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.
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (1)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (2)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (3)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (4)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (7)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (8)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (10)
ARROW – The Head and the Heart (15)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (14)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (5)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (6)
GIVING UP – Michigander (16)
GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (20)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (9)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (11)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (18)
ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (19)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (12)
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.
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (2)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (4)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (1)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (3)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (5)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (6)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (8)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (10)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (7)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (12)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (9)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (13)
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!
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (1)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (2)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (4)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (8)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (3)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (5)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (6)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (9)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (7)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (13)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (11)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (12)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (16)
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!
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (2)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (4)
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (5)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (3)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (7)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (6)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (12)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (11)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (9)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (13)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (14)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (16)
KINKY – bby (15)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (8)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (18)
DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (19)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (20)
ARROW – The Head and the Heart (21)
GIVING UP – Michigander (22)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (10)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (24)
ROUTINES IN THE NIGHT – twenty one pilots (26)
GILD THE LILY – Billy Strings (29)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (17)
PEACE SONG – Fat Dog (30)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (25)
Fontaines D.C. remain on top for a third week with their heartwarming “Favourite”, while The Cure switches places with Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars as “A Fragile Thing” moves up a notch to #2 and “Die With A Smile” drops to #3. Dexter and The Moonrocks jump five spots to #4 with their bombastic earworm “Sad in Carolina”, while Beach Weather move up two spots with their sultry “Hardcore Romance” to round out the top five. The wonderful “The Faithful Heart” by Los Angeles-based Wons Phreely + The Horses is this week’s biggest upward mover, leaping 16 spots to #12.
Making their debut are songs by two acts who are totally new to me. The first, entering at #29, is “Gild the Lily” by Michigan-based singer-songwriter and bluegrass musician Billy Strings. Born William Lee Apostol, he was given his stage name Billy Strings from his aunt, who recognized his impressive skills playing multiple traditional bluegrass instruments. He’s been releasing music as a solo artist since 2017, and has won numerous music awards, including a Grammy in 2021 for Best Bluegrass Album for his second album Home. The pleasing “Gild the Lily” is from his fourth album Highway Prayers, a 20-track colossus released this past September.
Entering at #30 is the boisterous “Peace Song” by English techno punk band Fat Dog. Formed in South London in 2020, the band consists of Joe Love, Chris Hughes, Morgan Wallace, Jacqui Wheeler and Johnny ‘Doghead’ Hutch. They released their debut seven-minute long single “King of the Slugs” in 2023, followed by a number of singles which culminated in the release of their debut album WOOF. this past September. Their latest single “Peace Song” dropped November 21st, and it was love at first listen for me.
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (3)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (2)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (9)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (7)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (6)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (8)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (4)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (10)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (5)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (12)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (28)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (15)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (16)
KINKY – bby (17)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (18)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (11)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (21)
DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (22)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (23)
ARROW – The Head and the Heart (24)
GIVING UP – Michigander (25)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (13)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (26)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (14)
As its title would suggest, my favorite song again this week is “Favourite” by Irish band Fontaines D.C., who’ve also become one of my favorite bands. And from posts I’ve read, on the strength of their latest album Romance, they’ve become the favorite of many others as well. In an interview with Fontaines D.C. front man Grian Chatten in September on his Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music, Elton John told Chatten “For me, you’re the best band out there at the moment. You seem to have found your feet with this album in such a big way… it’s a brilliant record. I think this album takes you – and I’ve been around for a long time – to a different level, and it’s going to stay around for a long, long time. But what’s more important about it: the music is really, really, really special. Congratulations on everything, Grian. It’s bloody wonderful.” I couldn’t agree more. “Favourite” is the second song from Romance – and Fontaines D.C. – to top my Weekly Top 30, following “Starburster”, which spent three weeks at #1 this past August.
In other noteworthy chart developments, the wonderful duet “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars climbs two spots to #2, while “A Fragile Thing” by legendary alternative goth-rock band The Cure jumps three spots to #3. Entering the top 10 are “Sad In Carolina” by Texas rock band Dexter and The Moonrocks and “Bothering Me” by Australian singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko.
Two songs make their debut, the first of which is the heartwarming “The Faithful Heart” by Australian-born and Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Wons Phreely and his band The Horses, entering at #28. I wrote about the song and its delightful video a few days ago, which you can read here. The second, entering at #30, is “Routines In The Night” by twenty one pilots. It’s the third song from their latest album Clancy to appear on my chart, following “Overcompensate”, which reached #2, and “The Craving”, which spent three weeks at #1.
