Tag: The Head and the Heart

Top 30 Songs for March 16-22, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's13 Comments

Charismatic duo Balu Brigada‘s wonderful “So Cold” remains at #1 for a second week, while “You’re My Drug” by one of my favorite indie artists, Northern Virginia-based Talk in Waves, moves up a notch into second place. Two songs enter the top 10 this week – the sensuous, bluesy rocker “Take This Heart” by another favorite indie artist of mine, Texas-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Brian Lambert, at #9, and the exuberant foot-stomper “Rushmere” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons, at #10.

Debuting this week are the introspective and lovely “Time Waited” by American indie rock band My Morning Jacket, at #29. Formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998, the band currently consists of founding members Jim James (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Tom Blankenship (bass), as well as Patrick Hallahan (drums & percussion), Bo Koster (keyboards, percussion & backing vocals), and Carl Broemel (lead guitar, pedal steel, saxophone & backing vocals). Their gorgeous single “Feel You” went to #1 on my Top 30 and ranks #6 on my list of 100 Best Songs of 2020. Entering at #30 is the hauntingly beautiful “Snakeskin” by English artist NAVE, the music project of the hyper-talented and thoughtful singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Nathan Evans, who I’ve featured several times on this blog, most recently last month when I reviewed his album X. “Snakeskin” is his second song to appear on my Top 30, the first being “Broken Record”, which went to #1 and ranks #14 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.

  1. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (1)
  2. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (3)
  3. THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (2)
  4. BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (5)
  5. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (4)
  6. SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (8)
  7. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (9)
  8. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (10)
  9. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (13)
  10. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (14)
  11. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (6)
  12. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (16)
  13. DETROIT – Badflower (7)
  14. WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (15)
  15. SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (17)
  16. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (11)
  17. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (12)
  18. WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (21)
  19. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (22)
  20. WALLS – Frank Joshua (23)
  21. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (24)
  22. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (25)
  23. ARROW – The Head and The Heart (18)
  24. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (27)
  25. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (28)
  26. AFTER ALL – Darksoft (29)
  27. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (30)
  28. AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten (19)
  29. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (N)
  30. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (N)

Top 30 Songs for March 9-15, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments
Photo of Balu Brigada from their Facebook account

I have a great Top 30 chart to share this week, as in addition to a marvelous new #1 song and four new entries, several of my favorite indie artists are represented here, which always makes me happy.

Alternative pop-rock act Balu Brigada is the music project of multi-instrumentalist and writer/producer brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley. Originally from Auckland, New Zealand but based in New York City since 2022, the band formed in 2016 as a four-piece but now consists of the charismatic Beasley brothers, along with Jackson Boswell on drums. Though they’ve been putting out music since 2016 – they released their first singles “Ricochet” and “Weekend” that year, followed by more singles and a 10-track EP Almost Feel Good Mixtape in 2019, a 7-track EP I Should Be Home in 2022, and a 6-track EP Find A Way in 2023 – it wasn’t until late 2024 that I learned about them when their song “So Cold” appeared on the Billboard Alternative charts. The song was released way back in June 2024, and later included on their compilation EP BALU, which came out two months later.

Balu Brigada had the good fortune to open for Twenty One Pilots on their Clancy World Tour, which exposed them to a much wider audience. The tour ran in North America from mid-August to mid-October 2024, Australia and New Zealand in November 2024 and Latin America in January and February of this year. They will also be joining Twenty One Pilots on their Europe & UK run of the tour from April-May 2025. On March 5th, the guys made their debut appearance on American television, giving an electrifying performance of “So Cold” on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. The exuberant earworm is my new current favorite song, dethroning Twenty One Pilots from the top spot!

Entering the top 10 are “People Watching” by English alternative pop-rock singer-songwriter Sam Fender and the captivating “Imposter Syndrome” by English alternative rock band Fake Empire, at #s 9 and 10, respectively.

Four newish songs make their debut on this week’s chart, beginning with the beautiful “Bad Larry” by northwest Indiana stoner emo band Cloakroom, which I learned about from fellow blogger Christian when he featured the act on his blog Christian’s Music Musings. I love those twangy guitars, and their sound reminds me a bit of Lord Huron. The song is from their latest album Last Leg of the Human Table. Next up is another song I learned about through Christian, the gorgeous “Mortal Wound” by British indie rock band The Veils, entering at #28. The song is from their seventh and latest album Asphodels, released on January 24th.

