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)
Hozier‘s provocative “Eat Your Young” remains at #1 for a second week, while “Not Strong Enough” by boygenius moves into second place. “The Perfect Pair” by Filipino-English singer-songwriter beabadoobee and “Essence” by Danish producer-composer Refeci and Canadian-American singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson enter the top 10. Two songs make their debut this week: “Stuck” by L.A.-based alt-rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, now a duo consisting of the ageless Leto brothers Jared and Shannon, at #29. Their first new music in five years, the song is the lead single from their forthcoming sixth studio album, It’s the End of the World but It’s a Beautiful Day, due for release on September 15. Entering at #30 is the wonderful “Puppet Show” by another L.A.-based artist Beck Black, which I reviewed two weeks ago.
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (1)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (3)
KID – The Revivalists (2)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (4)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (6)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (7)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (10)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (5)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (11)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (12)
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (8)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (16)
LEAVING – Au Gres (17)
1982 – Morgendust (15)
THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (18)
THOSE EYES – New West (19)
THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (9)
FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (13)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (20)
WHY – Future Theory (21)
WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (14)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (24)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (25)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (26)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (27)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (28)
Irish singer-songwriter and musician Hozier (born Andrew John Hozier-Byrne), has never shied away from addressing social and political topics in his songs, and in a 2021 interview with Forbes magazine, he stated that he believes “the personal is the political“. His breakout hit “Take Me to Church” highlighted the injustices and violence perpetrated against the LGBTQ community; the video for his song “Cherry Wine” raised awareness of domestic violence; and “Nina Cried Power” paid homage to such artists as Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, and Mavis Staples, whose work often took political or social justice stances.
His latest single “Eat Your Young” was inspired by Gluttony, one the 9 Circles of Hell contained in the first part of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem Divine Comedy, and describes a feast being prepared and served together with the chaos that comes with it. Many of the allegorical lyrics can be construed to be anti-war, with references to corporate greed and capitalistic warfare, and sacrificing our young to fight our wars. According to an annotation in Genius, the line “pull up the ladder when the flood comes” could be interpreted to mean that when the biblical flood comes, rather than leaving the ladder down to help other people climb to safety, the ladder is pulled up-presumably because to save them would be to share resources with them. The darkly captivating song, from his forthcoming third album Unreal Unearth, due for release in August, ascends to the #1 spot on my latest Top 30. It’s Hozier’s third song to top my chart.
In other chart developments, the Foo Fighters‘ “Rescued” climbs six spots to enter the top 10. Four songs make their debut this week: the lovely and heartwarming “Marry Another Man” by singer-songwriter Wise John (whose wonderful EP The Mr. Love Sunset Show! I recently reviewed), “We’re All Gonna Die” by singer-songwriters Joy Oladokun and Noah Kahan, “Chemical” by superstar Post Malone, and “Superglue” by pop-rock band Michigander.
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (2)
KID – The Revivalists (1)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (4)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (6)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (3)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (9)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (10)
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (5)
THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (7)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (16)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (12)
ESSENCE – Refeci featuring Shimmer Johnson (14)
FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (8)
WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (13)
1982 – Morgendust (17)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (18)
LEAVING – Au Gres (19)
THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (20)
THOSE EYES – New West (21)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (22)
WHY – Future Theory (23)
BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (11)
TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (15)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (27)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (28)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (30)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (N)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (N)
“Kid”, the feel-good anthem by New Orleans band The Revivalists, remains atop my Top 30 for a second week, while Hozier‘s enchanting “Eat Your Young” moves into second place. Entering the top 10 are “Dummy” by Portland alt-rock band Portugal. The Man and “Go Down River” by British duo The Heavy Heavy, at #s 9 and 10 respectively. The biggest upward movers this week are “Rescued” by Foo Fighters, leaping 12 spots to #16, “Not Strong Enough” by supergroup boygenius (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers & Lucy Dacus), climbing five spots to #4, and “Those Eyes” by New West, also advancing five spots to #21.
The lone debut this week is “Pineapple Sunrise” by Beach Weather, who’ve become one of my favorite bands over the past year. The title track from their album of the same name, “Pineapple Sunrise” has not been officially released as a single, however they did release a terrific new video for the song this past Friday, and I love it so much it’s made my Weekly Top 30.
