Tag: The Cure

Top 30 Songs for February 16-22, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
Photo by Shervin Lainez

The beautiful, uplifting song “Arrow”, by Seattle folk rock band The Head and The Heart, takes over the top spot on my latest Top 30 chart after a five-week-long run by Wons Phreely + The Horses’ “The Faithful Heart”. Formed in 2009 by Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell, The Head and The Heart currently consists of Russell (vocals, guitar, percussion), Charity Rose Thielen (violin, guitar, vocals), Chris Zasche (bass), Kenny Hensley (piano), Tyler Williams (drums), and Matt Gervais (guitar, vocals). Since 2011, they’ve released five albums and numerous singles, several of which have appeared on my chart. “Arrow” is their second song to reach #1 on my chart, their first being “All We Ever Knew” in 2016, and has spent the past nine weeks at #1 on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart. The lyrics speak to feelings of restlessness, yet finding reassurance and peace of mind in oneself: “There’s times I need direction, there’s times I need to roam. I move station to station, I showed up here alone. I am my own arrow. I am my own home.”

In other notable chart developments, “So Cold” by Balu Brigada moves up two spots to #3, and “The Line” by twenty one pilots, from the Season 2 Soundtrack of the Netflix animated action-adventure series Arcane: League of Legends, jumps eight spots to #4, making it the biggest upward mover for a third week.

Two songs debut this week, the first of which is “Same Old Song” by Denver-based alternative folk band The Lumineers, which took a while to grow on me. The lead single from their fifth studio album Automatic, which dropped this past Friday, February 14th, “Same Old Song” is already in the top five on the various Alternative charts. The lyrics speak to the downsides of being a musician, struggling to pay rent, feeling insecure, getting your instruments stolen, and questioning the meaning of life while still holding onto dreams of making it big. The second debut, entering at #30, is “Without A Doubt” by Louisville, Kentucky-based post punk band Charm School, which I learned about from fellow blogger Christian in a recent post on his blog Christian’s Music Musings. The wonderful song is from their debut album Debt Forever, which dropped January 24th. I love those dramatic jangly guitars!

  1. ARROW – The Head and The Heart (2)
  2. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (1)
  3. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (5)
  4. THE LINE – twenty one pilots (12)
  5. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (7)
  6. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (8)
  7. DETROIT – Badflower (9)
  8. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (10)
  9. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (4)
  10. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (3)
  11. SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (14)
  12. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (6)
  13. BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (19)
  14. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (17)
  15. AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten (18)
  16. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (11)
  17. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (20)
  18. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (16)
  19. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (13)
  20. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (23)
  21. HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone (24)
  22. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (26)
  23. DARKERSIDE – David Kushner (22)
  24. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (15)
  25. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (21)
  26. WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (28)
  27. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (29)
  28. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (30)
  29. SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (N)
  30. WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (N)

Top 30 Songs for February 9-15, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

“The Faithful Heart” by Wons Phreely + The Horses continues to enthrall me with its gorgeous chiming guitars, soaring harmonies and heartwarming vocals, thus remains my favorite song for a fifth consecutive week. The last time a song spent this many weeks at #1 on my top 30 was in September 2017, when “The Man” by The Killers also topped my chart for five weeks. The charming video is also one of the best I’ve seen in years, and deserves millions of streams.

The beautiful, uplifting song “Arrow” by Seattle folk rock band The Head and The Heart, which has spent the past eight weeks at #1 on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart, moves into second place on my chart. Three songs enter the top 10 this week: “You’re My Drug” by northern Virginia indie pop-rock artist Talk in Waves, “Detroit” by L.A.-based rock band Badflower, and “Sailor Song” by American singer-songwriter Gigi Perez, at #s 8, 9 & 10, respectively. The biggest upward mover again this week is “The Line” by twenty one pilots, leaping 11 spots to #12. Making their debut are songs by two of music’s biggest acts who’ve had numerous songs appear on my chart – “Rushmere” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, at #29, and “Metaverse”, the latest single by Nashville-based alt-rock band Cage the Elephant from their album Neon Pill, at #30.

