Photo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney by Larry Niehues
“No Rain, No Flowers” by The Black Keys holds onto the top spot for a third week, while the equally infectious “Feels Right” by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Talk in Waves moves into second place. “Back to Friends” by sombr racks up its 13th week in my top 10, three of them spent at #1.
Two songs make their debut this week, starting with the wonderful “Metal” by New Zealand indie pop-rock band The Beths. Formed in Auckland in 2014, the band’s lineup includes lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes, guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck. The lead single from their fourth and latest album Straight Line Was A Lie – released this past Friday, August 29th – “Metal” is their first single to chart in the U.S., currently sitting at #10 on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart. I love the lively melody and jangly guitars!
My second new entry is “Everyday Magic” by Louisville, Kentucky-based My Morning Jacket, whose music is a glorious blend of indie, alternative and psychedelic rock, country, Americana and Southern rock. Formed in 1998, the band presently consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Koster. The delightful “Everyday Magic” is from their tenth and latest album is, which dropped this past March. Another track from that album, “Time Waited”, topped my chart in May. “Everyday Magic” is currently #1 on the Billboard AAA chart, which is a major influence on my own chart.
NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (1)
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (3)
THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (2)
MOODY – Royel Otis (4)
LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (7)
LONDON TOWN – Healer (8)
SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (9)
BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (6)
RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (5)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (10)
JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (12)
UNDRESSED – sombr (13)
ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (14)
BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (15)
POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (16)
TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (17)
FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (18)
BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (19)
BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (11)
LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (23)
UNRAVELLING – Muse (24)
AFTERLIFE – Alex G (26)
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (27)
Photo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney by Larry Niehues
Last week’s top ten songs remain in place again this week, with a bit of shuffling here and there. The Black Keys top my chart for a second week with “No Rain, No Flowers”, while “The Contract” by Twenty One Pilots holds at #2 again after a two-week run at #1. “Feels Right” by northern Virginia singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Talk in Waves moves up a spot to secure the third place ranking.
We have three new debuts, two of which are by legendary alt-rock favorites, and another by one of my favorite Canadian indie artists. Entering at #28 is “Ensenada” by American ska punk band Sublime, who originally formed way back in 1988 in Long Beach, California and consisted of Bradley Nowell (vocals and guitar), Bud Gaugh (drums) and Eric Wilson (bass). Over their eight-year run, Sublime released three studio albums, a live album, five compilation albums, three EPs, one box set and six singles, three of which – “What I Got”, “Santeria” and “Wrong Way” – have remained longtime alt-rock radio staples. The band disbanded after singer Bradley Nowell’s death from a heroin overdose in 1996 but subsequently reformed in 2023 with Bradley’s son Jakob Nowell singing lead vocals alongside original band members Wilson and Gaugh. Their latest single “Ensenada”, released July 18th, carries on with the band’s original signature sound, almost as if no time has passed.
Coming in at #29 is “my mind is a mountain” by American alternative metal band Deftones. Also formed in 1988, in Sacramento, California (where I lived from 1989-1994), they originally consisted of frontman Chino Moreno (lead vocals), Stephen Carpenter (lead guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums) and Chi Cheng (bass). Frank Delgado later joined the band as keyboardist and turntablist in 1999. Cheng, who was seriously injured in an auto accident in 2008 and subsequently died in 2013, was replaced on bass by Sergio Vega, who remained with the band until early 2021. Deftones have released 10 studio albums, four EPs, three compilation albums, five demo albums, 32 music videos and 25 singles. Though none of their songs have ever made the Billboard Hot 100, several have appeared on the Alternative and Rock charts. On July 10th, they released “my mind is a mountain”, the lead single from their 10th and latest album private music (which dropped this past Friday, August 22nd), their first new music since their 2020 album Ohms. With the intensely heavy and melodic “my mind is a mountain”, it’s clear Deftones haven’t lost a step and I’m really liking the new album as well.
Last but certainly not least is “Hornets” by British Columbia-based Western Jaguar, the music project of the personable and talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor. I’ve been a fan of his for over seven years, and two of his songs – “Disappear” (2019) and “Darling” (2023) have reached #1 on my chart. His latest single “Hornets” represents a somewhat edgier, more rock-oriented sound from him and I like it!
NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (1)
THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (2)
FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (4)
MOODY – Royel Otis (3)
RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (6)
BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (7)
LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (8)
LONDON TOWN – Healer (9)
SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (10)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (5)
BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (12)
JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (13)
UNDRESSED – sombr (14)
ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (15)
BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (19)
POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (20)
TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (21)
FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (22)
BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (24)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (11)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (17)
INCOMPREHENSIBLE – Big Thief (25)
LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (26)
UNRAVELLING – Muse (27)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (16)
AFTERLIFE – Alex G (29)
AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (30)
For the 44th installment of my Fresh New Tracks series, I’m featuring new songs by an array of international artists I’m particularly fond of, including, in alphabetical order – Canadian artist dwi, French producer E-Klozion and English singer-songwriter Liam Croker, Welsh band Set the Tone, and Canadian artist Western Jaguar. I’ve previously featured all of them on this blog, with the exception of E-Klozion who is new to me.
dwi – “Doom Scroll’n”
Photo of dwi from his Facebook account
Based in the suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia, dwi is the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dwight Abell, who’s also the longtime bassist for Canadian alternative/power pop band The Zolas. He’s an immensely creative, talented and imaginative guy, with a totally original sound and an endearingly quirky vocal style that make his music so uniquely distinctive. I think he’s one of the brightest stars today in the Canadian music scene, or anywhere really, and I’m quite fond of him. He’s released two outstanding albums – Mild Fantasy Violence in 2021 and Zoo Life in 2023, both of which I reviewed, as well as numerous singles. Three of this songs – “Good Friend” (2021), “Party4One” (2022) and “Overrated” (2023) – reached #1 on my personal Top 30 chart.
Today dwi’s back with a wonderful new single “Doom Scroll’n“, a nostalgic, melancholy song he calls his “sappiest” yet. It was recorded, engineered and produced by James Younger and Jeffrey Innes, who are both members of Canadian indie rock band Yukon Blonde and also played on the track. In an Instagram post about the the song, Dwight noted “Originally the post chorus hook was played using this mutilated digital synth midi sound but James was like ‘fuck that I’m playing guitar’, and it was a very correct choice.” James also mixed the track, which was mastered by Montano Mastering. The song starts off with a twangy guitar line, then settles into an exuberant melodic tune with a strong, head-bopping groove overlain with lots of marvelous and quirky musical textures. The lyrics speak of missing a woman he was once romantically involved with but no longer sees, and how he tortures himself by scrolling through her social media posts on his mobile phone: “And there’s a ghost, she’s living in my phone.And I can’t look away from her, so instead I’m doom scroll’n“
The photo used for the cover art is of Dwight’s wife Caitlin taken on one of their date nights.
E-Klozion x Liam Croker – “Never Coming Down”
E-Klozion is an electronic music producer and self-described “intergalactic DJ” based in Montpellier, France. Composing music with strong emotions drawn from various influences (ethnic, oriental, bass music, psychedelic, techno, house and organic), his mission is “to sow groove on the dancefloor”. He’s played alongside many internationally renowned artists such as Boris Brejcha, Nto, Extrawelt, Ann Clue and Arjuna. Liam Croker is frontman and lead vocalist of Manchester, England-based electro-funk/soul collective WINACHI, who’ve been releasing infectious sexy grooves – which they describe as “swaggering Mancunian tenacity spliced with smooth Californian G-Funk soul” – since forming in 2015. I’ve featured them and their music numerous times, most recently in March 2023 when I reviewed their single “FOR YOU I’D KILL” featuring Natalie Wilde. I had the pleasure of meeting Liam and his fellow WINACHI band members Antony Egerton and Inder Goldfinger in 2022 when they played at the landmark club The Mint in Los Angeles.
Now E-Klozion and Liam Croker have teamed up to create a new electronic dance/funk single “Never Coming Down“, which drops today. The track was co-written by them both, and produced by E-Klozion, who programmed the cool synths. Liam sang lead vocals on the track, Antony Egerton played guitar, and English singer-songwriter Christie Bellis sang backing vocals. The song is a seductive celebration of the hedonistic joys of partying with beautiful people at the dance club: “You’ll never hear me ask for just a touch, because just a touch won’t ever do much for me. You’ll see. I’m never coming down, never coming down, never coming down, cause it’s too low. Once your lost is found, where do you go?/ I’m a professional sinner, this is what I do. I ain’t no beginner baby, and I ain’t through with you.” I like the song’s funky groove and the interplay between Liam’s sassy playful croons and Christie’s teasing backing vocals. The entertaining video for the single was filmed “during an extremely hot sweaty night” at The Black Sheep music venue in Montpellier.
