Tag: Myles Smith

My Top 30 Songs for August 9-15, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments
Photo of Gloom is Okay by Arran Dawson Media

It isn’t often I’m blown away the first time I hear a song, but I have to say that’s what I experienced when I first listened to “Repeat Offender” by Scottish alternative metal band Gloom is Okay, as I was immediately stunned by its dramatic beauty, intricate melody and sonic majesty. Based in Glasgow, Gloom is Okay is comprised of frontman Martin Walker (vocals, guitars, synths, programming) Iain MacLeod (bass) and Mark Norris (drums). “Repeat Offender” is the lead single from their forthcoming debut album Nothing Human.

Walker says the song is essentially about dealing with narcissistic people, and the mask worn by Fiona McNeil in the video was sculpted and moulded by his wife. He states “We wanted something that felt human, but not quite. Familiar enough to recognise, uncomfortable enough to remember.” The song also represents a bit of a directional change for the band, in that Walker’s voice takes center stage. He elaborates “I’ve never been a particularly confident singer. In fact, for most of my life I’ve probably thought of myself as a guitarist who happened to sing occasionally. Putting your voice out there is a strange thing. It’s personal in a way that hiding behind a riff or a wall of guitars never is.” I think his commanding vocals are perfect, and the song ascends to the top of my chart this week.

Entering the top 10 are “Online” by Canadian artist Western Jaguar (aka singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor) and “Marathons” by the irrepressively charming four-piece Sorry Ghost, who are based in Los Angeles.

After several relatively quiet weeks, I have five new additions to my chart, beginning with “Love Me Not” by singer-songwriter and musician Grace Potter. Born in Vermont and now based near Los Angeles, the beguiling Potter has released five solo albums, as well as four studio albums with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, (a band she formed in 2002 which later disbanded in 2015 upon her divorce from her bandmate and former husband Matt Burr). Boisterous, sexy and raw, “Love Me Not” is the lead single from her forthcoming sixth album Trespasser, set for release August 21st.

Entering at #27 is “We Might as Well Be Strangers” by legendary LA-based alternative power pop band Weezer, featuring added vocals by Karly Hartzman and Xandy Chelmis of North Carolina-based alt rock band Wednesday. Since 2001, Weezer has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), and Scott Shriner (bass, keyboards, backing vocals). Released on June 3rd, the song is the second single from their forthcoming 20th album Weezer (aka The Gold Album).

Next up is “we should talk” by American alt-rock band Bleachers. Formed in 2013 by singer-songwriter, musician and producer Jack Antonoff, the band since 2023 has included Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Evan Smith, Michael Riddleberger, and Zem Audu, all longtime touring musicians who are now official members. “we should talk” is from their sixth album Everyone for Ten Minutes, which dropped in May. I love that nifty little bassline.

The fourth new entry, at #29, is the exuberant “I Can Take the Sun Out of the Sky” by Chicago-based alt rock band Brigitte Calls Me Baby, comprised of Wes Leavins (lead vocals), Jack Fluegel (guitars), Devin Wessels (bass) and Jeremy Benshish (drums). The song is from their second album Irreversible, released this past March, which also features their marvelous single “Slumber Party” that went all the way to #1 on my chart in early June. I’m really liking this band!

Last, but certainly not least, is “Stone Over Water” by indie pop-rock band Death Cab for Cutie. Formed nearly 30 years ago in Bellingham, Washington, the group includes Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (keyboards, guitar), and Jason McGerr (drums). The song is from their 11th album I Built You a Tower, which dropped in June and was inspired by band frontman Ben Gibbard’s experiences dealing with the end of his marriage while also constantly being on tour. The song replaces their previous single “Riptides”, which drops off my chart after spending 18 weeks, two of them at #1.

