and endearing song is a love ballad about falling for a woman who looks like the actress Anne Hathaway.
The third debut is “Day & Night”, by London-based singer-songwriter Oli Barton. A supremely talented artist, Barton’s made numerous appearances on my Top 30, most recently this past fall with his previous single “You Just Played My Mind”, which spent 15 weeks on my chart. I’ve loved every single one of his releases, and the ebullient “Day & Night” is no exception!
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (1)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (2)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (4)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (8)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (3)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (5)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (6)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (9)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (7)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (13)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (11)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (12)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (16)
For more than 40 years, English alternative goth rock band The Cure have masterfully captured both the joyous highs and painful depths of love, loss and existential angst in their music, and their latest single “A Fragile Thing” is a shining example of that, as well as a strong testament to their enduring creativity and relevance. Released on October 9, the song was the second single (after the epic “Alone”) from their 14th studio album Songs of a Lost World, their first new material in 16 years since the release of 4:13 Dream in 2008. Entirely written, composed, and arranged by The Cure front man Robert Smith, the album was originally recorded and intended for release in 2019, and is the band’s first album to feature Reeves Gabrels, who joined as a full-time member in 2012, on guitar. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Songs of a Lost World has received universal acclaim, based on a weighted average score of 93 out of 100 from 23 critic scores.
Like all songs on the album, “A Fragile Thing” reflects the darker sentiments Smith was feeling after the loss of his mother, father and brother in quick succession. Nevertheless, he tried to keep the album “universal” in its themes, stating “So even though most of the songs are very personal, they’re not things that only happen to me.” In an October YouTube interview, he stated that he had struggled to write “A Fragile Thing”, saying it was originally a very different song titled “Kill The Sun”, but that it “mutated into this song, which is very specific to me, I suppose. “But I’m hoping that it resonates with other people because love is a universal thing.” He further explained that “A Fragile Thing” is “the ‘love song’ of the album, but not really a love song in the way that [1989’s] ‘Lovesong’ is a love song. It’s about how love is the most enduring of emotions. It’s the most powerful emotion, and it’s incredibly resilient. And yet at the same time, incredibly fragile.” The hauntingly beautiful song becomes the latest to top my Weekly Top 30 chart.
In other chart developments of note, “Sad in Carolina” by Dexter and The Moonrocks advances two spots to #2. Entering the top 10 are “The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses, which climbs four spots to #8, and “Neverender” by French electronic music duo Justice and Australian band Tame Impala, moving up two spots to #9.
Two songs make their debut, the first of which, entering at #29, is “Darkerside” by American singer-songwriter David Kushner. Born in Chicago and now based in Los Angeles, the baritone-voiced artist began releasing singles in 2021, and the following year, his song “Mr. Miserable” went viral on TikTok. Though it didn’t chart in the U.S., it reached the top 40 in several European countries, Australia and New Zealand. His 2023 single “Daylight” also went viral on TikTok, becoming an even bigger hit, reaching #1 in the Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand and peaking at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been streamed over 1.3 billion times on Spotify alone. The anthemic “Darkerside”, along with “Daylight”, Mr. Miserable”, and his previous singles, are featured on his debut album The Dichotomy, which was released August 30th. The song has already spent 10 weeks on the Alternative Airplay chart, the past three at #23.
Entering at #30 is “You’re My Drug”, the latest single by Northern Virginia-based Talk in Waves, the music project of the very talented and affable singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos. He’s been a long-time favorite of mine, and “You’re My Drug” is his eighth song to appear on my Top 30 chart. Five of them have gone all the way to #1, most recently his previous single “Like You Do” this past September. “You’re My Drug” is a sexy rocker, featuring an edgier, harder-driving sound for him, and I like it!
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (2)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (4)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (5)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (3)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (7)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (6)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (12)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (11)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (9)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (13)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (14)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (16)
KINKY – bby (15)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (8)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (18)
DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (19)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (20)
ARROW – The Head and the Heart (21)
GIVING UP – Michigander (22)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (10)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (24)
ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (26)
GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (29)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (17)
PEACE SONG – Fat Dog (30)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (25)
Fontaines D.C. remain on top for a third week with their heartwarming “Favourite”, while The Cure switches places with Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars as “A Fragile Thing” moves up a notch to #2 and “Die With A Smile” drops to #3. Dexter and The Moonrocks jump five spots to #4 with their bombastic earworm “Sad in Carolina”, while Beach Weather move up two spots with their sultry “Hardcore Romance” to round out the top five. The wonderful “The Faithful Heart” by Los Angeles-based Wons Phreely + The Horses is this week’s biggest upward mover, leaping 16 spots to #12.
Making their debut are songs by two acts who are totally new to me. The first, entering at #29, is “Gild the Lily” by Michigan-based singer-songwriter and bluegrass musician Billy Strings. Born William Lee Apostol, he was given his stage name Billy Strings from his aunt, who recognized his impressive skills playing multiple traditional bluegrass instruments. He’s been releasing music as a solo artist since 2017, and has won numerous music awards, including a Grammy in 2021 for Best Bluegrass Album for his second album Home. The pleasing “Gild the Lily” is from his fourth album Highway Prayers, a 20-track colossus released this past September.
