Not a lot of changes from last week on my latest Weekly Top 30. The Black Keys hold at #1 for a second week with their raucous “Wild Child”, while Florence + the Machine‘s “My Love” closes in at #2. British five-piece Chief Springs enter the top 10 with their lovely song “La Cienega”, named after the famous boulevard that runs through West Hollywood and Los Angeles. The lone new debut this week is “Lonely” by British band Sea Girls, who’ve been around since 2015, but I sadly didn’t learn about until a few weeks ago.
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (1)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (3)
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (2)
SLEEP – Gooseberry (6)
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (7)
WILD – Spoon (8)
LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (5)
DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (4)
I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (10)
LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (13)
VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (16)
Though their latest album Dropout Boogie has gotten mixed reviews, I love The Black Keys‘ lead single “Wild Child”, which knocks Harry Styles’ “As It Was” from the #1 spot after a two-week run. The rousing stomper sees them going back to their blues rock roots, highlighted by Dan Auerbach’s gnarly guitars and Patrick Carney’s muscular drumbeats. Though the simple lyrics are directed to a woman the singer wants to love – “I just wanna hold you at the end of every day. Girl, I wanna please you, oh, I’m needing you to stay. The sun is gonna shine if you would just come out and play. Baby, won’t you show me your wild child ways” – the outrageous video portrays Auerbach and Carney as guys who show up for menial jobs at an out of control high school, then add to the ensuing mayhem.
In other chart news, Florence + the Machine‘s gorgeous “My Love” continues its march toward the top, climbing a notch to #3. “Sleep” by Brooklyn four-piece Gooseberry, “Chasing Trains” by British singer-songwriter HULLAH, and “Wild” by Spoon all climb three spots to #6, 7 and 8, respectively, and Fontaines D.C.’s haunting “I Love You” finally enters the top 10.
Three songs make their debut this week. The first is “Seventeen Going Under” by British singer-songwriter Sam Fender, which enters at #19. The beautiful song was released in July 2021, and I ranked it at #44 on my Top 100 Songs of 2021 list, so when it started getting a lot of airplay a few months ago, I resisted placing it on my Weekly Top 30. But now that’s it climbing up the Alternative charts, I’m compelled to add it to mine too. The other two debuts are “Tell Me The Truth” by my favorite artist Two Feet, who just dropped his fourth album Shape and Form, and “Closer” by another favorite artist of mine, singer-songwriter TheFrontier.
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (2)
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (1)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (4)
DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (3)
LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (5)
SLEEP – Gooseberry (9)
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (10)
WILD – Spoon (11)
WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (6)
I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (14)
BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlisle (8)
BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (7)
LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (15)
ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (16)
THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (17)
VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (18)
Some have asked me how I come up with my Weekly Top 30 lists – i.e., what my song rankings are based on, and how and why I include the songs that I do. Well, it’s simple: it’s basically a list of my 30 current favorite songs for each week. If I had my own radio station, these are the songs I’d play most, along with favorite older songs, of course. I’m a big fan of alternative rock, dream rock, pop-rock and synthpop, so my lists are strongly influenced by the Billboard Alternative and Adult Alternative Airplay charts. I also write about and like to promote indie artists as much as possible, many of whom are putting out outstanding music, so each week I try to include at least 10 songs I really like by indie artists and bands.
It’s not often that a song that reaches #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 also tops my chart, as a lot of them are crap, but every once in a while a great pop song comes along that I also love, such as last year’s “Drivers License”, “Levitating” and “Leave the Door Open”. Harry Styles‘ “As It Was” is another such hit song, now in its third week at #1 on the Hot 100, and #1 for a second week on my chart. TheBlack Keys‘ “Wild Child” closes in at #2, while Florence + the Machine‘s gorgeous “My Love” rises to #4. Entering the top 10 are songs by two indie artists I’ve come to really like: “Sleep” by Brooklyn four-piece Gooseberry, who just released their wonderful EP Broken Dance, and the achingly beautiful “Chasing Trains” by British singer-songwriter HULLAH. The lone debut this week is “Animal” by British rock group Partisan, a long-time favorite band of mine.
