Top 30 Songs for June 16-22, 2024

The Decemberists are an American indie folk-rock band based in Portland, Oregon. Formed in 2000, they consist of founding members Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals) and Nate Query (bass), along with drummer John Moen, who joined the lineup in 2005. Their sound is a pleasing mix of alternative rock, folk, baroque pop, and orchestral pop, characterized by lush instrumentation and lovely arrangements and highlighted by Meloy’s beautiful warm vocals. Their interesting name was inspired by the Decembrist revolt, an 1825 insurrection in Imperial Russia, and band frontman Meloy has said that their name is also meant to invoke the “drama and melancholy” of the month of December.

They’ve released a substantial amount of music over the years, especially during their most active period from 2002-2011, including nine studio albums, two live albums, ten EPs and 26 singles. Their songs often touch on historical incidents and folklore, with the band sometimes staging whimsical reenactments of sea battles and other centuries-old events, typically of regional interest, or acting out songs with members of the crowd.(Wikipedia) After their very successful R.E.M.-influenced 6th album The King Is Dead, which reached #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and generated a Grammy-nominated song “Down by the Water”, The Decemberists went on a brief hiatus in 2012.

Since regrouping in 2014, they’ve released three albums, one of which, their 2018 album I’ll Be Your Girl, featured the fantastic song “Severed”, a bold electronic track highlighted by spacey synths and twangy Western-style guitars. The single went to #1 on the Billboard AAA chart, and also landed on my chart, ending up at #55 on my 100 Best Songs of 2018 list. Thanks to Covid, the band was essentially forced into another brief hiatus, as their tour had to be postponed, then cancelled. Thankfully, in 2023 they began recording what would become their ninth and latest album, the wonderful As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, which dropped this past Friday, June 14th. The lead single from the album, “Burial Ground”, an upbeat, optimistic track about leaving your troubles behind, featuring added vocals by James Mercer, who’s also a member of the bands The Shins and Broken Bells, ascends to the top spot on my latest Top 30 chart. I love those twangy guitars and cool horns, not to mention the gorgeous harmonies.

After five consecutive weeks with three or more debuts, there are no new entries this week. I think 16 new songs in five weeks gives my chart a lot of youth and vigor! Three songs finally enter the top 10 after a long upward climb: “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone, “Loneliness” by the Pet Shop Boys, and “For Us All” by English singer-songwriter Asgard Raven. Green Day‘s “Dilemma” spends its 15th week in my top 10; the song has been at #1 for seven weeks on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.

  1. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists (2)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (1)
  3. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (4)
  4. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (3)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (5)
  6. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (10)
  7. DILEMMA – Green Day (7) 15th week in top 10
  8. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (11)
  9. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (12)
  10. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (13)
  11. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (14)
  12. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (6)
  13. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (8)
  14. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (9)
  15. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (17)
  16. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (15)
  17. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (19)
  18. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (20)
  19. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (21)
  20. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (22)
  21. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (28)
  22. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (23)
  23. TOO MUCH – girl in red (24)
  24. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (25)
  25. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (26)
  26. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (16)
  27. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (27)
  28. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (29)
  29. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (30)
  30. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (18)

Top 30 Songs for June 9-15, 2024

Irish singer-songwriter Hozier remains at #1 for a second week with his wonderful “Too Sweet”, while the equally wonderful “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer slides into second place. The relentlessly infectious “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Texas rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain moves up five spots to #5, and Pearl Jam are the biggest upward movers again this week, as their pleasing introspective single “Wreckage” jumps eight spots to enter the top 10 at #10.

Four excellent songs enter my chart this week, beginning with “Highway Queen” by Los Angeles-based indie folk-rock band Mt. Joy, at #27. It’s their fourth song to appear on my chart. Next up, coming in at #28, is “High In Low Places”, the latest single by Beach Weather, who are very likely my favorite band right now. The gorgeous song has a sultry Western vibe and a hook that’s so damned catchy I keep humming it long after hearing it. It’s their fifth song to appear on my chart, three of which have reached #1, and I can already guarantee that “High In Low Places” will be their fourth. The third entry is the latest single “LUNCH” by Los Angeles-based superstar Billie Eilish. The delightful song is the lead single from her new album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, which dropped May 17th. Coming in at #30 is the lovely “Like You Do” by Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, which I reviewed last month. I’ve been a long-time fan of his, and “Like You Do” is his seventh song to appear on my chart (four of which have reached #1).

