Tag: Sum 41

Top 30 Songs for January 12-18, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

After spending two weeks at #2, “The Faithful Heart” by Australian-born and now L.A.-based singer-songwriter Wons Phreely, backed by his band The Horses, ascends to the #1 spot on my latest Top 30 chart. I loved it at first listen, as well as the charming video they made for the song, and wrote about it in late November, which you can read here. But to summarize, Wons wrote the lyrics for “The Faithful Heart”, with the beautiful music written by singer-songwriter and musician David Skeet (who’s one half of the music duo Winter Swim and also produced and mixed the track). He said he was inspired to write it after thinking of a childhood friend he’d grown up with in Australia who, like himself, had moved on to a bigger city in search of greater opportunities and figuring out how to make their way through life. I love that sweet little piano riff at the beginning, those glorious chiming and jangly guitars, and Wons’ earnest vocals that rise to an endearing falsetto, backed by lovely harmonic choruses. I can listen to this song on endless repeat.

As for the wonderful video they made for the song, Wons drew inspiration from some of the quirky and popular one-shot videos by American alternative pop-rock band OK Go, and challenged himself to dance on film. With the help of choreographer friends, Wons and his band spent months coming up with inventive dance steps for a non-dancer like himself, with two of the guys guiding him through an entertaining routine as if he were a human-sized marionette. Once they mastered the choreography, they turned their attention to finding the right location to shoot the video, which in Los Angeles is always a challenge, especially when you’re on a tight budget. They settled on a laundromat, where they managed to film the sequence in one shot. 

In other notable chart developments, “Neverender” by French electronic music duo Justice and Australian band Tame Impala, “A Tear in Space (Airlock)” by English alternative pop-rock band Glass Animals and “Bobby Sox” by legendary punk-pop rock band Green Day, each move up two spots to #s 3, 4 and 5. “Gild the Lily” by Michigan-based singer-songwriter and bluegrass musician Billy Strings advances three spots to enter the top 10 at #10, while “So Cold” by New Zealand alt-pop duo Balu Brigada jumps six spots to #16, making it the biggest upward mover this week.

The lone debut, entering at #30, is “Bad Dreams” by Georgia-based Teddy Swims (born Jaten Collin Dimsdale). The song is the first single from his forthcoming second album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2), due for release on January 28th. “Bad Dreams” is Swims’ third song to appear on my chart; “Lose Control” went to #1 in February of last year, while “The Door” spent two weeks at #4 in November.

  1. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (2)
  2. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (1)
  3. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (5)
  4. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (6)
  5. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (7)
  6. ARROW – The Head and the Heart (8)
  7. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (9)
  8. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (3)
  9. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (4)
  10. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (13)
  11. GIVING UP – Michigander (12)
  12. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (10)
  13. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (11)
  14. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (16)
  15. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (17)
  16. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (22)
  17. DARKERSIDE – David Kushner (20)
  18. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (21)
  19. DETROIT – Badflower (23)
  20. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (24)
  21. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (14)
  22. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (15)
  23. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (25)
  24. AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten (28)
  25. SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (29)
  26. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (30)
  27. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (18)
  28. DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (19)
  29. PEACE SONG – Fat Dog (26)
  30. BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 5-11, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

We’re now into the first full week of 2025, and last week’s top four songs remain in place, with Dexter and The Moonrocks‘ boisterous “Sad In Carolina” holding on to the top spot for a second week. The song is now in its fifth week at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, making it their most successful single yet. “The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses, “A Fragile Thing” by The Cure and “Hardcore Romance” by Beach Weather remain at #s 2, 3 and 4. Entering the top 10 are “Arrow” by The Head and the Heart, finally breaking loose and jumping seven spots to #8 (the song has spent the past three weeks at #1 on the Billboard AAA chart), and “In The Living Room” by Maggie Rogers, which advances five spots to #9.

Making their debut this week are the enchanting “She Wants To Go Dancing” by Los Angeles-based alternative roots rock band Mt. Joy, entering at #29. The single was released last October, but took a while to appear on my chart, unfortunately. It’s their sixth song to appear on my Top 30. The second debut, at #30, is “People Watching” by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender. Released in November, the song has a pleasing and fast-paced anthemic groove similar to his 2021 hit “Seventeen Going Under”, which went to #1 on my chart.

