Tag: Talk in waves

My Top 30 Songs for July 20-26, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments
Photo of Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell by Shervin Lainez for Flood Magazine

We have a new #1 song this week, as well as four new debuts. Over the past year, I’ve become a fan of Australian act Royel Otis on the strength of their infectious guitar-pop sound and charming, laid-back persona. Formed in 2019 by Royel Maddell (who rarely shows his face) and Otis Pavlovic, the Sydney-based duo draw from elements of indie pop, indie rock, new wave, pop rock, post-punk and psychedelic rock in the creation of their music. They released two EPs in 2021 and 2022 to little notice until the song “Oysters in My Pocket”, from the second EP Bar n Grill, gained traction in late 2022. Their third EP Sofa Kings, released in 2023, proved more successful, with the breakthrough title track marking their first appearance on American charts and eventually peaking at #12 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. In late January 2024, they released their electrifying cover of “Murder on the Dancefloor”, the 2001 disco pop hit by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor which they performed on the Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version program. The song went viral and reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative chart, as well as my own Top 30 chart. I couldn’t get enough of it, and it ended up ranking #4 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. The guys quickly followed with their debut album Pratts & Pain in February 2024, which debuted at #1 on the Australian Albums Chart, and went on to win four awards at the 2024 ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Music Awards. They also released a wonderful cover of The Cranberries’ classic “Linger”.

Their charming single “moody“, released on May 9th, is a love song of sorts, detailing a problematic relationship with a woman who drives the singer crazy in both good ways and bad. She’s jealous, bitchy and cranky, yet he’s hopelessly in love with her: “She’s always givin’ it to me. Late nights, she always accusin’. Last time, she said she would kill me. My girl’s a bitch when she’s moody. But she’s my everything. She’s all that I need.” I love the song’s languid laid back groove, highlighted by Royel’s terrific guitar noodling and Otis’ sweet vocals, and it ascends to #1 on my latest chart.

The joyoustly upbeat “Feels Right” by northern Virginia artist Talk in Waves, who’s no stranger to my charts, enters the top 10 at #10. And as I noted above, four songs make their debut this week, three of which are spelled in all lower case letters. Entering at #27 is “jupiter” by San Diego-based indie pop band almost monday, comprised of Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Cole Clisby (guitar), and Luke Fabry (bass), and featuring L.A.-based indie pop singer-songwriter Jordana. The song was originally included on their 2014 album DIVE as a recording by only the band, but a new version with Jordana singing backing vocals was released in January on a deluxe version of DIVE. It’s the third song by almost monday to appear on my chart, following 2020’s “broken people” and last year’s smash hit “can’t slow down”.

The second debut, coming in at #28, is the relentessly catchy “undressed” by sombr, whose single “back to friends” just spent three weeks at #1 and now sits at #2. The song continues the theme exploring the challenges of moving on from a failed relationship that was first introduced in “back to friends”. Next up is “Backseat” by New Zealand-born and now New York City-based duo Balu Brigada, comprised of multi-instrumentalist brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley, whose single “So Cold” spent three weeks at #1 on my chart in March. Though a long one, running nearly six and a half minutes, “Backseat” is a compelling, melodically complex song that’s sure to be another hit for the talented brothers.

Last but certainly not least is the delightful “polyester (yes sir)” by L.A. indie pop-rock band Sorry Ghost, which I featured in a recent Fresh New Tracks post. As I noted in that post, the charismatic band – comprised of Dan Anton (vocals), Matt Polito (guitar and vocals), Tate Silver (drums) and Sean Duong (guitar and vocals) – have a cheeky sense of humor and frequently delight their fans and followers with hilarious and endearing video reels of themselves on Instagram and TikTok. I love the song’s mellow vibe that sits in a sweet spot between sunny and melancholy, as well as the colorful blend of jangly and chiming guitars accompanied by pleasing harmonies.