KID – The Revivalists (1)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (3)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (2)
I’ve loved making song lists since my teens, but one thing I don’t like about doing them is having to drop songs down and then ultimately off. And just because I move songs down and then off my lists doesn’t mean I no longer like them or am even tired of them, but they must eventually make way for newer songs to have their own time in the sun, so to speak. That said, it makes me a little sad to knock “New Gold”, by Gorillaz, Tame Impala and Bootie Brown, from the top spot it’s held the last three weeks, but it must step aside because The Revivalists‘ “Kid” is my new current favorite song. For those unfamiliar with The Revivalists, they’re an 8-piece alternative roots rock band who formed in New Orleans in 2007. They finally burst onto the music scene in 2015 when, on the strength of their third album Men Amongst Mountains, Rolling Stone magazine named them one of “10 Bands You Need to Know”. One of the singles from that album, “Wish I Knew You”, was a sleeper hit, finally reaching #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart in September 2016, then topping the Alternative Airplay chart in May 2017.
The exuberant feel-good anthem “Kid” is the lead single from their forthcoming fifth studio album Pour It Out Into The Night, due for release on June 2nd, and is currently #1 on the Adult Alternative Songs chart. Band lead vocalist David Shaw said the song “is about capturing the essence of life. We all go through ups and downs. Sometimes, we don’t believe in ourselves. We’ve got skeletons in the closet trying to drag us down. But you’ve got to believe in yourself. You’ve just got to live for the spirit. Nothing good ever comes easy. If you don’t have hope, what do you have?” Besides making great songs, The Revivalists use their music as a force of positivity, and are actively involved in several philanthropic causes, including establishing an umbrella fund Rev Causes in 2019, for the purpose of supporting various organizations dedicated to reviving and investing in their communities, public health, and the environment.
The lone debut this week is “Empty Nest” by L.A.-based alt-rock band Silversun Pickups, who’ve been making music since 2000.
KID – The Revivalists (3)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (1)
“New Gold”, the wonderful collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz, Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown, maintains it’s grip on the #1 spot for a third week, while “Ghosts Again” by Depeche Mode moves into the #2 spot. Jumping five spots each are “Kid” by The Revivalists, to #3, and “Eat Your Young” by Hozier, to #5. The raucous “Paid Off”, by British alt-rock band Oli Barton & the Movement, enters the top 10 at #10. They just released their biting new single “Left Alive in America?” on May 5th, and will be releasing their album Pipe Dreams on the 19th.
Making their debut this week are “Rescued” by the Foo Fighters, their first new release since the untimely death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, at #29, and “Hello”, by the always delightful L.A. band GROUPLOVE, at #30.
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (1)
“New Gold”, the marvelous collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz, Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown, remains at #1 for a second week. Holding at #2 for a second week is the beautiful “Tropic Morning News” by The National, which previously spent two weeks at #1. Depeche Mode‘s “Ghosts Again” holds at #3 for a second week, and “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus moves up a notch to #4. Moving up three spots each are “Soften” by Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Southey, to #5, and “Bluebell Wood” by British singer-songwriter Frank Joshua to #6. Entering the top 10 are “Kid” by The Revivalists, climbing three spots to #8, and “Eat Your Young” by Hozier, which jumps six spots to #10.
Two songs make their debut this week: the gorgeous “Those Eyes” by Toronto band New West, entering at #29. The song, which reminds me a bit of Coldplay’s beloved earlier songs like “Yellow” and “Fix You”, was actually released in May 2019 as their very first single, and later included on their debut EP Call Me When You Hear This Song. Like Beach Weather’s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, the song apparently went viral on Tik Tok, and has recently been climbing the Alternative charts. Entering at #30 is “Why”, a stunning song by British psychedelic indie rock band Future Theory, an immensely-talented act I’ve written about many times on this blog. This is their third song to appear on my Top 30, with their 2021 single “One and the Same” reaching #3.
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (1)
TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (2)
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (3)
FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (5)
SOFTEN – Alex Southey (8)
BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (9)
TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (4)
KID – The Revivalists (11)
THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (10)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (16)
PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (6)
LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (7)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (14)
WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (15)
I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (12)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (17)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (18)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (20)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (21)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (22)
BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (13) 20th week on chart
ANGELICA – Wet Leg (24)
1982 – Morgendust (25)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (26)
LEAVING – Au Gres (27)
TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (19) 22nd week on chart
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 