Tag: Taylor Swift

Top 30 Songs for July 14-20, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

On the strength of their infectious melodies, ace musicianship, strong charisma, and lead singer Nick Santino’s beautiful vocals, pop-rock trio Beach Weather have become one of my top favorite bands. In fact, a photo I took of them at a concert last year graces the header of my X (formerly Twitter) page. In addition to Santino, the band includes Reeve Powers on bass and Sean Silverman on guitar. I’ve loved every one of their songs, and their latest single “High In Low Places” becomes their fourth to top my weekly Top 30 chart (the previous three are “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, “Trouble With This Bed” and “Pineapple Sunrise”.

The song has a brooding cinematic vibe in the vein of Ennio Morricone that would make it a great addition to the soundtrack of a Spaghetti Western film, and I love the twangy guitars and Santino’s sensuous vocals. He had this to say about the song: “We like to call ‘High in Low Places’ our apocalyptic love song. There was beauty in the idea of finding peace in one another while the world was slowly melting. We wanted to create something that felt cinematic, the closing credits of a modern end-of-times western. There are hints of those influences in the guitars and strings running through the chorus where we want to pull everyone into a world but stay hopeful that we can all rise above that insanity transpiring around us.” The lyrics speak to remaining positive and optimistic in the face of life’s problems and obstacles: “You and I got some troubles we’re facing, I know we can make it staying high in low places. Never mind all the tears that we wasted, I know we can make it staying high in low places.”

The video, which was shot in the Arizona desert outside Phoenix, involved the guys getting stuck by cholla cactus and other hazards that come from being in a beautiful but hostile environment – one I’m intimately familiar with living in the Coachella Valley.

In other chart happenings of note, “The Craving” by twenty one pilots moves up five to enter the top 10 at #10, and “Foretold Ecstasy” by the wonderfully-named Norwegian psych-noir band Mayflower Madame advances four spots to #14. Two songs make their debut this week. Entering at #29 is “Rainbow”, by another favorite band of mine, Nashville-based Cage the Elephant, whose previous single “Neon Pill” was a huge #1 hit on all the Alternative charts, as well as my personal Top 30. And coming in at #30 is the rousing garage rock gem “Just Wanna Sleep” by Iowa indie rock band Halfloves, which I reviewed last month.

  1. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (2)
  2. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (1)
  3. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (3)
  4. TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (6)
  6. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (9)
  7. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (10)
  8. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (5)
  9. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (7)
  10. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (15)
  11. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (8)
  12. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (13)
  13. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (12)
  14. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (18)
  15. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (16)
  16. TOO MUCH – girl in red (17)
  17. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (19)
  18. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (11)
  19. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (21)
  20. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (22)
  21. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (14)
  22. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (25)
  23. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (26)
  24. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (27)
  25. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (28)
  26. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (29)
  27. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (30)
  28. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (20)
  29. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (N)
  30. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (N)

Top 30 Songs for July 7-13, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's14 Comments

It’s another great week for music, and Glass Animals remain on top for a second week with their beautiful song “Creatures in Heaven”. Beach Weather slide into the second spot with their smoldering summer hit “High In Low Places”, while Pearl Jam‘s “Wreckage” moves up a spot to #3. I really love this song, which has become my favorite Pearl Jam song ever. Hozier‘s “Too Sweet”, which has become the biggest hit of his career, is currently #1 on the Billboard Rock/Alternative Airplay, Alternative Airplay and AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) charts, having spent nine consecutive weeks and counting on the latter. The song spent two weeks at #1 and four weeks at #2 on my chart, and now sits at #4. “End of Beginning” by Djo enters the top 10, and “The Craving” by twenty one pilots jumps 10 spots to #15, making it the biggest upward mover this week.

Debuting this week are two marvelous songs by artists who make their first appearance on my chart. The first is “Payback” by L.A.-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Frazer. It’s funny, not funny how often we come across artists or bands in passing, but sadly not pay close enough attention at the time for things to fully register. Though he’s been making music for more than a decade, first as a member of contemporary R&B and soul revival group Durand Jones & The Indications, and also more recently as a solo artist, I didn’t become fully cognizant of the immensely talented falsetto-voiced Mr. Frazer until seeing “Payback” moving up the Billboard AAA chart, as well as reading about him in a post by fellow blogger Christian’s Music Musings. In doing a bit of searching about Durand Jones & The Indications, I saw they were the ones who sang the wonderful song “Witchoo”, which reached #22 on the AAA chart in 2021. I’ve always loved male singers with tenor and falsetto voices, so Frazer’s vocal style is right up my alley. “Payback”, from his terrific second album Into The Blue, has an irresistible retro 60s soul vibe that calls to mind some of the great soul acts like Marvin Gaye, the Temptations and The Capitols (who had a hit with “Cool Jerk”), but with a modern edge.

