Tag: Ships Have Sailed

100 Best Indie Songs of 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Song Lists24 Comments
Photo courtesy of FREEP!K

At the end of each year, I publish a list of my Top 100 Songs, representing my picks for what I think are the best songs – my favorites actually – for the entire year. This year, at the suggestion of John Gilbert, guitarist and lead vocalist of Missouri folk rock band Voodoo Planet, I’ve also compiled a list of my 100 favorite indie songs of 2024 (their song “Adrift” is included in this list). Because I follow, and am followed by, many indie musicians and bands on the various social media platforms, I want to highlight some of the really outstanding music being made by them that’s every bit as good as that from mainstream acts.

These are not “indie” songs in terms of genre (though there are many that fall into that overall category), but songs by independent or unsigned music acts. Some are in fact signed to music labels, but they’re usually small, independently owned labels. There are 89 acts represented in this list, the majority of which are from the U.S., Canada and the U.K., but also from Australia, Malaysia, Norway, Spain, Germany and Ukraine. Of course, I must make note of the fact that this list contains only songs I’m aware of, and that there are likely hundreds or even thousands of other songs that deserve to be here, except that I’ve never heard them.

Though they’re ranked from #1 to 100, it doesn’t mean that a song at #30 is better than one at #70. That said, the ones closer to the top are my very favorites. And though I’d love to write a narrative about each song and artist, given my limited time and energy, not to mention people’s short attention spans, I’ve decided against that. I’ve created playlists on both Spotify and YouTube, which are included after the list itself. Enjoy!

  1. LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves
  2. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS
  3. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses
  4. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua
  5. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame
  6. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse
  7. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain
  8. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters
  9. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH
  10. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven
  11. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights
  12. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton
  13. BLUSH – Vazum
  14. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot
  15. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed
  16. WAR – HEALER
  17. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna
  18. HONEY – Mr Bewlay
  19. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano
  20. TOO MUCH OR NOT ENOUGH? – Candid
  21. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster
  22. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo, Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso & Gabrielle Marella & the voice of Tony Milillo
  23. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson
  24. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet & Mikey J
  25. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport
  26. PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn
  27. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society
  28. HOLOGRAM – Raker
  29. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I
  30. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves
  31. IT’S OVER NOW – Oli Barton
  32. DYING TO MEET YOU – Gooseberry
  33. OH, WELL – John Serrano
  34. SUBMARINE – Homeless Radio
  35. BRAND NEW DAY – Ben Gorb
  36. DOWNING STREET – Brain Ape
  37. LOOSIE LUNA – Coppa Londra
  38. TEMPTATION – Pylon Poets
  39. WHY DO YOU CARE – The Muldoons
  40. I AM AM I? – NAVE
  41. THIS ALL ENDS HERE – Minus Cube & Natalie Lucie
  42. NEW PONY – The Nanners
  43. KEEPING SCORE – Snap Infraction
  44. WAKE ME UP – HEALER
  45. ODYSSEY – Josephine Pascoe
  46. LIKE THE SUN – A.Wake
  47. SMALL MERCIES – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster
  48. EASIER AND EASIER – Lyia Meta
  49. VICTIM – Frank Joshua
  50. SMUDGE – Mock Deer
  51. THE LOST – The Ocean Beneath
  52. INVISIBLE INK – Ships Have Sailed
  53. BY DESIGN – Amongst Liars & Felin
  54. LITTLE SELF-INDULGENT – Western Jaguar
  55. PIECE OF CAKE – Bottlecap Mountain
  56. COLLISION – The Zangwills
  57. ROADS – HULLAH
  58. GUYS LIKE YOU – Olivia Miceli
  59. YOUTH – The 23’s
  60. STATELINE – Nathan Ball
  61. CHASING YOUR DREAMS – Asgard Raven
  62. ELEVEN – Minus Cube & P’like
  63. DREAM TONIGHT – The Ocean Beneath & Liz Mann
  64. SELF CONTROL – John Laurant, Ron van den Beuken & Shimmer Johnson
  65. THE BEST – Thunder Fox
  66. NEW MOON – Morning Fuzz
  67. REPOSSESS – Western Jaguar
  68. YOU ARE NOT A SLAVE – Amongst Liars
  69. CREATURE FEATURE – dwi
  70. BAD LUCK – The Macrotones
  71. WITCH TRAIN – The Blackburns
  72. NOCTURNALLY YOURS – Scoopski
  73. TANTALUS – John Serrano
  74. REAL COLORS – The Nanners
  75. DO YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW? – Set the Tone
  76. PRETTY ALRIGHT – Caitlin Lavagna
  77. LET’S RUN AWAY – Solar Eyes
  78. ONE ROOM PAST WAITING – Chief Springs
  79. ARE YOU REALLY FREE? – Alba
  80. FIREBIRD – Josephine Pascoe
  81. CHILDHOOD FRIENDS – naive nature
  82. SPACE TRAVEL – Sandrom
  83. MORE – Andrew Neil and Code Purple
  84. SMALL TIME FISH (BIG TIME POND) – Sorry Ghost
  85. THE VOID – Fuzzle
  86. GREEN EYED MONSTER – Olivia Miceli
  87. ALL I WANT – The Heroic Enthusiasts
  88. WHY DON’T YOU LOVE ME – Tom Burton
  89. COCK OF THE FIFTH YEAR – The Empty Page
  90. NOT READY YET – Sean Magwire
  91. GHOST – Grizzly Madams
  92. ALWAYS DO – Melody Zenith
  93. MISSED YOU – Mal Fantome
  94. WOULD YOU WANT IT (IF YOU HAD IT) – The Barons
  95. THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF WHAT IF – Eleanor Collides & Emily Gray
  96. EVERYTHING FITS – Wons Phreely + The Horses
  97. ANYWAY – The Crushing Violets
  98. PUSH IT BACK – Kiffie
  99. ALL THE SAME TO YOU – Quizboy & Marc Schuster
  100. SHADE – Microfilm

