Tag: The Frontier

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)

TALK IN WAVES – Single Review: “Like You Do”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews15 Comments

A long-time favorite artist of mine is Talk in Waves, the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos formerly known as The Frontier. Based in northern Virginia, he’s an enormously talented and gracious guy with a sense of humor to match, and I’m quite fond of him both as an artist and human. Skillfully blending elements of folk, pop, indie rock and electronica, his music is incredibly melodic, flawlessly crafted and always catchy, without sounding overly pop or formula. He produces and records all aspects of his music in his home studio. As with many singer-songwriters, Jake’s songs are often inspired by personal experiences, touching on relatable topics like love, relationships and loss, which are expressed through lyrics that are honest and straightforward, and delivered with his warm, pleasing vocals.

He’s released an impressive amount of music since 2015, including several recent remixes of his songs by other artists, and I’ve written about him numerous times on this blog since 2016. This review constitutes the 10th. (You can find a few of those reviews under the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.) I’ve loved all his songs, and four of them – “Dark Places” (2019), “Can We Go Back” (2021), “Closer” (2022) and “Walk Through the Fire” (2023) – have gone all the way to #1 on my Weekly Top 30 chart, while “Sleep” (2020) reached #2. Now he’s back with his latest single “Like You Do“, delivering more of the catchy and melodic goodness we’ve come to love and expect from him.

The song opens with a throbbing synth line accompanied by a gentle drumbeat as Jake begins to sing. Soon, the music expands with a mix of acoustic and electric guitars, colorful layered synths and skittering programmed drumbeats, creating a lush backdrop for Jake’s heartfelt vocals. One of the things I like about his songs is how they sound better and better with repeated listens. As I’ve noted in previous reviews, he’s quite adept at programming synths to create captivating soundscapes that quickly draw us in, then hold us in rapt attention all the way to the finish. With “Like You Do”, a careful listen reveals so many wonderful instrumental textures, like the beautiful acoustic and jangly guitar notes, fuzzy bassline, and complex synths that sound haunting in spots, and almost cinematic in others.

The bittersweet lyrics are directed toward a former romantic partner who the singer desperately longs for, and wishes would come back into his life. Jake has a terrific singing voice, along with a talent for reaching deep in his core to summon a well of emotions that come to the surface with an honest and sincere vulnerability in an expression of heartache and anguish that tugs at our heartstrings.

Feels like I'm running out of time
Can't get this feeling off my mind
I still see you in my dreams
Wonder if you ever dream of me
I just want you in my life
Want it to be right
Figured out who's worth the light
Figured out who's worth the fight

Every song sounds the same, every road leads to waste
The stars, they don't shine without you
All the heartache I felt, all the doubt in myself
Nothing takes that away like you do
Yeah, nothing takes that away like you do

Feels like there's something in the way
Maybe it was something that I didn't have to say
I always thought that I would change
Who am I to tell you what to think of me anyway?
I just want you in my life
Want it to be right
Figured out who's worth the light
Figured out who's worth the fight

Every song sounds the same, every road leads to waste
The stars, they don't shine without you
All the heartache I felt, all the doubt in myself
Nothing takes that away like you do
Yeah, nothing takes that away like you do
 
If the moment is gone, we can find a way to hold on
Every song sounds the same, every road leads to waste
The stars, they don't shine without you
All the heartache I felt, all the doubt in myself
Nothing takes that away like you do
Yeah, nothing takes that away like you do

And here’s the song on Bandcamp:

His socials: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Soundcloud / Reverbnation / Apple Music / iTunes / Amazon / YouTube

Top 30 Songs for November 12-18, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments

It’s been quite a while since a song has spent four weeks at #1 on my chart (the last time was two years ago this month with Two Feet’s “Don’t Bring Me Down”), but “ONE MORE TIME” by blink-182 still strongly resonates with me. “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” by Italian rock band Måneskin holds at #2 for a third week, and in fact, the entire top 7 remains unchanged from last week.

