Tag: Oli Barton and the Movement

Top 30 Songs for February 6-12, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's19 Comments

I’m a long-time fan of disco and dance music of all kinds, so it’s a given I’d love the sleek earworm “Starts With You” by Canadian born, and now L.A.-based, singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson. The song is actually a departure from her more typical adult contemporary style and repertoire of heartfelt ballads, and I love the sultry dance groove and funky Nile Rodgers-style guitar. After a long, steady climb, the song has finally landed atop my Weekly Top 30.

Sliding into second place is the spaghetti western-esque stunner “I See the Sun” by British psychedelic pop/rock band Solar Eyes. Entering the top 10 is Spoon’s rousing and gnarly “The Hardest Cut”, which jumps five spots to #6. And like last week, I wanted to add at least five new songs to this week’s list, but that would require eliminating five songs, which I could not do. Thus, the lone debut this week is Foo Fighters’ “Love Dies Young”, which I probably should have added to my list weeks ago.

  1. STARTS WITH YOU – Shimmer Johnson (4)
  2. I SEE THE SUN – Solar Eyes (5)
  3. CRUTCH – Band of Horses (1)
  4. TIME IN DISGUISE – Kings of Leon (2)
  5. GOOD FRIEND – dwi (3)
  6. THE HARDEST CUT – Spoon (11)
  7. TWO CAR FAMILY – Apollo Junction (8)
  8. I DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – The War on Drugs feat. Lucius (6)
  9. LEFT BEHIND – a million rich daughters (9)
  10. SMILE – Wolf Alice (10)
  11. THE TIPPING POINT – Tears for Fears (7)
  12. U&ME – alt-J (13)
  13. ONE AND THE SAME – Future Theory (14)
  14. WAKE ME UP – Foals (16)
  15. JOURNEYMAN’S BALLET – Sam Rappaport (12)
  16. UNTIL I COME HOME – Two Feet & grandson (18)
  17. CHAPSTICK – COIN (19)
  18. HEAD IN THE CLOUDS – Thunder Fox (20)
  19. THE OUTSIDE – twenty øne piløts (21)
  20. THE ONLY HEARTBREAKER – Mitski (22)
  21. INDUSTRY BABY – Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow (23)
  22. JUST LIKE ALWAYS – Oli Barton & the Movement & Maella (24)
  23. REDCHURCH STREET BLUES – Philip Morgan Lewis (25)
  24. MAGNIFICENT HURT – Elvis Costello & The Imposters (26)
  25. LOVE LOVE LOVE – My Morning Jacket (15)
  26. OH MY GOD – Adele (27)
  27. I DON’T WANNA TALK (I JUST WANNA DANCE) – Glass Animals (17)
  28. BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (29)
  29. SOMETHING FROM NOTHING/POINTS OF LIGHT – Secret Postal Society (30)
  30. LOVE DIES YOUNG – Foo Fighters (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 30-February 5, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's16 Comments

There’s not a lot of movement on my latest Weekly Top 30, as the top seven songs from last week remain in the top seven this week, albeit with a bit of shuffling of the ones at #s 2-7. Band of Horses’ beautiful song of unrequited love “Crutch” remains at #1 for a second week, and dwi’s “Good Friend” switches places with Kings of Leon’s “Time in Disguise” for the #2 and #3 spots. Canadian-American singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson’s wonderful dance-pop song “Starts With You” moves up a notch to #4, followed close behind at #5 by the marvelous spaghetti western-esque “I See the Sun” by British psychedelic pop/rock band Solar Eyes.

There are at least six new songs I wanted to add to this list, but only had room for two: L.A. pop-rock duo Ships Have Sailed’s breathtaking “Broken Hearts” enters at #29, replacing their song “Love in October” after its 14-week run, which itself replaced their previous single “Take My Money”, meaning they’ve continuously had a song on my Weekly Top 30 since mid-August of last year. Welsh artist Secret Postal Society’s uplifting couplet “Something From Nothing/Points of Light” enters at #30.