Top 30 Songs for May 5-11, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's17 Comments
Photo of MISSIO by Ima Leupp

MISSIO holds on to the top spot on my chart for a third week with “Time”, one of the many outstanding songs from their latest album I AM CINCO, an epic work featuring 26 tracks that dropped this past Friday, May 3rd. (Read my review and interview with the guys here.) Green Day moves into second place with “Dilemma”, while Royel Otis climb two spots to #3 with their delightful cover of “Murder on the Dance Floor”. Hozier‘s “Too Sweet” leaps another eight spots this week, entering the top 10 at #7, while Black Pumas‘ “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)” moves up a notch to enter the top 10 at #10. Also moving up eight spots are “Capricorn” by Vampire Weekend, to #18, and “Creatures in Heaven” by Glass Animals, to #19.

The sole debut this week, at #30, is “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift, featuring Post Malone, who co-wrote the song with Swift and singer-songwriter/producer Jack Antonoff. The downtempo synthpop ballad is from her latest and 15th album The Tortured Poets Department, which has received generally positive reviews and broken numerous sales and streaming records. The album, released April 19th after weeks of advance hype, features 16 tracks. But only two hours later, Swift surprise-released a double album edition, subtitled The Anthology and containing 15 bonus tracks, for a total of 31 in two volumes. While I’m not a huge fan of Swift, I do acknowledge her strong songwriting abilities, and really like some of her songs. As an example of her massive popularity, she currently holds every single one of the top 14 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Fortnight” at #1.

  1. TIME – MISSIO (1)
  2. DILEMMA – Green Day (3)
  3. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (5)
  4. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (2)
  5. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (4)
  6. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (6)
  7. TOO SWEET – Hozier (15)
  8. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (7)
  9. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (9)
  10. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (11)
  11. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (13)
  12. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (12)
  13. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (14)
  14. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (8)
  15. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (10)
  16. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (19)
  17. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (20)
  18. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (26)
  19. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (27)
  20. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (18)
  21. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (23)
  22. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (22)
  23. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (24)
  24. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (16)
  25. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (17)
  26. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (28)
  27. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (29)
  28. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (30)
  29. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (21)
  30. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 28-May 4, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments
Photo of MISSIO by Ima Leupp