  1. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (1)
  2. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (2)
  3. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (3)
  4. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (4)
  5. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (7)
  6. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (8)
  7. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (10)
  8. ARROW – The Head and the Heart (15)
  9. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (14)
  10. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (5)
  11. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (6)
  12. GIVING UP – Michigander (16)
  13. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (20)
  14. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (9)
  15. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (11)
  16. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (18)
  17. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (19)
  18. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (12)
  19. DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (13)
  20. DARKERSIDE – David Kushner (22)
  21. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (23)
  22. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (27)
  23. DETROIT – Badflower (24)
  24. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (25)
  25. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (26)
  26. PEACE SONG – Fat Dog (21)
  27. SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (17)
  28. AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten (30)
  29. SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (N)
  30. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (N)

Top 30 Songs for Dec. 29, 2024 – Jan. 4, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments
Photo of Dexter and The Moonrocks from their Facebook account

It’s hard to believe we’re sailing into 2025, and I think it’s highly appropriate to paraphrase Bette Davis (as Margo Channing in the 1950 film classic All About Eve) here by saying “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy year!”

Hailing from Abilene, Texas, four-piece rock band Dexter and the Moonrocks is comprised of James Tuffs on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Ryan Anderson on lead guitar and backing vocals, Ty Anderson on bass, and Fox on drums and backing vocals. According to their website bio, they were formed when “a former fry cook, oil field operator, concrete surface decorator and kids’ baseball coach met up in a small town in West Texas and started playing country western music together (as one does in small town West Texas). But something didn’t feel right – so their roots in country began to cross-pollinate with the rock and grunge music they heard their parents playing at home. ‘Grunge and country are honestly so similar,’ says Fox. ‘Look at Johnny Cash’s cover of ‘Hurt’ by Nine Inch Nails. Both speak to the oppressed and the depressed – country with twang and grunge with a bite. A pair of boots can mean cowboy or combat. We are huge fans of artists like Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and Noah Kahan – and when you take that sound and plug it into amps with electric guitars, you get Dexter and the Moonrocks. We took a bet on ourselves, and it’s paying off immensely,’ he continues. ‘We believed we had something special, and if we could just get people to pay attention they’d fall in love, and we did just that.’ ‘It feels like a fever dream, and it’s definitely helped the health of my knees’, says Ty’s cousin guitarist Ryan Anderson, who never plans to decorate concrete again.”

Describing their sound as “sad cowboy music”, they released their debut single “Couch” (which has been streamed over 17 million times on Spotify alone) in late August 2021, followed by their self-titled EP that November. The rousing ear worm “Sad in Carolina”, one of six songs featured on their latest EP Western Space Grunge, released on Nashville-based label Severance Records this past July, is my new #1 song in a week that straddles the new year. Judging from their prodigious social media posts, the guys appear to have a wicked sense of humor. And on their Spotify account, they wryly state “Our entire lives we dreamed of being pool cleaners, but we guess this will work.” I’m confident it most definitely will!

In other chart developements of note, the endearing “The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses – which I love with all my heart – moves up two spots to second place, while “Bobby Sox” by Green Day advances two spots to enter the top 10 at #10. Debuting this week are two songs, the first of which, entering at #27, is the delicious “So Cold” by New Zealand alt-pop duo Balu Brigada, the music project of multi-instrumentalist writer/producer brothers, Henry and Pierre Beasley. The song was released last June, but I only learned about it – and them – a few months ago when it appeared on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. I honestly liked it when I first heard it, but inexplicably, it’s taken until now for me to add it on my chart. I now love it, along with many of their songs. Balu Brigada opened for twenty one pilots on the North American leg of their Clancy World Tour, which ran from mid-August to mid-October.

The second debut, coming in at #30, is the enchanting “Afterlife” by Sharon Van Etten, along with her backing band The Attachment Theory (consisting of percussionist Jorge Balbi, bassist Devra Hoff, and multi-instrumentalist Teeny Lieberson). The song is the lead single from her forthcoming seventh studio album Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, due for release February 7, 2025. I love Van Etten’s voice, and it’s her fourth song to appear on my chart, the previous three being “Seventeen” in 2019, “Like I Used To” (with Angel Olsen) in 2021 and “Mistakes” in 2022.