FAVOURITE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
DIE WITH A SMILE – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars (4)
A FRAGILE THING – The Cure (6)
PEACEFUL PLACE – Leon Bridges (2)
THAT’S HOW I’M FEELING – Jack White (3)
CAN’T SLOW DOWN – almost monday (7)
HARDCORE ROMANCE – Beach Weather (8)
NOBODY’S SOLDIER – Hozier (9)
SAD IN CAROLINA – Dexter and The Moonrocks (12)
BOTHERING ME – Sarah Blasko (11)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish (5)
NEVERENDER – Justice & Tame Impala (14)
GARMONBOZIA – Flying Lotus (10)
UP ALL NIGHT – James Bay, The Lumineers & Noah Kahan (13)
SUPERSAD – Suki Waterhouse (17)
BOBBY SOX – Green Day (18)
KINKY – bby (19)
A TEAR IN SPACE (AIRLOCK) – Glass Animals (20)
THE DOOR – Teddy Swims (14)
THE EMPTINESS MACHINE – Linkin Park (18)
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano (23)
DOPAMINE – Sum 41 (24)
IN THE LIVING ROOM – Maggie Rogers (26)
ARROW – The Head and the Heart (28)
GIVING UP – Michigander (29)
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society (30)
DEATH VALLEY HIGH – Orville Peck & Beck (21)
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses (N)
Two Feet holds at #1 for a second week with his fiercely erotic “Tell Me The Truth”, while Sam Fender‘s glorious “Seventeen Going Under” jumps four spots to #2. Despite the fact it’s been around a while, my love for the beautiful and emotionally powerful song just keeps growing stronger. And speaking of staying power, Harry Styles‘ “As It Was” and the Black Keys‘ “Wild Child” are now in their 12th week in the top 10. “As It Was” has actually spent 11 weeks in the top 5, two of them at #1, while “Wild Child” spent 10 weeks in the top 4, two of them also at #1. Entering the top 10 this week is “2am” by Foals, from their marvelous new album Life Is Yours. Leaping 11 spots to #11 is the uplifting and poignant “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” by Arcade Fire, while “The Funeral” by YUNGBLUD climbs five spots to #23.
The one debut track this week is the hauntingly beautiful and cinematic “Broken Record” by British artist NAVE, the solo music project of singer-songwriter, composer and producer Nathan Evans. The prolific and hyper-talented musician, who possesses a gorgeous singing voice, is also front man for alternative rock band Native Tongue. Nathan states “‘Broken Record’ focuses on the like, follow and share society we have transitioned into over the past decade. Likes release dopamine like a drug and we become addicted to the validation, attention and acknowledgment of our successes or happiness. We hide behind filters and fake smiles to show an inaccurate reality we wish was real.” I can attest to the fact that I’m frightfully addicted to the need for validation, attention and acknowledgment of not only my blog, but also my tweets, Instagram and Facebook posts, all of which causes me frequent disappointment and unhappiness.
TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (1)
SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (6)
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (2)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (3)
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (5)
BELIEVE – Caamp (7)
ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (8)
A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (9)
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (4)
2am – Foals (12)
UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (22)
BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (10)
SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (14)
THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (15)
THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (16)
CLOSER – The Frontier (17)
LONELY – Sea Girls (18)
LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (13)
BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (19)
IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (21)
WILD – Spoon (11)
WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (23)
THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (28)
DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (26)
LIN MANUEL – Onism E (27)
MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (29)
FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (30)
SLEEP – Gooseberry (20)
VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (25)
Brooklyn, New York-based Two Feet (the music moniker of singer-songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire Bill Dess) has been my favorite music artist for the past four years or so. I’ve written about him numerous times on this blog, and have seen three of his live shows. His latest single “Tell Me The Truth” assumes the #1 spot on this week’s Top 30, his tenth song to top my weekly chart. Many of his songs are sultry and sensual, but “Tell Me The Truth”, taken from his fourth album Shape & Form, is one of his darkest and sexiest yet. The lyrics are sung from the perspective of a man who’s tried everything to win the love of a woman he desires, to no avail. “For too long, I dream of you, All that you do. I watch you float on, float on. For too long, I contemplate, I try to be all that you need. So tell me the truth, my baby, baby. Is it me, is it you?“
It’s a powerful and gorgeous song, and I love how it transitions from haunting interludes of restrained instrumentals and vocals in the verses, to an explosive, cinematic crescendo in the choruses, in which Two Feet’s vocals are more impassioned and raw than we’ve ever heard before. It’s also longer than most of his previous songs, and his scorching guitar solo in the final chorus is well worth the wait. He’s commented that it’s his favorite of all the songs he’s written and recorded, and I have to say that it’s certainly one of mine. The steamy video, directed by Brian Lipko and starring a finely chiseled Two Feet and sexy LA-based model and restauranteur Tina Louise, shows them experiencing the throes of unrequited sexual desire and angst, both together and alone.