  1. MOODY – Royel Otis (2)
  2. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (1)
  3. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (4)
  4. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (8)
  5. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (5)
  6. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (3)
  7. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (6)
  8. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (9)
  9. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (10)
  10. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (11)
  11. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (12)
  12. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (13)
  13. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (7)
  14. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (18)
  15. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (17)
  16. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (19)
  17. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (20)
  18. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (21)
  19. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (22)
  20. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (23)
  21. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (24)
  22. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (14)
  23. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (15)
  24. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (16)
  25. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (26)
  26. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (30)
  27. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (N)
  28. UNDRESSED – sombr (N)
  29. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (N)
  30. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (N)

I feel guilty including a Spotify playlist anymore, but here it is in case anyone cares to check out any of the songs:

Top 30 Songs for July 13-19, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's3 Comments

20-year-old artist sombr has a firm grip on the top spot as his song “back to friends” spends a third week at #1, while Australian duo Royel Otis move up two spots to #2 with “moody” (I find it fascinating that a lot of acts today use all lowercase letters for their names and song titles). Twenty One Pilots (who for many years also spelled their name in all lowercase) advance five spots to enter the top 10 at #8 with “The Contract”, followed by Dexter and The Moonrocks‘ “Ritalin” and Matt Berninger‘s “Bonnet of Pins”, coming in at #s 9 and 10, respectively. The Black Keys are this week’s biggest upward mover with “No Rain, No Flowers”, jumping eight spots to #18.

The lone new debut this week is “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” by ROLE MODEL, the music project of American singer-songwriter Tucker Harrington Pillsbury. Born in Maine and now based in Los Angeles, he began his music career in 2016, rapping under his first name Tucker, but soon changed his stage name to Dillis, under which he released an album Moth. In early 2017, he again changed his name, this time to ROLE MODEL, and switched from rapping to singing. He released his debut EP Arizona in the Summer that December, which earned him a following online and captured the attention of the late rapper Mac Miller, who invited him to Los Angeles to work with him on a music project. ROLE MODEL was subsequently signed to Interscope in 2018, and continued releasing singles and two more EPs, culminating in the release of his debut album Rx, though none of them charted.

In July 2024 he released his sophomore album Kansas Anymore, featuring a more country folk sound. He followed this past February with a deluxe edition of the album, Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), accompanied by the sweet single “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”. Like many songs these days, it became popular on TikTok, undoubtedly helped by Tucker’s good looks and charming persona, and is his first song to chart in the U.S. and several countries, including Canada, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Israel.

  1. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (1)
  2. MOODY – Royel Otis (4)
  3. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (2)
  4. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (3)
  5. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (6)
  6. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (7)
  7. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (5)
  8. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (13)
  9. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (11)
  10. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (12)
  11. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (15)
  12. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (14)
  13. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (16)
  14. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (8)
  15. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (9)
  16. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (10)
  17. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (19)
  18. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (26)
  19. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (22)
  20. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (23)
  21. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (24)
  22. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (25)
  23. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (28)
  24. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (29)
  25. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (17) 19th week on chart
  26. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (30)
  27. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (18)
  28. WALLS – Frank Joshua (20) 21st week on chart
  29. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (21)
  30. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 6-12, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments
Photo of sombr from his Facebook account

The cinematic anthem “back to friends” by sombr holds onto the top spot for a second week, while Lord Huron‘s “Nothing I Need” remains at #2 again after spending two weeks at #1. Irish pop rock band Somebody’s Child moves up a spot to #3 with their beautiful “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)” and Australian duo Royel Otis slide into fourth place with “moody”.

There are three new debuts this week, starting with “The Contract” by my favorite music act Twenty One Pilots, comprised of the dynamic duo Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, entering my chart at lucky #13. The lead single from their forthcoming eighth studio album Breach, to be released September 5th, “The Contract” starts the final act of the narrative begun on their 2015 album Blurryface and continued through Trench, Scaled And Icy, and last year’s Clancy.

Entering at #29 is “Bloom Baby Bloom” by English alt-rock band Wolf Alice, consisting of Ellie Rowsell on lead vocals, Joff Oddie on guitar, Theo Ellis on bass and Joel Amey on drums. The song is the lead single from their fourth studio album The Clearing, to be released August 29th. And coming in at #30 is “Asshole” by Denver, Colorado-based alternative folk rock band The Lumineers, now a duo consisting of Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Also dubbed “First We Ever Met” to mollify radio censors and self-righteous Puritans, “Asshole” is from their fifth and latest studio album Automatic, which dropped February 14th.