  1. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (2)
  2. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (4)
  3. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (1)
  4. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (3)
  5. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (5)
  6. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (6)
  7. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (8)
  8. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (10)
  9. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (7)
  10. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (12)
  11. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (9)
  12. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (13)
  13. DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (14)
  14. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (15)
  15. ARROW – The Head and the Heart (16)
  16. GIVING UP – Michigander (17)
  17. SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (11)
  18. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (20)
  19. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (21)
  20. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (22)
  21. PEACE SONG – Fat Dog (24)
  22. DARKERSIDE – David Kushner (25)
  23. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (26)
  24. DETROIT – Badflower (28)
  25. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (29)
  26. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (30)
  27. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (N)
  28. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (18)
  29. KINKY – bby (19)
  30. AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 22-28, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments
Photo of the Cure in concert by Thorsten Samesch

We’ve reached the last full week of 2024, and the Cure‘s “A Fragile Thing” remains at #1 on my Top 30 for a second week. Dexter and The Moonrocks also hold at #2 for a second week with “Sad in Carolina, while Beach Weather moves into third place with “Hardcore Romance”. “The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses climbs four spots to #4, while “Favourite” by Fontaines D.C. moves down two to #5. “A Tear in Space (Airlock)” by Glass Animals moves up three spots to enter the top 10 at #10.

Three songs make their debut this week, beginning with “Detroit” by Los Angeles-based alternative hard rock band Badflower. Released this past summer, the song took a while to fully grow on me, which is weird since it’s a really good, high-energy anthem. It’s their second song to appear on my chart, the first being their 2018 masterpiece “Ghost”, which peaked at #2 and ranks #21 on my 100 Best Songs of 2018 list. Formed in 2015, the band is still comprised of the four original founding members singer/guitarist Josh Katz, lead guitarist Joey Morrow, bassist Alex Espiritu and drummer Anthony Sonetti.

Entering at #29 is another song that’s been out awhile, “Sailor Song” by American singer-songwriter Gigi Perez. (Coincidentally, it was released on July 26, the same day as Badflower’s “Detroit”.) She’s been putting out music since 2021, but “Sailor Song” is her first song to chart after going viral on TikTok a few months ago. It’s reached #1 in the UK, Ireland and Latvia, and the top five in New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the Billboard Hot Rock and Alternative Songs chart. Thus far, it’s reached #22 on the Hot 100. The infectious and endearing song is a love ballad about falling for a woman who looks like the actress Anne Hathaway.

The third debut is “Day & Night”, by London-based singer-songwriter Oli Barton. A supremely talented artist, Barton’s made numerous appearances on my Top 30, most recently this past fall with his previous single “You Just Played My Mind”, which spent 15 weeks on my chart. I’ve loved every single one of his releases, and the ebullient “Day & Night” is no exception!

  1. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (1)
  2. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (2)
  3. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (4)
  4. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (8)
  5. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (3)
  6. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (5)
  7. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (6)
  8. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (9)
  9. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (7)
  10. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (13)
  11. SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (11)
  12. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (12)
  13. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (16)
  14. DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (17)
  15. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (18)
  16. ARROW – The Head and the Heart (19)
  17. GIVING UP – Michigander (20)
  18. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (10)
  19. KINKY – bby (14)
  20. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (22)
  21. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (23)
  22. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (24)
  23. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (15)
  24. PEACE SONG – Fat Dog (26)
  25. DARKERSIDE – David Kushner (29)
  26. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (30)
  27. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (21)
  28. DETROIT – Badflower (N)
  29. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (N)
  30. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 15-21, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

For more than 40 years, English alternative goth rock band The Cure have masterfully captured both the joyous highs and painful depths of love, loss and existential angst in their music, and their latest single “A Fragile Thing” is a shining example of that, as well as a strong testament to their enduring creativity and relevance. Released on October 9, the song was the second single (after the epic “Alone”) from their 14th studio album Songs of a Lost World, their first new material in 16 years since the release of 4:13 Dream in 2008. Entirely written, composed, and arranged by The Cure front man Robert Smith, the album was originally recorded and intended for release in 2019, and is the band’s first album to feature Reeves Gabrels, who joined as a full-time member in 2012, on guitar. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Songs of a Lost World has received universal acclaim, based on a weighted average score of 93 out of 100 from 23 critic scores.