  1. TOO SWEET – Hozier (1)
  2. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists and James Mercer (3)
  3. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (2)
  4. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (4)
  5. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (10)
  6. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
  7. DILEMMA – Green Day (6)
  8. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (7)
  9. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (8)
  10. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (18)
  11. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (12)
  12. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (14)
  13. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (15)
  14. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (16)
  15. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (13)
  16. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (11)
  17. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (17)
  18. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (9)
  19. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (21)
  20. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (22)
  21. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (24)
  22. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (26)
  23. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (27)
  24. TOO MUCH – girl in red (28)
  25. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (29)
  26. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (30)
  27. HIGHWAY QUEEN – Mt. Joy (N)
  28. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (N)
  29. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (N)
  30. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (N)

Top 30 Songs for June 2-8, 2024

I just love Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, who’s had quite a resurgence over the past year or so with his critically acclaimed third studio album Unreal Unearth, which featured his two hit singles “Eat Your Young” and “Francesca”, his duet “Northern Attitude” with American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, as well as his latest single “Too Sweet”. Released in late March a week after he dropped his fifth EP Unheard, the song has turned out to be his highest charting single both in the UK and on the Billboard Hot 100 where it reached #1 in April. Now it ascends to the top of my chart, becoming his fifth song to do so (including “Take Me to Church” in 2014, “Nina Cried Power”, featuring Mavis Staples, in 2018, “Eat Your Young” in 2023 and “Northern Attitude” earlier this year). The song’s lyrics are directed at a romantic partner with totally different lifestyle preferences – the singer enjoys staying up late and drinking alcohol and black coffee, in contrast with his partner who goes to bed early, eats healthy, etc. – in other words, she’s too sweet for him.

In other significant chart developments, the delightful “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer jumps six spots to #3, while “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Texas rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain enters the top 10 at #10. Pearl Jam are the biggest upward movers this week with their latest single “Wreckage”, leaping 10 spots to #18.

And for the fourth consecutive week, there are three new debut songs, two of which are by Norwegian acts. Entering at #28 is the wonderfully infectious “Too Much” by Norwegian alternative indie pop artist girl in red, the music project of queer singer songwriter and producer Marie Ulven Ringheim, who’s been making music since the age of 16 (she’s now 25. “Too Much” was the lead single from her second album I’m Doing It Again Baby!, released in April. Next up is “Starburster” by Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C., who’ve become one of my favorite bands over the past few years. I adore band frontman Grian Chatten’s sultry drone vocal style, and his rapping on this track is fantastic. “Starburster”, which I loved at first listen, is the lead single from their forthcoming fourth studio album Romance, due for release in August. Entering at #30 is the gorgeous darkwave gem “A Foretold Ecstasy” by Norwegian psych-noir/post-punk band Mayflower Madame. I featured the song last month in one of my Fresh New Tracks posts. 

  1. TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
  2. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
  3. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (9)
  4. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (6)
  5. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  6. DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
  7. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (5)
  8. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (8)
  9. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (10)
  10. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (11)
  11. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (7)
  12. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (14)
  13. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (16)
  14. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (18)
  15. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (19)
  16. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (20)
  17. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (22)
  18. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (28)
  19. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (12)
  20. TIME – MISSIO (13)
  21. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (24)
  22. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (25)
  23. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (17)
  24. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (27)
  25. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (15)
  26. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (29)
  27. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (30)
  28. TOO MUCH – girl in red (N)
  29. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (N)
  30. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 19-25, 2024

The delightfully ebullient “Murder on the Dancefloor ”, by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, remains on top for a second week, while “Too Sweet” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier slides into second place. Entering the top 10 are “Creatures in Heaven” by English indie rock band Glass Animals, “Capricorn” by New York indie art pop/rock band Vampire Weekend, and “Mustang” by Nashville alt-rock band Kings of Leon, which leaps nine spots to #10, making it the biggest upward mover this week.

There are three debut songs again this week. First up is the lovely and heartwarming “Scared To Start” by Cincinnati, Ohio-based Americana singer-songwriter Michael Marcagi, which frankly should have entered my chart a month ago, but better late than never. He began his music career as a member of the band the Heavy Hours, but released his first single, “The Other Side”, as a solo artist last December. In January, he signed with Warner Records and released “Scared to Start”, which soon gained popularity on TikTok. The song recently peaked at #54 on the Billboard Hot 100, though it’s reached the top 10 in Ireland and the UK, as well as on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Both singles are included on his debut EP American Romance, which was released in February.

The second debut, at #29, is “On The Game” by Nashville duo The Black Keys. The bluesy anthemic song follows their recent #1 hit “Beautiful People (Stay High)”, both of which are from their latest album Ohio Players. Last, but certainly not least, is “Adrift”, by Missouri rock band Voodoo Planet, featuring some lovely cello by Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mikey J. The bittersweet song, which I reviewed last month, is another long-overdue entry into my Weekly Top 30,