Set the Tone – “All for Nothing”
Photo of Set the Tone from their Facebook account
Hailing from Pontypridd, Wales (the birthplace of legendary singer Tom Jones) is Set the Tone, a pop/rock band comprised of Liam Richards on acoustic guitar and vocals, Nate Jones on electric guitar, Dan Hayman on electric guitar and backing vocals, and Rob Williams, who recently replaced outgoing member Kage Jones on bass. With their winning combination of intelligent songwriting, an infectious and pleasing sound melding elements of classic and contemporary rock, folk and pop, and charismatic stage presence, the guys have quickly built a loyal following in South Wales. Almost a year ago to the day, they released their first singles “Happy” and “Take This Chance” on April 26, followed by “Do You Really Wanna Know?” on July 5th and “Here We Go Again” on November 29th. I reviewed “Here We Go Again” last December, and the song ended up spending eight weeks on my Top 30 chart earlier this year.
The guys returned on April 4th with their fifth single “All for Nothing“, a rousing kiss off song with a harder-rocking feel than their previous releases. Over a hard-charging galloping beat fueled by a throbbing bassline and aggressive drums, the guys layer a hearty blend of melodic and grungy guitar riffs that create a thunderous backdrop for Liam’s fervent vocals. The lyrics touch on a relationship that’s run its course and is now broken beyond repair. Liam proclaims his antipathy toward his former romantic partner, while still retaining enough grace to wish her well: “I can’t wait to get over you. Now our time is done, it’s through. Take good care of your life. Not coming home to you tonight. Now it’s done, it was all for nothing. A complete waste of time.” “All for Nothing” is another fine effort by Set the Tone, keeping their record for putting out excellent songs fully intact.
Western Jaguar – “Flower Box”
Photo by Dale Klippenstein
Another personal favorite artist of mine is Western Jaguar, the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor, Like dwi, he’s from the Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada, and has been releasing music since 2013 as both a band comprised of an evolving lineup of musicians and more recently as a solo artist. Skillfully blending indie rock, dream pop and shoegaze, he writes songs exploring common themes of life, love, emotional well-being and loss, expressed through poetic, relatable lyrics which he delivers with pleasing vocals. I’ve been following him for nearly seven years, and have featured him four times on this blog, most recently last May (2024) when I reviewed his single “Repossess”, which was later included on his fourth album Vacationland. Two of his songs, “Disappear” (2019) and “Darling” (2023) have reached #1 on my Top 30 chart.
On April 18th, he released his latest single “Flower Box“, a rather melancholy but poignant song about someone who keeps making bad relationship choices. Jeff has this to say about the song: “‘Flower Box’ looks at a broken relationship, but viewed from a caring outsider’s perspective. It’s clear to the narrator that this person whom this friend is engaged with is a bad fit for them, and the narrator attempts to sway them to see the truth. The repeating line, ‘Are we doing this again?’ hints that this is not the first time they have felt the need to interject about the poor circle of partners this person has chosen.” With a sense of sad resignation in his voice, Western Jaguar laments “She thinks that he can be a good man. I think that he’s a good salesman. All she wants is for him to fully love her, but he’s too busy playing games on servers with her brother./ I just don’t know what you see in him.“
At the end of each year, I publish a list of my Top 100 Songs, representing my picks for what I think are the best songs – my favorites actually – for the entire year. This year, at the suggestion of John Gilbert, guitarist and lead vocalist of Missouri folk rock band Voodoo Planet, I’ve also compiled a list of my 100 favorite indie songs of 2024 (their song “Adrift” is included in this list). Because I follow, and am followed by, many indie musicians and bands on the various social media platforms, I want to highlight some of the really outstanding music being made by them that’s every bit as good as that from mainstream acts.
These are not “indie” songs in terms of genre (though there are many that fall into that overall category), but songs by independent or unsigned music acts. Some are in fact signed to music labels, but they’re usually small, independently owned labels. There are 89 acts represented in this list, the majority of which are from the U.S., Canada and the U.K., but also from Australia, Malaysia, Norway, Spain, Germany and Ukraine. Of course, I must make note of the fact that this list contains only songs I’m aware of, and that there are likely hundreds or even thousands of other songs that deserve to be here, except that I’ve never heard them.