The middle of my chart, however, has lots of movement, with several songs making big upward moves. Three songs enter the top 10: “Darling” by Canadian artist Western Jaguar; “My Kinda Girl” by British synth-pop trio The 23s, and “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND” by American metalcore band Bad Omens, all of which advance six spots. The biggest climbers this week are “Summer of Luv” by Portland-based alt-rock band Portugal. The Man featuring Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and “Evicted” by Chicago alt-rock veterans Wilco, each jumping seven spots to #11 and #12, respectively. The bottom third of the chart is more sluggish, with all ten songs advancing one spot. Bringing up the rear is the lone debut, “Cool About It” by boygenius, a long-overdue addition to my chart.

  1. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (1)
  2. HONEY (ARE U COMING) – Måneskin (2)
  3. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (3)
  4. LOVING YOU – Cannons (4)
  5. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (5)
  6. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (6)
  7. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (7)
  8. DARLING – Western Jaguar (14)
  9. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (15)
  10. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (16)
  11. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (18)
  12. EVICTED – Wilco (19)
  13. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (10)
  14. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (12)
  15. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (17)
  16. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (11)
  17. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (13)
  18. FRANCESCA – Hozier (8)
  19. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (9) 21st week on chart
  20. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (21)
  21. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (22)
  22. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (23)
  23. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (24)
  24. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (25)
  25. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (26)
  26. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (27)
  27. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (28)
  28. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (29)
  29. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (30)
  30. COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (N)

Top 30 Songs for November 5-11, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments

blink-182 maintains a firm grip on the #1 spot for a third week with their heartwarming “ONE MORE TIME”, while Måneskin‘s boisterous gem “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” holds at #2 for a second week. I’ve fallen in love with Black Pumas‘ soulful “More Than a Love Song”, which jumps eight spots to #3 this week. The song has now spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard AAA chart. The sensuous “Loving You” by LA dream pop trio Cannons moves up two spots to #4, and Paramore‘s rousing “Running Out of Time” – which could be my theme song – moves up two spots to #5. Foo Fighters climb four spots to #6 with “Under You”.

Three songs debut this week: the ethereal beauty “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski, from her wonderfully-titled latest album The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We, at #28; “Wild”, the cool title track from the new album by prolific Texas singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, featuring contributions by Harmoni Kelly and Marc Schuster, at #29; and the enchanting “All I Die For” by Toronto, Canada indie rock trio SWiiMS, at #30. I was introduced to the song by fellow blogger The Alternative Mixtapes, a terrific blog worth checking out.

  1. ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (1)
  2. HONEY (ARE U COMING) – Måneskin (2)
  3. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (11)
  4. LOVING YOU – Cannons (6)
  5. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (7)
  6. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (10)
  7. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (8)
  8. FRANCESCA – Hozier (3)
  9. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (4) 20th week on chart
  10. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (5)
  11. BAD IDEA RIGHT ? – Olivia Rodrigo (12)
  12. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (13)
  13. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (14)
  14. DARLING – Western Jaguar (15)
  15. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (16)
  16. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (17)
  17. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (18)
  18. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (19)
  19. EVICTED – Wilco (20)
  20. KISSES – Slowdive (9)
  21. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (22)
  22. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (23)
  23. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (24)
  24. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (27)
  25. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (28)
  26. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (29)
  27. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (30)
  28. MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (N)
  29. WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelly & Marc Schuster (N)
  30. ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 29-November 4, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's25 Comments

On this week’s chart, the beautiful and poignant autobiographical “ONE MORE TIME” by Blink-182 remains on top for a second week, while Måneskin‘s bombastic gem “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” slides into second place. “Under You” by the Foo Fighters enters the top 10, and “More Than a Love Song” by Austin, Texas neo-soul duo Black Pumas leaps 10 spots to #11. Making their debut are “”Good Old Days” by New Orleans roots rock band The Revivalists, (which is currently at #1 on the Billboard AAA Chart) at #29, and “Atomic City” by legendary Irish rock band U2, who’ve been putting out music for nearly 45 years, at #30.