  1. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
  2. TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
  3. OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
  4. DILEMMA – Green Day (2)
  5. DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (6)
  6. TIME – MISSIO (5)
  7. ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (7)
  8. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (11)
  9. CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (15)
  10. MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (19)
  11. WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (12)
  12. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (17)
  13. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (18)
  14. MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (8)
  15. NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (9)
  16. EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (10)
  17. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (20)
  18. GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (21)
  19. BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (22)
  20. LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (23)
  21. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (24)
  22. KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (13)
  23. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (28)
  24. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (29)
  25. DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (14)
  26. THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (16)
  27. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (30)
  28. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (N)
  29. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (N)
  30. ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet feat. Mikey J (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 12-18, 2024

“Murder on the Dancefloor ”, by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis (comprised of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovi), is turning out to be one of my favorite songs of 2024. I can honestly listen to it on repeat, and love it more each time I hear it! It’s a marvelous cover of the 2001 hit “Murder on the Dancefloor” by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, which Royel Otis performed on the Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version program. Interestingly, the song does not appear on their debut album PRATTS & PAIN that was released in February. The two have been putting out music since 2021, and I really like their sound a lot.

The song was co-written by Ellis-Bextor and Gregg Alexander, former frontman of the band The New Radicals (who had a hit in the late 90s with “You Get What You Give”), and produced by Alexander and Matt Rowe. Ellis-Bextor’s original version gained renewed popularity earlier this year after appearing in the 2023 black comedy thriller film Saltburn, causing it to re-enter the UK Dance Singles Chart, where it reached #1. It also peaked at #3 on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and #51 on the Hot 100, her first song to ever appear on that chart. The delightful version by Royel Otis currently sits at #7 on the Alternative Airplay chart, and this week takes over the top spot on my own Top 30 chart.

In other major chart developments, Maggie Rogers enters the top 10 with her poignant ballad “Don’t Forget Me”, which climbs five spots to #6. The song recently spent two weeks at #1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. “Creatures in Heaven” by Glass Animals jumps eight spots to #11, and “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift, featuring Post Malone, leaps 10 spots to #20, making it this week’s biggest upward mover.

Three songs make their debut this week: Entering at #28 is the infectiously pleasing “Burial Ground” by Portland, Oregon-based indie folk-rock band The Decemberists, featuring James Mercer, who’s also a member of the bands The Shins and Broken Bells. The Decemberists have been putting out music off and on since forming in 2001. “Burial Ground” is the lead single from their forthcoming ninth studio album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, to be released June 14th. I love those jangly guitars and cool horns. Next up is “Panoramic View”, the beautiful new single by L.A.-based alt-rock band AWOLNATION. Fronted by Aaron Bruno, who has a distinctive singing voice I love, the band blasted onto the music scene in 2011 with their monster hit “Sail”, one of the many great songs from their debut album Megalithic Symphony. They’ve released a total of four albums and numerous singles, several of which have appeared on my Top 30 chart. Entering at #30 is the bold and brassy “Gold”, by uber-talented Welsh-Gibraltarian singer-songwriter Caitlin Lavagna, which I reviewed last month. This is Caitlin’s third song to appear on my chart, the previous two being “How Not to Start a Fight” and “Night Bus”.

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

Top 30 Songs for May 5-11, 2024

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

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

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 100 Songs of 2019

MISSIO Album ArtLana_Del_Rey_-_Doin'_TimeCage_the_Elephant_Social_CuesBillie Eilish albumTrench_Twenty_One_PilotsYoung-the-GiantSHAEDVox Eagle album art

2019 was another great year for music, with so much of it being released that even the most avid music junkie couldn’t possibly keep up with it all. With all the digital music applications and software available today, as well as music platforms like Soundcloud, Reverbnation and Bandcamp, it’s easier than ever for aspiring artists to create music from their bedroom and get it out there for public consumption, and I’ve written about quite a few of them. In fact, this year a third of the songs on my Top 100 list are by indie or unsigned artists.

As a music blogger, I’m exposed to a tremendous amount of music. I receive 5-10 submissions a day from artists, PR reps and labels wanting me to review their music, so I listen to A LOT of it in the course of a year. Nevertheless, I realize I’ve heard only a fraction of all the singles and albums released in 2019. Consequently, my list includes only songs I know, and I’m certain there are some great ones that should be on this list, except that I’ve never heard them! That said, there were so many outstanding songs in 2019, and it frustrates me to have to cull them down to only 100, omitting scores of tracks I really like. And a song ranked at #40 isn’t necessarily better than one at #60.

Music tastes are very subjective, so it’s guaranteed that not a single person reading this will agree with my song choices or their rankings. My list contains my favorite songs of the year, not necessarily songs that were ‘popular’ or influential. I’m now late middle-aged, so my song picks are going to reflect that, though I do still have my guilty pleasures. But you won’t find the tiresome “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus (which was the longest-running #1 song ever on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the #1 song of 2019) on this list.