  1. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (3)
  2. SELF AWARE – Temper City (1)
  3. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (4)
  4. DOORS – Noah Kahan (5)
  5. EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (2)
  6. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (7)
  7. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (8)
  8. PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (10)
  9. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (12)
  10. MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (13) 
  11. HOMEWRECKER – sombr (6)
  12. GO FUCK URSELF – Fat Dog (15)
  13. WHO WILL YOU FOLLOW – Evanescence (16)
  14. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (18)
  15. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (19)
  16. IN THE STARS – The Rolling Stones (20)
  17. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (21)
  18. GOOD2B – Goose (11)
  19. FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (9)
  20. GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (14)
  21. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (25)
  22. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (24)
  23. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (30)
  24. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (26)
  25. HEADLIGHTS – In Color (17)
  26. LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (N)
  27. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (N)
  28. WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (N)
  29. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (N)
  30. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 2-8, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

We seem to have an embarrassment of riches at the moment, with so many great songs to choose from that it’s almost torture to have to rank them at all. And rather curiously, we have a number of songs by “animal” bands, including a mouse, goose, jaguar, dog and elephant.

Temper City remain on top for a second week with “Self Aware”. I’m also thrilled to place several songs by independent acts I love near the top of my chart; Los Angeles-based Ships Have Sailed move into second place with their beautiful “Exit Wound”, Scottish band Gloom Is Okay move up three spots to #3 with “Repeat Offender”, and Malaysian artist Lyia Meta also advances three spots to #4 with her powerful “Raging Halls”.

Entering the top 10 at #7 are “Rein Me In” by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean, and “Private” by The Neighbourhood, coming in at #8. “Rein Me In” is Fender’s first song to reach #1 in the UK, where it has spent 19 non-consecutive weeks and counting on top, becoming the longest running #1 single in UK music history (besting Bryan Adams’ “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)”, which spend 16 weeks at #1 in 1991).

The lone debut this week is “Lost Boys” by singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. The song is the lead single from her forthcoming third album Lost Weekend, scheduled for release on August 14th.

  1. SELF AWARE – Temper City (1)
  2. EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (3)
  3. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom Is Okay (6)
  4. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (7)
  5. DOORS – Noah Kahan (8)
  6. HOMEWRECKER – sombr (2)
  7. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (12)
  8. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (11)
  9. FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (4)
  10. PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (10)
  11. GOOD2B – Goose (5)
  12. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (14)
  13. MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (15)
  14. GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (9)
  15. GO FUCK URSELF – Fat Dog (18)
  16. WHO WILL YOU FOLLOW – Evanescence (19)
  17. HEADLIGHTS – In Color (13)
  18. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (22)
  19. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (23)
  20. IN THE STARS – The Rolling Stones (24)
  21. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (25)
  22. DROP DEAD – Olivia Rodrigo (16)
  23. RIDE LONESOME – Beck (17)
  24. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (27)
  25. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (29)
  26. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (28)
  27. HERE – Mumford & Sons with Sierra Ferrell (26)
  28. RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (20)
  29. UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES – Sublime (21)
  30. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (N)

My Top 30 Songs for July 26-August 1, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments
Photo of Temper City taken from “Self Aware” video

Late July is generally the hottest time of year for many locations in the Northern Hemisphere, and that’s definitely true for my part of the world in the Southwestern U.S. desert, where we’re experiencing our hottest temperatures so far in 2026 – 115-118 degrees Fahrenheit (46-48 C). (Which begs the question, why the fuck do I live here?!?) Needless to say, that means spending much of our time indoors, where listening to music helps to pass the time and cool tempers.

Speaking of tempers, after sombr’s three-week run at #1with “Homewrecker”, Israeli-American alternative rock band Temper City take over the top spot with their monster debut single “Self Aware”. Released in February, the earworm quickly went viral on TikTok and has now amassed over 324 million streams on Spotify, and nearly 20 million views on YouTube. I liked it at first listen, as that chorus is so damned catchy!

The song has become a worldwide hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and the top 10 in Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK. The track’s style and sound have been compared to acts like Steve Lacy, Hozier, Cage the Elephant and The Neighbourhood. Temper City was founded in Los Angeles in 2021 by singer-songwriter Eytan Peled together with the producer duo Sync, consisting of Aviv Barenholtz and Chen Kordova, who’ve known each other since they were 12 years old. The three friends had previously worked together writing songs for pop and EDM artists, including Zeds Dead, Dimitri Vegas and Barns Courtney, and now have their very own hit single.