The second debut, entering at #30, is the Latin-tinged “Espresso” by American singer and actress Sabrina Carpenter. After appearing in various TV and films, she gained recognition for her role in the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World that aired from 2014–2017. She’s released five albums since 2014, the last of which, her 2022 release Emails I Can’t Send, was successful, reaching #23 on the Billboard Hot 200 Album chart. “Espresso” was the lead single from her forthcoming sixth album Short n’ Sweet, due for release August 23rd. Her follow up single “Please Please Please” reached #1 on the Hot 100 last week, but I like “Espresso” more.

  1. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (1)
  2. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (5)
  3. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (4)
  4. TOO SWEET – Hozier (3)
  5. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (2)
  6. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (8)
  7. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (6)
  8. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (7)
  9. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (10)
  10. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (12)
  11. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (13)
  12. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (14)
  13. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (15)
  14. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (9)
  15. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (25)
  16. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (18)
  17. TOO MUCH – girl in red (19)
  18. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (20)
  19. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (22)
  20. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (11)
  21. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (23)
  22. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (24)
  23. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (17)
  24. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (16)
  25. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (27)
  26. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (28)
  27. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (29)
  28. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (30)
  29. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (N)
  30. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 30-July 6, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments
Photo of Glass Animals by Lillie Eiger

It makes my blood boil when I hear my contemporaries – or anyone for that matter – opine that there’s no good music being made any longer, because nothing could be further from the truth! While I concede that some of the best non-classical music was created during the years 1965-1973, there are many talented artists and bands putting out great music today, several of whom are represented on my latest Weekly Top 30.

Case in point is English psychedelic art pop band Glass Animals, whose beautiful song “Creatures in Heaven” ascends to the #1 spot. Formed in 2010 when they were all attending college in Oxford, the band consists of Dave Bayley (vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, songwriting), Drew MacFarlane (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Edmund Irwin-Singer (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), and Joe Seaward (drums). Since 2014, they’ve released three albums, with their fourth, I Love You So F***ing Much, slated for release on July 19. “Creatures in Heaven” was the lead single from that album.

I first learned about Glass Animals in 2016, when they released their second album How to Be a Human Being. One of the songs from that album is “Life Itself”, which I loved so much it went to #1 on my Top 30 chart and ended up ranking #60 on my decade-end 100 Best Songs of the 2010s list. I love Dave Bayley’s singing voice, which is so distinctive that it makes their songs immediately identifiable as only theirs. “Creatures in Heaven” becomes their second song to top my chart (“Heat Waves” peaked at #2, but spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their biggest hit so far).

About “Creatures in Heaven”, Bayley told Atwood Magazine: “It’s about a moment in time, be it a split second or a year or whatever, having the capacity to be enormously formative and life-changing, even if it is over. Or if it doesn’t go as planned. Or if it dies too soon. It is still fucking beautiful. The love and care and the feeling in that moment lives forever. It never really dies. If that’s how you choose to see it.”

The two biggest upward movers this week are by two more bands I love – “Starburster” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C., leaping eight spots to enter the top 10 at #10, and “High In Low Places” by American pop-rock band Beach Weather, which jumps seven spots to enter the top 10 at #5. And this week there are four new debuts, starting with “The Craving” by twenty one pilots, entering at #25. The second single from their latest album Clancy, “The Craving” replaces their previous single “Overcompensate”, which just spent 15 weeks on my chart, 13 of them in the top 10.

Entering at #28 is “Lost In Space” by Foster the People, which now consists of founding member and frontman Mark Foster and multi-instrumentalist Isom Innis, who started as a touring member of the band way back in 2010. The exuberant song is the lead single from their upcoming fourth studio album Paradise State of Mind, to be released on August 16. Both twenty one pilots and Foster the People were my top two favorite bands for several years in the mid-to-late 2010s, and I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them both in concert.