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (1)
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (3)
DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (2)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (6)
LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (5)
WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (4)
BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (7)
BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlisle (8)
SLEEP – Gooseberry (11)
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (12)
WILD – Spoon (13)
BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (9)
GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN’ – Jamie Alimorad (10)
I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (17)
LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (18)
ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (19)
THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (20)
VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (21)
DISTANCE – Mount Famine (22)
BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (23)
A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (24)
2am – Foals (25)
JUST LIKE ALWAYS – Oli Barton & the Movement with Maella (14)
Harry Styles‘ delightful synthpop song “As It Was” takes over the top spot on my latest Weekly Top 30. Though I was not a fan of the boy band One Direction, I think that most of its members are pretty talented singers in their own right. That said, Harry Styles stands head and shoulders above the rest, and I’ve really liked a lot of his music as a solo artist. “As It Was” is the lead single from his forthcoming album Harry’s House, to be released on May 20.
In other chart highlights, entering the top 10 are Florence + the Machine‘s gorgeous “My Love”, which climbs five spots to #6, and Brandi Carlisle‘s haunting “Broken Horses”, which moves up four notches to #8. Two songs make their debut this week: “Synchronize” by German duo Milky Chance, and “That’s Where I Am” by the amazing American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers.
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (2)
DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (1)
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (4)
WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (3)
LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (6)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (11)
BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (5)
BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlisle (12)
BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (7)
GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN’ – Jamie Alimorad (10)
SLEEP – Gooseberry (14)
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (15)
WILD – Spoon (16)
JUST LIKE ALWAYS – Oli Barton & the Movement & Maella (8)
I’LL CALL YOU MINE – girl in red (9)
CHEER UP BABY – Inhaler (13)
I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (19)
LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (20)
ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (21)
THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (22)
VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (23)
The mysterious and smoldering “Deception” by British singer-songwriter Hannah Reem, with stunning cinematic music by producer-composer Noodle Beard, is my favorite song for a second week. I think Hannah’s powerful, sultry vocals would hold their own up against many of today’s top-rated female singers. This song is so good – to my ears anyway – that I want it to keep going for nine or ten minutes. I guess I’ll just have to keep hitting replay!
Harry Styles jumps eight spots to #2 with his exuberant earworm “As It Was”. Though I was not a fan of One Direction (the boy band he was a member of in his teens, for those who are somehow unaware), I really like a lot of his music as a solo artist, and his latest single is terrific. According to an article in the webzine Stylecaster, though Styles hasn’t confirmed the song’s meaning, many believe it’s about his relationship with fame and how his life isn’t “the same as it was” since becoming a music star, expressed by the lyrics “In this world, it’s just us. You know it’s not the same as it was.” The song also alludes to his loneliness and concern from others as he isolates himself from the world, opening with a child’s voice (an actual phone recording of his goddaughter Ruby Winston) saying: “Come on, Harry, we wanna say goodnight to you,” and in the second verse Styles acknowledges “Answer the phone. ‘Harry, you’re no good alone. Why are you sitting at home on the floor? What kind of pills are you on?’”
Otherwise, just the typical chart movement this week as older songs slowly move down to make way for newer ones on their way up. The Black Keys‘ “Wild Child” climbs four spots to #4, as does Florence + the Machine‘s “My Love”, which moves up to #11. Yet again, I wanted to add at least five new songs to this list, but only had slots for two: Bastille‘s delightfully upbeat Calypso-infused “Shut Off the Lights”, and the mesmerizing “Miracle Mile” by Welsh electro-punk band Head Noise, which enter at #29 and #30 respectively. I love Bastille lead singer Dan Smith’s distinctive vocals, and am glad they’re still going strong after 10 years. And I’ve been following self-described oddball band Head Noise for a couple of years, and for me, the epic “Miracle Mile”, from their recently-released EP SCRAM, is their best song yet.
DECEPTION – Hannah Reem and Noodle Beard (1)
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (10)
WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (2)
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (8)
BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (6)
LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (7)
BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (4)
JUST LIKE ALWAYS – Oli Barton & the Movement & Maella (3)
I’LL CALL YOU MINE – girl in red (5)
GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN’ – Jamie Alimorad (9)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (15)
BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlisle (11)
CHEER UP BABY – Inhaler (14)
SLEEP – Gooseberry (16)
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (17)
WILD – Spoon (18)
CAVIAR – Two Feet (12)
THE ONLY HEARTBREAKER – Mitski (13)
I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (19)
LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (22)
ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (23)
THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (24)
VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (25)
This is my first post in a week, the longest stretch I’ve gone without writing a post in my blog’s nearly seven-year history, as I’ve been hit with another crippling bout of writer’s block. But I cannot miss sharing my latest Weekly Top 30, and this week brings a few exciting new developments. First of all, “Deception”, the stunning collaboration between soulful-voiced British singer-songwriter Hannah Reem and producer-composer Noodle Beard, takes over the top spot. The dramatic song is a dark and twisted love story about infidelity and the complexities surrounding painful choices, set to a smoldering, cinematic trip hop soundscape. Hannah explained her inspiration for writing the song: “I’ve felt fury and been forced to lose, I’ve been homeless and broke, felt like a joke, and cheated on by those that I choose. But I’ll get through.” As I’ve mentioned on previous posts, “Deception” would make a great James Bond theme song, and even after having it on repeat for the past month and a half, it still has the power to cover me with chills. It’s an incredible song that deserves to be a huge worldwide hit.