In other chart developments of note, two songs enter the top 10: “Doors” by Vermont-based singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and “Picking Dragons’ Pockets” by the always zany and edgy Portland, Oregon band Modest Mouse, at #s 8 & 10, respectively.

There’s only one new debut again the week: “Beaches In Tennessee” by the aforementioned Cage the Elephant. Formed in 2006 in Bowling Green, Kentucky and based in Nashville since 2009 (after two years spent in London, England) the band is comprised of frontman 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). “Beaches In Tennessee” has debuted quite high on the various alternative charts, and while I’ve loved many Cage the Elephant songs, I’m still lukewarm about it.

  1. SELF AWARE – Temper City (3)
  2. HOMEWRECKER – sombr (1)
  3. EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (5)
  4. FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (2)
  5. GOOD2B – Goose (4)
  6. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom Is Okay (8)
  7. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (10)
  8. DOORS – Noah Kahan (12)
  9. GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (6)
  10. PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (11)
  11. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (13)
  12. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (14)
  13. HEADLIGHTS – In Color (7)
  14. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (16)
  15. MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (15)
  16. DROP DEAD – Olivia Rodrigo (9)
  17. RIDE LONESOME – Beck (17)
  18. GO FUCK URSELF – Fat Dog (22)
  19. WHO WILL YOU FOLLOW – Evanescence (21)
  20. RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (18)
  21. UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES – Sublime (19)
  22. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (24)
  23. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (26)
  24. IN THE STARS – The Rolling Stones (27)
  25. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (28)
  26. HERE – Mumford & Sons with Sierra Ferrell (25)
  27. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (29)
  28. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (30)
  29. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (N)
  30. BACK IN LOVE – Suki Waterhouse (20)

My Top 30 Songs for July 19-25, 2026

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments

My current favorite song is still “Homewrecker” by sombr, thus it remains at #1 for a third week, while Dexter and The Moonrocks‘ “Freakin’ Out” and Temper City‘s “Self Aware” hold at #2 and 3 for a second week. My friend Lyia Meta enters the top 10 with her powerful rock gem “Raging Halls”.

The sole new entry this week is “Hold Me In The Dark” by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Myles Smith, an immensely popular folk-pop artist with over 22 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 1.7 million followers on Instagram. His music is generally upbeat with infectious melodies, and his 2024 smash hit “Stargazing” has been streamed over 1.1 billion times on Spotify. Released in May, “Hold Me In The Dark” is included on his debut album My Mess, My Heart, My Life, which dropped June 16th. The talented 28-year-old also earned a degree in sociology from the University of Nottingham in 2019.

  1. HOMEWRECKER – sombr (1)
  2. FREAKIN’ OUT – Dexter and The Moonrocks (2)
  3. SELF AWARE – Temper City (3)
  4. GOOD2B – Goose (6)
  5. EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (8)
  6. GOING SHOPPING – The Strokes (4)
  7. HEADLIGHTS – In Color (5)
  8. REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom Is Okay (9)
  9. DROP DEAD – Olivia Rodrigo (7)
  10. RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (12)
  11. PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (15)
  12. DOORS – Noah Kahan (19)
  13. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (20)
  14. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (21)
  15. MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (17)
  16. ONLINE – Western Jaguar (18)
  17. RIDE LONESOME – Beck (14)
  18. RIPTIDES – Death Cab for Cutie (10)
  19. UNTIL THE SUN EXPLODES – Sublime (11)
  20. BACK IN LOVE – Suki Waterhouse (16)
  21. WHO WILL YOU FOLLOW – Evanescence (22)
  22. GO FUCK URSELF – Fat Dog (23)
  23. IN MY ROOM – Julia Wolf (13)
  24. THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (25)
  25. HERE – Mumford & Sons with Sierra Ferrell (26)
  26. HEART STOP – The Revivalists (27)
  27. IN THE STARS – The Rolling Stones (28)
  28. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (29)
  29. FREAKING OUT – Michigander (30)
  30. HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (N)

Top 30 Songs for November 3-9, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments

Leon Bridges holds onto the top spot for a second week with his bucolic and soulful “Peaceful Place”, while “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Jack White and “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish remain at #’s 2 and 3 for a second week. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars enter the top 10 with their duet “Die With A Smile”.

