1. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (1)
2. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey (4)
3. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (2)
4. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (3)
5. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (5)
6. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five (7)
7. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (8)
8. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (9)
9. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives (10)
10. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes (6)
11. STRANGE KIND – Blair Dollery (12)
12. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (13)
13. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory & Charlie Pereira (14)
14. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (15)
15. GO – The Black Keys (16)
16. CRINGE – Matt Maeson (17)
17. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper (11)
18. FOUR WINDS – Unquiet Nights (20)
19. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (22)
20. THIS LIFE – Vampire Weekend (23)
21. BLOW – Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton & Bruno Mars (25)
22. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant (27)
23. THE HYPE – twenty one pilots (29)
24. HELP ME STRANGER – The Raconteurs (18)
25. BROTHERS – Harroland (26)
26. HEAT OF THE SUMMER – Young the Giant (30)
27. BOOM – X Ambassadors (24)
28. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed (19) 21st week on chart
29. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz (21)
30. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion (N)
Tag: Revolvers
Top 30 Songs for August 4-10, 2019
1. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (2)
2. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (1)
3. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (3)
4. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey (5)
5. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (4)
6. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes (7)
7. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five (8)
8. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (9)
9. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (10)
10. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives (11)
11. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper (6)
12. STRANGE KIND – Blair Dollery (13)
13. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (15)
14. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory & Charlie Pereira (16)
15. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (17)
16. GO – The Black Keys (20)
17. CRINGE – Matt Maeson (18)
18. HELP ME STRANGER – The Raconteurs (19)
19. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed (12) 20th week on chart
20. FOUR WINDS – Unquiet Nights (22)
21. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz (14)
22. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (23)
23. THIS LIFE – Vampire Weekend (24)
24. BOOM – X Ambassadors (25)
25. BLOW – Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton & Bruno Mars (26)
26. BROTHERS – Harroland (27)
27. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant (28)
28. DARK PLACES – The Frontier (21) 22nd week on chart
29. THE HYPE – twenty one pilots (N)
30. HEAT OF THE SUMMER – Young the Giant (N)
Top 30 Songs for July 28-August 3, 2019
1. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (1) 4th week at #1
2. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (2)
3. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (3)
4. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (4)
5. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey (6)
6. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper (5)
7. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes (8)
8. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five (10)
9. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (11)
10. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (12)
11. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives (13)
12. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed (7)
13. STRANGE KIND – Blair Dollery (15)
14. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz (9)
15. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (16)
16. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory and Charlie Pereira (17)
17. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (18)
18. CRINGE – Matt Maeson (19)
19. HELP ME STRANGER – The Raconteurs (20)
20. GO – The Black Keys (25)
21. DARK PLACES – The Frontier (14) 21st week on chart
22. FOUR WINDS – Unquiet Nights (24)
23. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (26)
24. THIS LIFE – Vampire Weekend (27)
25. BOOM – X Ambassadors (28)
26. BLOW – Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton & Bruno Mars (29)
27. BROTHERS – Harroland (30)
28. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant (N)
29. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE (21) 21st week on chart
30. STILL FEEL. – half alive (22)
Top 30 Songs for July 21-27, 2019
1. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (1)
2. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (2)
3. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (3)
4. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (5)
5. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper (6)
6. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey (10)
7. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed (4)
8. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes (9)
9. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz (7)
10. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five (11)
11. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (12)
12. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (13)
13. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives (14)
14. DARK PLACES – The Frontier (8) 20th week on chart
15. STRANGE KIND – Blair Dollery (18)
16. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (19)
17. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory and Charlie Pereira (20)
18. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (22)
19. CRINGE – Matt Maeson (23)
20. HELP ME STRANGER – The Raconteurs (25)
21. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE (15) 20th week on chart
22. STILL FEEL. – half alive (16)
23. SAW LIGHTNING – Beck (17)
24. FOUR WINDS – Unquiet Nights (26)
25. GO – The Black Keys (28)
26. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (30)
27. THIS LIFE – Vampire Weekend (N)
28. BOOM – X Ambassadors (N)
29. BLOW – Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton & Bruno Mars (N)
30. BROTHERS – Harroland (N)
Top 30 Songs for July 14-20, 2019
1. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (1)
2. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (3)
3. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (4)
4. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed (2)
5. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (6)
6. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper (8)
7. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz (9)
8. DARK PLACES – The Frontier (5)
9. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes (12)
10. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey (18)
11. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five (13)
12. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (14)
13. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (16)
14. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives (20)
15. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE (7)
16. STILL FEEL. – half alive (10)
17. SAW LIGHTNING – Beck (11)
18. STRANGE KIND – Blair Dollery (19)
19. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (22)
20. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory and Charlie Pereira (23)
21. BELOVED – Mumford & Sons (15)
22. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (28)
23. CRINGE – Matt Maeson (27)
24. HELP ME STRANGER – The Raconteurs (29)
25. HURT – Oliver Tree (17)
26. FOUR WINDS – Unquiet Nights (30)
27. PATIENCE – Tame Impala (24)
28. GO – The Black Keys (N)
29. ECHOES – Ignite the Fire (25)
30. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (N)
Top 30 Songs for July 7-13, 2019
1. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (3)
2. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed (1)
3. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (4)
4. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (5)
5. DARK PLACES – The Frontier (2)
6. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (8)
7. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE (6)
8. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper (11)
9. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz (10)
10. STILL FEEL. – half alive (9)
11. SAW LIGHTNING – Beck (12)
12. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes (16)
13. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five (18)
14. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (19)
15. BELOVED – Mumford and Sons (14)
16. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (21)
17. HURT – Oliver Tree (7)
18. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey (30)
19. STRANGE KIND – Blair Dollery (25)
20. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives (28)
21. BURY A FRIEND – Billie Eilish (13)
22. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (26)
23. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory and Charlie Pereira (27)
24. PATIENCE – Tame Impala (15)
25. ECHOES – Ignite the Fire (20)
26. MAYBE, I’M AFRAID – Lovelytheband (17)
27. CRINGE – Matt Maeson (N)
28. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (N)
29. HELP ME STRANGER – The Raconteurs (N)
30. FOUR WINDS – Unquiet Nights (N)
Top 30 Songs for June 30-July 6, 2019
1. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed (3)
2. DARK PLACES – The Frontier (1)
3. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (7)
4. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (5)
5. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (6)
6. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE (2)
7. HURT – Oliver Tree (4)
8. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (12)
9. STILL FEEL. – half alive (8)
10. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz (13)
11. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper (14)
12. SAW LIGHTNING – Beck (15)
13. BURY A FRIEND – Billie Eilish (9)
14. BELOVED – Mumford & Sons (10)
15. PATIENCE – Tame Impala (11)
16. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes (20)
17. MAYBE, I’M AFRAID – lovelytheband (19)
18. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist at Five (23)
19. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (24)
20. ECHOES – Ignite the Fire (25)
21. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (26)
22. DISAPPEAR – Western Jaguar (16) 22nd week on chart
23. CHLORINE – twenty one pilots (17)
24. LONGSHOT – Catfish and the Bottlemen (18) 22nd week on chart
25. STRANGE KIND – Blair Dollery (28)
26. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (29)
27. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory and Charlie Pereira (30)
28. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives (N)
29. LOVE CRAZY – Karolina Rose (21)
30. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey (N)
Top 30 Songs for June 23-29, 2019
1. DARK PLACES – The Frontier (2)
2. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE (1)
3. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed (3)
4. HURT – Oliver Tree (5)
5. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (6)
6. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (7)
7. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (14)
8. STILL FEEL. – half alive (8)
9. BURY A FRIEND – Billie Eilish (4)
10. BELOVED – Mumford & Sons (11)
11. PATIENCE – Tame Impala (12)
12. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (20)
13. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz (15)
14. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper (16)
15. SAW LIGHTNING – Beck (19)
16. DISAPPEAR – Western Jaguar (9) 21st week on chart
