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)
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.
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (1)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (2)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (3)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (6)
STARGAZING – Myles Smith (4)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (8)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (9)
GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (5)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (10)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (11)
THE LIGHTHOUSE – Stevie Nicks (14)
MESSY – Lola Young (7)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (16)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (17)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (19)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (23)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (20)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (12)
INTO GOLD – London Grammar (13)
THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (22)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (24)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and the Moonrocks (27)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (15)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (28)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (29)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (N)
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (18)
KINKY – bby (30)
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (21)
MIND GAME – Collette Mclafferty & John Serrano (N)
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.
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (2)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (1)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (4)
STARGAZING – Myles Smith (5)
GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (6)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (8)
MESSY – Lola Young (3)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (10)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (11)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (14)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (15)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (7)
INTO GOLD – London Grammar (9)
THE LIGHTHOUSE – Stevie Nicks (17)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (12)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (18)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (19)
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (16)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (24)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (25)
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (13)
THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (26)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (27)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (30)
HOLOGRAM – Raker (20)
LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (21) 21st week on chart
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.
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (1)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (4)
MESSY – Lola Young (2)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (6)
STARGAZING – Myles Smith (5)
GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (7)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (3)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (12)
INTO GOLD – London Grammar (10)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (11)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (15)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (8)
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (9)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (18)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (23)
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (17)
THE LIGHTHOUSE – Stevie Nicks (25)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (21)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (22)
HOLOGRAM – Raker (20)
LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (13) 20th week on chart
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!
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (4)
MESSY – Lola Young (1)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (2)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (10)
STARGAZING – Myles Smith (6)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (7)
GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (8)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (3)
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (9)
INTO GOLD – London Grammar (14)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (15)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (16)
LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (5) 19th week on chart
WAR – Healer (12)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (18)
HONEY – Mr Bewlay (13)
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (19)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (25)
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.
MESSY – Lola Young (1)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (3)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (4)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (8)
LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (2)
STARGAZING – Myles Smith (6)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (7)
GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (9)
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (10)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (17)
LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (5)
WAR – Healer (13)
HONEY – Mr Bewlay (14)
INTO GOLD – London Grammar (15)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (16)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (20)
THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (11)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (26)
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (21)
PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (22)
OH NO! – The Decemberists (12)
HOLOGRAM – Raker (23)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (24)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (25)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (28)
STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (18) 19th week on chart)
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.
MESSY – Lola Young (4)
LIKE YOU DO – Talk in waves (1)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (3)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (5)
LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (2)
STARGAZING – Myles Smith (8)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (10)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (14)
GOOD LUCK, BABE!” – Chappell Roan (11)
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (13)
THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (6)
OH NO! – The Decemberists (7)
WAR – Healer (15)
HONEY – Mr Bewlay (16)
INTO GOLD – London Grammar (17)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (18)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (20)
STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (9)
HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (12)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (28)
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (23)
PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (22)
HOLOGRAM – Raker (24)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (25)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (26)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (27)
PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (19) 21st week on chart
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (30)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (N)
WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (21)
Talk in Waves, the newly-rechristened music project of Northern Virginia-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos that was formerly known as The Frontier, is a long-time favorite artist of mine. The talented, hard working guy skillfully blends elements of folk, pop, indie rock and electronica to create songs that are incredibly melodic, flawlessly crafted and always catchy, all self-recorded and produced in his home studio. As with many singer-songwriters, Jake’s songs are often inspired by personal experiences, touching on relatable topics like love, relationships and loss, which are expressed through lyrics that are honest and straightforward, and delivered with his warm, pleasing vocals.
His latest single “Like You Do” (which I reviewed in May) finally ascends to the #1 spot on my Top 30 after a long, steady climb. The bittersweet song is directed toward a former romantic partner who the singer desperately longs for, and wishes would come back into his life. It’s his fifth song to reach #1 on my chart, following “Dark Places” (2019), “Can We Go Back” (2021), “Closer” (2022) and “Walk Through the Fire” (2023), while his 2020 single “Sleep” reached #2.
In other chart news of note, both Cage the Elephant‘s “Rainbow” and Lola Young‘s “Messy” advance five spots to #3 and #4, respectively, while Billie Eilish moves up two spots to enter the top 10 with her lovely song “BIRDS OF A FEATHER”. “That’s How I’m Feeling” by Jack White also climbs five spots to #14, while “Peaceful Place” by Leon Bridges leaps eight spots to #20, making it the biggest upward mover this week.
Two songs enter my chart this week, starting with the hard-driving and soulful “The Door” by American singer-songwriter Teddy Swims (aka Jaten Collin Dimsdale). Co-written by Swims and John Ryan, John Sudduth, Sherwyn Nicholls, Joshua Coleman, and Julian Bunetta, he says the song is about saving his own life and finding the courage to walk out on an abusive relationship that played a part in driving his friends and family out of his life. (Wikipedia) “The Door” was originally released last September as one of the tracks on his debut album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1), and as the album’s third single this past April. Swims reached #1 on my chart earlier this year with “Lose Control”. Entering at #30 is “Up All Night”, a rousing collaboration by a powerhouse lineup of English singer-songwriter James Bay, Colorado-based alternative folk band The Lumineers and Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan. All three acts have previously scored #1 songs on my chart.
LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves (3)
LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (1)
RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (8)
MESSY – Lola Young (9)
ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (6)
THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (2)
OH NO! – The Decemberists (5)
STARGAZING – Myles Smith (10)
STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (4)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (12)
GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (13)
HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (7)
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (15)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (19)
WAR – Healer (16)
HONEY – Mr Bewlay (17)
INTO GOLD – London Grammar (18)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (20)
PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (11) 20th week on chart
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (28)
WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (14)
PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn (22)
BIG CAT TATTOOS – Hamish Hawk (23)
HOLOGRAM – Raker (25)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (26)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (29)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (30)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (N)
WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (21)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (N)
One of the more interesting music acts around today is American indie rock duo The Lemon Twigs, consisting of the hyper-talented and charismatic brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario. Raised in a musical household on Long Island, New York (their father Ronnie D’Addario is a musician and songwriter in his own right), the two learned to play instruments and sing at an early age. Both Brian and Michael also had extensive stage experience as children; Brian played Gavroche in Les Miserables and Flounder in The Little Mermaid on Broadway, while Michael appeared in The Coast of Utopia, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and the 2008 production of All My Sons, as well in a variety of television shows and films, such as John Adams on HBO, Are We There Yet? on TBS, and the 2012 films People Like Us and Sinister.
The brothers formed The Lemon Twigs while they were both in high school, with each performing lead vocals, lead guitar, drums and other instruments. They cite as their major music influences bands ranging from The Beatles and Beach Boys to Procol Harum and Queen. They recorded their first album Go Hollywood in the spring of 2015, when the two were only 15 and 17 years old. (Both celebrate birthdays in March, and recently turned 24 and 26.) The album, released in October 2016 through British record label 4AD, was well-received by critics and earned them appearances on TV programs like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, CBS This Morning “Saturday Sessions” and Conan. They garnered a coveted spot at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California in April 2017, and during their performance they were joined by Todd Rundgren, who the brothers call one of their “favorite musicians ever, in the whole world”. That summer, they went on play at several major festivals, including Glastonbury, Outside Lands, Lollapalooza, Austin City, and the Montreux. (Wikipedia)
Photo by Stephanie Pia
Their power pop gem “My Golden Years”, the lead single from their forthcoming fifth studio album A Dream Is All We Know (co-produced by the band and Sean Ono Lennon, and set for release on May 3), is my new favorite song this week and ascends to the #1 spot. The song seems to pay homage to some of the great songs from the 60s by acts like The Byrds and Beach Boys, as well as early 70s The Raspberries. I absolutely love those gorgeous jangly Rickenbacker guitars and Beach Boys-esque harmonies. I’ve been listening to a lot of their music catalog, much of which is outstanding, but I think “My Golden Years” is their best song yet.
The fun video, directed by Ambar Navarro, features the brothers and their touring band members Danny Ayala and Reza Matin performing the song and romping about Los Angeles and the surrounding countryside. Navarro said the song and video are about “looking back at the good old days, and the highs and lows of trying to make it as a band.”
There are three new entries to my chart this week, beginning with a long-overdue arrival of Foo Fighters‘ “The Glass”, coming in at #28. I like the song a lot, but it kept getting nudged out by other songs I liked better. The second debut, at #29, is “thoughts I have while lying in my bed” by Phoenix, Arizona-based alternative pop-rock band The Maine, featuring added vocals by Nick Santino of pop-rock band Beach Weather (who are one of my current favorite bands). The original version of the song by The Maine was released last August as the fourth single from their self-titled ninth studio album The Maine. The Maine lead singer John O’Callaghan and Nick Santino, both of whom are 35 years old and whose singing voices sound quite similar to each other, are long-time friends, and when John invited Nick to record a new version, Nick jumped at the chance. About the collaboration, John stated, “It’s not often that I get to hear someone else sing on a tune of ours. It’s even less frequent to hear someone I’ve known for 17 years on that same tune. I’m forever a fan of Nick and his voice, and now it makes it 50% less weird to listen to the thoughts I have.” The new version was released on November 24, 2023, and is finally gaining traction on the Alternative charts.
The third debut is the darkly beautiful and mesmerizing “Ceiling Tiles” by Portland, Oregon-based psychedelic shoegaze supergroup Sun Atoms. I learned about the song in a recent post by fellow blogger Holley, who writes a terrific blog Chasing Destino. It was love at first listen, earning “Ceiling Tiles” a spot on my latest Weekly Top 30. Formed in 2021 and drawing influences from such acts as Leonard Cohen, The Cure, Moon Duo and Nick Cave, the band blends psychedelic, darkwave and post-modern pop to create their own fabulous and arresting music style. “Ceiling Tiles”, accompanied by a cover of Cohen’s “Tower of Song” as its flip-side, is the band’s first new release since their 2021 debut album Let There Be Light.
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (2)
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (1)
DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
TIME – MISSIO (5)
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (6)
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (3)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (7)
BLUSH – Vazum (10)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (12)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (13)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (14)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (15)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (17)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (18)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (8)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (9)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (20)
WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (21)
LANDMINES – Sum 41 (22)
ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (23)
DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (24)
WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (25)
MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (28)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (11)
DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (30)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (16)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (19)
THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (N)
THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (N)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 