MISSIO remain on top for a second week with their hauntingly beautiful song “Time”, one of the many great tracks that will be featured on their forthcoming monumental album I AM CINCO, to be released next Friday, May 3rd. “Overcompensate” by twenty one pilots moves up a notch to #2, while “Dilemma” by Green Day reverses course by moving back up to #3. Australian duo Royel Otis climb two spots to #5 with their delightful cover of “Murder on the Dance Floor”, and “Good People”, by Mumford & Sons and Pharrell Williams, finally enters the top 10 at #10. The song recently spent one week at #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

The biggest upward mover is “Too Sweet”, by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, jumping eight spots to #15. The song has quickly become an unexpected hit that’s even surprised the singer, reaching #1 in many countries including the U.S., where it’s become his highest-charting single and first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, besting his monster hit “Take Me to Church”, which peaked at #2.

Three songs make their debut this week, the first of which is “Broken Man” by American artist St. Vincent, the musical project of uniquely talented and innovative singer-songwriter and musician Annie Clark, coming in at #28. The song is from her seventh studio album All Born Screaming, which dropped this past Friday, April 26th. The second new entry, at #29, is “Loneliness” by the legendary British synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. The song is the lead single from their fifteenth studio album Nonetheless, which also dropped this past Friday. They were one of my favorite acts from 1986-88, and I’m happy they’re still putting out new music all these years later. The third new entry is “For Us All”, a superb song by English singer-songwriter Asgard Raven, which I reviewed last week. 

  1. TIME – MISSIO (1)
  2. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  3. DILEMMA – Green Day (5)
  4. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (2)
  5. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (7)
  6. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (4)
  7. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (6)
  8. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (9)
  9. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (10)
  10. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (12)
  11. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (14)
  12. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (15)
  13. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (17)
  14. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (16)
  15. TOO SWEET – Hozier (23)
  16. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (8)
  17. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (11)
  18. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (19)
  19. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (20)
  20. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (22)
  21. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (13)
  22. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (24)
  23. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (25)
  24. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (26)
  25. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (18)
  26. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (29)
  27. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (30)
  28. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (N)
  29. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (N)
  30. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 21-27, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's17 Comments

Austin, Texas-based duo MISSIO have been one of my favorite acts ever since I first learned about them and their music back in 2017. I love their uniquely eclectic sound that’s an arresting blend of alternative rock, electronic and hip hop, and have written about them several times on this blog. Three of their songs – “I See You”, “Underground” and “Can You Feel the Sun” – have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30, and now their darkly captivating “Time” joins that esteemed group by ascending to the top spot on my latest chart. The gorgeous song will be included on their forthcoming fifth album I AM CINCO, an epic work scheduled for release on May 3rd. I love Matthew Brue’s distinctive tenor voice, which sounds especially vulnerable and heartfelt here. And the complexity of their arrangements, combined with intricate instrumentation, always makes for an exciting listen. The simple but profound lyrics touch on anxieties over some of the issues facing our current world and society, with MISSIO reminding us that “time goes wherever you are, now, in each moment” and to “live like it’s your last because you’re not guaranteed a tomorrow.”

In other chart highlights, “Overcompensate” by twenty one pilots inches up a notch to #3, “Kool Aid Blue” by Canadian band The Sylvia Platters moves up one to #6 and “Murder On the Dance Floor” by Australian duo Royel Otis advances three spots to #7. The dreamy “Everything We Need” by electro-rock duo Mojave Grey enters the top 10 at #10.

Two songs make their debut this week. The first, and long overdue, is “Capricorn” by New York City-based indie rock/art pop band Vampire Weekend, entering at #29. I love frontman Ezra Koenig’s pleasing drawl, that lovely piano riff and the gnarly cinematic chorus. The poignant song, described by Alex Hudson of Canadian music webzine Exclaim! as being about the “aching, unavoidable melancholy of growing old and discovering that adults feel just as powerless as kids do“, is from their fifth studio album Only God Was Above Us, which dropped April 5th.