  1. ONE MORE TIME – Blink-182 (1)
  2. HONEY (ARE U COMING) – Måneskin (4)
  3. FRANCESCA – Hozier (2)
  4. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (3)
  5. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (5)
  6. LOVING YOU – Cannons (7)
  7. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (8)
  8. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (10)
  9. KISSES – Slowdive (6)
  10. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (12)
  11. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (21)
  12. BAD IDEA RIGHT ? – Olivia Rodrigo (11)
  13. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (13)
  14. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (14)
  15. DARLING – Western Jaguar (16)
  16. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (18)
  17. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (19)
  18. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (20)
  19. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (22)
  20. EVICTED – Wilco (23)
  21. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (9)
  22. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (24)
  23. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (25)
  24. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (26)
  25. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (15)
  26. OVERRATED – dwi (17)
  27. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (29)
  28. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (30)
  29. GOOD OLD DAYS – The Revivalists (N)
  30. ATOMIC CITY – U2 (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 22-28, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

Though I’ve liked some of their songs, I’ve never really followed nor been a big fan of pop-punk band Blink-182. But like most people, I love happy endings, so even I am thrilled to see the original line-up back together again and still making music. Formed in 1992 by guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Scott Raynor, the Southern California act was originally named Duck Tape, then Figure 8, then Blink. Unfortunately, an Irish pop-rock band already had that name, and rather than engage in a legal battle, the band agreed to change their name by adding the number “182” – which they’d picked at random – and from that point forward, they’ve been known as Blink-182. Rayner was dismissed from the band in 1998 and replaced by Travis Barker, who remains the drummer to this day.

Despite their commercial and popular success, they’ve had more than their fair share of ups and downs over their 30-year history. After releasing five albums, three of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, as well as scoring two number one songs on the Modern Rock/Alternative charts, the combination of family commitments (all three guys now had children), the toll of touring and increasing artistic differences were causing tension among the band members. Consequently, they decided to go on a hiatus in early 2005 that ended up lasting nearly four years, with the band members not speaking with each other until October 2008, after Barker was involved in a plane crash that killed four people, leaving he and his collaborator Adam Goldstein as the only two survivors. Barker sustained second and third degree burns which ultimately required sixteen surgeries, multiple blood transfusions, and numerous skin grafts, and also resulted in him developing PTSD. Barker’s brush with death prompted him, DeLonge and Hoppus to come together, which led them to put aside their differences and reunite as a band.

Following their reunion, the band toured extensively and in 2011 released their sixth studio album Neighborhoods, which peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. Nevertheless, tensions between the three persisted, with this period of Blink-182’s history characterized as dysfunctional by both Barker and DeLonge. Hoppus commented in a 2016 interview with Rock Sound: “Everything was always very contentious. There was always just a strange vibe … I knew there was something wrong.” DeLonge decided to leave the band indefinitely at the end of 2014, at which point Hoppus and Barker continued Blink-182 with Matt Skiba, of punk rock band Alkaline Trio, on lead vocals and guitar. That iteration of Blink-182 released two albums, California and Nine, the first of which reached #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and earned the band a Grammy nomination. One of the album’s singles “Bored to Death” also became their third song to hit #1 on the Alternative chart.

In June 2021, the band was hit with yet another setback when Hoppus confirmed that he’d been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and had been receiving treatment in secret for the previous three months. This led to him, Barker and DeLonge coming together yet again in response to a crisis, and the three decided to reunite for a second time in late 2022. Both their latest album One More Time and its heartwarming and poignant title track touch on their history and the challenges that brought them back together. In a sense, “One More Time” is a kind of successor to their 2004 hit “I Miss You”, which they name-drop in the lyrics. “I wish they told us, it shouldn’t take a sickness, or airplanes falling out the sky. Do I have to die to hear you miss me? Do I have to die to hear you say goodbye? / I miss you, took time, but I admit it. It still hurts even after all these years. And I know that next time, ain’t always gonna happen. I gotta say, “I love you” while we’re here.” The beautiful ballad, on which all three members sing, is my new favorite and #1 song on my Weekly Top 30.

