It’s a third week on top for the beautiful “Rein Me In” by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean, as well as a third week at #2 for “Private” by The Neighbourhood, who’ve spent much of this year on their world tour which began in late March and concludes in their hometown of Los Angeles in December. Fontaines D.C. are the biggest upward movers again this week as their mesmerizing song “Marianne” jumps 10 spots to #7.
There are two new entries to my chart again this week, starting with “High Hopes 3000” by Los Angeles-based artist ROLE MODEL, the music project of 28-year-old singer-songwriter Tucker Harrington Pillsbury. The song is from his third studio album Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, which dropped August 7th. His 2025 single “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” topped my chart exactly one year ago.
The second new entry is “Black Dog Rabbit Hole” by Nashville-based soul singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian. The song is featured on his fourth album Time Will Tell, released on June 26th. His 2020 single “Unchained” reached #10 on my chart and ranks #68 on my 100 Best Songs of 2020 list.
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (1)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (3)
HEART STOP – The Revivalists (4)
LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (7)
BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (8)
MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (17)
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (5)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (6)
NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (9)
STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (13)
I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (15)
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (11)
I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (12)
HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (14)
THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (10)
EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 20)
EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (21)
LOSER – Tame Impala (23)
BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (22)
Sam Fender & Olivia Dean from the “Rein Me In” video
Sam Fender and Olivia Dean remain on top for a second week with “Rein Me In”, while Los Angeles alt rock band The Neighbourhood hold the #2 spot again with their captivating “Private”. “Online” by British Columbia, Canada-based artist Western Jaguar advances two spots to #3. In addition to Western Jaguar, two other Canadian acts are represented on this chart – The Beaches, whose song “Edge of the Earth” sits at #21, and Bealby Point, whose song “Metastasized” currently ranks #25. I must state that I’m both horrified and furious that our out-of-control lunatic president has started a needless economic war with our friendly neighbors to the north.
Irish band Fontaines D.C. are this week’s biggest upward movers, as their song “Marianne” leaps 11 spots to #17.
There are two new additions to my chart this week, the first of which is the wonderfully boisterous “Love To Go” by Nashville-based alt-rock band Edgehill, comprised of Chris Kelly (lead vocals and guitar), Jake Zimmermann (lead guitar and vocals), and Aidan Cunningham (drums). The trio have been putting out great songs since 2022, but I only learned about them earlier this year with the release of their song “Doubletake”, which ultimately went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and #2 on my chart. Both “Doubletake” and “Love To Go” are from their debut album Ode to the Greyhouse, which was released this past February.
The second new entry is “Young Again” by Florida-based rock band Shinedown. Formed in 2001, the lineup presently includes founding members Brent Smith (lead vocals) and Barry Kerch (drums), as well as Zach Myers (guitar, piano, backing vocals) and Eric Bass (bass, guitar, piano, backing vocals). Shinedown has the most #1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts with 23, and all 37 of their released singles have reached the top five. To date, the band has sold more than 10 million records worldwide. (Wikipedia) “Young Again” is from their eighth album EI8HT, released this past May and also includes their song “Three Six Five”, which spent 12 weeks on my chart last year.
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (1)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (5)
HEART STOP – The Revivalists (7)
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (3)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (4)
LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (10)
BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (9)
NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (8)
THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (6)
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (15)
I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (16)
STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (17)
HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (14)
I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (20)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (11)
MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (28)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (12)
FREAKING OUT – Michigander (13)
EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 22)
EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (23)
BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (24)
Sam Fender & Olivia Dean taken from the “Rein Me In” video
After several weeks of waiting in the wings, the gorgeous “Rein Me In” by English singer-songwriter Sam Fender and English singer-songwriter Olivia Dean (who won the Best New Artist Grammy earlier this year) ascends to the top of my chart. The song is a re-recorded duet version of the original from Fender’s third studio album People Watching. The original version of “Rein Me In” was released in June 2025 as the sixth single from the album and eventually became Fender’s first song to reach #1 on the UK Singles Chart in February 2026, as well as winning the Brit Award for Song of the Year. In addition to Fender and Dean’s great vocals, I love the beautiful piano, jangly guitar and blaring sax.