Entering at #30 is “Creatures in Heaven” by English indie/psychedelic pop/rock band Glass Animals. Like the aforementioned Vampire Weekend, their music is hard to classify, as both bands incorporate a myriad of genres and styles into their sound. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming fourth album I Love You So F***ing Much, scheduled for release on July 19th. In an interview with Consequence Sound, band frontman Dave Bayley – whose singing voice I adore – said the song is about “a moment in time, having the capacity to be enormously formative and life-changing.”

  1. TIME – MISSIO (2)
  2. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (1)
  3. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (4)
  4. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (3)
  5. DILEMMA – Green Day (5)
  6. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (7)
  7. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (10)
  8. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (6)
  9. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (9)
  10. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (12)
  11. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (8)
  12. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (15)
  13. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (11)
  14. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (16)
  15. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (17)
  16. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (18)
  17. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (19)
  18. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (13)
  19. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (20)
  20. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (22)
  21. BLUSH – Vazum (14)
  22. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (25)
  23. TOO SWEET – Hozier (30)
  24. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (27)
  25. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (28)
  26. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (29)
  27. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (21)
  28. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (23)
  29. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (N)
  30. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 14-20, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments

I think “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs is a perfect power pop tune, and I just can’t get enough of it. Consequently, it remains at #1 on my Top 30 for a third week. Aiming for the top spot, the hauntingly beautiful “Time” by MISSIO slides into second place, while twenty one pilots‘ “Overcompensate” moves up a notch to #4. Entering the top 10 at #9 is the delightful dance-pop song “I’m in Love” by San Diego singer-songwriter Jelani Aryeh, followed by the equally delightful “Murder On the Dance Floor” by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, jumping six spots to #10.

Two songs make their debut on my chart this week, the first of which is “Mustang” by Kings of Leon. While I’m a pretty big fan of theirs, this song took a while to grow on me, as I initially found Caleb Followill’s screaming vocals a bit off-putting. “Mustang” was the lead single from their forthcoming ninth studio album Can We Please Have Fun, scheduled for release on May 10. Entering at #30 is “Two Sweet” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. Shockingly, the song debuted at #5 two weeks ago on the Billboard Hot 100, and currently sits at #4, a major feat for an artist like Hozier in today’s streaming-dominated chart. My guess is that the song must have gone viral on TikTok. In any case, it’s another great song by this talented and beloved artist, so seeing it ranked so highly on the Hot 100 is a welcome sight indeed.

  1. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (1)
  2. TIME – MISSIO (3)
  3. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
  4. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
  5. DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
  6. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (9)
  7. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (10)
  8. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (9)
  9. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (11)
  10. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (16)
  11. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (12)
  12. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (13)
  13. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (6)
  14. BLUSH – Vazum (7)
  15. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (15)
  16. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (17)
  17. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (18)
  18. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (19)
  19. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (22)
  20. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (23)
  21. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (14)
  22. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (24)
  23. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (20)
  24. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (21)
  25. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (28)
  26. CEILING TILES – Sun Atoms (27)
  27. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (29)
  28. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (30)
  29. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (N)
  30. TOO SWEET – Hozier (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 7-13, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments
Photo by Stephanie Pia

The marvelous jangle-pop masterpiece “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs holds firm at #1 for a second week on my latest Top 30 chart. I love this song, and never tire of hearing it. “Neon Pill” by Cage the Elephant holds at #2 for a second week, after spending two weeks at #1, and the gorgeous “Time” by MISSIO inches up a notch to #3. Another wonderful jangle-pop/rock song, “Kool Aid Blue” by Canadian band The Sylvia Platters, enters the top 10. The biggest upward mover this week is “Murder On the Dance Floor” by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, jumping seven spots to #16.

For a second consecutive week, there are three new entries to my chart. The first, coming in at #28, is “Take It Or Leave It”, a melancholy but beautiful song by Sheffield, England-based alternative rock band Dead Slow Hoot, who’ve been putting out great indie rock since 2016. Next up is the delightfully boisterous “Good Times Go” by another English alternative indie rock four-piece, London-based The Kid and I, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. Bringing up the rear at #30 is the terrific “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Austin, Texas-based rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain, which I also recently reviewed in a Fresh New Tracks post.