In other chart highlights this week, The Black Keys‘ “Wild Child” leaps eight spots to #8, and the hauntingly beautiful “My Love” by Florence + the Machine jumps seven spots to #15. As always, there’s so much great music out now, with about 10 songs I wanted to add to my list. Alas, I had room for only three new ones: Harry Styles‘ delightful “As It Was” enters high up the chart at #10 (it debuted at #1 last week on the Billboard Hot 100), while Weezer‘s “A Little Bit of Love” and Foals‘ “2am” enter at #29 and #30.
DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (3)
WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (1)
JUST LIKE ALWAYS – Oli Barton & the Movement with Maella (2)
BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (5)
I’LL CALL YOU MINE – girl in red (4)
BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (8)
LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (9)
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (16)
GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN’ – Jamie Alimorad (10)
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (N)
BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlisle (12)
CAVIAR – Two Feet (6)
THE ONLY HEARTBREAKER – Mitski (7)
CHEER UP BABY – Inhaler (14)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (22)
SLEEP – Gooseberry (17)
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (18)
WILD – Spoon (21)
I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (15)
B-SIDE – Khruangbin & Leon Bridges (11)
REDCHURCH STREET BLUES – Philip Morgan Lewis (13)
LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (25)
ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (26)
THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (27)
VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (28)
I love the music of Portland-based Portugal. The Man (who are originally from Wasilla, Alaska, not Portugal), and their deliciously upbeat “What, Me Worry?” is my new #1 song this week. Co-written by the band, along with Jeff Bhasker and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, both of whom also produced the track, “What, Me Worry” is an antidote for overcoming the gloomy pall of the pandemic. The song’s title is a nod to long-time Mad Magazine cover boy Alfred E. Newman and his iconic phrase. And how about that fantastic bass line?
In other chart news, there’s lots of activity this week. Sliding into the #2 spot is the hauntingly beautiful “Just Like Always” by one of my favorite British acts Oli Barton & the Movement, featuring added vocals by British singer Maella. The dark and cinematic “Deception” by British producer-composer Noodle Beard and vocalist extraordinaire Hannah Reem, continues it’s rapid move up my chart, leaping six spots to #3. Moving into the top 5 are “I’ll Call You Mine” by Norwegian singer-songwriter girl in red and “Broken Hearts” by L.A. duo Ships Have Sailed. Three songs enter the top 10: “Black Summer” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Love Brand New” by BobMoses, and “Give a Little Lovin'” by Jamie Alimorad. The Black Keys leap nine spots to #16 with their latest single “Wild Child”. And making their debut this week are the lovely “Virginia (Wind in the Night)” by The Head and the Heart, “Distance” by British dream rock band Mount Famine, and “Bloodrush” by British alt-rock band TheAmazons.
WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (2)
JUST LIKE ALWAYS – Oli Barton & the Movement & Maella (4)
DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (9)
I’LL CALL YOU MINE – girl in red (6)
BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (7)
CAVIAR – Two Feet (1)
THE ONLY HEARTBREAKER – Mitski (3)
BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (11)
LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (12)
GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN’ – Jamie Alimorad (13)
B-SIDE – Khruangbin & Leon Bridges (10)
BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlisle (16)
REDCHURCH STREET BLUES – Philip Morgan Lewis (8)
CHEER UP BABY – Inhaler (17)
I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (18)
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (25)
SLEEP – Gooseberry (20)
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (21)
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS – Thunder Fox (5)
LOVE DIES YOUNG – Foo Fighters (14)
WILD – Spoon (26)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (27)
ONCE TWICE MELODY – Beach House (19)
CHAPSTICK – COIN (15)
LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (28)
ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (29)
THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (30)
VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (N)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 