Fender debuted the new version during a show at London Stadium in June, bringing Dean on stage to perform it with him. Videos of that performance went viral, and the two performed it again nine days later at Fender’s St. James’ Park concert. Fender announced the official release of the new version on June 20th, stating that Dean “added a female perspective to ‘Rein Me In,’ and I think it’s all the better for it“. The original and duet versions ended up spending a combined 23 non-consecutive weeks at number one, making it the longest-running number-one single in UK music history. The song also topped the charts in Australia and Ireland and reached #2 in New Zealand. It became Fender’s first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 45. “Rein Me In” is his second song to reach #1 on my chart, the first being his 2021 single “Seventeen Going Under”.
In other chart developments of note, The Neighbourhood move into second place with “Private”, while Cage the Elephant‘s “Beaches In Tennessee” and Phoebe Bridgers‘ “Lost Boys” enter the top 10. The sole debut this week, entering at #28, is the enthralling “Marianne”, the new single from the always wonderful Irish rock band Fontaines D.C. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming fifth album Dopamine Chamber, set for release October 16th.
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (3)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (4)
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (1)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (2)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (6)
THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (7)
HEART STOP – The Revivalists (8)
NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (10)
BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (11)
LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (12)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (5)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (9)
FREAKING OUT – Michigander (14)
HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (15)
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (17)
I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (19)
STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (20)
PICKING DRAGON’S POCKETS – Modest Mouse (13)
WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (18)
I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (23)
LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (16)
EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 24)
EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (25)
BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (26)
Photo of Lyia and Cha Cha Girl taken from her Facefook account
“Raging Halls” by Malaysian singer-songwriter extraordinaire Lyia Meta remains atop my chart for a second week, while American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan moves into second place with “Doors”. Entering the top 10 is “no more regrets” by San Diego, California-based indie pop band almost monday.
There are three new additions to my chart this week, starting with “Loser” by Australian act Tame Impala, the music project of singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. The song, which debuts at #27, was actually released last September (2025) as the second single from Tame Impala’s fifth album Deadbeat, which dropped a month later, but as with The Beaches’ “Edge of the Earth” is currently appearing on various alternative charts (which heavily influence my own chart). His single “Dracula” spent three weeks at the top of my chart at the beginning of this year.
Entering at #29 is “Window” by legendary American rock band the Foo Fighters. The song is from their 12th studio album Your Favorite Toy, released this past April. And coming in at #30 is “Metastasized”, the latest single by Vancouver, Canada-based indie pop-rock band Bealby Point, who currently consist of Jack Armstrong (lead vocals, guitar), Jordan Studer (bass) and Zack Yeager (drums). I’ve been a big fan of theirs since learning about them in 2021, and have featured them several times on this blog. “Metastasized” will be included on their forthcoming debut album Happiness Frontier.
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (1)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (3)
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (4)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (5)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (2)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (7)
THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (8)
HEART STOP – The Revivalists (10)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (6)
NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (11)
BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (12)
LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (13)
PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (9)
FREAKING OUT – Michigander (16)
HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (17)
LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (18)
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (19)
WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (20)
I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (21)
STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (22)
EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (14)
MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (15)
I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (26)
EVERGREEN – Young the Giant 28)
EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (29)
BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Hardwicke Circus (30)
Photo of Lyia Meta taken from her Facebook account.
Malaysian artist Lyia Meta is a highly accomplished, award-winning and Grammy-nominated Renaissance woman in every sense of the word. She’s not only an insanely talented singer, songwriter and musician, she’s also a writer, teacher, vocal coach and visual artist whose work spans multiple media formats (she surprised me with a pencil-drawn portrait of myself in 2019, which I proudly hang on my bedroom wall).
Possessing a rich contralto singing voice, she’s recorded songs across a wide range of genres including blues, jazz, pop, country, rock and metal. She ranks among my favorite female vocalists, and I’ve featured her numerous times on this blog. We’ve been following each other on social media since 2018, and I finally had the pleasure of meeting Lyia and her husband Zack in person in January when they were in Los Angeles. I’m now thrilled to place her powerful single “Raging Halls” at #1, her first song to top my chart and on the week of my birthday, no less!