Next up is the sensuous “Run Your Mouth” by L.A.-based indie pop band The Marías. Formed in 2016, the band is comprised of lead vocalist María Zardoya and drummer/producer Josh Conway, guitarist Jesse Perlman, and keyboardist Edward James. Known for performing songs in both English and Spanish, they’ve released two albums, Cinema in 2021 and Submarine, which dropped May 31st. Their 2021 single “Hush” reached #1 on the Billboard AAA chart.

The fourth new entry, coming in at #30, is the hauntingly beautiful and moving “What if i feel like this my whole life?” by talented and silky-voiced English singer-songwriter HULLAH (which I recently reviewed). This is his third song to appear on my chart, the previous two being “Chasing Trains”, which reached #1, and “Wild as the Wind”, which reached #7.

  1. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (3)
  2. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (1)
  3. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  4. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (6)
  5. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (12)
  6. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (4)
  7. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (9)
  8. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (10)
  9. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
  10. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (18)
  11. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (7)
  12. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (14)
  13. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (13)
  14. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (15)
  15. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (16)
  16. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (8)
  17. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (17)
  18. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (19)
  19. TOO MUCH – girl in red (20)
  20. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (22)
  21. DILEMMA – Green Day (11)
  22. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (25)
  23. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (29)
  24. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (27)
  25. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (N)
  26. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (21)
  27. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (30)
  28. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (N)
  29. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (N)
  30. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 23-29, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

The delightful “Burial Ground” by Portland, Oregon five-piece The Decemberists, featuring James Mercer, remains at #1 for a second week, and in fact, the top six songs on last week’s chart, including Hozier‘s “Too Sweet”, Glass Animals‘ “Creatures in Heaven”, Royel Otis‘ “Murder on the Dancefloor”, Bottlecap Mountain‘s “I’ve Got Loving For You” and Pearl Jam‘s “Wreckage” – all remain in place again this week. The beautiful “Panoramic View” by AWOLNATION moves up a spot to enter the top 10. The biggest upward mover this week is “High In Low Places” by Beach Weather, leaping nine spots to #12.

Two songs make their debut this week. The first is “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen. At first I dismissed this song, as I’m not a big fan of Country nor Morgan Wallen, but the song is just too damned catchy to resist. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has remained there five weeks and counting. This makes two songs by Post Malone on this chart, the other being “Fortnight”, his collaboration with Taylor Swift. The second new entry is “Vices”, a beautiful and uplifting track by California musician/producer 5ilas (aka Shane Roberts) and Canadian singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson, who’ve collaborated together on several songs. I reviewed the song when it came out last month. It’s Johnson’s third song to appear on my chart; her previous two – “Starts With You” and “Essence”, a collaboration with Danish producer/composer Refeci, both reached #1.

  1. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (1)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  3. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (3)
  4. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (4)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
  6. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (6)
  7. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (8)
  8. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (9)
  9. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (10)
  10. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (11)
  11. DILEMMA – Green Day (7) 
  12. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (21)
  13. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (15)
  14. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (20)
  15. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (17)
  16. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (18)
  17. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (19)
  18. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (24)
  19. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (22)
  20. TOO MUCH – girl in red (23)
  21. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (16)
  22. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (25)
  23. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (12)
  24. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (13)
  25. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (28)
  26. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (14)
  27. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (29)
  28. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (27)
  29. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (N)
  30. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 16-22, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's29 Comments

The Decemberists are an American indie folk-rock band based in Portland, Oregon. Formed in 2000, they consist of founding members Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals) and Nate Query (bass), along with drummer John Moen, who joined the lineup in 2005. Their sound is a pleasing mix of alternative rock, folk, baroque pop, and orchestral pop, characterized by lush instrumentation and lovely arrangements and highlighted by Meloy’s beautiful warm vocals. Their interesting name was inspired by the Decembrist revolt, an 1825 insurrection in Imperial Russia, and band frontman Meloy has said that their name is also meant to invoke the “drama and melancholy” of the month of December.

They’ve released a substantial amount of music over the years, especially during their most active period from 2002-2011, including nine studio albums, two live albums, ten EPs and 26 singles. Their songs often touch on historical incidents and folklore, with the band sometimes staging whimsical reenactments of sea battles and other centuries-old events, typically of regional interest, or acting out songs with members of the crowd.(Wikipedia) After their very successful R.E.M.-influenced 6th album The King Is Dead, which reached #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and generated a Grammy-nominated song “Down by the Water”, The Decemberists went on a brief hiatus in 2012.