Entering at #30 is the boisterous “Peace Song” by English techno punk band Fat Dog. Formed in South London in 2020, the band consists of Joe Love, Chris Hughes, Morgan Wallace, Jacqui Wheeler and Johnny ‘Doghead’ Hutch. They released their debut seven-minute long single “King of the Slugs” in 2023, followed by a number of singles which culminated in the release of their debut album WOOF. this past September. Their latest single “Peace Song” dropped November 21st, and it was love at first listen for me.
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (3)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (2)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (9)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (7)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (6)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (8)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (4)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (10)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (5)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (12)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (28)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (15)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (16)
KINKY – bby (17)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (18)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (11)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (21)
DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (22)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (23)
ARROW – The Head and the Heart (24)
GIVING UP – Michigander (25)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (13)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (26)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (14)
As its title would suggest, my favorite song again this week is “Favourite” by Irish band Fontaines D.C., who’ve also become one of my favorite bands. And from posts I’ve read, on the strength of their latest album Romance, they’ve become the favorite of many others as well. In an interview with Fontaines D.C. front man Grian Chatten in September on his Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music, Elton John told Chatten “For me, you’re the best band out there at the moment. You seem to have found your feet with this album in such a big way… it’s a brilliant record. I think this album takes you – and I’ve been around for a long time – to a different level, and it’s going to stay around for a long, long time. But what’s more important about it: the music is really, really, really special. Congratulations on everything, Grian. It’s bloody wonderful.” I couldn’t agree more. “Favourite” is the second song from Romance – and Fontaines D.C. – to top my Weekly Top 30, following “Starburster”, which spent three weeks at #1 this past August.
In other noteworthy chart developments, the wonderful duet “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars climbs two spots to #2, while “A Fragile Thing” by legendary alternative goth-rock band The Cure jumps three spots to #3. Entering the top 10 are “Sad In Carolina” by Texas rock band Dexter and The Moonrocks and “Bothering Me” by Australian singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko.
Two songs make their debut, the first of which is the heartwarming “The Faithful Heart” by Australian-born and Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Wons Phreely and his band The Horses, entering at #28. I wrote about the song and its delightful video a few days ago, which you can read here. The second, entering at #30, is “Routines In The Night” by twenty one pilots. It’s the third song from their latest album Clancy to appear on my chart, following “Overcompensate”, which reached #2, and “The Craving”, which spent three weeks at #1.
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars (4)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (6)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (2)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (3)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (7)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (8)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (9)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (12)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (11)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (5)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (14)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (10)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (13)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (17)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (18)
KINKY – bby (19)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (20)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (14)
THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (18)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (23)
DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (24)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (26)
ARROW – The Head and the Heart (28)
GIVING UP – Michigander (29)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (30)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (21)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (N)
Not a lot of changes from last week’s Top 30. Foo Fighters‘ “Rescued” remains at #1 for a second week, while boygenius‘ “Not Strong Enough” holds at #2 again after having spent two weeks at #1. The mesmerizing “Essence”, by Danish electronic artist Refeci and Canadian-American singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson, climbs four spots to #3, and the beautiful “Those Eyes” by Toronto collective New West enters the top 10. Debuting this week are “Say Yes To Heaven” by the always captivating Lana Del Rey, at #29, and the bluesy “Orbit” by the exceptionally-talented Brooklyn trio Gooseberry, which enters at #30.
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (1)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (2)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (7)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (3)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (8)
LEAVING – Au Gres (9)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (4)
KID – The Revivalists (5)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (6)
THOSE EYES – New West (11)
WHY – Future Theory (12)
1982 – Morgendust (10)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (15)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (13)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (14)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (16)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (18)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (19)
Too many bands have faced the sudden and tragic loss of an integral member, and one of the more heartbreaking in recent memory was the death last year of Taylor Hawkins, the beloved longtime drummer of American rock band Foo Fighters. Picking up the pieces and soldiering on after such a loss is always difficult, and sometimes impossible, as Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl knows all too well from his Nirvana experience. He and Foo Fighters bandmates channeled their grief to create one of the best albums of their nearly 30-year career in the form of But Here We Are, which they describe as “10 songs that run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between.” The album’s blistering, heart-wrenching lead single “Rescued” takes over the #1 spot on my latest Weekly Top 30.
The song is about trying to cope with, then move on from, a sudden, unexpected event, expressed in the opening lyrics “It came in a flash, it came outta nowhere. It happened so fast, and then it was over.” Later in the song, Grohl acknowledges the overwhelming numbness and grief he and his bandmates experienced after Hawkins’ death, wondering if they’ll ever truly feel ‘alive’ again: “We’re all free to some degree to dance under the lights.I’m just waitin’ to be rescued, bring me back to life.” For the recording of “Rescued”, along with the entire album But Here We Are, Dave Grohl played drums, but a few months ago, legendary drummer Josh Freese officially joined Foo Fighters as their new drummer.