Like all songs on the album, “A Fragile Thing” reflects the darker sentiments Smith was feeling after the loss of his mother, father and brother in quick succession. Nevertheless, he tried to keep the album “universal” in its themes, stating “So even though most of the songs are very personal, they’re not things that only happen to me.” In an October YouTube interview, he stated that he had struggled to write “A Fragile Thing”, saying it was originally a very different song titled “Kill The Sun”, but that it “mutated into this song, which is very specific to me, I suppose. “But I’m hoping that it resonates with other people because love is a universal thing.” He further explained that “A Fragile Thing” is “the ‘love song’ of the album, but not really a love song in the way that [1989’s] ‘Lovesong’ is a love song. It’s about how love is the most enduring of emotions. It’s the most powerful emotion, and it’s incredibly resilient. And yet at the same time, incredibly fragile.” The hauntingly beautiful song becomes the latest to top my Weekly Top 30 chart.

In other chart developments of note, “Sad in Carolina” by Dexter and The Moonrocks advances two spots to #2. Entering the top 10 are “The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses, which climbs four spots to #8, and “Neverender” by French electronic music duo Justice and Australian band Tame Impala, moving up two spots to #9.

Two songs make their debut, the first of which, entering at #29, is “Darkerside” by American singer-songwriter David Kushner. Born in Chicago and now based in Los Angeles, the baritone-voiced artist began releasing singles in 2021, and the following year, his song “Mr. Miserable” went viral on TikTok. Though it didn’t chart in the U.S., it reached the top 40 in several European countries, Australia and New Zealand. His 2023 single “Daylight” also went viral on TikTok, becoming an even bigger hit, reaching #1 in the Netherlands, Switzerland and New Zealand and peaking at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been streamed over 1.3 billion times on Spotify alone. The anthemic “Darkerside”, along with “Daylight”, Mr. Miserable”, and his previous singles, are featured on his debut album The Dichotomy, which was released August 30th. The song has already spent 10 weeks on the Alternative Airplay chart, the past three at #23.

Entering at #30 is “You’re My Drug”, the latest single by Northern Virginia-based Talk in Waves, the music project of the very talented and affable singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos. He’s been a long-time favorite of mine, and “You’re My Drug” is his eighth song to appear on my Top 30 chart. Five of them have gone all the way to #1, most recently his previous single “Like You Do” this past September. “You’re My Drug” is a sexy rocker, featuring an edgier, harder-driving sound for him, and I like it!

  1. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (2)
  2. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (4)
  3. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  4. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (5)
  5. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (3)
  6. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (7)
  7. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (6)
  8. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (12)
  9. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (11)
  10. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (9)
  11. SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (13)
  12. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (14)
  13. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (16)
  14. KINKY – bby (15)
  15. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (8)
  16. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (18)
  17. DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (19)
  18. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (20)
  19. ARROW – The Head and the Heart (21)
  20. GIVING UP – Michigander (22)
  21. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (10)
  22. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (24)
  23. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (26)
  24. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (29)
  25. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (17)
  26. PEACE SONG – Fat Dog (30)
  27. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (25)
  28. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (23)
  29. DARKERSIDE – David Kushner (N)
  30. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 8-14, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
Photo by Theo Cottle

Fontaines D.C. remain on top for a third week with their heartwarming “Favourite”, while The Cure switches places with Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars as “A Fragile Thing” moves up a notch to #2 and “Die With A Smile” drops to #3. Dexter and The Moonrocks jump five spots to #4 with their bombastic earworm “Sad in Carolina”, while Beach Weather move up two spots with their sultry “Hardcore Romance” to round out the top five. The wonderful “The Faithful Heart” by Los Angeles-based Wons Phreely + The Horses is this week’s biggest upward mover, leaping 16 spots to #12.