  1. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (1)
  2. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (2)
  3. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (4)
  4. MOODY – Royel Otis (6)
  5. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (3)
  6. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (9)
  7. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (10)
  8. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (5)
  9. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (7)
  10. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (8)
  11. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (15)
  12. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (16)
  13. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (N)
  14. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (18)
  15. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (19)
  16. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (20)
  17. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (11)
  18. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (12)
  19. RIPPLE – Neighbours (23)
  20. WALLS – Frank Joshua (13) 20th week on chart
  21. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (14)
  22. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (24)
  23. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (25)
  24. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (26)
  25. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (28)
  26. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (29)
  27. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (17)
  28. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (30)
  29. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (N)
  30. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 29-July 5, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments
Photo of sombr from his Facebook account

‘With its sweeping cinematic ‘wall of sound’ arrangement and lush orchestration, the beautiful anthem “back to friends” by alternative pop-rock artist sombr is exactly the kind of song I love, so it was only a matter of time before it reached the pinnacle of my top 30 chart. The music project of talented and charismatic young singer-songwriter Shane Michael Boose – who will turn 20 on July 5th – sombr was born and raised in New York City but now based in Los Angeles. The gorgeous song was released in late December but as so often happens these days, it went viral on TikTok this past Spring along with his other single “Undressed”, and began appearing on multiple charts around the world, including the Billboard Hot 100 and other American charts. Currently enjoying a long stay at #1 on the Alternative Airplay chart, “back to friends” surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify in April and has now garnered more than 381 million streams.’

The straightforward, relatable lyrics describe feelings of heartbreak resulting from learning someone you thought you had a strong romantic and emotional connection with turns out to not share the same feelings, something I’m confident nearly all of us experienced at one time or another during our late adolescence or early adulthood. “How can we go back to being friends when we just shared a bed? How can you look at me and pretend I’m someone you’ve never met? The devil in your eyes won’t deny the lies you’ve sold, I’m holding on too tight. While you let go, this is casual.”

In other chart news of note, “Moody” by Australian duo Royel Otis is the biggest upward mover again this week, jumping nine spots to enter the top 10 at #6. Also entering the top 10 are “Basic Being Basic” by Djo, the music project of American actor and musician Joseph David Keery, who starred in the Netflix hit series Stranger Things, the comedy film Free Guy and season five of Fargo, and “Catch These Fists” by English indie rock band Wet Leg.

Two songs make their debut this week, the first of which is “No Rain, No Flowers” by Nashville-based blues rock duo The Black Keys, who are certainly no strangers to my chart. The marvelous ear worm is the title track and third single (after “The Night Before”, which recently peaked at #2, and “Babygirl”) from their forthcoming 13th studio album No Rain, No Flowers, scheduled for release on August 8th. Entering at #30 is “London Town” by English alternative indie rock band HEALER, a great song I recently reviewed. It’s their third song to appear on my chart, after “Bones” in 2023 and “War” in 2024.

  1. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (2)
  2. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (1)
  3. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (4)
  4. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (5)
  5. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (3)
  6. MOODY – Royel Otis (15)
  7. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (7)
  8. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (10)
  9. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (11)
  10. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (13)
  11. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (6)
  12. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (12)
  13. WALLS – Frank Joshua (8)
  14. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (9)
  15. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (17)
  16. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (19)
  17. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (18)
  18. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (21)
  19. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (22)
  20. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (23)
  21. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (14)
  22. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (16)
  23. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (26)
  24. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (27)
  25. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (28)
  26. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (29)
  27. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (20)
  28. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (30)
  29. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (N)
  30. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 22-28, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's2 Comments

Lord Huron‘s achingly beautiful “Nothing I Need” remains at #1 for a second week, while sombr‘s cinematic “back to friends” closes in at #2. Jack White advances four spots to #4 with his boisterous satirical takedown of televangelist hucksters “Archbishop Harold Holmes”, and Irish indie rock band Somebody’s Child jump five spots to #5 with “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)”. Ohio indie folk band Caamp enter the top 10 with their gentle song of positivity “Let Things Go”. The biggest upward mover this week is “Moody” by Australian duo Royel Otis, leaping 10 spots to #15.

We have three wonderful new debuts this week, starting with “Relationships” by Los Angeles-based pop-rock trio HAIM, comprised of sisters Este (bass guitar and vocals), Danielle (lead vocals, guitar, and drums), and Alana Haim (guitars, keyboards, and vocals). The lead single from their fourth album I Quit, which dropped this past Friday, June 20th, the song has a languid yet edgy hip hop vibe with the ladies’ marvelous signature harmonies, and I love it. It’s the sisters’ first song to appear on my chart.