Perhaps the biggest music event of this past week was the release of Songs of a Lost World, the long-awaited fourteenth album by The Cure. The legendary English alternative goth rock band has undeniably had a massive influence on too many artists and bands to name over the past 40 years, so for them to release an album of all new material – their first new album in 16 years – is a momentous occasion. And more importantly, Songs of a Lost World does not disappoint, as Robert Smith (who’s now 65) and The Cure sound every bit as great and relevant as they ever have. The band teased the new album with the release of “Alone” in late September, a sprawling cinematic masterpiece running nearly seven minutes. They followed two weeks later with “A Fragile Thing”, an equally gorgeous song that enters my chart at #26.

The second, long-overdue debut this week is “Mind Game”, a lovely collaboration by Chicago-based singer-songwriter and author Collette Mclafferty and Spanish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer John Serrano, a hyper-talented artist whose music I’ve previously featured a couple times on this blog. Mclafferty wrote the lyrics and sang lead vocals, while Serrano composed the music, played all instrumentation, sang backing harmonies and produced the track.

  1. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (1)
  2. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (2)
  3. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (3)
  4. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (6)
  5. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (4)
  6. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (8)
  7. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (9)
  8. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (5)
  9. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (10)
  10. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (11)
  11. THE LIGHTHOUSE – Stevie Nicks (14)
  12. MESSY – Lola Young (7)
  13. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (16)
  14. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (17)
  15. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (19)
  16. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (23)
  17. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (20)
  18. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (12)
  19. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (13)
  20. THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (22)
  21. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (24)
  22. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and the Moonrocks (27)
  23. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (15)
  24. SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (28)
  25. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (29)
  26. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (N)
  27. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (18)
  28. KINKY – bby (30)
  29. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (21)
  30. MIND GAME – Collette Mclafferty & John Serrano (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 27-November 2, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments
Photo taken from Leon album cover

Lots of changes on my latest Weekly Top 30, with a new #1 song and four new entries. Fort Worth, Texas-based singer-songwriter Leon Bridges takes over the top spot with his lovely song “Peaceful Place”. His smooth, incredibly pleasing vocals remind me at times of the late, great Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke, and I love that slide guitar and cool bass line on the track. The song is from his fourth studio album Leon, which dropped October 4th. It’s his second song to top my list, the previous being “Bad Bad News” in 2018. The wonderful video was shot in Mexico City and Los Angeles.

Entering the top 10 are “Favourite” by Irish band Fontaines D.C., at #9, and “Up All Night”, a lively foot-stomping collaboration between James Bay, The Lumineers and Noah Kahan, at #10. Of the four new entries this week, three are by acts who are totally new to me, two of which are singing about some kind of sadness. The first, coming in at #27, is the rousing “Sad in Carolina” by Dexter and the Moonrocks, a four-piece rock band from Abilene, Texas (not too far west of Leon Bridges’ home of Fort Worth) who describe their sound as “sad cowboy music”. 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, they’ve been putting out music since 2021. Released on May 1st, “Sad in Carolina” is featured on their latest EP Western Space Grunge, which dropped in July. Judging from their prodigious Instagram posts, the guys appear to have a wicked sense of humor.

The second debut is “Supersad” by English singer-songwriter, actress and model Suki Waterhouse. The London-based artist, who began modeling at the age of 16, started recording and releasing music in 2016. Her second single, “Good Looking”, released in 2017, later became a viral hit in 2022, garnering nearly half a billion streams on Spotify alone. She and her partner, actor Robert Pattinson, welcomed their first child in March, and she opened for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour on August 17th at Wembley Stadium. “Supersad” is from her second studio album Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, released on September 13th.