  1. CRUTCH – Band of Horses (1)
  2. TIME IN DISGUISE – Kings of Leon (3)
  3. GOOD FRIEND – dwi (2)
  4. STARTS WITH YOU – Shimmer Johnson (5)
  5. I SEE THE SUN – Solar Eyes (7)
  6. I DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – The War on Drugs feat. Lucius (4)
  7. THE TIPPING POINT – Tears for Fears (6)
  8. TWO CAR FAMILY – Apollo Junction (9)
  9. LEFT BEHIND – a million rich daughters (10)
  10. SMILE – Wolf Alice (12)
  11. THE HARDEST CUT – Spoon (16)
  12. JOURNEYMAN’S BALLET – Sam Rappaport (13)
  13. U&ME – alt-J (14)
  14. ONE AND THE SAME – Future Theory (15)
  15. LOVE LOVE LOVE – My Morning Jacket (8)
  16. WAKE ME UP – Foals (17)
  17. I DON’T WANNA TALK (I JUST WANNA DANCE) – Glass Animals (11)
  18. UNTIL I COME HOME – Two Feet & grandson (19)
  19. CHAPSTICK – COIN (20)
  20. HEAD IN THE CLOUDS – Thunder Fox (21)
  21. THE OUTSIDE – twenty øne piløts (22)
  22. THE ONLY HEARTBREAKER – Mitski (24)
  23. INDUSTRY BABY – Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow (25)
  24. JUST LIKE ALWAYS – Oli Barton & the Movement & Maella (26)
  25. REDCHURCH STREET BLUES – Philip Morgan Lewis (27)
  26. MAGNIFICENT HURT – Elvis Costello & The Imposters (28)
  27. OH MY GOD – Adele (30)
  28. BEGGIN’ – Måneskin (18)
  29. BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (N)
  30. SOMETHING FROM NOTHING/POINTS OF LIGHT – Secret Postal Society (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 23-29, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Song Lists7 Comments

The poignant and beautiful “Crutch” by Band of Horses takes over the top spot on my latest Weekly Top 30. It’s their first song to ever top a Billboard chart, recently spending two weeks at #1 on the Adult Alternative Chart. It was a tough decision knocking dwi’s wonderful song “Good Friend” down to #2, as I still love it so much. Finally entering the top 10 are three great songs – Solar Eyes’ “I See the Sun”, Apollo Junction’s “Two Car Family”, and a million rich daughters’ “Left Behind”. Debuting this week are Elvis Costello & the Imposters’ “Magnificent Hurt” and Adele’s “Oh My God”. It took a while for “Magnificent Hurt” to grow on me, because I can sometimes be a real idiot when it comes to music (as well as many other things, unfortunately). But after reading two recent posts about the song and Costello’s new album by fellow blogger Christian’s Music Musings, I finally realized what a terrific song it is. 

The video for “Crutch” is odd but sweet, and features lots of cute cats, so please watch.

  1. CRUTCH – Band of Horses (2)
  2. GOOD FRIEND – dwi (1)
  3. TIME IN DISGUISE – Kings of Leon (4)
  4. I DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – The War on Drugs feat. Lucius (3)
  5. STARTS WITH YOU – Shimmer Johnson (6)
  6. THE TIPPING POINT – Tears for Fears (7)
  7. I SEE THE SUN – Solar Eyes (11)
  8. LOVE LOVE LOVE – My Morning Jacket (5)
  9. TWO CAR FAMILY – Apollo Junction (12)
  10. LEFT BEHIND – a million rich daughters (13)
  11. I DON’T WANNA TALK (I JUST WANNA DANCE) – Glass Animals (9)
  12. SMILE – Wolf Alice (14)
  13. JOURNEYMAN’S BALLET – Sam Rappaport (15)
  14. U&ME – alt-J (16)
  15. ONE AND THE SAME – Future Theory (17)
  16. THE HARDEST CUT – Spoon (19)
  17. WAKE ME UP – Foals (18)
  18. BEGGIN’ – Måneskin (8)
  19. UNTIL I COME HOME – Two Feet & grandson (20)
  20. CHAPSTICK – COIN (21)
  21. HEAD IN THE CLOUDS – Thunder Fox (22)
  22. THE OUTSIDE – twenty øne piløts (23)
  23. LOVE IN OCTOBER – Ships Have Sailed (10)
  24. THE ONLY HEARTBREAKER – Mitski (25)
  25. INDUSTRY BABY – Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow (28)
  26. JUST LIKE ALWAYS – Oli Barton & the Movement & Maella (29)
  27. REDCHURCH STREET BLUES – Philip Morgan Lewis (30)
  28. MAGNIFICENT HURT – Elvis Costello & The Imposters (N)
  29. DON’T BRING ME DOWN – Two Feet (24)
  30. OH MY GOD – Adele (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 16-22, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

I just can’t get enough of those exuberant jangly guitars, driving beats and soaring vocals on the marvelous “Good Friend” by Canadian artist dwi, and it remains my favorite song for a second week. Closing in at #2 is “Crutch” by Band of Horses, and climbing four spots to #4 is the beautiful “Time in Disguise” by Kings of Leon. It’s not doing particularly well on the Alternative charts, which is perplexing to me, especially given that “Bandit” was the top song of 2021 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. The ebullient dance-pop tune “Starts With You” by L.A.-based singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson climbs three spots to #6, and Tears for Fears’ “The Tipping Point” also climbs three spots to #7.