Entering at #29 is the darkly beautiful and musically complex “Emergence” by English rock band Sleep Token, whose music is an electrifying blend of alternative, metal, progressive, R&B, hip hop and djent. Though they formed in 2016 and have released four albums, they’re new to me. In addition to their dynamic music, they’re also know for remaining physically anonymous by wearing masks. “Emergence” is the lead single from their fourth album Even in Arcadia, which was released in May, and their first to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at #57. The song is currently #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #17 on the Alternative Airplay chart.

Last but certainly not least is the haunting “Love Is A Fire” by the remarkably talented and prolific London-based artist Art Block, which I reviewed upon its release four weeks ago. A favorite artist of mine who I’ve featured many times on this blog, it’s his second song to appear on my chart, the previous being “White Horses”, which went all the way to #1 in December 2022.

  1. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (1)
  2. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (3)
  3. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (2)
  4. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (8)
  5. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (10)
  6. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (4)
  7. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (9)
  8. WALLS – Frank Joshua (5)
  9. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (6)
  10. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (11)
  11. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (13)
  12. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (14)
  13. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (15)
  14. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (7)
  15. MOODY – Royel Otis (25)
  16. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (12)
  17. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (19)
  18. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (20)
  19. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (21)
  20. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (18)
  21. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (22)
  22. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (23)
  23. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (24)
  24. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (16)
  25. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (17)
  26. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (29)
  27. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (30)
  28. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (N)
  29. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (N)
  30. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 15-21, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments
Photo of Lord Huron by Christian Waite

Another favorite music act of mine is American folk rock band Lord Huron. Originally formed as a solo act by singer-songwriter and guitarist Ben Schneider in 2010 after he relocated from Michigan to Los Angeles (his name was inspired by the Great Lake he grew up near), Lord Huron eventually became a four-piece that now includes Miguel Briseño on bass, keyboards & theremin, Tom Renaud on guitar, and Mark Barry on drums & percussion. Their uniquely beautiful music is a glorious mash-up of folk, western, rock and roll, pop, surf rock and new age, and has been described by music writers as evoking the ‘high-lonesome’ sound of such legendary acts as The Band and Neil Young, as well as newer acts like Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket (whose song “Time Waited” has spent the past three months on my chart, peaking at #1). The most striking features of their sound are the lush twangy and shimmery guitars, backed by stirring orchestral strings, and lead singer Ben Schneider’s beautiful warm vocals, which often convey an arresting and heartfelt vulnerability.

They’ve released four outstanding albums – Lonesome Dreams in 2012, Strange Trails in 2015, Vide Noir in 2018 and the gorgeous Long Lost in 2021, which is one of my favorite albums of the last 10 years. Their beautiful ballad “The Night We Met”, from Strange Trails, was their breakout hit and, shockingly, their only song to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at only #84. Nevertheless, it’s been streamed more than three billion times on Spotify. In January they released “Who Laughs Last?”, a hard-charging rock song featuring spoken word verses from actress Kristen Stewart, which they followed in late March with “Nothing I Need”. Those tracks, along with their latest single “Looking Back”, will be included on their forthcoming fifth album The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, scheduled for release on July 18th.

“Nothing I Need” is gorgeous, featuring the band’s signature rich and colorful guitar work and Schneider’s marvelous vocals. It takes over the #1 spot on my latest Top 30 chart, marking Lord Huron’s third song to reach #1, after “Not Dead Yet” and “Mine Forever”, both from Long Lost, and both of which ended up placing in the top 10 of my 100 Best Songs of 2021 list, with “Mine Forever” ranking #2.

The bittersweet lyrics tell of a man lamenting his lost youth and the love he squandered away through his endless traveling, possibly for his career that now brings him no pleasure: “I fell asleep and when I woke up, I was old. I said goodbye to my youth and my blood ran cold. I got a feeling I just had to get away. I left it all behind on an endless road, but I see her face everywhere I go. I got everything I want and I got nothing that I need.” Schneider, who wrote and sang the lyrics, stated “Nothing I Need” “wonders if it’s possible — within the short time you’ve got — to ever truly know what you want, if it’s worthwhile wanting anything at all, and if there’s any point in pondering what’s down the roads you didn’t take.“

In other chart highlights, sombr‘s “back to friends” continues its strong upward movement, climbing three spots to #3. Three songs enter the top 10 after hovering in the low teens the past few weeks – “Archbishop Harold Holmes” by Jack White, “Barbarian” by L.A.-based alt-rock band AWOLNATION and “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)” by Irish indie pop-rock band Somebody’s Child – all advancing three spots to #s 8, 9 and 10, respectively.

