Tag: Unquiet Nights

Top 30 for March 23-29, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments

“So Cold” by Balu Brigada, the music project of multi-instrumentalist and writer/producer brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley, is still my favorite song and thus remains at #1 on my Top 30 chart for a third week. Moving into second place is the captivating “Bad Dreams” by Teddy Swims (aka American singer-songwriter Jaten Collin Dimsdale), while the darkly beautiful “Imposter Syndrome” by English alternative rock band Fake Empire moves up three spots to #5. Nashville band extraordinaire Cage the Elephant enter the top 10 with “Metaverse”, a great track from their latest album Neon Pill.

Two songs enter my chart this week, the first of which is the magical “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish band Fontaines D.C., who’ve become one of my favorite acts. Their song “Starburster” was my #1 song of 2024, with “Favourite” ranking #8, both from their most recent album Romance, which was also my favorite album of 2024. As a now old man, I can attest to the fact that being young is most definitely amazing! The second debut is “Poor Sad Indie Everything” by Maryland-based shoegaze/indie rock band Icarus Phoenix. I featured the gorgeous song on a recent Fresh New Tracks post, and I absolutely love band frontman Drew Danburry’s enchanting vocals.

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

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)

UNQUIET NIGHTS – Double Single Review: “Everything Seductive”/”Straight To The Ground”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews3 Comments

Unquiet Nights is an outstanding rock band I’ve been following for seven years and have featured several times on this blog. Originally started in 2006 as a solo project by Luke Mathers, a talented singer-songwriter and guitarist from Belfast, Northern Ireland, with  the help of Rodger Firmin on drums he began recording songs for what would become the first Unquiet Nights album 21st Century Redemption Songs. In 2010, Luke moved to Italy, where he eventually finished and released the album. He was later joined by Italian musicians Francesco Piciucchi on bass and keyboards, and drummer Matteo Bussotti for live shows, though Rodger still played drums on their recordings. 

In 2015 they released their beautiful second album Postcards in Real Time. One of the tracks from that album, “George Best City”, which was never released as a single but was used in the Federico Buffa Racconta documentary series, landed them several live national appearances on Italian TV stations, and became their best known and most successful song, garnering more than half a million streams on Spotify alone as of today. Mathers eventually moved back to Belfast in 2016, where he continues to record and release music with Firmin and Piciucchi as Unquiet Nights. In 2022, they released a compilation album First Ten (2012-2022), a sort of ‘greatest hits so far’ work commemorating the 10-year anniversary of their debut album 21st Century Redemption Songs. They followed two years later with their third studio album Seasons in Exile, released last January (2024). I reviewed the album’s lead single “Diamond and the Missing Son”, which ended up ranking #11 on my 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 list, and #65 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 overall list. (Also, their 2019 single “Four Winds“ ranks #76 on my list of 100 Best Songs for that year.)

Now they’re back with a double single “Everything Seductive”/”Straight To The Ground” which, like all their music, was produced by Mathers, and mixed and mastered by Neal Calderwood. The songs were recorded during the Season in Exile sessions, but since they didn’t fit in with that album’s storyline concept, they weren’t included. Both being excellent songs, Unquiet Nights decided to release them now as stand-alone singles. The first, or A-side “Everything Seductive”, is an exuberant foot-stomping rocker, with fuzz-coated gnarly guitars punctuated here and there by twangy notes and accompanied by Fermin’s urgent drumbeats. Mathers’ commanding vocals nicely convey a sense of sad resignation as he sings of a romantic love affair that’s hit its end, leaving him feeling dejected and wondering what went wrong: “Tell her I’m discouraged, and she should know the reason why. Everything seductive in this life just seems to pass me by.“

The B-side “Straight To The Ground” is more personal for Mathers, who told me he never had the opportunity to meet one of his grandads because he died of a heart attack after the IRA (Irish Republican Army) destroyed his corner shop in a bombing. The song’s lyrics are meant to describe his grandad’s bitter feelings after seeing his life’s work blown up: “I built all that you can see. I built on solid rock for those who depended on me. You ever tried to make the best out of all that you found? You ever stood and watch it all falling straight to the ground?” To drive home his message, Mathers serves up a distinctly darker tone than on “Everything Seductive”, with an ominous grinding guitar riff layered over a hard-driving rhythm of throbbing bass and pounding drumbeats. His guitar work is fantastic, highlighted by a one-two punch of a gorgeous chiming solo in the bridge, followed by a magnificent wailing guitar solo that leaves me covered in chills before the song quickly fades out. Befitting the subject matter, his vocals are more intense as well, fervently conveying the anger and bitterness expressed in the lyrics.

Though I really like both tracks, “Straight To The Ground” struck me at first listen, and it’s my favorite of the two. 