Since regrouping in 2014, they’ve released three albums, one of which, their 2018 album I’ll Be Your Girl, featured the fantastic song “Severed”, a bold electronic track highlighted by spacey synths and twangy Western-style guitars. The single went to #1 on the Billboard AAA chart, and also landed on my chart, ending up at #55 on my 100 Best Songs of 2018 list. Thanks to Covid, the band was essentially forced into another brief hiatus, as their tour had to be postponed, then cancelled. Thankfully, in 2023 they began recording what would become their ninth and latest album, the wonderful As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, which dropped this past Friday, June 14th. The lead single from the album, “Burial Ground”, an upbeat, optimistic track about leaving your troubles behind, featuring added vocals by James Mercer, who’s also a member of the bands The Shins and Broken Bells, ascends to the top spot on my latest Top 30 chart. I love those twangy guitars and cool horns, not to mention the gorgeous harmonies.

After five consecutive weeks with three or more debuts, there are no new entries this week. I think 16 new songs in five weeks gives my chart a lot of youth and vigor! Three songs finally enter the top 10 after a long upward climb: “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone, “Loneliness” by the Pet Shop Boys, and “For Us All” by English singer-songwriter Asgard Raven. Green Day‘s “Dilemma” spends its 15th week in my top 10; the song has been at #1 for seven weeks on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.

  1. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists (2)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (1)
  3. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (4)
  4. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (3)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
  6. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (10)
  7. DILEMMA – Green Day (7) 15th week in top 10
  8. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (11)
  9. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (12)
  10. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (13)
  11. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (14)
  12. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (6)
  13. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (8)
  14. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (9)
  15. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (17)
  16. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (15)
  17. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (19)
  18. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (20)
  19. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (21)
  20. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (22)
  21. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (28)
  22. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (23)
  23. TOO MUCH – girl in red (24)
  24. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (25)
  25. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (26)
  26. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (16)
  27. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (27)
  28. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (29)
  29. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (30)
  30. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (18)

Top 30 Songs for June 9-15, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

Irish singer-songwriter Hozier remains at #1 for a second week with his wonderful “Too Sweet”, while the equally wonderful “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer slides into second place. The relentlessly infectious “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Texas rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain moves up five spots to #5, and Pearl Jam are the biggest upward movers again this week, as their pleasing introspective single “Wreckage” jumps eight spots to enter the top 10 at #10.

Four excellent songs enter my chart this week, beginning with “Highway Queen” by Los Angeles-based indie folk-rock band Mt. Joy, at #27. It’s their fourth song to appear on my chart. Next up, coming in at #28, is “High In Low Places”, the latest single by Beach Weather, who are very likely my favorite band right now. The gorgeous song has a sultry Western vibe and a hook that’s so damned catchy I keep humming it long after hearing it. It’s their fifth song to appear on my chart, three of which have reached #1, and I can already guarantee that “High In Low Places” will be their fourth. The third entry is the latest single “LUNCH” by Los Angeles-based superstar Billie Eilish. The delightful song is the lead single from her new album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, which dropped May 17th. Coming in at #30 is the lovely “Like You Do” by Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, which I reviewed last month. I’ve been a long-time fan of his, and “Like You Do” is his seventh song to appear on my chart (four of which have reached #1).

  1. TOO SWEET – Hozier (1)
  2. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists and James Mercer (3)
  3. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (2)
  4. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (4)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (10)
  6. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
  7. DILEMMA – Green Day (6)
  8. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (7)
  9. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (8)
  10. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (18)
  11. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (12)
  12. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (14)
  13. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (15)
  14. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (16)
  15. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (13)
  16. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (11)
  17. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (17)
  18. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (9)
  19. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (21)
  20. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (22)
  21. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (24)
  22. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (26)
  23. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (27)
  24. TOO MUCH – girl in red (28)
  25. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (29)
  26. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (30)
  27. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (N)
  28. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (N)
  29. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (N)
  30. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 2-8, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

I just love Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, who’s had quite a resurgence over the past year or so with his critically acclaimed third studio album Unreal Unearth, which featured his two hit singles “Eat Your Young” and “Francesca”, his duet “Northern Attitude” with American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, as well as his latest single “Too Sweet”. Released in late March a week after he dropped his fifth EP Unheard, the song has turned out to be his highest charting single both in the UK and on the Billboard Hot 100 where it reached #1 in April. Now it ascends to the top of my chart, becoming his fifth song to do so (including “Take Me to Church” in 2014, “Nina Cried Power”, featuring Mavis Staples, in 2018, “Eat Your Young” in 2023 and “Northern Attitude” earlier this year). The song’s lyrics are directed at a romantic partner with totally different lifestyle preferences – the singer enjoys staying up late and drinking alcohol and black coffee, in contrast with his partner who goes to bed early, eats healthy, etc. – in other words, she’s too sweet for him.