There are two new debuts again this week, the first of which is the exuberant “Ripple” by English indie rock duo Good Neighbours. Based in London and comprised of Oli Fox and Scott Verrill, they released their debut single “Home” in January 2024, The song was successful, reaching #26 in the UK and #2 on the Billboard AAA chart. I was never wild about that song, but I do like “Ripple”, which I find more infectious and appealing. The second debut is the wonderful “Better Off Eventually” by British Columbia, Canada-based alt-rock band Bealby Point, which I featured in the same Fresh New Tracks post as last week’s debut entry “Moody” by Royel Otis. 

  1. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (3)
  2. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (1)
  3. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (6)
  4. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (4)
  5. WALLS – Frank Joshua (2)
  6. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (5)
  7. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (9)
  8. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (11)
  9. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (12)
  10. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (13)
  11. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (14)
  12. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (10)
  13. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (17)
  14. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (18)
  15. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (20)
  16. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (7)
  17. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (8)
  18. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (19)
  19. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (22)
  20. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (23)
  21. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (27)
  22. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (25)
  23. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (26)
  24. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (29)
  25. MOODY – Royel Otis (30)
  26. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (15)
  27. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (16)
  28. SO LONG – Wavves (21)
  29. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (N)
  30. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 8-14, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments
Photo of Fontaines D.C. by Masashi Yukimoto

I just love Fontaines D.C., who’ve become one of my favorite bands over the past couple of years. Formed in 2016 in Dublin, Ireland (the D.C. in their name stands for Dublin City, to differentiate them from another band named the Fontaines) but now based in London, England, they consist of the dangerously charismatic Grian Chatten (vocals), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), Tom Coll (drums) and Carlos O’Connell (guitar). Their latest single “It’s Amazing To Be Young” rises to #1 this week, making it their third song in a year to top my chart. Their song “Starburster” is my #1 song of 2024, with “Favourite” not far behind at #8.

Written and performed by all members of the band, and arranged, produced and mixed by James Ford, “It’s Amazing To Be Young” was inspired by the birth of band guitarist Carlos O’Connell’s first child. Bassist Conor Deegan III elaborated about the song for Genius: “It sounded more like a lullaby or a music box, but with the same lyric ‘it’s amazing to be young’. The feeling of hope a child can give is profound and moving, especially for young men like us. That sense of wanting to create a world for them to grow up in happily. It’s a feeling that fights against the cynicism that can often overtake us in the modern world. So we wanted to declare which side we were on – it really is amazing to be young. We are still free, and want to make that feeling spread. We want to protect it for the others around us, and maybe in doing that, can also help protect it for ourselves.

The video for this song was directed by one of our favourite collaborators Luna Carmoon. Luna has a very visual ear and found a way to bring out the world of our songs, somehow making the feelings more clear and more dreamlike at the same time. This video in particular has many special moments, but I think the way it unifies the different characters together is brilliant, because it embodies the message of not just the song but the album- youth is magical, and stories can become interwoven unexpectedly and feel like worlds colliding. That is youth, that is young love, and I think oftentimes that is romance.”

The video’s fairly long with a few breaks in the song, so here’s an audio video if you’d like to just hear the song itself:

Two songs blast their way into the top 10 this week: the bittersweet folk rock beauty “Nothing I Need” by Lord Huron (which is currently #1 on the Billboard AAA chart, with “It’s Amazing To Be Young at #2) jumps eight spots to #3, while sombr’s cinematic “back to friends” (which sits at #2 on the Alternative Airplay chart) leaps 10 spots to #6.

There are two new debuts again this week, the first of which is “What Was That” by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, who became famous in 2013 at the age of 16 for her monster worldwide hit “Royals”. It’s her first new music since her 2021 album Solar Power (though she did release a single of her cover of “Take Me to the River” that she contributed to the 2024 album Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense). The song is the lead single from her fourth album Virgin, set to be released on June 27, and it’s nice to have her back! The second debut, entering at #30, is the endearing “Moody” by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, which I featured in a recent Fresh New Tracks post. Their marvelous cover of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dance Floor” is my #4 song of 2024.