  1. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (1)
  2. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
  3. TIME – MISSIO (4)
  4. DILEMMA – Green Day (3)
  5. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
  6. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (6)
  7. BLUSH – Vazum (8)
  8. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (9)
  9. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (10)
  10. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (11)
  11. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (12)
  12. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (13)
  13. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (14)
  14. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (7)
  15. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (17)
  16. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (23)
  17. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (20)
  18. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (21)
  19. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (22)
  20. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (18)
  21. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (19)
  22. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (25)
  23. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (28)
  24. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (29)
  25. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (15)
  26. THE TOWER – Future Islands (16)
  27. CEILING TILES – Sun Atoms (30)
  28. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (N)
  29. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (N)
  30. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (N)

Top 30 Songs for March 31-April 6, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's18 Comments

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.

  1. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (2)
  2. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (1)
  3. DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
  4. TIME – MISSIO (5)
  5. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (6)
  6. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (3)
  7. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (7)
  8. BLUSH – Vazum (10)
  9. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (12)
  10. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (13)
  11. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (14)
  12. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (15)
  13. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (17)
  14. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (18)
  15. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (8)
  16. THE TOWER – Future Islands (9)
  17. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (20)
  18. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (21)
  19. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (22)
  20. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (23)
  21. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (24)
  22. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (25)
  23. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (28)
  24. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (11)
  25. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (30)
  26. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (16)
  27. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (19)
  28. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (N)
  29. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (N)
  30. CEILING TILES – Sun Atoms (N)

Top 30 Songs for March 24-30, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments

Cage the Elephant remain on top for a second week with “Neon Pill”, while The Lemon Twigs‘ delightful “My Golden Years” moves up another notch to #2. I just love those vibrant jangly guitars and Beach Boys-esque harmonies, and it’s hard to fathom why this song hasn’t appeared on any charts that I’m aware of. Far and away the biggest upward mover this week is the achingly beautiful “Time” by Texas-based duo MISSIO, which leaps 17 spots to #5. I had the opportunity to interview Matthew and David over Zoom last week, which was a thrill for me. The song will be included on their monumental 26-track album I AM CINCO, planned for release in early May. “Overcompensate” by another favorite duo of mine, twenty one pilots, climbs three spots to #6. These four songs, along with The Black Keys‘ “Beautiful People (Stay High)” and Green Day‘s “Dilemma”, will likely control the top six spots on my chart for many weeks to come.

Two songs make their debut this week, the first of which is “Murder on the Dance Floor ” by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis (comprised of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovi), entering at #28. The song is a wonderful cover of the 2001 hit “Murder on the Dancefloor” by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, which Royel Otis performed on the Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version program. Interestingly, the song does not appear on their debut album PRATTS & PAIN that was just released in February. The two have been putting out music since 2021, and I really like their sound! Also interesting is that Ellis-Bextor’s original gained renewed popularity earlier this year after appearing in the 2023 black comedy thriller film Saltburn, causing it to re-enter the UK Dance Singles Chart where it reached #1. It also peaked at #51 on the US Billboard Hot 100, her first song to ever appear on that chart.

Entering at #30 is “Don’t Forget Me” by immensely talented American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers. Citing artists like Carrie Brownstein, Patti Smith, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, Björk, Brandi Carlile and Sharon Van Etten as her musical inspirations, the latter two who’ve also become her mentors — I think she’s one of the finest female singer-songwriters making music today. Her thoughtful lyrics and heartfelt vocals always make for a pleasing, deeply moving and compelling listen.

  1. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (1)
  2. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (3)
  3. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (2)
  4. DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
  5. TIME – MISSIO (22)
  6. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (9)
  7. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (8)
  8. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (5)
  9. THE TOWER – Future Islands (6)
  10. BLUSH – Vazum (12)
  11. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (7)
  12. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (13)
  13. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (14)
  14. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (16)
  15. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (17)
  16. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (10)
  17. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (19)
  18. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (20)
  19. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (15)
  20. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (23)
  21. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (24)
  22. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (25)
  23. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (27)
  24. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (28)
  25. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (30)
  26. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (11)
  27. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (18)
  28. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (N)
  29. ALIVE! – Bakar (21)
  30. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (N)

Top 30 Songs for March 17-23, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
Photo by Neil Krug

My goodness, there’s so much great music out now, including numerous songs by some of my favorite major acts of the past 20 years. One of them is American rock band Cage the Elephant. Originally formed in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2006, the band currently consists of 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). They relocated to London in 2008, shortly before their self-titled first album was released, then later settled in Nashville, though I can’t find any dates as to when that occurred. They followed with four more albums, Thank You, Happy Birthday in 2011, Melophobia in 2013, Tell Me I’m Pretty (produced by Dan Auerbach) in 2015, and Social Cues in 2019, the latter two winning Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album.