In other significant chart developments, the delightful “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer jumps six spots to #3, while “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Texas rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain enters the top 10 at #10. Pearl Jam are the biggest upward movers this week with their latest single “Wreckage”, leaping 10 spots to #18.

And for the fourth consecutive week, there are three new debut songs, two of which are by Norwegian acts. Entering at #28 is the wonderfully infectious “Too Much” by Norwegian alternative indie pop artist girl in red, the music project of queer singer songwriter and producer Marie Ulven Ringheim, who’s been making music since the age of 16 (she’s now 25. “Too Much” was the lead single from her second album I’m Doing It Again Baby!, released in April. Next up is “Starburster” by Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C., who’ve become one of my favorite bands over the past few years. I adore band frontman Grian Chatten’s sultry drone vocal style, and his rapping on this track is fantastic. “Starburster”, which I loved at first listen, is the lead single from their forthcoming fourth studio album Romance, due for release in August. Entering at #30 is the gorgeous darkwave gem “A Foretold Ecstasy” by Norwegian psych-noir/post-punk band Mayflower Madame. I featured the song last month in one of my Fresh New Tracks posts. 

  1. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  2. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
  3. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (9)
  4. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (6)
  5. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  6. DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
  7. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (5)
  8. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (8)
  9. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (10)
  10. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (11)
  11. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (7)
  12. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (14)
  13. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (16)
  14. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (18)
  15. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (19)
  16. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (20)
  17. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (22)
  18. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (28)
  19. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (12)
  20. TIME – MISSIO (13)
  21. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (24)
  22. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (25)
  23. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (17)
  24. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (27)
  25. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (15)
  26. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (29)
  27. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (30)
  28. TOO MUCH – girl in red (N)
  29. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (N)
  30. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 26-June 1, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

I never tire of hearing the buoyant “Murder on the Dancefloor ”, by Australian duo Royel Otis, and it remains my favorite song for a third week. In fact, all the other top five songs – “Too Sweet” by Hozier, “Overcompensate” by twenty one pilots, “Dilemma” by Green Day, and “Don’t Forget Me” by Maggie Rogers – remain in place for a second week. Entering the top 10 are “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer, the biggest upward mover this week, leaping 14 spots to #9, and the melancholy and beautiful “Take It Or Leave It” by British alt-rock band Dead Slow Hoot, at #10.

For the third week in a row, three songs make their debut on my chart. I actually had seven songs I wanted to add but that would have required dropping seven off, which I just couldn’t do. So, I had to settle for just three, leaving some of the others to be added next week. The first debut, at #28, is “Wreckage” by Pearl Jam, a pleasing downtempo track that essentially replaces their hard-hitting previous single “Dark Matter”. Both tracks are from their latest album Dark Matter, which dropped April 19th. Entering at #29 is “End of Beginning”, a lovely and poignant song by American indie rock artist Djo, the musical moniker of Joseph David Keery. He’s also an actor who became well known for his roles in the TV series Stranger Things and Fargo. Bringing up the rear is the exceedingly infectious “The Break” by American alt-rock band Blame My Youth. Fronted by Sean Van Vleet, they formed in 2020 and released their debut EP Dance With My Demons in 2022. They’ve since followed with a number of singles, including “The Break”, which was released last December. Though they’re new to me, I’m really liking their music.