  1. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (2)
  2. WALLS – Frank Joshua (1)
  3. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (11)
  4. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (5)
  5. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (6)
  6. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (16)
  7. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (4)
  8. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (3)
  9. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (9)
  10. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (10)
  11. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (12)
  12. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (13)
  13. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (14)
  14. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (15)
  15. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (7)
  16. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (8)
  17. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (18)
  18. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (19)
  19. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (20)
  20. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (22)
  21. SO LONG – Wavves (21)
  22. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (24)
  23. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (25)
  24. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (17)
  25. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (28)
  26. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (29)
  27. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (30)
  28. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (23)
  29. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (N)
  30. MOODY – Royel Otis (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 1-7, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments

English singer-songwriter & producer Frank Joshua remains at #1 for a second week with his lush single “Walls”, while Fontaines D.C.‘s “It’s Amazing To Be Young” advances a spot to #2. Rounding out the top five are “Bad Larry” by Cloakroom, “Mortal Wound” by The Veils and “The Turnaround” by DelCobras (who just released their second single “Untied (She’s the One)” this past Friday), all moving up two spots. The biggest upward mover this week is the majestic “back to friends” by 19-year-old artist sombr, leaping eight spots to #16 (I find it interesting that some artists name themselves and/or their songs in all lower case).

I have two wonderful debut songs this week, the first of which is “Feels Right” by northern Virginia-based artist Talk in Waves (the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos). The exuberant pop-rock song is a joyous celebration of a budding romance, where everything’s coming together and just “feels right”. Jake has released an impressive amount of music since 2015, and I’ve featured him numerous times on this blog. I’ve loved all his songs, five of which have reached #1 on my Top 30 chart. One of them, “Like You Do”, topped my 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 list, and his previous single “You’re My Drug” reached #2 this past March.

The second debut, coming in at #30, is the marvelous “Bonnet Of Pins” by silky-voiced singer-songwriter Matt Berninger, who’s also frontman of alternative indie rock band The National. I love his warm baritone singing voice so much, he could literally sing the phone book and I’m certain it would sound captivating. The song is from his new album Get Sunk, his second release as a solo artist which dropped this past Friday, May 30th.

  1. WALLS – Frank Joshua (1)
  2. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (3)
  3. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (5)
  4. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (6)
  5. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (7)
  6. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (8)
  7. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (2)
  8. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (4)
  9. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (9)
  10. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (10)
  11. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (17)
  12. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (12)
  13. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (13)
  14. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (14)
  15. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (15)
  16. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (24)
  17. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (11)
  18. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (18)
  19. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (21)
  20. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (22)
  21. SO LONG – Wavves (23)
  22. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (25)
  23. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (16)
  24. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (26)
  25. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (27)
  26. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (18) 19th week on chart
  27. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (19)
  28. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (30)
  29. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (N)
  30. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (N)

Fresh New Tracks, Vol. 45 – The Obscuritans, Pilod, Snap Infraction, Talk in Waves

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

Time for another Fresh New Tracks post, and for the 45th installment of my ongoing series I’m featuring four terrific new songs by, in alphabetical order, Philadelphia-based indie rock act The Obscuritans, Belgian alt-rock band Pilod, Philadelphia-based rock band Snap Infraction, and Northern Virginia-based pop-rock artist Talk in Waves.

The Obscuritans – “False Prophecy”

The Obscuritans is a Philadelphia-based studio project formed earlier this year by Marc Schuster and Nick Cervini, with the aim of writing and recording music together, then inviting various artists to collaborate with them by contributing vocals, lyrics, or whatever else they have in mind. Marc is an insanely creative and multi-talented guy who’s not only an educator, author, literary critic, music blogger and visual artist, but also a prolific songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, recording both as a solo artist and as part of numerous music projects and collaborations with an ever-expanding roster of musicians. Nick is an accomplished musician who’s also drummer for Philadelphia indie rock band Sacred Monsters, and he and Marc are also members of power pop trio DelCobras (along with singer-songwriter Jim Lorino), whose song “The Turnaround” currently sits at #11 on my Top 30 chart.