Entering the top 10 this week are “About Damn Time” by Lizzo and “A Little Bit of Love” by Weezer, who I’m happy are still making music after nearly 30 years together. Making a strong upward movement are My Chemical Romance‘s “The Foundations of Decay” and Arcade Fire‘s “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)”, both of which climb seven spots to #16 and #22, respectively. Three new songs make their debut: “The Funeral” by British artist YUNGBLUD (which I realized I really like after reading this post by fellow blogger The Alternative Mixtapes), “Mistakes” by the always wonderful Sharon Van Etten, and the haunting “Failure to Comply” by MISSIO, another one of my favorite artists, who I’ll finally be seeing perform live in LA on July 30.
TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (3)
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (1)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (2)
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (4)
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (5)
SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (7)
BELIEVE – Caamp (9)
ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (12)
A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (11)
BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (8)
WILD – Spoon (6)
2am – Foals (13)
LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (10)
SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (15)
THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (16)
THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (23)
CLOSER – The Frontier (20)
LONELY – Sea Girls (21)
BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (22)
SLEEP – Gooseberry (14)
IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (25)
UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (29)
WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses(26)
LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (17)
VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (18)
DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (28)
One of my best new finds of 2022 is the young British singer-songwriter Charley Hullah, who goes by just his last name, stylized as HULLAH. I learned about the handsome and talented London-based artist as a result of being a guest moderator for the BBC Music weekly song competition Fresh On The Net, for which he’d entered his single “Chasing Trains”. I loved the beautiful song the moment I heard it, and chose it as one of my five top picks out of the 170 entries. (Three others of those top five have also appeared on my Weekly Top 30: “Deception” by Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard, which reached #1 in late April, “The Hurt Within” by Holy Coves and “La Cienega” by Chief Springs, which is still on this list.) Now in its 15th week on my list, I’m thrilled to finally place “Chasing Trains” at the top. HULLAH’s compelling lyrics, haunting melody, sparkling atmospheric synths and ethereal vocals are gorgeous, and I love this song more with every listen.
In other chart developments, Two Feet moves up three spots to #3 with his smoldering song of desire “Tell Me The Truth”, and Florence + the Machine, The Black Keys, Harry Styles, Spoon, Sam Fender and Bob Moses continue to dominate the top 10. Caamp climbs three spots to #9 with their lovely “Believe”, Weezer‘s optimistic “A Little Bit of Love” also moves up three to #11, and Lizzo‘s delightful “About Damn Time” leaps 14 spots to #12. Making their debut this week are “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” by Arcade Fire, and the brilliant “Lin Manuel” by New York-based indie rock band Onism E.
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (2)
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (1)
TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (6)
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (3)
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (4)
WILD – Spoon (5)
SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (8)
BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (10)
BELIEVE – Caamp (12)
LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (9)
A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (14)
ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (26)
2am – Foals (15)
SLEEP – Gooseberry (7)
SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (17)
THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (18)
LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (11)
VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (13)
SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (16)
CLOSER – The Frontier (22)
LONELY – Sea Girls (23)
BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (24)
THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (25)
ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (19)
IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (28)
WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (29)
DISTANCE – Mount Famine (20)
DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (30)
No matter how often I listen to “My Love” by Florence + the Machine, my love for it (no pun intended) only grows stronger, and the gorgeous song maintains a firm grip on the #1 spot for a third week. Moving up two notches to #2 is “Chasing Trains” by London singer songwriter HULLAH, another beautiful song I never tire of hearing. In other notable chart movements, my favorite artist Two Feet jumps six spots to #6 with his darkly sexy “Tell Me The Truth”, and Ohio band Caamp leaps 10 spots with their lovely song “Believe”.
Three new songs make their debut this week: “About Damn Time” by Lizzo, her first ever appearance on my chart, enters at #26. I know she’s one of the most popular artists around today, but none of her previous songs have really appealed to me until “About Damn Time”, and I can’t resist its infectious 70s dance groove. At #29 is “Warning Signs” by the wonderful Band of Horses, whose songs never disappoint. And bringing up the rear is “Desperately Wanting”, a haunting collaboration by prolific and talented singer-songwriters BrianLambert and Marc Schuster.
MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (1)
CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (4)
WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (2)
AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (5)
WILD – Spoon (6)
TELL ME THE TRUTH – Two Feet (12)
SLEEP – Gooseberry (3)
SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER – Sam Fender (9)
LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (7)
BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (11)
LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (8)
BELIEVE – Caamp (22)
VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (10)
A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (16)
2am – Foals (17)
SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (18)
SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (19)
THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (20)
ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (13)
DISTANCE – Mount Famine (15)
THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (14)
CLOSER – The Frontier (24)
LONELY – Sea Girls (25)
BEDS ARE BURNING – AWOLNATION feat. Tim McIlrath (26)
THE FOUNDATIONS OF DECAY – My Chemical Romance (29)
ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (N)
DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (21)
IN THE MIRROR – The Interrupters (30)
WARNING SIGNS – Band of Horses (N)
DESPERATELY WANTING – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster (N)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 