Coming in at #29 is the enchanting “After All” by Maine-based dream rock act Darksoft, which I featured last month in a Fresh New Tracks post. His music is always sumptuous and pleasing and his vocals ethereal and soothing, and I’ve loved every single one of his songs. His single “You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do”, from his beautiful fourth album Beigeification, ranks #71 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list. “After All” is from his seventh album Rationalism, which dropped February 21st. Last, but certainly not least, is the uplifting and boisterous “The Turnaround” by Philadelphia power pop trio DelCobras, a new band comprised of Jim Lorino (lead vocals, guitar & synths), Marc Schuster (bass & vocals) and Nick Cervini (drums). I featured the rousing anthem of self redemption in another Fresh New Tracks post.

  1. SO COLD – Balu Brigada (2)
  2. THE LINE – Twenty One Pilots (1)
  3. YOU’RE MY DRUG – Talk in Waves (4)
  4. SAILOR SONG – Gigi Perez (6)
  5. BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (7)
  6. AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (3)
  7. DETROIT – Badflower (5)
  8. SHE WANTS TO GO DANCING – Mt. Joy (9)
  9. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (12)
  10. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (13)
  11. THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (8)
  12. DAY & NIGHT – Oli Barton (11)
  13. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (15)
  14. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (16)
  15. WHO’S A FRAUD? – Still Traffico (18)
  16. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (19)
  17. SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (20)
  18. ARROW – The Head and The Heart (10)
  19. AFTERLIFE – Sharon Van Etten (14)
  20. HERE WE GO AGAIN – Set the Tone (17)
  21. WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (23)
  22. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (24)
  23. WALLS – Frank Joshua (25)
  24. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (29)
  25. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (30)
  26. IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (21)
  27. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (N)
  28. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (N)
  29. AFTER ALL – Darksoft (N)
  30. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (N)

Top 30 Songs for March 2-8, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments

Not a lot of changes on this week’s Top 30, with Twenty One Pilots holding the top spot for a second week with their beautiful and cinematic “The Line”, while Balu Brigada remain at #2 with “So Cold”. Two songs by powerhouse acts make their debut this week, the first of which is “luther” by rapper Kendrick Lamar and alternative R&B/hip hop singer-songwriter SZA (born Solána Imani Rowe). The two previously collaborated on “All The Stars” in 2018, one of my favorite songs of the 2010s. “luther”, which is currently #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, features a sample of “If This World Were Mine”, a 1982 song by the late, great Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn, and I Iove the beautiful strings. The second debut is “The Night Before” by always wonderful blues rock band The Black Keys. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming 13th album No Rain, No Flowers, to be released later in the year.

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

Top 30 Songs for February 23-March 1, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments

I’ve been a huge fan of American alternative rock/electropop/hip hop duo Twenty One Pilots since learning about them in early 2015, and they’ve remained my favorite musical act for the past 10 years. Still based in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio, the band is comprised of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph and drummer/percussionist Josh Dun. I think they have one of the most unique sounds of any act in existence today, and with a few minor exceptions, virtually all of their musical output has been brilliant. Their 2015 masterpiece Blurryface is one of my all-time favorite albums, and spent 276 consecutive weeks – more than five years! – on the Billboard 200 Album chart. It ultimately racked up over 300 weeks on that chart.

Their beautiful and cinematic song “The Line”, from the Season 2 Soundtrack of the Netflix animated action-adventure series Arcane: League of Legends, ascends to the top of my chart this week. The song is about Viktor, one of the main protagonists of the Arcane series, and plays in the 8th episode of season 2. The song is thought to be about crossing “the line” by disappointing loved ones and turning them into enemies, represented by Viktor’s decision to give up his humanity to save humanity, while others think it’s essentially about crossing from life to death. Whatever it’s about, I love it, and it’s their 12th song to reach #1 on my chart, following “The Craving”, which spent three weeks on top this past August and September. “The Line” is also their second song from a film soundtrack, their previous being “Heathens”, which was included on the motion picture soundtrack to the DC Comics 2016 film Suicide Squad.

In other noteworthy chart news, the marvelous “So Cold” by Balu Brigada moves into second place, while “She Wants To Go Dancing” by Mt. Joy and “Bad Dreams” by Teddy Swims enter the top 10. There are two debuts again this week, the first of which is the powerful “Straight to the Ground” by Northern Ireland-based rock band Unquiet Nights (which I reviewed on January 31st), entering at #29, and “Walls”, a captivating track by English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua (which I featured in a Fresh New Tracks post on February 1st), coming in at #30.

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

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)