In February, the Obscuritans released their debut single “Earholes”, a trippy, mostly instrumental tribute to David Lynch on which they collaborated with Jim Lorino. They followed in early April with “Break and Bend”, featuring vocals by Samantha Goodman of Philadelphia indie band Rescue Pets. Now they return with their third single “False Prophecy“, featuring lyrics and vocals by Canadian singer-songwriter, producer and blogger Neither Could Dylan (aka Jaimee Jakobczak, who also records music under her Death Cab for Cutie cover project Death Bus for Blondie, and Jimmy Eat World cover project Jaimee Eat World). Marc and Nick have created a mysterious and languid soundcape of bold guitar notes, otherworldly psychedelic synths and crisp percussion, a perfect backdrop for Jaime’s distinctive vocals, which have never sounded better. Her lyrics seems to speak of losing her sense of self in a futile attempt to maintain a romantic relationship: “While I wait for you, I break in two. Falling apart from all the things I thought I knew. But false prophecy, I sunk in so deep. Seems the cost of keeping you is losing me.”

Pilod – “Anticipate the Fall”

Hailing from Leuven, Belgium is alternative indie rock quartet Pilod. Since forming in 2013, the band has undergone a few changes in lineup and now consists of Frédéric Baervoets (guitar, vocals), Timo Jacobs (drums), Christophe Vandewoude (bass, backing vocals) and Wouter Voorspoels (guitar). Pilod released their debut album Sunny Forecast in 2013, followed by a single “Sunny” in early 2015, then their second album Black Swan in October 2016. After undergoing a long period of touring, lineup changes and the global COVID pandemic, they finally dropped a new single “The future looks bright” in June 2022, followed by two more singles in late 2024. On May 4th, they released their latest single “Anticipate the Fall“, accompanied by a charming video directed by Robbe Maes and filmed at Sint-Jozefsinstituut (a high school in Betekom), featuring Carlo Vranken and Gonzalo Vega as instructors putting the dorky, unathletic guys through some exercises.

The band says the song “explores themes of letting go, embracing change, and finding resilience amid turbulence and uncertainty.” I love the dynamic blend of Frédéric and Wouter’s reverb-soaked melodic and grungy guitars layered over a pulsating rhythm fueled by Christophe’s driving bass and Timo’s aggressive drums. Frédéric’s plaintive vocals express a heartfelt sense of assurance as he sings “Your head will kiss the cold, hard floor. Stop looking for a tight hold and think. All we have is now and the future calls, so why are you still living in the past? Future yourself. Read the cracks in the wall. The ground’s shifting, nothing stays, so learn to anticipate the fall. Life is changing forever.“

Snap Infraction – “Nothing Really Matters”

Also from Philadelphia is Snap Infraction, a three-piece musical powerhouse comprised of Steve Karsch (vocals, guitar & percussion), Dave Kerr (bass) and Tony Iannuzzi (drums). “Distilling decades of rock n roll history into a modern sonic journey“, they’ve been a band for over 15 years, releasing their first single “Try To See It My Way” in 2009. After a long hiatus, they released a five-track EP Chin Music in May 2017, then another three years would pass until their follow-up EP Stiff Arm, in May 2020. They were quite active in 2021, releasing several double singles throughout that year, followed by a very nice cover of the Beach Boys Christmas classic “Little Saint Nick” in December 2022, then their own original Christmas song “Christmas In The Islands” in December 2023. In March 2024 they released their single “Keeping Score“ (which I reviewed), followed two months later by their debut full-length album Eephus. In what’s become an annual tradition, they dropped another Christmas single “Christmas All Over Again”, a cover of the Tom Petty song on which Steve manages to channel Petty quite well.

Now they’re back with “Nothing Really Matters” a powerful and melodic song about someone who’s in denial about their mental illness and unwilling to take meaningful steps to get better, which also negatively affects their partner, all of which is beautifully expressed by Steve’s relatable lyrics: “Nothing really matters but you do it anyway. Taking better drugs to convince us you’re ok. Twisting all your stories cause the facts get in the way. Tossing out big words like you’re Ernest Hemingway. Late at night I start to worry that I’ll probably end up dying alone. With no one to say goodbye to and nothing left to call my own.” To my ears, the song has a strong ELO feel, particularly due to the marvelous interplay between those gorgeous guitar notes and piano keys, as well as the soaring vocal harmonies. I love it!