Three songs debut on this week’s chart: Though it’s been out for over three months, “INDUSTRY BABY” by Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow finally enters my chart at #28. Bringing up the rear are new songs by two of my favorite acts from London, England – “Just Like Always” by Oli Barton & the Movement and Maella, and “Redchurch Street Blues” by Philip Morgan Lewis, which enter at #29 & #30, respectively.

  1. GOOD FRIEND – dwi (1)
  2. CRUTCH – Band of Horses (3)
  3. I DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – The War on Drugs featuring Lucius (2)
  4. TIME IN DISGUISE – Kings of Leon (8)
  5. LOVE LOVE LOVE – My Morning Jacket (4)
  6. STARTS WITH YOU – Shimmer Johnson (9)
  7. THE TIPPING POINT – Tears for Fears (10)
  8. BEGGIN’ – Måneskin (5)
  9. I DON’T WANNA TALK (I JUST WANNA DANCE) – Glass Animals (6)
  10. LOVE IN OCTOBER – Ships Have Sailed (7)
  11. I SEE THE SUN – Solar Eyes (12)
  12. TWO CAR FAMILY – Apollo Junction (13)
  13. LEFT BEHIND – a million rich daughters (14)
  14. SMILE – Wolf Alice (15)
  15. JOURNEYMAN’S BALLET – Sam Rappaport (17)
  16. U&ME – alt-J (18)
  17. ONE AND THE SAME – Future Theory (19)
  18. WAKE ME UP – Foals (20)
  19. THE HARDEST CUT – Spoon (22)
  20. UNTIL I COME HOME – Two Feet & grandson (23)
  21. CHAPSTICK – COIN (24)
  22. HEAD IN THE CLOUDS – Thunder Fox (25)
  23. THE OUTSIDE – twenty øne piløts (26)
  24. DON’T BRING ME DOWN – Two Feet (11)
  25. THE ONLY HEARTBREAKER – Mitski (30)
  26. JUSTIFIED – Kacey Musgraves (16)
  27. KALEIDOSCOPE – Soda Cracker Jesus (21)
  28. INDUSTRY BABY – Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow (N)
  29. JUST LIKE ALWAYS – Oli Barton & the Movement & Maella (N)
  30. REDCHURCH STREET BLUES – Philip Morgan Lewis (N)

New Song of the Week – Oli Barton & the Movement featuring Maella: “Just Like Always”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews1 Comment

London-based alt-rock band Oli Barton & the Movement are a long-time favorite of mine. As indicated by their name, the band is headed by the wildly creative and charismatic singer-songwriter Oli Barton, with the Movement comprised of four outstanding musicians – Ryan Wilson on lead guitar, Jamal Lagoon on rhythm guitar, Marco Paone on Bass, and Josh Needham on drums. With a winning combination of talent, imagination and personality, their eccentric yet sophisticated style of alternative rock is a colorful mix of post-punk and psychedelia, fortified with touches of funk, grunge and pop.

I’ve written about them numerous times on this blog since first featuring them in May 2017 (You can read some of my reviews by clicking the links under ‘Related’ at the end of this post), and have loved every one of their releases. Three of their songs have appeared on my Weekly Top 30 lists – their provocative 2017 single “Kinky” went all the way to #1, and their 2018 single “44”, and more recent single “Martyr” from earlier this year, both reached the top 5. They’ve been on a creative streak since the fall of 2020, and have released a string of excellent singles. Their latest is “Just Like Always“, a beautiful song featuring guest vocals by London-based singer-songwriter Maella that I’ve chosen as my New Song of the Week. Released via Coke & Dagger Records, the track was produced by the band’s long-time collaborator Jules Gulon.

“Just Like Always” starts off with strummed acoustic guitar and Oli’s soothing vocals, giving it a more introspective feel than many of their previous songs. The music gradually expands with added guitars, bass, drums and synths into a lush, melodic soundscape in the choruses. The shimmery guitar notes and piano chords are sublime and, as always, I love Oli’s beautiful plaintive vocals as he sings words of encouragement “And just like always, you say you’re done. But I know inside my heart, you’ve just begun“. Everything builds to a dramatic crescendo in the final chorus as Maella’s vocals enter, highlighted by a terrific guitar solo.