  1. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  3. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  4. DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
  5. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (5)
  6. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (8)
  7. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (9)
  8. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (10)
  9. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (23)
  10. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (12)
  11. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (13)
  12. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (7)
  13. TIME – MISSIO (6)
  14. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (17)
  15. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (11)
  16. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (19)
  17. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (18)
  18. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (20)
  19. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (21)
  20. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (24)
  21. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (15)
  22. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (28)
  23. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (14)
  24. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (27)
  25. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (29)
  26. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (16)
  27. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (30)
  28. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (N)
  29. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (N)
  30. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 19-25, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

The delightfully ebullient “Murder on the Dancefloor ”, by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, remains on top for a second week, while “Too Sweet” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier slides into second place. Entering the top 10 are “Creatures in Heaven” by English indie rock band Glass Animals, “Capricorn” by New York indie art pop/rock band Vampire Weekend, and “Mustang” by Nashville alt-rock band Kings of Leon, which leaps nine spots to #10, making it the biggest upward mover this week.

There are three debut songs again this week. First up is the lovely and heartwarming “Scared To Start” by Cincinnati, Ohio-based Americana singer-songwriter Michael Marcagi, which frankly should have entered my chart a month ago, but better late than never. He began his music career as a member of the band the Heavy Hours, but released his first single, “The Other Side”, as a solo artist last December. In January, he signed with Warner Records and released “Scared to Start”, which soon gained popularity on TikTok. The song recently peaked at #54 on the Billboard Hot 100, though it’s reached the top 10 in Ireland and the UK, as well as on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Both singles are included on his debut EP American Romance, which was released in February.

The second debut, at #29, is “On The Game” by Nashville duo The Black Keys. The bluesy anthemic song follows their recent #1 hit “Beautiful People (Stay High)”, both of which are from their latest album Ohio Players. Last, but certainly not least, is “Adrift”, by Missouri rock band Voodoo Planet, featuring some lovely cello by Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mikey J. The bittersweet song, which I reviewed last month, is another long-overdue entry into my Weekly Top 30,

  1. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
  3. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  4. DILEMMA – Green Day (2)
  5. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (6)
  6. TIME – MISSIO (5)
  7. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (7)
  8. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (11)
  9. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (15)
  10. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (19)
  11. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (12)
  12. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (17)
  13. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (18)
  14. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (8)
  15. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (9)
  16. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (10)
  17. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (20)
  18. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (21)
  19. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (22)
  20. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (23)
  21. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (24)
  22. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (13)
  23. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (28)
  24. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (29)
  25. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (14)
  26. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (16)
  27. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (30)
  28. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (N)
  29. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (N)
  30. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 12-18, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

“Murder on the Dancefloor ”, by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis (comprised of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovi), is turning out to be one of my favorite songs of 2024. I can honestly listen to it on repeat, and love it more each time I hear it! It’s a marvelous 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 released in February. The two have been putting out music since 2021, and I really like their sound a lot.

The song was co-written by Ellis-Bextor and Gregg Alexander, former frontman of the band The New Radicals (who had a hit in the late 90s with “You Get What You Give”), and produced by Alexander and Matt Rowe. Ellis-Bextor’s original version 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 #3 on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and #51 on the Hot 100, her first song to ever appear on that chart. The delightful version by Royel Otis currently sits at #7 on the Alternative Airplay chart, and this week takes over the top spot on my own Top 30 chart.

In other major chart developments, Maggie Rogers enters the top 10 with her poignant ballad “Don’t Forget Me”, which climbs five spots to #6. The song recently spent two weeks at #1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. “Creatures in Heaven” by Glass Animals jumps eight spots to #11, and “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift, featuring Post Malone, leaps 10 spots to #20, making it this week’s biggest upward mover.

Three songs make their debut this week: Entering at #28 is the infectiously pleasing “Burial Ground” by Portland, Oregon-based indie folk-rock band The Decemberists, featuring James Mercer, who’s also a member of the bands The Shins and Broken Bells. The Decemberists have been putting out music off and on since forming in 2001. “Burial Ground” is the lead single from their forthcoming ninth studio album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, to be released June 14th. I love those jangly guitars and cool horns. Next up is “Panoramic View”, the beautiful new single by L.A.-based alt-rock band AWOLNATION. Fronted by Aaron Bruno, who has a distinctive singing voice I love, the band blasted onto the music scene in 2011 with their monster hit “Sail”, one of the many great songs from their debut album Megalithic Symphony. They’ve released a total of four albums and numerous singles, several of which have appeared on my Top 30 chart. Entering at #30 is the bold and brassy “Gold”, by uber-talented Welsh-Gibraltarian singer-songwriter Caitlin Lavagna, which I reviewed last month. This is Caitlin’s third song to appear on my chart, the previous two being “How Not to Start a Fight” and “Night Bus”.

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