Many bloggers and critics list songs in the year they were released, while Billboard and other charts generally place them in the year they were ‘hits,’ which is what I prefer. Most of the songs on this list were released in 2019, however, a number of them were released in 2018. Because there are always a few songs that overlap from one year to the next, I include those songs on lists for both years if they spent enough time on the charts in each year. The songs in this Top 100 that also appeared on my Top 100 Songs of 2018 are indicated with an *. I’ve created a Spotify playlist for this list, which is included at the end of the post. Hopefully you’ll find some of your own personal favorites on this list. Let me know what songs were your favorites of 2019.

1. I SEE YOU – MISSIO
It’s not often that I love an entire album at first listen, but that was exactly the case with The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man by Austin, Texas-based duo MISSIO. (Read my review here). Comprised of singer-songwriter/producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and instrumentalist David Butler, MISSIO’s unique, eclectic sound is a glorious mashup of alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dream pop. In 2017, they released their outstanding debut album Loner, which generated several singles, two of which – “Middle Fingers” and the mesmerizing “Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea” – ended up on my Top 100 Songs of 2017 list. Their follow-up album The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man is equally superb; three of its songs are included among my Top 100 Songs of 2019. “I See You” was the third single from the album, and it’s my favorite song of the year. This was confirmed by my Spotify Wrapped report, which identified it as my most-streamed song of 2019.

And what a gorgeous song it is, at once sad yet hopeful, and brimming with emotional intensity and sweeping instrumentals. Brue’s beautiful, stirring vocals bring chills as he sings the poignant lyrics that can be interpreted as being directed either to a loved one or to oneself, reassuring the intended that they are understood, supported and loved despite their shortcomings. “I’m alone with you, you’re alone with me. What a mess you’ve made of everything. I’m alone with you, you’re alone with me. And I’m hoping that you will see yourself like I see you.”

2. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey
One of the most delectable songs of 2019 is “Doin’ Time” by Lana Del Rey, from her stunning and critically-acclaimed album Norman Fucking Rockwell, which she co-produced with Jack Antonoff. It’s a cover of the song originally recorded by the ska punk band Sublime, which itself samples the great classic “Summertime” from the musical Porgy and Bess, written in 1934 by George and Ira Gerwshin, with lyrics by DuBose Heyward. Del Rey’s version is faithful to Sublime’s ska vibe, but her beautiful, seductive vocals and dreamy instrumentals take the song to a whole new level, as well as capturing the languid, sultry feel of the original “Summertime”. I love that she kept the lyrics and pronouns exactly as written by Sublime, which describe a cheating girlfriend whose infidelities and poor treatment of her lover makes him feel like he’s in prison. “Me and my girl, we got this relationship. I love her so bad, but she treats me like shit. On lockdown, like a penitentiary. She spreads her lovin’ all over, and when she gets home, there’s none left for me.

3. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant are one of my favorite bands of the past decade, with a long string of consistently great singles. The title track from their fifth studio album Social Cues, this song now ranks among my top favorites of their many songs. The bouncy tempo is incredibly catchy, and those chirpy synths are irresistible, but what I love most of all are Matt Shultz’s wonderful vocals that always sound so genuine. The rather poignant lyrics speak to the anxieties and insecurities of being a rock star: “Hide me in the back room, tell me when it’s over. Don’t know if I can play this part much longer. I don’t know if it is right to live this way, yeah. I’ll be in the back room, tell me when it’s over. People always say, ‘Man, at least you’re on the radio’.” The song’s production and arrangement are flawless.

4. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish
2019 was a huge year for the insanely talented young Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Billie Eilish (her full birth name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell). With the meteoric success of her ground-breaking debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, one of the biggest-selling albums of 2019, she became a superstar. I was blown away by her riveting performance at this year’s Coachella Music Festival, when she was only 17 years old. “Bad Guy” reached #1 on numerous music charts in the U.S. (where it thankfully ended the 19-week run at #1 of “Old Town Road”) and around the world, including Australia, Canada, Mexico, Greece, Hungary, Norway and the Czech Republic. Musically, the song has an unusual minimalist bass-driven melody that pulls us headlong into a thumping, ominous soundscape. Eilish’s clipped, breathy vocals have a seductive, almost menacing quality as she sings the provocative lyrics that seem beyond her tender years, yet she makes them believable. “I’m that bad type. Make your mama sad type. Make your girlfriend mad tight. Might seduce your dad type. I’m the bad guy, duh.” It’s brilliant!

5. TRAMPOLINE – SHAED
Indie dream-pop band SHAED is based in Washington, D.C., and consists of lead vocalist Chelsea Lee and multi-instrumentalists and twin brothers Max and Spencer Ernst. After struggling for several years to gain traction in the music business, they struck gold with their haunting breakthrough single “Trampoline”. The song was originally released back in May 2018, but got little airplay until it was featured in an Apple MacBook Air commercial that October, and the song quickly took off. The song debuted on the Billboard Alternative Chart in early December 2018, and as I write this one year later, it’s still in the Top 10! The gorgeous track was named the #1 song of 2019 on the Alternative Chart, and finishes at #5 on my list. SHAED’s inspiration for the song came one night as the trio sat together watching old family videos of Spencer and Max jumping on a trampoline as small children. The song’s meaning has been the subject of debate, ranging from death to suicide to drug addiction, but SHAED simply wanted to write a great song loosely based on the idea of the Stranger Things alternative dimension “Upside Down”.(Genius.com). This is artfully captured in the beautiful and stylish video for the song.