  1. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (1) 5th week at #1
  2. ARROW – The Head and The Heart (3)
  3. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (2)
  4. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (5)
  5. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (6)
  6. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (4)
  7. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (8)
  8. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (12)
  9. DETROIT – Badflower (13)
  10. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (14)
  11. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (7)
  12. THE LINE – twenty one pilots (23)
  13. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (10)
  14. SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (17)
  15. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (7)
  16. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (11)
  17. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (18)
  18. AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten (20)
  19. BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (21)
  20. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (22)
  21. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (15)
  22. DARKERSIDE – David Kushner (16)
  23. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (26)
  24. HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone (25)
  25. ROCKMAN – Mk.gee (24)
  26. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (27)
  27. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (19) 20th week on chart
  28. WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (30)
  29. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (N)
  30. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (N)

Top 30 Songs for February 2-8, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's3 Comments

I still love “The Faithful Heart” by Australian-born and now L.A.-based artist Wons Phreely and his backup band The Horses with all my heart, and so it remains at the top of my chart for a fourth week. Sliding into second place is Green Day‘s “Bobby Sox, while “Arrow” by The Head and The Heart moves up two spots to #3. Moving up five spots to enter the top 10 at #6 is “So Cold” by New Zealand-born and now New York-based Balu Brigada, comprised of brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley. The biggest upward mover is “The Line” by twenty one pilots, jumping six spots to #23. Their beautiful song “Routines in the Night” is also at #10 again this week. The sole debut this week is the wonderful “Who’s a Fraud?” by English alternative pop-rock band Still Traffico, which I reviewed a few weeks ago.

  1. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (1) 4th week at #1
  2. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (4)
  3. ARROW – The Head and The Heart (5)
  4. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (2)
  5. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (6)
  6. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (11)
  7. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (8)
  8. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (9)
  9. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (3)
  10. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (10)
  11. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (7)
  12. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (14)
  13. DETROIT – Badflower (15)
  14. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (16)
  15. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (12)
  16. DARKERSIDE – David Kushner (13)
  17. SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (18)
  18. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (19)
  19. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (17)
  20. AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten (21)
  21. BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (24)
  22. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (23)
  23. THE LINE – twenty one pilots (29)
  24. ROCKMAN – Mk.gee (26)
  25. HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone (27)
  26. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (28)
  27. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (30)
  28. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (20)
  29. GIVING UP – Michigander (22)
  30. WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 26-February 1, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments

It’s always fascinating to me how vastly different the various music charts can be, and also how long many songs now remain on each chart, and this particular week is a good example of just how much that is the case. “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, which spent September, October and November in the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 before falling below that while the annual parade of vintage Christmas songs ruled the chart for most of December, is now at #1. On the Adult Pop chart, “Stargazing” by Myles Smith has spent seven weeks and counting at #1 (it peaked at #4 on my chart last November). Meanwhile, “Sad in Carolina” by Dexter and The Moonrocks has spent eight weeks and counting at #1 on the Alternative Airplay chart, “Arrow” by The Head and the Heart has spent six weeks and counting at #1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, and “Mayday” by Three Days Grace has spent three weeks and counting at #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. While “Stargazing” did quite well on both Alternative charts, even reaching #1 on the Alternative Airplay chart for a week, neither “Sad in Carolina”, “Arrow” nor “Mayday” have appeared on the Hot 100. The last time I can remember a song topping all those charts simultaneously was “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye way back in 2012!