The lyrics generally speak to not allowing the impediments that life often throws in our path to prevent us from realizing our dreams. Oli states that the song is deeply personal to him, as it’s about someone he knew who was giving up on life, referenced in the lyric “she tried to lift her head up but a force just brought it down“. “We’ve all been there” he adds. “The Maella segment of the song is the kind of positive end which speak to not waiting for the moment to strike but to seize it in order to reach your goals and not needing anyone else’s permission to do so.“

“Just Like Always” is a wonderful song that beautifully showcases Oli Barton & the Movement’s ongoing growth and maturity as a band. Their music just keeps sounding better and better, and I’m thrilled to follow them as they continue moving forward on their musical journey.

Follow Oli Barton and the Movement:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music
Purchase:  iTunes / Amazon

Top 30 Songs for August 29-September 4, 2021

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's2 Comments
  1. DEVIL – Two Feet (1) 4th week at #1
  2. STARGAZING – The Neighbourhood (2)
  3. LIKE I USED TO – Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen (3)
  4. MISSING PIECE – Vance Joy (8)
  5. SATURDAY – twenty øne piløts (9)
  6. MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) – Lil Nas X (4)
  7. SOLAR POWER – Lorde (6)
  8. CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (5)
  9. WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (7)
  10. STOP MAKING THIS HURT – Bleachers (11)
  11. TRANSPARENT SOUL – WILLOW featuring Travis Barker (12)
  12. LAST TRAIN HOME – John Mayer (17)
  13. EVERY WINDOW IS A MIRROR – Joywave (15)
  14. ENNUI – Dawning (16)
  15. WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (10)
  16. BE A WOMAN – DeLaurentis (18)
  17. STICKY – The Maine (14)
  18. BAD DREAM – Cannons (20)
  19. WHAT YOU SAY – Cold War Kids (21)
  20. TAKE THE L – Roadkeeper (22)
  21. WRECKED – Imagine Dragons (23)
  22. THE ANGEL OF 8TH AVE. – Gang of Youths (24)
  23. MINE FOREVER – Lord Huron (25)
  24. MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (13)
  25. I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE – Måneskin (26)
  26. TAKE MY MONEY – Ships Have Sailed (27)
  27. MAKING A FIRE – Foo Fighters (29)
  28. CAN YOU HANDLE MY LOVE?? – WALK THE MOON (30)
  29. NOTHING2 – Strange Souvenirs (19)
  30. DISTORTED LIGHT BEAM – Bastille (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 22-28, 2021

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30'sLeave a comment
  1. DEVIL – Two Feet (1)
  2. STARGAZING – The Neighbourhood (4)
  3. LIKE I USED TO – Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen (5)
  4. MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) – Lil Nas X (3)
  5. CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (2)
  6. SOLAR POWER – Lorde (9)
  7. WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (7)
  8. MISSING PIECE – Vance Joy (10)
  9. SATURDAY – twenty øne piløts (11)
  10. WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (6)
  11. STOP MAKING THIS HURT – Bleachers (12)
  12. TRANSPARENTSOUL – WILLOW featuring Travis Barker (13)
  13. MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (8)
  14. STICKY – The Maine (15)
  15. EVERY WINDOW IS A MIRROR – Joywave (16)
  16. ENNUI – Dawning (17)
  17. LAST TRAIN HOME – John Mayer (19)
  18. BE A WOMAN – DeLaurentis (20)
  19. NOTHING2 – Strange Souvenirs (14)
  20. BAD DREAM – Cannons (23)
  21. WHAT YOU SAY – Cold War Kids (24)
  22. TAKE THE L – Roadkeeper (25)
  23. WRECKED – Imagine Dragons (27)
  24. THE ANGEL OF 8TH AVE. – Gang of Youths (28)
  25. MINE FOREVER – Lord Huron (N)
  26. I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE – Måneskin (29)
  27. TAKE MY MONEY – Ships Have Sailed (30)
  28. SINNER – Young Decades (18)
  29. MAKING A FIRE – Foo Fighters (N)
  30. CAN YOU HANDLE MY LOVE?? – WALK THE MOON (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 15-21, 2021