Coming in at #29 is “Bobby Sox” by legendary alt-rock band Green Day. The song is the fifth single from their latest album Saviors, released this past January. The fourth new entry is “Kinky”, a riotous romp by English alternative rock/hip hop band bby. Formed at the end of 2022, the young five-piece consists of Benjy Gibson on lead vocals, Jessy Jacquet-Cretides and Tommaso Medica on guitar, Deon Graham on bass, and Tom Parkin on drums. Their debut single “hotline”, released in August 2023, quickly blew up, garnering millions of streams across multiple streaming platforms. They followed with a series of singles which culminated in the release of their terrific debut album 1 this past July.

  1. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (2)
  2. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (1)
  3. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (4)
  4. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (5)
  5. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (6)
  6. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (8)
  7. MESSY – Lola Young (3)
  8. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (10)
  9. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (11)
  10. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (14)
  11. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (15)
  12. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (7)
  13. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (9)
  14. THE LIGHTHOUSE – Stevie Nicks (17)
  15. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (12)
  16. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (18)
  17. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (19)
  18. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (16)
  19. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (24)
  20. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (25)
  21. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (13)
  22. THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (26)
  23. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (27)
  24. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (30)
  25. HOLOGRAM – Raker (20)
  26. LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (21) 21st week on chart
  27. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and the Moonrocks (N)
  28. SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (N)
  29. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (N)
  30. KINKY – bby (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 20-26, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments
Photo by David James Swanson

Guitarist extraordinaire Jack White remains on top for a second week with his bombastic rocker “That’s How I’m Feeling”, while silky-voiced Leon Bridges moves into second place with his mellifluous single “Peaceful Place”. Entering the top 10 are “The Door” by powerhouse singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, at #8, and “Death Valley High” by the enigmatic and sexy country singer-songwriter Orville Peck and singer-songwriter-producer Beck, at #10. Two songs share the biggest upward mover title this week – “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars and “The Lighthouse” by Stevie Nicks, each jumping eight spots to #15 and #17, respectively.

The sole debut is “Neverender”, a wonderful collaboration by French electronic music duo Justice and Australian band Tame Impala. Consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, Justice is completely new to me, despite the fact they’ve been making music for nearly 20 years. They’re quite popular, with over 5.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 1.5 million followers on Facebook. Tame Impala, fronted by insanely talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker, ranks high among my favorite music acts. As far as I’m concerned, any song involving Tame Impala is a winner, and their collaboration “New Gold” with Gorillaz and Bootie Brown is my #2 song of 2023. “Neverender” is from Justice’s fourth studio album Hyperdrama, released this past April.

  1. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (1)
  2. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (4)
  3. MESSY – Lola Young (2)
  4. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (6)
  5. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (5)
  6. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (7)
  7. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (3)
  8. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (12)
  9. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (10)
  10. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (11)
  11. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (15)
  12. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (8)
  13. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (9)
  14. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (18)
  15. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (23)
  16. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (17)
  17. THE LIGHTHOUSE – Stevie Nicks (25)
  18. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (21)
  19. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (22)
  20. HOLOGRAM – Raker (20)
  21. LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (13) 20th week on chart
  22. WAR – Healer (14)
  23. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (16)
  24. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (26)
  25. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (27)
  26. THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (29)
  27. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (30)
  28. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (19)
  29. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (24)
  30. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 13-19, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments
Photo of Jack White by David James Swanson

As I curate my Top 30 chart each week – which essentially reflects my favorite songs at that moment in time – I cannot deny that my choices are influenced to some degree by what’s happening on other “official” music charts. Sometimes a song comes along that’s either so good or has such strong crossover appeal that it tops nearly every major chart. But more often than not, totally different songs top each of the various charts, with virtually no overlap. Case in point is this week, where the mediocre “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey has inexplicably spent 13 weeks and counting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while “The Emptiness Machine” by the reconstituted rock band Linkin Park is #1 on the Mainstream Rock and Alternative Airplay charts, and “Up All Night”, a collaboration between James Bay, The Lumineers and Noah Kahan, is #1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. None of these three songs appears on the other mentioned charts.