At any rate, the delightful “The Faithful Heart” by L.A.-based Wons Phreely + The Horses is still my current favorite song, thus remains at #1 on my Top 30 chart for a third week. “Sad in Carolina” holds at #2 for a third week after previously spending two weeks at #1, making it their seventh week in the top 2. “A Tear in Space (Airlock)” by English band Glass Animals holds at #3 for a second week, while Green Day‘s “Bobby Sox” inches up a spot to #4, and “Arrow” moves into fifth place. Entering the top 10 are “Autumn Leaves” by Welsh artist Secret Postal Society (the music project of singer-songwriter and guitarist Craig Mapstone), and “Routines in the Night” by twenty one pilots. “Die With A Smile”, which peaked at #2 on my chart early last month, moves back up three spots to #17.

Two fantastic songs make their debut this week, the first of which is the enchanting and cinematic “The Line” by twenty one pilots, giving my favorite music act two tracks on this chart. The song is from the Season 2 Soundtrack of the Netflix animated action-adventure series Arcane: League of Legends, which I previously had no idea about but is apparently enormously popular. The second debut is the smoldering rocker “Take This Heart” by Denton, Texas-based singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. It’s his fifth song to appear on my chart, two of which were by The Star Crumbles, his collaborative band with Marc Schuster.

  1. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (1)
  2. SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (2)
  3. A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (3)
  4. BOBBY SOX – Green Day (5)
  5. ARROW – The Head and the Heart (6)
  6. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (7)
  7. NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (4)
  8. GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (8)
  9. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (11)
  10. ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (12)
  11. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (13)
  12. A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (9)
  13. DARKERSIDE – David Kushner (15)
  14. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (16)
  15. DETROIT – Badflower (17)
  16. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (18)
  17. DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (20)
  18. SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (23)
  19. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (21)
  20. HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (10)
  21. AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten (22)
  22. GIVING UP – Michigander (14)
  23. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (24)
  24. BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (26)
  25. FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (19) 20th week on chart
  26. ROCKMAN – Mk.gee (28)
  27. HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone (29)
  28. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (30)
  29. THE LINE – twenty one pilots (N)
  30. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (N)

Top 30 Songs for January 19-25, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments

As we enter the first week of the return of the despicable corrupt authoritarian that is Trump to the American Presidency, with its guaranteed upheaval, at least we have lots of great music to bring us a bit of comfort and solace.

The lovely and endearing “The Faithful Heart” by L.A.-based Wons Phreely + The Horses maintains its firm grip on the #1 spot for a second week, while “Sad in Carolina” by Texas sad cowboy music band Dexter and The Moonrocks holds at #2 for a second week after previously spending two weeks at #1. English alternative pop-rock band Glass Animals move up to #3 with their enchanting “A Tear in Space (Airlock)”.

Three songs enter my chart this week, starting with the very cool “ROCKMAN” by alternative indie rock singer-songwriter Mk.gee (born Michael Todd Gordon in New Jersey but from what I can tell is now based in L.A.). He began releasing singles in 2017, as well as two EPs in 2018, a mixtape in 2020 and his debut album Two Star & the Dream Police in February 2024. Sadly none of them charted in the U.S. until his latest single “ROCKMAN”, which is currently #26 on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) and #30 on the Rock/Alternative Airplay charts (Billboard has way too many charts!). That said, Mk.gee’s star has risen exponentially over the past year, with him garnering a coveted spot as musical guest on Saturday Night Live on November 9th. He’s also amassed 2.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 288,000 followers on Instagram.

The other two debut songs are by acts I’ve recently learned about, and I loved their music right off the bat. Coming in at #29 is the beautiful “Here We Go Again” by Welsh pop-rock band Set the Tone. The song was released at the end of November, and I reviewed it in late December. One of their previously-released songs, “Do You Really Wanna Know?”, ended up on my 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 list. And last but certainly not least is the mesmerizing and gorgeous “Imposter Syndrome” by English alt rock/synthwave band Fake Empire. I became a big fan the instant I heard this song, which I also wrote about in a recent Fresh New Tracks post. 

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

Top 30 Songs for January 12-18, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

Top 30 Songs for January 5-11, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top 30 Songs for December 22-28, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top 30 Songs for December 15-21, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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