17. CHLORINE – twenty one pilots (10)
18. LONGSHOT – Catfish and the Bottlemen (13) 21st week on chart
19. MAYBE, I’M AFRAID – lovelytheband (22)
20. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes (23)
21. LOVE CRAZY – Karolina Rose (17)
22. TIME – Morosity (18)
23. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five (27)
24. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (28)
25. ECHOES – Ignite the Fire (29)
26. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (30)
27. NOT WORTH IT – The Only Route (21)
28. STRANGE KIND – Blair Dollery (N)
29. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (N)
30. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory & Charlie Pereira (N)
Top 30 Songs for June 16-22, 2019
1. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE (1)
2. DARK PLACES – The Frontier (3)
3. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed (4)
4. BURY A FRIEND – Billie Eilish (2)
5. HURT – Oliver Tree (7)
6. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish (11)
7. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (9)
8. STILL FEEL. – half alive (10)
9. DISAPPEAR – Western Jaguar (5) 20th week on chart
10. CHLORINE – twenty one pilots (6)
11. BELOVED – Mumford & Sons (13)
12. PATIENCE – Tame Impala (15)
13. LONGSHOT – Catfish and the Bottlemen (8) 20th week on chart
14. I SEE YOU – MISSIO (24)
15. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz (17)
16. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper (19)
17. LOVE CRAZY – Karolina Rose (12)
18. TIME – Morosity (14)
19. SAW LIGHTNING – Beck (21)
20. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men (22)
21. NOT WORTH IT – The Only Route (18)
22. MAYBE, I’M AFRAID – lovelytheband (23)
23. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes (25)
24. CHOKE – I Don’t Know How But They Found Me (20)
25. TRAMPOLINE – SHAED (16) 19th week on chart
26. I GET NO JOY – Jade Bird (27)
27. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist at Five (28)
28. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (29)
29. ECHOES – Ignite the Fire (30)
30. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (N)
New Song of the Week: REVOLVERS – “Rubbing Shoulders With the Devil”
There are many terrific indie artists and bands in the UK these days making some really outstanding music, and among the best of them is London four-piece Revolvers. Originally formed in 2016 and comprised of James Thurling (guitar/lead vocals) Will Oliver (guitar/backing vocals), Steven Morrison (bass/backing vocals) and Rhys Kibble (drums), they play sensational high-energy guitar-driven melodic rock. I first featured them in February when I reviewed their single “True Love”, a fantastic, hard-driving track filled with lush, reverb-drenched jangly riffs. They followed up in early April with another great banger of a tune “Come Again”, and now return with their third in a series of singles “Rubbing Shoulders With the Devil“, and I think it’s their best work yet. All three singles were produced by George Apsion (White Lies, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Ellie Goulding).
It’s a darkly beautiful track, opening with an ominous gritty guitar riff and a deep, buzzing bassline that immediately hook us in. As James starts to sing, the music expands with more guitars and Rhys’ thumping drumbeats and crashing cymbals into an exciting and rather menacing soundscape. In his review of the song for Obscure Sound, Mike Mineo observed that Revolvers exude a vibe reminiscent of early Arctic Monkeys, and I totally agree. Once the chorus arrives in a stream of sweeping synths and wailing distorted riffs, I’m completely besotted with this song. James’ vocals have a cold, yet slightly seductive quality, backed by the guys’ stunning but ominous vocal harmonies that have a kind of gothic horror film air, similar to what you’d hear in a film like The Omen or The Exorcist as they croon:
Rubbing shoulders with the devil
(Anywhere you go I’ll go there)
Rubbing shoulders with the devil
(Anywhere you stay I’ll be there)
Rubbing shoulders with the devil
(Cause you drag me down)
James continues to sing the brilliant lyrics that speak to someone who leaves him feeling unsettled almost to the point of revulsion:
But every night I wake up to the smell of you
While I’m clutching to a dirty pillow
Your shadow stops the reflection of bedroom lights
And raises alarms in my head
Complain the swimming pool’s not as deep as your love darling
Guess your love is just so ardent
But every time I see someone drinking your cocktail
Take refuge inside the devil’s lair
I’m really impressed by the high quality of a lot of music videos being made by indie bands today (having also been blown away by the video UNDER AEGIS made for their song “Separate” that I just reviewed). Like the music, the gorgeously-filmed video has a dark feel similar to The Omen, and I think it’s brilliant that parts of it were filmed in a cathedral. It was expertly directed by Bradley Davies of Yosemite Bear Productions, and stars band frontman James, who now plays the role of the devilish character. He’s a nice-looking fellow, but that cold stare of his is downright malevolent! He’s shown carrying a briefcase as he lurks and skulks around in a disquieting manner, and at one point coldly watches a woman drowning in a pool, and even strangles a man in another scene. It’s pretty disturbing, but the scenes of the band performing the song in the cathedral balance things out quite nicely – both symbolically and literally.
I love this band and I love this song! It’s instantly one of my favorites of the year, and will most definitely end up on my list of Top 100 Songs of 2019.
Those of you fortunate to live in and around London can catch Revolvers at one of these upcoming shows:
Friday 7 June @ 7:30 pm – The Finborough Arms, London
Saturday 15 June @ 7 pm – Roadtrip & the Workshop, London
Connect with Revolvers on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music on Spotify / Soundcloud
Purchase on iTunes / Bandcamp
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 