6. CHLORINE – twenty øne piløts
As far as I’m concerned, twenty øne piløts can do no wrong, and are one of my favorite bands of all time. Incorporating too many different genres to mention, and a vast array of instruments and synth sounds, they combine them with intricate, complex melodies, brilliant lyrics and Tyler Joseph’s amazing vocals to create truly unique and spectacular music. “Chlorine” is the third single from their monumental concept album Trench, and their seventh single to reach #1 on my Weekly Top 30. The song was co-written by Joseph and MUTEMATH frontman Paul Meany, who produced Trench, and whose voice we hear in the opening lines. They’ve stated the lyrics address how creativity can cleanse dark impulses, but also cause pain. Like many of the tracks on Trench, the song has a complex melodic structure, and shows a growing maturity in twenty one pilots’ sound and music style. I love the sweeping, spacey synths, Josh Dun’s sharp percussion and Joseph’s haunting layered vocals.  The wonderful little twinkling piano riff adds a slightly menacing vibe to the track. It’s a dark and stunning song, and Joseph’s plaintive vocals in the final chorus are exquisite as he laments “I’m so sorry I forgot you. Let me catch you up to speed. I’ve been tested like the ends of a weathered flag that’s by the sea. Can you build my house with pieces? I’m just a chemical.”

7. SUPERPOSITION – Young the Giant
Alt-rock band Young the Giant has an instantly recognizable sound unlike no other, thanks to their brilliant instrumentation and front man Sameer Gadhia’s distinctive vocals. Formed in Orange County, California in late 2009, they just celebrated their 10th anniversary as a band, and I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert this past August. “Superposition” is the second single from their fourth studio album Mirror Master, and one of their most beautiful songs. Starting with a deep bass line and a rhythmic toe-tapping drumbeat, the band layers moody synths, delicate piano keys and an enchanting ukelele riff to create a gorgeous backdrop for Gadhia’s captivating vocals, which are in turn backed by lovely vocal harmonies. The term ‘superposition’ is used in physics to describe how things or items in nature overlap or interact. For the song, Young the Giant uses the term to describe the strong pull or connection we feel to those we love, and how fate and inexplicable events can bring us together, which they artfully express in the lyrics: “Superposition aims with imprecision. But when things can’t be explained – superposition. In any universe you are my dark star. I want you to want me. Why don’t we rely on chemistry? Why don’t we collide the spaces that divide us?

8.  WANDER – Vox Eagle*
Vox Eagle is the music project of Australian-born and now Colorado-based singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Andy Crosby, an indie artist I’ve featured numerous times on this blog over the past three years. One of the tracks from his outstanding 2018 album TriumAvium, “Wander” is the highest ranking song from an indie artist on this year’s list. It’s an enchanting mashup of melodic dream rock and hip hop, and when those magical keyboard and string synths wash over us like a shower of tiny diamonds, I’m covered with goosebumps. Eventually, a trip hop beat ensues as Andy freestyles about how communication has broken down in his relationship, his vocals going from sultry to falsetto as he sings: “We don’t talk no more, baby girl, we just wander.” Guest vocalist Pierre Fontaine’s smooth rap vocals take over for the last third of the track, adding another element of texture as he freestyles “We don’t try hard no more. / Where we all gon’ go, where we all gon’ go? We just wander, we just wander.” I love this spectacular song so much I’ve probably listened to it five hundred times.

9. THE HYPE – twenty øne piløts
I love every song by twenty øne piløts, and “The Hype” is no exception. The fourth consecutive single from Trench to reach #1 on both my and the Billboard Alternative charts, it topped the charts more than a year after “Jumpsuit”, a testament to the album’s high quality and staying power. “The Hype” is a beautiful and compelling song about remaining hopeful through difficult times, both mentally and physically. Tyler Joseph told Coup de Main magazine that the lyrics are told from the point of view of a younger version of himself. “Nice to know my kind will be on my side. I don’t believe the hype. And you know you’re a terrible sight, but you’ll be just fine. Just don’t believe the hype.”

10. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities
Australian dream rock band Crystal Cities have come a long way over the past three years, from a garage in Sydney to Abbey Road Studios in London, where they recorded their extraordinary debut album Under the Cold Light of the Moon. The gorgeous, similarly titled lead single is my #10 song of 2019. Crystal Cities consists of Geoff Rana (Vocals, Guitars), Jared King (JK) (Bass, Backing Vocals) and Daniel Conte (Drums). The song was inspired by the courageous North Korean girl Yeonmi Park, who bravely escaped North Korea in search of freedom. After seeing her moving speech at the One Young World Summit 2014 in Dublin, Ireland, where she told the audience “When I was crossing the Gobi desert, scared of dying, I thought nobody in this world cared. It seemed that only the stars were with me. But you have listened to my story. You have cared. Thank you very much”, Rana felt compelled to interpret her story through a song. The uplifting track features vibrant, layered guitars, driving bass and galloping percussion that conjure up dramatic images of Park escaping on horseback. The addition of lush orchestral strings create a stirring, cinematic wall of sound that does justice to Park’s epic tale of survival. The beautiful animated video tells the adventure of her harrowing nighttime escape.

11. READY TO LET GO – Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant are back with their second song on this year’s list, “Ready to Let Go”. The track was the first single from Social Cues, and reached #1 on both the Billboard Alternative and Adult Alternative charts, as well as my Weekly Top 30. The song has a slower, bluesy melody, with a strong thumping drumbeat, deep bass groove and terrific guitar work. The lyrics speak to the realization that their relationship is broken beyond repair and the time has come to end it: “Don’t you worry, baby, no sense trying to change it. I’ma strike these matches, never had control. I’m ready to let go, no, was I fooling myself? I’ma spread these ashes, never had control. I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready to let go.”

12. CIRCLES – Post Malone
Post Malone (born Austin Richard Post) is one of the biggest music artists today, churning out hit after hit since exploding onto the music scene five years ago with “White Iverson”. His wonderfully eclectic sound draws from hip hop, rap, R&B, rock, pop, grunge and country, and Malone himself has referred to his music as “genre-less.” “Circles” is the fourth single from his phenomenal, critically-acclaimed third album Hollywood Bleeding. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a huge hit worldwide, reaching #1 in Iceland, Malaysia and New Zealand. I’ve seen a few complaints that it’s too ‘pop’, but I love it, and it’s my favorite of his many songs. The sweetly strummed guitars, deep bass, keyboards and thumping drums are all exquisite, and set to an infectious, hauntingly beautiful melody. Malone’s impassioned vocals lament of a relationship in which the flame has gone out: “Seasons change and our love went cold. Feed the flame ’cause we can’t let go. Run away, but we’re running in circles. Run away, run away.” It’s perfection from start to finish.

13. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE
British electro-rock band IAMWARFACE are one of the best indie bands in the UK right now. Based in Brighton and London, their aggressive name is a fitting metaphor for their bombastic groove-based sound, and I’ve been thrilled to feature them on this blog many times. From the moment I first heard their debut single “Say My Name” in 2016 – which I likened to being hit by an atomic blast – I’ve been a devoted fan. Since their debut, they’ve continued to deliver one incredible song after another; three of their singles – “Say My Name”, “Closer” and “Fear the Future” – have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 chart. “Fear the Future” is a scathing attack on all the banal music and entertainment, bullshit and fear-mongering being fed to the masses in a pernicious attempt to dumb-down and divide us, making us more willing to be controlled. Musically, the song features the band’s signature explosive instrumentation and massive, driving rhythms, making for a incredibly exhilarating song that slams us against the wall. Front man Matt Warneford has a commanding powerhouse singing voice, and raises our adrenaline with his dramatic impassioned vocals. The disturbing video brilliantly brings the dark lyrics to life.

14. GO – The Black Keys
What can I say about The Black Keys other than that they’re fucking awesome! Friends since childhood, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have been putting out fantastic blues/garage rock for almost 20 years. “Go” is from their ninth album “Let’s Rock”, and saw The Black Keys return to their roots after a three year long hiatus that had some speculating they had, or were considering, splitting up. It was their first release since their previous album Turn Blue in 2014, marking the longest gap between studio albums in their career. The two were simply burned out from touring, and Carney had also seriously injured his shoulder in a swimming accident, which took longer to recover than anticipated. During their hiatus, they were involved in numerous projects of their own or with other artists, including Auerbach’s band The Arcs, with whom he released an album in 2015.

After collaborating with producer Danger Mouse for their previous four albums, the duo decided to self-produce “Let’s Rock”, scrapping the keyboards in favor of just guitar, drums, and vocals. The guys got together at a recording studio in September 2018 to begin working on “Let’s Rock”, and within a few minutes, they were playing together as if no time had passed. “Go” is a short song, running only two and a half minutes, and features fairly sparse lyrics about getting out of one’s rut and hitting the open road. But man, Auerbach’s blazing riffs in the bridge are positively spine-tingling! The hilarious video pokes fun at the rumor they hated each other.