Talk in Waves – “Feels Right”

Talk in Waves (the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos and formerly known as The Frontier), is a longtime favorite of mine. Based in northern Virginia, he’s an enormously talented and gracious guy, and we’ve followed each other on social media for nearly a decade. Skillfully blending elements of indie rock, synth pop and folk, his music is incredibly melodic, flawlessly crafted and always catchy. He produces and records all aspects of his music in his home studio, and as with many singer-songwriters, Jake’s songs are often inspired by personal experiences, touching on topics like love, relationships and loss, and expressed through honest, relatable lyrics. He’s released an impressive amount of music since 2015, and I’ve featured him numerous times on this blog. I’ve loved all his songs, five of which have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 chart. His single “Like You Do” (which I reviewed) topped my 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 list, and his previous single “You’re My Drug” reached #2 this past March.

Now Talk in Waves returns with “Feels Right“, a joyous celebration of a budding romance, where everything’s coming together and just “feels right”. Featuring highly melodic gnarly guitars, colorful swirling synths and stomping drumbeats, the song is an exuberant pop ear worm. While not quite a dance song, it’s infectious grooves are guaranteed to have you swaying your hips and tapping your feet. Jake’s always pleasing vocals are filled with unbridled euphoria as he sings “Don’t need to wait for the right time, I think we’re already here. Now let’s go and take a fast ride. Leave everybody in the rearview mirror. Tell me don’t it feel right, what you’re feeling right now. It feels right to me.” It’s another superb release, maintaining Talk in Waves’ unbroken run of perfect singles.

Top 30 Songs for April 20-26, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments
Photo by Olivia Rodriguez

Brian Lambert is an affable, thoughtful and talented singer-songwriter from Denton, Texas who refers to himself as a “Friendly Neighborhood Rock and Roller”, and is also one of the most prolific musicians I know of. When Covid put a halt to playing live, he challenged himself to writing, recording and producing a new song every week for a year, an ambitious feat he went on to accomplish in 2021. Since then, he’s continued his prodigious output, writing and recording numerous songs both as a solo artist and in collaboration with a host of other musicians, including his frequent musical partner Marc Schuster (with whom he also has a side band called The Star Crumbles).

His lively, eclectic sound runs the gamut from rock’n’roll, indie folk and garage rock to grunge, punk and synthpop. In addition to a dizzying array of singles, he also released a terrific album Wild in September 2023 and EP Everything’s a Business in June 2024. I’ve featured him many times on this blog, most recently this past January when I reviewed his single “Take This Heart“. Inspired by the 90’s music of some of his favorite bands like Soul Asylum, the Goo Goo Dolls and Better Than Ezra, “Take This Heart” is a smoldering, foot-stomping garage rock banger of a love song. Brian wrote the music and lyrics, played all instruments and self-produced the track. I love it, and am pleased to finally place it at the top of my latest chart.

Entering the top 10 are “The Night Before” by The Black Keys, “Straight to the Ground” by Northern-Ireland rock act Unquiet Nights, and “Walls” by English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua, at #s 8, 9 & 10, respectively.

There are two new additions this week, the first of which is “Basic Being Basic” by Djo, the music project of American actor Joseph David Keery, known for his roles as Steve Harrington in the Netflix series Stranger Things and Gator Tillman in the fifth season of the crime drama series Fargo. The song is from his third album The Crux, which was released April 4th. His sleeper hit song “End of Beginning”, which went viral on TikTok and has been streamed over 1.4 billion times on Spotify, spent 15 weeks in my Top 30 last year, and ranks #43 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. Djo is about to embark on a 36-date tour of the U.S. and Europe that will start in Salt Lake City on April 21st.

The second new entry, debuting at #30, is “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)” by Irish alternative indie rock band Somebody’s Child, fronted by the charismatic singer-songwriter Cian Godfrey. The beautiful song is from their wonderful second album When Youth Fades Away, released on March 28th, and accompanied by an endearing video showing Godfrey singing and dancing to the song in London’s Waterloo Station. I don’t normally include videos for other songs on my charts other than the one at #1, but this one’s so charming I want to share it.

  1. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (3)
  2. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (1)
  3. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (4)
  4. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (5)
  5. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (7)
  6. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (2)
  7. SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (6)
  8. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (13)
  9. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (11)
  10. WALLS – Frank Joshua (12)
  11. WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (10)
  12. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (9)
  13. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (14)
  14. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (16)
  15. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (17)
  16. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (18)
  17. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (19)
  18. BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (8)
  19. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (22)
  20. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (23)
  21. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (24)
  22. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (27)
  23. WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (15)
  24. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (26)
  25. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (28)
  26. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (20) 19th week on chart
  27. THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (21)
  28. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely (25) 21st week on chart
  29. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (N)
  30. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (N)