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30'sLeave a comment
  1. DEVIL – Two Feet (1)
  2. CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (2)
  3. MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) – Lil Nas X (6)
  4. STARGAZING – The Neighbourhood (7)
  5. LIKE I USED TO – Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen (8)
  6. WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (3)
  7. WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (4)
  8. MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (5)
  9. SOLAR POWER – Lorde (9)
  10. MISSING PIECE – Vance Joy (11)
  11. SATURDAY – twenty øne piløts (13)
  12. STOP MAKING THIS HURT – Bleachers (16)
  13. TRANSPARENTSOUL – WILLOW featuring Travis Barker (20)
  14. NOTHING2 – Strange Souvenirs (15)
  15. STICKY – The Maine (17)
  16. EVERY WINDOW IS A MIRROR – Joywave (18)
  17. ENNUI – Dawning (19)
  18. SINNER – Young Decades (10)
  19. LAST TRAIN HOME – John Mayer (23)
  20. BE A WOMAN – DeLaurentis (25)
  21. BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (12)
  22. FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (13)
  23. BAD DREAM – Cannons (28)
  24. WHAT YOU SAY – Cold War Kids (29)
  25. TAKE THE L – Roadkeeper (30)
  26. HIGHER POWER – Coldplay (24)
  27. WRECKED – Imagine Dragons (N)
  28. THE ANGEL OF 8TH AVE. – Gang of Youths (N)
  29. I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE – Måneskin (N)
  30. TAKE MY MONEY – Ships Have Sailed (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 8-14, 2021

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments
  1. DEVIL – Two Feet (3)
  2. CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (1)
  3. WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (2)
  4. WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (4)
  5. MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (5)
  6. MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) – Lil Nas X (6)
  7. STARGAZING – The Neighbourhood (9)
  8. LIKE I USED TO – Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen (10)
  9. SOLAR POWER – Lorde (14)
  10. SINNER – Young Decades (7)
  11. MISSING PIECE – Vance Joy (16)
  12. BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (8)
  13. FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (11)
  14. SATURDAY – twenty øne piløts (23)
  15. NOTHING2 – Strange Souvenirs (15)
  16. STOP MAKING IT HURT – Bleachers (17)
  17. STICKY – The Maine (18)
  18. EVERY WINDOW IS A MIRROR – Joywave (19)
  19. ENNUI – Dawning (20)
  20. TRANSPARENTSOUL – WILLOW featuring Travis Barker (24)
  21. ZITTI E BUONI – Måneskin (12)
  22. CRAWLING KINGSNAKE – The Black Keys (13)
  23. LAST TRAIN HOME – John Mayer (28)
  24. HIGHER POWER – Coldplay (25)
  25. BE A WOMAN – DeLaurentis (30)
  26. FLATLINE – Two Feet (21)
  27. BETTER – Michigander (22)
  28. BAD DREAM – Cannons (N)
  29. WHAT YOU SAY – Cold War Kids (N)
  30. TAKE THE L – Roadkeeper (N)

Top 30 Songs for August 1-7, 2021

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's1 Comment
  1. CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (3)
  2. WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (1)
  3. DEVIL – Two Feet (8)
  4. WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (2)
  5. MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (5)
  6. MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) – Lil Nas X (7)
  7. SINNER – Young Decades (6)
  8. BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (4)
  9. STARGAZING – The Neighbourhood (13)
  10. LIKE I USED TO – Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen (14)
  11. FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (9)
  12. ZITTI E BUONI – Måneskin (10)
  13. CRAWLING KINGSNAKE – The Black Keys (12)
  14. SOLAR POWER – Lorde (20)
  15. NOTHING2 – Strange Souvenirs (18)
  16. MISSING PIECE – Vance Joy (23)
  17. STOP MAKING IT HURT – Bleachers (21)
  18. STICKY – The Maine (22)
  19. EVERY WINDOW IS A MIRROR – Joywave (24)
  20. ENNUI – Dawning (25)
  21. FLATLINE – Two Feet (11)
  22. BETTER – Michigander (16)
  23. SATURDAY – twenty øne piløts (30)
  24. TRANSPARENTSOUL – WILLOW featuring Travis Barker (N)
  25. HIGHER POWER – Coldplay (26)
  26. YOUR POWER – Billie Eilish (15)
  27. ALL YOU EVER WANTED – Rag’n’Bone Man (17)
  28. LAST TRAIN HOME – John Mayer (N)
  29. METRONOME – Polarizer (19) 20th week on list
  30. BE A WOMAN – DeLaurentis (N)