In other notable chart developments, “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” by Italian rock band Måneskin moves up two spots to #4, “When We Were Close” by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit enters the top 10, and charismatic British pop-rock band Wild Horse debut with their sweet new song “Attraction”, which I think is one of their finest songs yet.

  1. ONE MORE TIME – Blink-182 (4)
  2. FRANCESCA – Hozier (2)
  3. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (1)
  4. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (6)
  5. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (5)
  6. KISSES – Slowdive (3)
  7. LOVING YOU – Cannons (8)
  8. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (9)
  9. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (7)
  10. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (12)
  11. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (13)
  12. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (14)
  13. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (15)
  14. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (16)
  15. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (10)
  16. DARLING – Western Jaguar (20)
  17. OVERRATED – dwi (11)
  18. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (19)
  19. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (21)
  20. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (22)
  21. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (23)
  22. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (24)
  23. EVICTED – Wilco (25)
  24. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (26)
  25. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (28)
  26. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (29)
  27. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (18)
  28. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (17)
  29. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (30)
  30. ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (N)

Top 30 Songs for October 15-21, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments

Virginia singer-songwriter The Frontier holds the top spot for a second week with his beautiful and uplifting pop-rock gem “Walk Through the Fire”, while “Francesca” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier moves up a notch into second place. Blink-182‘s “ONE MORE TIME” moves up three spots to #4, and “HONEY (ARE U COMING)?” by Italian rock band Måneskin continues its rapid upward trajectory, entering the top 10 at #6.

Three songs make their debut this week: Entering at #28 is “Angry” by The Rolling Stones, a pretty solid banger that shows the legendary rockers still have what it takes. Who would have ever imagined that Mick and Keith would still be going strong at 80 and 79, 60 years after they released their first single “Come On” in 1963.

The second debut is “Your Side of Town” by American alt-rock band The Killers, entering at #29. The synth-driven song was intended to be included on their next album, however, band frontman Brandon Flowers nixed that project. In an interview with British news publication The Sunday Times, he explained “Halfway through recording I realized, ‘I can’t do this’. I think this will be the . . . I don’t think you’ll see us making this type of music anymore. This is the crisis I’m in. The Killers are my identity, and our songs fill seats, but I’m more fulfilled making music like ‘Pressure Machine’ [their 2021 roots rock album]. I found a side of myself writing it that was strong. This was the guy I’d been looking for! I’m as proud of ‘Hot Fuss’ as you can be for something you did when you were 20, but I’m not 20. So I’m thinking about the next phase of my life.”

The third debut is “Run Away With Me” by L.A.-based indie rock band Cold War Kids (who I saw in concert in August when they opened for Tears for Fears), at #30.

  1. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (1)
  2. FRANCESCA – Hozier (3)
  3. KISSES – Slowdive (2)
  4. ONE MORE TIME – Blink-182 (7)
  5. DIAL DRUNK – Noah Kahan (4)
  6. HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (11)
  7. DAYDREAMS AND ALGORITHMS – Eleanor Collides (8)
  8. LOVING YOU – Cannons (9)
  9. RUNNING OUT OF TIME – Paramore (10)
  10. GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (5)
  11. OVERRATED – dwi (6)
  12. WHEN WE WERE CLOSE – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (13)
  13. BAD IDEA RIGHT? – Olivia Rodrigo (14)
  14. UNDER YOU – Foo Fighters (19)
  15. OVERCOME – Nothing But Thieves (17)
  16. PULL ME THROUGH – Royal Blood (18)
  17. ODYSSEY – Beck & Phoenix (12)
  18. SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (15)
  19. MY KINDA GIRL – The 23s (22)
  20. DARLING – Western Jaguar (23)
  21. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND – Bad Omens (24)
  22. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE – Fall Out Boy (25)
  23. MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (27)
  24. SUMMER OF LUV – Portugal. The Man feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (28)
  25. EVICTED – Wilco (30)
  26. THE SHAMEFUL – Amongst Liars (29)
  27. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (16) 22nd week on chart
  28. ANGRY – The Rolling Stones (N)
  29. YOUR SIDE OF TOWN – The Killers (N)
  30. RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (N)