Connect with Unquiet Nights:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Find their music on  Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music/ Soundcloud 

Top 30 Songs for May 5-11, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's17 Comments
Photo of MISSIO by Ima Leupp

MISSIO holds on to the top spot on my chart for a third week with “Time”, one of the many outstanding songs from their latest album I AM CINCO, an epic work featuring 26 tracks that dropped this past Friday, May 3rd. (Read my review and interview with the guys here.) Green Day moves into second place with “Dilemma”, while Royel Otis climb two spots to #3 with their delightful cover of “Murder on the Dance Floor”. Hozier‘s “Too Sweet” leaps another eight spots this week, entering the top 10 at #7, while Black Pumas‘ “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)” moves up a notch to enter the top 10 at #10. Also moving up eight spots are “Capricorn” by Vampire Weekend, to #18, and “Creatures in Heaven” by Glass Animals, to #19.

The sole debut this week, at #30, is “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift, featuring Post Malone, who co-wrote the song with Swift and singer-songwriter/producer Jack Antonoff. The downtempo synthpop ballad is from her latest and 15th album The Tortured Poets Department, which has received generally positive reviews and broken numerous sales and streaming records. The album, released April 19th after weeks of advance hype, features 16 tracks. But only two hours later, Swift surprise-released a double album edition, subtitled The Anthology and containing 15 bonus tracks, for a total of 31 in two volumes. While I’m not a huge fan of Swift, I do acknowledge her strong songwriting abilities, and really like some of her songs. As an example of her massive popularity, she currently holds every single one of the top 14 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Fortnight” at #1.

  1. TIME – MISSIO (1)
  2. DILEMMA – Green Day (3)
  3. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (5)
  4. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (2)
  5. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (4)
  6. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (6)
  7. TOO SWEET – Hozier (15)
  8. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (7)
  9. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (9)
  10. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (11)
  11. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (13)
  12. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (12)
  13. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (14)
  14. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (8)
  15. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (10)
  16. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (19)
  17. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (20)
  18. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (26)
  19. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (27)
  20. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (18)
  21. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (23)
  22. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (22)
  23. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (24)
  24. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (16)
  25. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (17)
  26. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (28)
  27. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (29)
  28. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (30)
  29. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (21)
  30. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 28-May 4, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments
Photo of MISSIO by Ima Leupp

MISSIO remain on top for a second week with their hauntingly beautiful song “Time”, one of the many great tracks that will be featured on their forthcoming monumental album I AM CINCO, to be released next Friday, May 3rd. “Overcompensate” by twenty one pilots moves up a notch to #2, while “Dilemma” by Green Day reverses course by moving back up to #3. Australian duo Royel Otis climb two spots to #5 with their delightful cover of “Murder on the Dance Floor”, and “Good People”, by Mumford & Sons and Pharrell Williams, finally enters the top 10 at #10. The song recently spent one week at #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

The biggest upward mover is “Too Sweet”, by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, jumping eight spots to #15. The song has quickly become an unexpected hit that’s even surprised the singer, reaching #1 in many countries including the U.S., where it’s become his highest-charting single and first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, besting his monster hit “Take Me to Church”, which peaked at #2.

Three songs make their debut this week, the first of which is “Broken Man” by American artist St. Vincent, the musical project of uniquely talented and innovative singer-songwriter and musician Annie Clark, coming in at #28. The song is from her seventh studio album All Born Screaming, which dropped this past Friday, April 26th. The second new entry, at #29, is “Loneliness” by the legendary British synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. The song is the lead single from their fifteenth studio album Nonetheless, which also dropped this past Friday. They were one of my favorite acts from 1986-88, and I’m happy they’re still putting out new music all these years later. The third new entry is “For Us All”, a superb song by English singer-songwriter Asgard Raven, which I reviewed last week. 

  1. TIME – MISSIO (1)
  2. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  3. DILEMMA – Green Day (5)
  4. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (2)
  5. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (7)
  6. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (4)
  7. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (6)
  8. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (9)
  9. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (10)
  10. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (12)
  11. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (14)
  12. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (15)
  13. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (17)
  14. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (16)
  15. TOO SWEET – Hozier (23)
  16. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (8)
  17. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (11)
  18. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (19)
  19. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (20)
  20. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (22)
  21. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (13)
  22. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (24)
  23. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (25)
  24. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (26)
  25. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (18)
  26. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (29)
  27. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (30)
  28. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (N)
  29. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (N)
  30. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 21-27, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's17 Comments

Austin, Texas-based duo MISSIO have been one of my favorite acts ever since I first learned about them and their music back in 2017. I love their uniquely eclectic sound that’s an arresting blend of alternative rock, electronic and hip hop, and have written about them several times on this blog. Three of their songs – “I See You”, “Underground” and “Can You Feel the Sun” – have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30, and now their darkly captivating “Time” joins that esteemed group by ascending to the top spot on my latest chart. The gorgeous song will be included on their forthcoming fifth album I AM CINCO, an epic work scheduled for release on May 3rd. I love Matthew Brue’s distinctive tenor voice, which sounds especially vulnerable and heartfelt here. And the complexity of their arrangements, combined with intricate instrumentation, always makes for an exciting listen. The simple but profound lyrics touch on anxieties over some of the issues facing our current world and society, with MISSIO reminding us that “time goes wherever you are, now, in each moment” and to “live like it’s your last because you’re not guaranteed a tomorrow.”