15. DARK PLACES – The Frontier
I realize I’m sounding like a broken record as I keep describing so many of the songs on this list as “gorgeous”, but dammit, the term applies to “Dark Places” by Virginia indie pop/rock band The Frontier in spades. I’ve followed The Frontier for several years, and am immensely proud of them for producing such a wonderful track as this. As the title implies, the song is dark, but also quite stunning, with a captivating sensual melody and shimmery synths, accompanied by subtle guitars, thumping bass and crisp percussion. Front man Jake Mimikos’ smooth, ardent vocals are enthralling as he sings of the internal struggles many of us experience with our darker side, and the attendant fears, anxieties, anger and even bad thoughts we must grapple with: “I’ve been to dark places in my mind. Seeing shadows in the night. It gets a little lonely when I’m in dark places in my mind, falling further from the light.” Jake stated that he was inspired to write the song by a show he watched on Netflix about serial killers.

16. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel
Mars Motel is an immensely talented alternative dream rock band hailing from Brooklyn, New York, and they make some of the most captivating music of any band I’ve heard. Their single “Coming Up for Air” is a real stunner of a tune, with swirling riffs of chiming guitars backed by shimmery synths and a pleasing rhythm section of gentle bass and thumping drumbeats. They all meld into a lush, sweeping backdrop for lead singer Sarik Kumar’s beautiful soaring vocals. He explained “This song is about an android-like being longing to be human and attempting an alteration. It captures the universal need for connection and the loneliness one can feel in being viewed as an outsider.”

17. UNDERGROUND – MISSIO
I’ve already gushed about how much I love MISSIO and their album The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man, and another of my favorite tracks from that album is “Underground“. The song instantly hooked me with its irresistible hip hop beat, trippy vibes and deliriously catchy melody. MISSIO combines an array of synthesizers, instruments and textures to create a dense, almost psychedelic sound, and I love Matthew Brue’s distinctive vocal style that registers in the higher range, just below a falsetto. He fervently croons of his frustration that success and money haven’t brought the happiness and peace of mind he expected: “I’m down. I should be on top, but I’m always underground. Things are lookin’ up, but I’m making myself drown. High anxiety that money just compounds. I’ll be right here, just waiting underground.”

18. YOU? – Two Feet
Ever since first hearing his dark and sultry “I Feel Like I’m Drowning” early in 2018, I’ve had a huge man crush on Two Feet. Based in New York City and born Zachary William “Bill” Dess, Two Feet is a soulful singer-songwriter who’s become one of the finest blues guitarists today. His songs are slow burns, characterized by scorching bluesy riffs and intense, booming basslines that cut straight to the core. I had the pleasure of seeing him live in Los Angeles in November 2018 (you can read my review here), and he spent the first few months of 2019 touring with Panic! At the Disco, which exposed him to a whole new audience who hadn’t heard of him previously. I relished all the tweets from fans who’d gone to see PATD, and came away excited new fans of Two Feet. In the fall of 2019, he began releasing new singles in advance of his forthcoming album Pink. One of those singles is “You?”, which is fucking incredible, and his guitar work and vocals sound better than ever. He had an official video made for the song, but I like this live performance better, as it features a killer extended guitar solo that really showcases his guitar skills. You can hear the original version on the Spotify playlist at the end of this post.

19. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed
Los Angeles-based duo Ships Have Sailed have built a huge following over the past several years with their pleasing style of alternative pop-rock, characterized by infectious melodies, uplifting lyrics, and sublime instrumentation. This past February, they released their deeply moving anthem “Escape”, which I loved so much it spent five months on my Weekly Top 30, going all the way to #1. Vocalist Will Carpenter has a beautiful voice with an impressive range. As the music intensifies in the third verse, with drummer Art Andranikyan’s crashing cymbals and assertive drumbeats adding drama to the track, Will’s vocals rise to the occasion, becoming raw and impassioned, and raising goosebumps on the back of my neck. “Escape” is about a person struggling with personal demons and addiction. About the song, Will explained “Born as the stark expression of an especially trying year, ‘Escape’ represents a shift from what we’ve become best known for, exposing a more vulnerable angle. It represents musical honesty in its most raw form, and we truly hope it makes you feel something.” It certainly resonated with me.

20. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five
Heist At Five is a wickedly talented and undeniably charismatic electro-rock band based in London, but with an international pedigree. Band front man and lead vocalist Oskar Abrahamsson is from Sweden, bassist Marco “Fuzz” Paone is from Italy, guitarist Jozef Veselsky is from Slovakia, and drummer Josh Needham is from England. Together, they play an aggressive, innovative style of alternative rock that borders on experimental, with complex melodies, intricate chord progressions and spine-tingling electronic and guitar-heavy instrumentation. I’ve featured them a number of times on this blog, most recently when I reviewed their magnificent single “Falling With Style”. The band states that the song “is about fully embracing the idea of failure and finding comfort in it.” The imaginative and surreal video tells the story of a young woman who sees moments of her life in flashbacks, which ends up changing her perspective about life, and in the process breaks her old pattern of decision making.