I first learned about them in the fall of 2013 when I heard their brilliant song “Come a Little Closer”, from Melophobia, and after listening to more of their music, I became a fan. I grew even more fond of them when they followed me on Twitter (now X) in 2017. Now they’re set to release their sixth studio album Neon Pill on May 17, and its wonderful lead and title single “Neon Pill” ascends to the top of my latest Weekly Top 30.

In other notable chart developments, “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs moves up a notch to #3, and “Dilemma”, by another of my long-time favorite bands Green Day, climbs six spots to #4. I’m thrilled to have a new song by yet another of my favorite acts, twenty one pilots, make its debut this week. Their latest single “Overcompensate”, their first new music in three years since their last album Scaled and Icy, enters quite high on the chart at #9. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming seventh studio album Clancy, scheduled for release May 17 (on what appears to be a big day for new album releases). It looks to be another ambitious concept album by the highly creative Columbus, Ohio-based duo.

The other debut this week, coming in at #30, is “Wanting and Waiting” by long-time Atlanta, Georgia-based blues rock band The Black Crowes, giving us three bands with ‘Black’ in their name on the same chart. The song is the lead single from their tenth studio album Happiness Bastards, their first new music since 2010.

  1. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
  2. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
  3. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (4)
  4. DILEMMA – Green Day (10)
  5. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (3)
  6. THE TOWER – Future Islands (5)
  7. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (6)
  8. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (8)
  9. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (N)
  10. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (7)
  11. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (9)
  12. BLUSH – Vazum (15)
  13. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (16)
  14. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (17)
  15. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (18)
  16. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (19)
  17. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (20)
  18. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (12)
  19. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (21)
  20. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (22)
  21. ALIVE! – Bakar (11)
  22. TIME – MISSIO (29)
  23. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (23)
  24. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (24)
  25. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (25)
  26. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (13)
  27. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (28)
  28. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (30)
  29. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (14)
  30. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (N)

Top 30 Songs for March 10-16, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments
Photo taken from The Black Keys Facebook page

The Black Keys maintain their firm grip on the top spot for a third week with “Beautiful People (Stay High)”, while Cage the Elephant‘s “Neon Pill” holds at #2 for a second week. “Winter Cowboy” by Frank Joshua, “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs, “The Tower” by Future Islands, and “Mother Nature” by MGMT all advance one spot to #s 3, 4, 5 and 6. The biggest upward mover again this week is “Dilemma” by Green Day, leaping nine spots to #10.

Two songs make their debut this week. Entering at #29 is the deeply captivating “Time” by one of my favorite acts MISSIO. The song will be included on their monumental fifth album I AM CINCO, scheduled for release on May 3rd. And entering at #30 is “Dark Matter”, by legendary alternative grunge rock band Pearl Jam. The blistering song is the lead and title single from their forthcoming twelfth studio album Dark Matter, due for release April 19th.

  1. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
  2. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
  3. WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (4)
  4. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (5)
  5. THE TOWER – Future Islands (6)
  6. MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (7)
  7. NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (3)
  8. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (10)
  9. BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (9)
  10. DILEMMA – Green Day (19)
  11. ALIVE! – Bakar (8)
  12. NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (12)
  13. YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (13)
  14. NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (14)
  15. BLUSH – Vazum (15)
  16. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (16)
  17. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (17)
  18. BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (20)
  19. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (21)
  20. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (22)
  21. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (23)
  22. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (24)
  23. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (27)
  24. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (28)
  25. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (29)
  26. LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (11)
  27. MEANT TO BE – Wilco (18)
  28. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (30)
  29. TIME – MISSIO (N)
  30. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (N)