In other chart highlights, “Overcompensate” by twenty one pilots inches up a notch to #3, “Kool Aid Blue” by Canadian band The Sylvia Platters moves up one to #6 and “Murder On the Dance Floor” by Australian duo Royel Otis advances three spots to #7. The dreamy “Everything We Need” by electro-rock duo Mojave Grey enters the top 10 at #10.

Two songs make their debut this week. The first, and long overdue, is “Capricorn” by New York City-based indie rock/art pop band Vampire Weekend, entering at #29. I love frontman Ezra Koenig’s pleasing drawl, that lovely piano riff and the gnarly cinematic chorus. The poignant song, described by Alex Hudson of Canadian music webzine Exclaim! as being about the “aching, unavoidable melancholy of growing old and discovering that adults feel just as powerless as kids do“, is from their fifth studio album Only God Was Above Us, which dropped April 5th.

Entering at #30 is “Creatures in Heaven” by English indie/psychedelic pop/rock band Glass Animals. Like the aforementioned Vampire Weekend, their music is hard to classify, as both bands incorporate a myriad of genres and styles into their sound. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming fourth album I Love You So F***ing Much, scheduled for release on July 19th. In an interview with Consequence Sound, band frontman Dave Bayley – whose singing voice I adore – said the song is about “a moment in time, having the capacity to be enormously formative and life-changing.”

  1. TIME – MISSIO (2)
  2. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (1)
  3. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (4)
  4. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (3)
  5. DILEMMA – Green Day (5)
  6. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (7)
  7. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (10)
  8. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (6)
  9. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (9)
  10. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (12)
  11. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (8)
  12. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (15)
  13. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (11)
  14. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (16)
  15. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (17)
  16. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (18)
  17. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (19)
  18. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (13)
  19. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (20)
  20. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (22)
  21. BLUSH – Vazum (14)
  22. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (25)
  23. TOO SWEET – Hozier (30)
  24. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (27)
  25. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (28)
  26. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (29)
  27. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (21)
  28. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (23)
  29. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (N)
  30. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 14-20, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's12 Comments

I think “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs is a perfect power pop tune, and I just can’t get enough of it. Consequently, it remains at #1 on my Top 30 for a third week. Aiming for the top spot, the hauntingly beautiful “Time” by MISSIO slides into second place, while twenty one pilots‘ “Overcompensate” moves up a notch to #4. Entering the top 10 at #9 is the delightful dance-pop song “I’m in Love” by San Diego singer-songwriter Jelani Aryeh, followed by the equally delightful “Murder On the Dance Floor” by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, jumping six spots to #10.

Two songs make their debut on my chart this week, the first of which is “Mustang” by Kings of Leon. While I’m a pretty big fan of theirs, this song took a while to grow on me, as I initially found Caleb Followill’s screaming vocals a bit off-putting. “Mustang” was the lead single from their forthcoming ninth studio album Can We Please Have Fun, scheduled for release on May 10. Entering at #30 is “Two Sweet” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. Shockingly, the song debuted at #5 two weeks ago on the Billboard Hot 100, and currently sits at #4, a major feat for an artist like Hozier in today’s streaming-dominated chart. My guess is that the song must have gone viral on TikTok. In any case, it’s another great song by this talented and beloved artist, so seeing it ranked so highly on the Hot 100 is a welcome sight indeed.

  1. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (1)
  2. TIME – MISSIO (3)
  3. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
  4. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
  5. DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
  6. LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (9)
  7. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (10)
  8. DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (9)
  9. I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (11)
  10. MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (16)
  11. FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (12)
  12. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (13)
  13. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (6)
  14. BLUSH – Vazum (7)
  15. GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (15)
  16. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (17)
  17. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (18)
  18. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (19)
  19. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (22)
  20. THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (23)
  21. LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (14)
  22. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (24)
  23. WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (20)
  24. LANDMINES – Sum 41 (21)
  25. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (28)
  26. CEILING TILES – Sun Atoms (27)
  27. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (29)
  28. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (30)
  29. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (N)
  30. TOO SWEET – Hozier (N)