(Freese has an impressive resume, being a noted session drummer who’s appeared on over 400 records and worked with a literal who’s who of artists and bands. He’s been an active member of the Vandals since 1989 and Devo since 1996, also previously serving as a member of Guns N’ Roses from 1997-2000 and alt-rock band A Perfect Circle from 1999-2012. The very busy guy also served as touring drummer for Nine Inch Nails from 2005-2008, Weezer from 2009-2011, and Sublime with Rome from 2011-2017, as well as Sting in 2005 and 2016, Paramore in 2011, the Replacements in 2013 and The Offspring in 2021.) Wikipedia
And here’s their electrifying performance of “Rescued” at the Glastonbury Festival on June 23rd:
Other than for a new #1 song, the top 10 remains the same, with a bit of musical chairs among the top five tracks. Two new songs make their debut this week, both of which I featured in a recent Fresh New Tracks post: “Bones” by British indie rock band HEALER, entering at #29, and “Walk Through the Fire” by Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier (aka Jake Mimikos), at #30. A long-time favorite act of mine, The Frontier has had several songs appear on my Top 30, three of them going all the way to #1.
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (2)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (1)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (5)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (3)
KID – The Revivalists (4)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (6)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (7)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (8)
LEAVING – Au Gres (9)
1982 – Morgendust (10)
THOSE EYES – New West (12)
WHY – Future Theory (13)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (14)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (16)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (17)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (19)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (12)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (20)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (22)
CHEMICAL – Post Malone (23)
STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (24)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (18)
The wonderful “Not Strong Enough” by supergroup boygenius enjoys a second week at #1 on my latest Top 30 chart, while “Rescued” by the Foo Fighters moves into second place. The exuberant “1982” by Dutch rock band Morgendust enters the top 10 in its 11th week on the chart.
There were at at least seven songs I wanted to add this week, but unfortunately had to limit them to only three, as I didn’t want to drop any other songs off. Two of them – “Psychos”, by American singer-songwriter, musician, and teen movie actress Jenny Lewis, and “Spellbinding” by Chicago alt-rock band The Smashing Pumpkins – took a while to grow on me. I’ve never been a huge fan of The Smashing Pumpkins, mainly because of front man Billy Corgan’s nasally and shrill vocal style I often found grating, though I have liked some of their songs. “Spellbinding” is from their monumental 33-track album Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts, released on May 5th. The third debut, entering at #30, is “The Narcissist” by legendary Brit-pop band Blur, their first new music in eight years, since their 2015 album The Magic Whip. The song is from their forthcoming ninth album The Ballad of Darren, scheduled for release on July 21.
I must say that it’s heartening for an old man like me to see artists over 50, including Dave Grohl, Billy Corgan, Damon Albarn, Bootie Brown, Dave Gahan & Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, the Leto brothers, and the guys of Morgendust, still putting out great music.
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (1)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (4)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (2)
KID – The Revivalists (3)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (6)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (5)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (8)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (9)
LEAVING – Au Gres (10)
1982 – Morgendust (12)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (7)
THOSE EYES – New West (15)
WHY – Future Theory (17)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (16)
THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (14)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (19)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (20)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (13)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (22)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (21)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (11)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (23)
For those who may be unaware, boygenius is an American indie rock supergroup comprised of three incredibly talented female singer-songwriters – Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, each of whom are successful artists in their own right. Their beautiful single “Not Strong Enough”, from their debut album The Record which was released on March 31st, takes over the #1 spot on my Weekly Top 30.
In an interview for Rolling Stone, Phoebe elaborated on the meaning behind the song’s Sheryl Crow-inspired lyrics: “The two wolves inside us can be self-hatred and self-aggrandizing. Being like, ‘I’m not strong enough to show up for you. I can’t be the partner that you want me to be.’ But also being like, ‘I’m too fucked up. I’m unknowable in some deep way!’ Self-hatred is a god complex sometimes, where you think you’re the most fucked-up person who’s ever lived. Straight up, you’re not. And it can make people behave really selfishly, and I love each of our interpretations of that concept.”
Besides their intelligent songwriting and outstanding musicianship, a prominent component of boygenius’ wonderful music are the three ladies’ distinctive vocals and gorgeous harmonies. For “Not Strong Enough”, Bridgers sings the first verse, Baker the second, and Dacus leads the chant in the song’s bridge: “Always an angel, never a god”, with all three singing the exuberant choruses.
The delightful video, shot by the three members of boygenius and edited by Phoebe’s younger brother Jackson Bridgers, shows the three having fun and enjoying each other’s company in various locations around Los Angeles, including the Santa Monica Pier and Getty Villa in Malibu, one of two campuses of the J. Paul Getty Museum.
And here’s a charming video of boygenius breaking down the meaning of “Not Strong Enough”, which shows their strong camaraderie and love for each other:
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (2)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (1)
KID – The Revivalists (3)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (7)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (5)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (6)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (4)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (10)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (12)
LEAVING – Au Gres (13)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (9)
1982 – Morgendust (14)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (8)
THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (15)
THOSE EYES – New West (16)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (19)
WHY – Future Theory (20)
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (11)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (22)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (24)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (23)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (25)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (26)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 