The hard-hitting song was co-written by Lyia and E.G. Holmes, who co-produced the track with her longtime Nashville-based collaborator Bob McGilpin (who also played lead and rhythm guitar, bass, drums and synths). Additional contributions on the track include rhythm guitar by Christian Wentz, guitar and synths by John Foster, orchestration and keyboards by Gene Rabbai and backing harmonies by Lisa Brokop. Lyia says the song “explores the tension between desire, risk, and the moment where hesitation transforms into action.” With its soaring melodies and scorching riffs, the song calls to mind some of the great 80s anthems by Journey, Heart and Whitesnake.
Two songs enter the top 10: the captivating “The Endless Border” by Belgian alternative indie rock band Velvet Jesus, advancing three spots to #8, and “Heart Stop” by New Orleans-based alternative roots rock band The Revivalists, which moves up two spots to #10.
There are three new debuts this week, beginning with “Evergreen” by Southern California-based alternative pop rock band Young the Giant. Formed in Irvine, California in 2004, they currently consist of Sameer Gadhia (lead vocals), Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Payam Doostzadeh (bass), and Francois Comtois (drums). “Evergreen” is from their sixth album Victory Garden, released on May 1st, and follows “Different Kind of Love”, which peaked at #4 on my chart in early June. It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since I saw them in concert in 2019.
Entering at #29 is “Edge of the Earth” by Canadian female pop rock band The Beaches. Formed in Toronto in 2009, they’re comprised of sisters Jordan (lead vocals, bass) and Kylie Miller (guitar, backing vocals), Leandra Earl (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), and Eliza Enman-McDaniel (drums). “Edge of the Earth” was originally released nearly three years ago as the title track of their six-song EP, which also included their marvelous hit single “Blame Brett” that reached #5 on my chart and ranks #46 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. It’s currently moving up the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart (I’m even hearing it played on my local alt-rock station here in Palm Springs), so I’m guessing it went viral on TikTok or similar.
The third new entry is the exuberant “Behind The Lines Of Reason” by the charismatic English alternative indie rock band Hardwicke Circus. Formed in 2015, the band has undergone a few changes in lineup and is now comprised of brothers Jonny (lead vocals, guitar) and Tom Foster (drums, backing vocals), along with Ben Wilde (bass, backing vocals), Zack McDade (lead guitar, backing vocals), Conor Morrissey (keyboards, backing vocals) and Andy Sax (saxophone, backing vocals). I reviewedtheir marvelous 2023 album Fly the Flag and am happy to see them back with “Behind The Lines Of Reason”, which dropped July 17th.
RAGING HALLS – Lyia Meta (2)
REPEAT OFFENDER – Gloom is Okay (1)
DOORS – Noah Kahan (3)
REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (4)
PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (5)
SELF AWARE – Temper City (6)
ONLINE – Western Jaguar (8)
THE ENDLESS BORDER – Velvet Jesus (11)
PICKING DRAGONS’ POCKETS – Modest Mouse (9)
HEART STOP – The Revivalists (12)
NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (13)
BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (17)
LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (18)
EXIT WOUND – Ships Have Sailed (7)
MARATHONS – Sorry Ghost (10)
FREAKING OUT – Michigander (20)
HOLD ME IN THE DARK – Myles Smith (21)
LOVE ME NOT – Grace Potter (22)
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (23)
WE SHOULD TALK – Bleachers (24)
I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (25)
Cage the Elephant remain on top for a second week with “Neon Pill”, while The Lemon Twigs‘ delightful “My Golden Years” moves up another notch to #2. I just love those vibrant jangly guitars and Beach Boys-esque harmonies, and it’s hard to fathom why this song hasn’t appeared on any charts that I’m aware of. Far and away the biggest upward mover this week is the achingly beautiful “Time” by Texas-based duo MISSIO, which leaps 17 spots to #5. I had the opportunity to interview Matthew and David over Zoom last week, which was a thrill for me. The song will be included on their monumental 26-track album I AM CINCO, planned for release in early May. “Overcompensate” by another favorite duo of mine, twenty one pilots, climbs three spots to #6. These four songs, along with The Black Keys‘ “Beautiful People (Stay High)” and Green Day‘s “Dilemma”, will likely control the top six spots on my chart for many weeks to come.