I’m not quite sure what the point of that discussion is, other than to provide a bit of context, but my new favorite song this week is “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Jack White, which does currently occupy a spot in the top 10 of most alternative and rock charts. The boisterous rocker was the lead single from his sixth studio album released as a solo artist, No Name, which dropped this past July. Many music critics and fans have praised the album and song, calling it a return to his blues and garage roots and favorably comparing it to his music with the White Stripes. It’s probably my favorite song by White as a solo artist.

In other chart highlights, “Peaceful Place” by Leon Bridges climbs six spots to #4, and the ethereal and dreamy “Into Gold” by London Grammar moves up four spots to enter the top 10 at #10. The aforementioned “Up All Night” jumps seven spots to #18, making it the biggest upward mover this week. Three songs make their debut, the first of which, entering at #25, is “The Lighthouse”, a powerful song of both anger and hope by legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, who’s still going strong at 76. (I saw her in concert last December, which you can read about here.) She performed the song last night on Saturday Night Live, her first appearance on the long-running show in 41 years.

Inspired by the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022, Nicks co-wrote the song with Magnus Birgersson and Vincent Villuis. The track was co-produced by Nicks, Sheryl Crow (who plays electric guitar and bass and sings backing vocals), and famed producer Chris Cobb (who’s worked with Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Lady Gaga, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen, Take That, Rival Sons, and many more), who also played guitar. The song begins rather tentatively, and Nicks’ vocals sound quite different in the verses; at first listen I thought they might be by another singer, but she sounds like her usual self in the anthemic choruses.

The second debut, entering at #29, is “The Emptiness Machine” by Linkin Park. I was resistant to the song at first, as I had mixed feelings about the legendary band taking on a new female co-lead singer, resulting in a major change to their style and sound. But after reading through scores of comments on the YouTube video for the song, I came to realize I was the one who was being closed-minded. The song, which quickly shot to #1 on the Rock and Alternative charts, has since grown on me. Coming in at #30 is “Nobody’s Soldier” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, whose previous single “Too Sweet” has become one of the biggest hits of the year. His latest single is more fast-paced and harder-driven than his usual style. I like it!

  1. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (4)
  2. MESSY – Lola Young (1)
  3. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (2)
  4. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (10)
  5. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (6)
  6. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (7)
  7. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (8)
  8. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (3)
  9. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (9)
  10. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (14)
  11. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (15)
  12. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (16)
  13. LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (5) 19th week on chart
  14. WAR – Healer (12)
  15. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (18)
  16. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (13)
  17. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (19)
  18. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (25)
  19. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (11)
  20. HOLOGRAM – Raker (22)
  21. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (23)
  22. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (24)
  23. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (28)
  24. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (17)
  25. THE LIGHTHOUSE – Stevie Nicks (N)
  26. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (29)
  27. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (30)
  28. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (20)
  29. THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (N)
  30. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 6-12, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments
Photo by Sophie Jones

Though it’s now Autumn, the weather here in the Southern California desert is still quite summer-like, with temperatures over the past week ranging from 107-117 (41-47C). This unrelenting heat, combined with the sorry state of our impending election, in which a vile, incoherent and corrupt serial liar has a good chance of being elected President for a second time, has made it difficult for me to stay positive. Thankfully, there’s lots of great music to help brighten my mood a bit.

English singer-songwriter and musician Lola Young‘s “Messy”, a scathing rant against a romantic partner who can never be satisfied, remains at #1 for a second week, while Cage the Elephant‘s “Rainbow” moves into second place. Jack White‘s boisterous “That’s How I’m Feeling” climbs four spots to #4, and the appropriately titled “Peaceful Place” by Leon Bridges jumps seven spots to enter the top 10 at #10. The gorgeous song is from his fourth studio album Leon, which dropped this past Friday, October 4th. “Favourite” by Fontaines D.C. is this week’s biggest upward mover, leaping eight spots to #18. (Their song “Starburster” falls eight spots to #26, its 19th week on this chart, three of which were spent at #1 and another three at #2.)

Two songs enter my chart this week, the first of which is “Hardcore Romance”, a steamy and sultry number by one of my favorite bands Beach Weather, whose equally sultry “High In Low Places” has spent the past 18 weeks on my chart, three of them at #1. Both songs will be included on their forthcoming second album Melt, scheduled for release on October 25th.