Making their debut are songs by two acts who are totally new to me. The first, entering at #29, is “Gild the Lily” by Michigan-based singer-songwriter and bluegrass musician Billy Strings. Born William Lee Apostol, he was given his stage name Billy Strings from his aunt, who recognized his impressive skills playing multiple traditional bluegrass instruments. He’s been releasing music as a solo artist since 2017, and has won numerous music awards, including a Grammy in 2021 for Best Bluegrass Album for his second album Home. The pleasing “Gild the Lily” is from his fourth album Highway Prayers, a 20-track colossus released this past September.

Entering at #30 is the boisterous “Peace Song” by English techno punk band Fat Dog. Formed in South London in 2020, the band consists of Joe Love, Chris Hughes, Morgan Wallace, Jacqui Wheeler and Johnny ‘Doghead’ Hutch. They released their debut seven-minute long single “King of the Slugs” in 2023, followed by a number of singles which culminated in the release of their debut album WOOF. this past September. Their latest single “Peace Song” dropped November 21st, and it was love at first listen for me.

  1. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  2. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (3)
  3. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (2)
  4. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (9)
  5. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (7)
  6. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (6)
  7. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (8)
  8. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (4)
  9. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (10)
  10. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (5)
  11. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (12)
  12. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (28)
  13. SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (15)
  14. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (16)
  15. KINKY – bby (17)
  16. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (18)
  17. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (11)
  18. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (21)
  19. DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (22)
  20. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (23)
  21. ARROW – The Head and the Heart (24)
  22. GIVING UP – Michigander (25)
  23. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (13)
  24. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (26)
  25. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (14)
  26. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (30)
  27. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (19)
  28. THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (20)
  29. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (N)
  30. PEACE SONG – Fat Dog (N)

Top 30 Songs for December 1-7, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

As its title would suggest, my favorite song again this week is “Favourite” by Irish band Fontaines D.C., who’ve also become one of my favorite bands. And from posts I’ve read, on the strength of their latest album Romance, they’ve become the favorite of many others as well. In an interview with Fontaines D.C. front man Grian Chatten in September on his Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music, Elton John told Chatten “For me, you’re the best band out there at the moment. You seem to have found your feet with this album in such a big way… it’s a brilliant record. I think this album takes you – and I’ve been around for a long time – to a different level, and it’s going to stay around for a long, long time. But what’s more important about it: the music is really, really, really special. Congratulations on everything, Grian. It’s bloody wonderful.” I couldn’t agree more. “Favourite” is the second song from Romance – and Fontaines D.C. – to top my Weekly Top 30, following “Starburster”, which spent three weeks at #1 this past August.

In other noteworthy chart developments, the wonderful duet “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars climbs two spots to #2, while “A Fragile Thing” by legendary alternative goth-rock band The Cure jumps three spots to #3. Entering the top 10 are “Sad In Carolina” by Texas rock band Dexter and The Moonrocks and “Bothering Me” by Australian singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko.

Two songs make their debut, the first of which is the heartwarming “The Faithful Heart” by Australian-born and Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Wons Phreely and his band The Horses, entering at #28. I wrote about the song and its delightful video a few days ago, which you can read here. The second, entering at #30, is “Routines In The Night” by twenty one pilots. It’s the third song from their latest album Clancy to appear on my chart, following “Overcompensate”, which reached #2, and “The Craving”, which spent three weeks at #1.

  1. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  2. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars (4)
  3. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (6)
  4. PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (2)
  5. THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (3)
  6. CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (7)
  7. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (8)
  8. NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (9)
  9. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (12)
  10. BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (11)
  11. BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (5)
  12. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (14)
  13. GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (10)
  14. UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (13)
  15. SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (17)
  16. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (18)
  17. KINKY – bby (19)
  18. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (20)
  19. THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (14)
  20. THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (18)
  21. MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (23)
  22. DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (24)
  23. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (26)
  24. ARROW – The Head and the Heart (28)
  25. GIVING UP – Michigander (29)
  26. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (30)
  27. DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (21)
  28. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (N)
  29. GOOD LUCK, BABE! – Chappell Roan (27)
  30. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (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)