Two songs make their debut this week, the first of which is “Murder on the Dance Floor ” by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis (comprised of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovi), entering at #28. The song is a wonderful cover of the 2001 hit “Murder on the Dancefloor” by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, which Royel Otis performed on the Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version program. Interestingly, the song does not appear on their debut album PRATTS & PAIN that was just released in February. The two have been putting out music since 2021, and I really like their sound! Also interesting is that Ellis-Bextor’s original gained renewed popularity earlier this year after appearing in the 2023 black comedy thriller film Saltburn, causing it to re-enter the UK Dance Singles Chart where it reached #1. It also peaked at #51 on the US Billboard Hot 100, her first song to ever appear on that chart.
Entering at #30 is “Don’t Forget Me” by immensely talented American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers. Citing artists like Carrie Brownstein, Patti Smith, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, Björk, Brandi Carlile and Sharon Van Etten as her musical inspirations, the latter two who’ve also become her mentors — I think she’s one of the finest female singer-songwriters making music today. Her thoughtful lyrics and heartfelt vocals always make for a pleasing, deeply moving and compelling listen.
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (1)
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (3)
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (2)
DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
TIME – MISSIO (22)
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (9)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (8)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (5)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (6)
BLUSH – Vazum (12)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (7)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (13)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (14)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (16)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (17)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (10)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (19)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (20)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (15)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (23)
My goodness, there’s so much great music out now, including numerous songs by some of my favorite major acts of the past 20 years. One of them is American rock band Cage the Elephant. Originally formed in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2006, the band currently consists of Matt Shultz (vocals), his older brother Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar), Nick Bockrath (lead guitar), Matthan Minster (guitar, keyboards), Daniel Tichenor (bass), and Jared Champion (drums). They relocated to London in 2008, shortly before their self-titled first album was released, then later settled in Nashville, though I can’t find any dates as to when that occurred. They followed with four more albums, Thank You, Happy Birthday in 2011, Melophobia in 2013, Tell Me I’m Pretty (produced by Dan Auerbach) in 2015, and Social Cues in 2019, the latter two winning Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album.
I first learned about them in the fall of 2013 when I heard their brilliant song “Come a Little Closer”, from Melophobia, and after listening to more of their music, I became a fan. I grew even more fond of them when they followed me on Twitter (now X) in 2017. Now they’re set to release their sixth studio album Neon Pill on May 17, and its wonderful lead and title single “Neon Pill” ascends to the top of my latest Weekly Top 30.
In other notable chart developments, “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs moves up a notch to #3, and “Dilemma”, by another of my long-time favorite bands Green Day, climbs six spots to #4. I’m thrilled to have a new song by yet another of my favorite acts, twenty one pilots, make its debut this week. Their latest single “Overcompensate”, their first new music in three years since their last album Scaled and Icy, enters quite high on the chart at #9. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming seventh studio album Clancy, scheduled for release May 17 (on what appears to be a big day for new album releases). It looks to be another ambitious concept album by the highly creative Columbus, Ohio-based duo.
The other debut this week, coming in at #30, is “Wanting and Waiting” by long-time Atlanta, Georgia-based blues rock band The Black Crowes, giving us three bands with ‘Black’ in their name on the same chart. The song is the lead single from their tenth studio album Happiness Bastards, their first new music since 2010.
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (4)
DILEMMA – Green Day (10)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (3)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (5)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (6)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (8)
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (N)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (7)
BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (9)
BLUSH – Vazum (15)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (16)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (17)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (18)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (19)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (20)
NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (12)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (21)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (22)
ALIVE! – Bakar (11)
TIME – MISSIO (29)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (23)
The Black Keys maintain their firm grip on the top spot for a third week with “Beautiful People (Stay High)”, while Cage the Elephant‘s “Neon Pill” holds at #2 for a second week. “Winter Cowboy” by Frank Joshua, “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs, “The Tower” by Future Islands, and “Mother Nature” by MGMT all advance one spot to #s 3, 4, 5 and 6. The biggest upward mover again this week is “Dilemma” by Green Day, leaping nine spots to #10.
Two songs make their debut this week. Entering at #29 is the deeply captivating “Time” by one of my favorite acts MISSIO. The song will be included on their monumental fifth album I AM CINCO, scheduled for release on May 3rd. And entering at #30 is “Dark Matter”, by legendary alternative grunge rock band Pearl Jam. The blistering song is the lead and title single from their forthcoming twelfth studio album Dark Matter, due for release April 19th.