Entering at #30 is the darkly beautiful “Bothering Me”, by Australian singer-songwriter, musician and producer Sarah Blasko, which I learned about in a recent post by fellow blogger Robert Horvat, who writes a terrific blog Rearview Mirror. About the meaning behind the song, Sarah told Australian webzine Noise11: “Dreams seem to be a way of processing things that happen during the day and so I embraced dreaming as a way of getting over things. Getting older is TOUGH. Sometimes I don’t know who I am anymore and that I’ve lost touch with the person I used to be and the dreams I held. I try to let go but not let go at the same time because dreams are important.” “Bothering Me” is the second single from her forthcoming seventh studio album I Just Need to Conquer This Mountain, to be released in November.

  1. MESSY – Lola Young (1)
  2. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (3)
  3. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (4)
  4. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (8)
  5. LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (2)
  6. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (6)
  7. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (7)
  8. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (9)
  9. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (10)
  10. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (17)
  11. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (5)
  12. WAR – Healer (13)
  13. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (14)
  14. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (15)
  15. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (16)
  16. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (20)
  17. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (11)
  18. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (26)
  19. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (21)
  20. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (22)
  21. OH NO! – The Decemberists (12)
  22. HOLOGRAM – Raker (23)
  23. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (24)
  24. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (25)
  25. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (28)
  26. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (18) 19th week on chart)
  27. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (19)
  28. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (29)
  29. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (N)
  30. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (N)

Top 30 Songs for September 29-October 5, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments
Photo by Sophie Jones

A new week, another new song to top my chart. “Messy”, the defiant, emotionally-charged single by English singer-songwriter and musician Lola Young, ascends to the #1 spot. The 23-year-old South London-based artist lists Joni Mitchell, Prince, Adele, SZA, Frank Ocean, and Anderson .Paak among her musical influences, and her provocative songwriting and smoky vocal style have earned her comparisons with the late Amy Winehouse. “Messy” is from her critically-acclaimed third album This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway, which dropped June 21st. Young named-dropped its title in a statement: “Here is my first born child, a fuck you to all my exes, and basically me just trying to figure out some shit openly and honestly on record. First of many and if you don’t like it, then this wasn’t meant for you anyway.”

Accordingly, “Messy” is an angry tirade to a romantic partner, with brilliantly written, highly relatable lyrics expressing her exasperation with them for never being satisfied with her, no matter how hard she’s tried to please them: “Cause I’m too messy and then I’m too fucking clean. You told me get a job then you ask where the hell I’ve been. And I’m too perfect till I open my big mouth. I want to be me, is that not allowed? And I’m too perfect till I show you that I’m not. A thousand people I could be for you, and you hate the fucking lot.” I love both the song and video.

Three songs enter the top 10 this week – “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Jack White, “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan, and “You Just Played My Mind” by English singer-songwriter Oli Barton, charting at #8, #9 and #10, respectively. Teddy Swims has the biggest upward mover with his marvelous single “The Door”, jumping eight spots to #20. The lone debut this week is “Die With A Smile”, the beautiful collaborative single by music heavyweights Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, finally entering my chart at #29. Though I really like both artists, it took a while for the song to grow on me for some inexplicable reason.

  1. MESSY – Lola Young (4)
  2. LIKE YOU DO – Talk in waves (1)
  3. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (3)
  4. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (5)
  5. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (2)
  6. STARGAZING – Myles Smith (8)
  7. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (10)
  8. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (14)
  9. GOOD LUCK, BABE!” – Chappell Roan (11)
  10. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (13)
  11. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (6)
  12. OH NO! – The Decemberists (7)
  13. WAR – Healer (15)
  14. HONEY – Mr Bewlay (16)
  15. INTO GOLD – London Grammar (17)
  16. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (18)
  17. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (20)
  18. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (9)
  19. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (12)
  20. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (28)
  21. BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (23)
  22. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (22)
  23. HOLOGRAM – Raker (24)
  24. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (25)
  25. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (26)
  26. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (27)
  27. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (19) 21st week on chart
  28. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (30)
  29. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (N)
  30. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (21)