21. GUIDING LIGHT – Mumford & Sons*
22. SIGUE CON EL AMOR – John Defeo
23. DISAPPEAR – Western Jaguar
24. POWER OVER ME – Dermot Kennedy
25. LONGSHOT – Catfish and the Bottlemen
26. BURY A FRIEND – Billie Eilish
27. SOMEONE YOU LOVED – Lewis Capaldi
28. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion
29. SUNFLOWER – Post Malone, Swae Lee
30. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers
31. DELTA BLUES – Jetstream
32. HIGH HOPES – Panic! At the Disco
33. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart
34. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men
35. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike
36. DISSOLVE – Absofacto
37. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives
38. IN THE WATER – The Underground Vault
39. HURT – Oliver Tree
40. CRINGE – Matt Maeson
41. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes
42. LOVE IT IF WE MADE IT – The 1975
43. VOLCANO – Feather Weight
44. STILL FEEL. – half-alive
45. CHANGE – The Revivalists
46. ASSUME FORM – James Blake
47. YOU’RE SOMEBODY ELSE – flora cash*
48. BACK DOWN – Bob Moses
49. FIGHTER – Joseph
50. UNDER THESE SCARS – Falling Into Red featuring Dev
51. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper
52. STAY HIGH – Brittany Howard
53. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score
54. SEVENTEEN – Sharon Van Etten
55. MIGHT BE RIGHT – White Reaper
56. THE MIDDLE – Agency Panic
57. S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun) – The Glorious Sons
58. HARMONY HALL – Vampire Weekend
59. RAD DRUGZ – MISSIO
60. HOME – morgxn featuring WALK THE MOON
61. PATIENCE – Tame Impala
62. TWILIGHT – Anderson .Paak
63. APOCALIPSTICK – Lazy Queen
64. THESE ARE MY FRIENDS – lovelytheband
65. TIME – Morosity
66. DRIFTING AWAY – Stereohaze
67. WHITE LIES & PALM TREES – The Lovepools
68. HEAT OF THE SUMMER – Young the Giant
69. FAST TALK – Houses
70. BELOVED – Mumford & Sons
71. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz
72. PRESSURE – Muse
73. NORTHERN LIGHTS – Death Cab for Cutie
74. LOVE CRAZY – Karolina Rose
75. “99” – Barns Courtney
76. FOUR WINDS – Unquiet Nights
77. GOODBYES – Post Malone featuring Young Thug
78. OBSESSION – Joywave
79. LONELY – Secret American
80. CALM DOWN – Pete Yorn
81. SECRETS – The Million Reasons
82. EXITS – Foals
83. SAW LIGHTNING – Beck
84. WANNACRY – Darksoft
85. MOVEMENT – Hozier
86. NOVOCAINE – The Unlikely Candidates
87. REWARD – Paul Iwan
88. LIGHT ON – Maggie Rogers
89. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory & Charlie Pereira
90. THIS LIFE – Vampire Weekend
91. THANK U, NEXT – Ariana Grande
92. GENERATION Y – Guide Dog
93. CELLOPHANE – FKA Twigs
94. 16 – Highly Suspect
95. SECRET THAT LIES BEHIND – The Gear
96. STORM WILL COME – Morgendust
97. LO/HI – The Black Keys
98. DESERVING OF LOVE – Lyia Meta
99. BROTHERS – Harroland
100. SPAZTIC ROBOT – Spaztic Robot

Top 30 Songs for October 13-19, 2019

1. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant (2)
2. GO – The Black Keys (1)
3. THE HYPE – twenty one pilots (5)
4. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (3)
5. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion (7)
6. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (4)
7. CRINGE – Matt Maeson (6)
8. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (9)
9. HEAT OF THE SUMMER – Young the Giant (10)
10. SOMEONE YOU LOVED – Lewis Capaldi (11)
11. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey (8)
12. GOODBYES – Post Malone featuring Young Thug (12)
13. THE MIDDLE – Agency Panic (16)
14. SECRETS – The Million Reasons (17)
15. DISSOLVE – Absofacto (18)
16. UNDER THESE SCARS – Falling Into Red featuring Dev (19)
17. WANNACRY – Darksoft (20)
18. FIGHTER – Joseph (25)
19. UNDERGROUND – MISSIO (26)
20. CIRCLES – Post Malone (N)
21. FOUR WINDS – Unquiet Nights (13)
22. DESERVING OF LOVE – Lyia Meta (24)
23. DRIFTING AWAY – Stereohaze (27)
24. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel (14) 19th week on list
25. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers (15) 18th week on list
26. THIS LIFE – Vampire Weekend (21)
27. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives (23)
28. 16 – Highly Suspect (29)
29. OBSESSION – Joywave (30)
30. WHITE LIES & PALM TREES – The Lovepools (N)