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (4)
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (5)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (6)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (7)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (3)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (10)
BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (9)
DILEMMA – Green Day (19)
ALIVE! – Bakar (8)
NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (12)
YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (13)
NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (14)
BLUSH – Vazum (15)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (16)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (17)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (20)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (21)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (22)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (23)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (24)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (27)
The Black Keys remain on top for a second week with their exuberant foot-stomper “Beautiful People (Stay High), while Cage the Elephant slide into second place with “Neon Pill”. The Lemon Twigs‘ delightful jangle pop gem “My Golden Years” climbs another five spots this week to #5, and Jack Harlow‘s “Lovin On Me” moves up a notch to enter the top 10. British singer-songwriter Bakar, who’s song “Alive!” sits at #8 this week, will be touring with Cage the Elephant and Young the Giant this summer. The biggest upward mover is “Dilemma” by Green Day, leaping 10 spots to #19.
Debuting this week are three songs that have been out for a while. The first, entering at #28, is the enchanting “Water Underground” by Brooklyn, New York-based indie rock band Real Estate, an act who’s been around since 2008 but I only recently learned about. The song is from their wonderful sixth studio album Daniel, released on February 23rd. Entering at #29 is “Landmines” by Canadian rock veterans Sum 41, a band I’ve not followed very closely. The lead single from their forthcoming eighth and final studio album Heaven :x: Hell, set for release on March 29, “Landmines” is the new #1 song on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, finally toppling Blink-182’s “ONE MORE TIME” after its 20-week run. The third new entry, at #30, is “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)”, the infectious latest single by Austin, Texas psychedelic soul band Black Pumas. The duo scored a #1 hit on my chart in December with “More Than a Love Song”. Both songs are from their second studio album Chronicles of a Diamond.
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (1)
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (4)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (2)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (6)
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (10)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (7)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (8)
ALIVE! – Bakar (9)
BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (5)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (11)
LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (4)
NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (14)
YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (15)
NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (16)
BLUSH – Vazum (18)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (19)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (20)
MEANT TO BE – Wilco (17)
DILEMMA – Green Day (29)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (24)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (25)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (26)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (27)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (28)
ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (12)
NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (13)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (30)
It was only a matter of time before The Black Keys reached the top spot on my weekly chart with their infectiously upbeat single “Beautiful People (Stay High)”. I’m a long-time fan of the duo, comprised of guitarist-vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, and the song clicked with me the first time I heard it. I love its exuberant melody, bluesy, foot-stomping groove and celebratory chorus. The lead single from their forthcoming twelfth studio album Ohio Players, due for release April 5th, the song was co-written with their longtime collaborators Beck and producer Dan the Automator (aka Daniel M. Nakamura). In a press statement about the recording of the album, Auerbach noted “We’d never worked harder to make a record. It’s never taken us this long to make an album. We took our time and did it right.” Carney added “What we wanted to accomplish with this record was make something that was fun. And something that most bands 20 years into their career don’t make, which is an approachable, fun record that is also cool.” (Pitchfork)
The wonderful video, directed by Chris Saunders, produced by Elizabeth Silver and choreographed by Natalie Fisher, is reminiscent of the ones created for Pharrell Williams’ massive 2014 hit “Happy”, featuring a wide cross-section of people of all ages and ethnicities joyously dancing to the song in various settings.
In other chart developments, the delightful jangle pop gem “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs, climbs another six spots this week to enter the top 10 at #10. Making their debut are “Dilemma” by Green Day, from their latest album Saviors, at #29 (giving them two songs on this chart), and the gospel-like “Good People”, an interesting collaboration between British folk-rock band Mumford & Sons and the aforementioned American singer-songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams. at #30.
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (2)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (1)
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (4)
LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (3)
BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (7)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (8)
THE TOWER – Future Islands (9)
MOTHER NATURE – MGMT (10)
ALIVE! – Bakar (11)
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (16)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (13)
ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (5)
NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (6)
NICE TO KNOW YOU – lovelytheband (17)
YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster (18)
NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS – Lovejoy (19)
MEANT TO BE – Wilco (20)
BLUSH – Vazum (21)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (22)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (23)
MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (12)
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (14)
WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (15)
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport (26)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (27)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (28)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (29)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (30)
DILEMMA – Green Day (N)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (N)