Though they’re ranked from #1 to 100, it doesn’t mean that a song at #30 is better than one at #70. That said, the ones closer to the top are my very favorites. And though I’d love to write a narrative about each song and artist, given my limited time and energy, not to mention people’s short attention spans, I’ve decided against that. I’ve created playlists on both Spotify and YouTube, which are included after the list itself. Enjoy!
LIKE YOU DO – Talk in Waves
ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS
THE FAITHFUL HEART – Wons Phreely + The Horses
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua
A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse
I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters
WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH
FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights
YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton
BLUSH – Vazum
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed
WAR – HEALER
GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna
HONEY – Mr Bewlay
MIND GAME (3:33) – Collette McLafferty & John Serrano
TOO MUCH OR NOT ENOUGH? – Candid
YOUR WORLD NOW – Marc Schuster
WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo, Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso & Gabrielle Marella & the voice of Tony Milillo
VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson
ADRIFT – Voodoo Planet & Mikey J
BICYCLE AWAY – Sam Rappaport
PERMANENT RECORD – GG Fearn
AUTUMN LEAVES – Secret Postal Society
HOLOGRAM – Raker
GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I
JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves
IT’S OVER NOW – Oli Barton
DYING TO MEET YOU – Gooseberry
OH, WELL – John Serrano
SUBMARINE – Homeless Radio
BRAND NEW DAY – Ben Gorb
DOWNING STREET – Brain Ape
LOOSIE LUNA – Coppa Londra
TEMPTATION – Pylon Poets
WHY DO YOU CARE – The Muldoons
I AM AM I? – NAVE
THIS ALL ENDS HERE – Minus Cube & Natalie Lucie
NEW PONY – The Nanners
KEEPING SCORE – Snap Infraction
WAKE ME UP – HEALER
ODYSSEY – Josephine Pascoe
LIKE THE SUN – A.Wake
SMALL MERCIES – Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster
EASIER AND EASIER – Lyia Meta
VICTIM – Frank Joshua
SMUDGE – Mock Deer
THE LOST – The Ocean Beneath
INVISIBLE INK – Ships Have Sailed
BY DESIGN – Amongst Liars & Felin
LITTLE SELF-INDULGENT – Western Jaguar
PIECE OF CAKE – Bottlecap Mountain
COLLISION – The Zangwills
ROADS – HULLAH
GUYS LIKE YOU – Olivia Miceli
YOUTH – The 23’s
STATELINE – Nathan Ball
CHASING YOUR DREAMS – Asgard Raven
ELEVEN – Minus Cube & P’like
DREAM TONIGHT – The Ocean Beneath & Liz Mann
SELF CONTROL – John Laurant, Ron van den Beuken & Shimmer Johnson
THE BEST – Thunder Fox
NEW MOON – Morning Fuzz
REPOSSESS – Western Jaguar
YOU ARE NOT A SLAVE – Amongst Liars
CREATURE FEATURE – dwi
BAD LUCK – The Macrotones
WITCH TRAIN – The Blackburns
NOCTURNALLY YOURS – Scoopski
TANTALUS – John Serrano
REAL COLORS – The Nanners
DO YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW? – Set the Tone
PRETTY ALRIGHT – Caitlin Lavagna
LET’S RUN AWAY – Solar Eyes
ONE ROOM PAST WAITING – Chief Springs
ARE YOU REALLY FREE? – Alba
FIREBIRD – Josephine Pascoe
CHILDHOOD FRIENDS – naive nature
SPACE TRAVEL – Sandrom
MORE – Andrew Neil and Code Purple
SMALL TIME FISH (BIG TIME POND) – Sorry Ghost
THE VOID – Fuzzle
GREEN EYED MONSTER – Olivia Miceli
ALL I WANT – The Heroic Enthusiasts
WHY DON’T YOU LOVE ME – Tom Burton
COCK OF THE FIFTH YEAR – The Empty Page
NOT READY YET – Sean Magwire
GHOST – Grizzly Madams
ALWAYS DO – Melody Zenith
MISSED YOU – Mal Fantome
WOULD YOU WANT IT (IF YOU HAD IT) – The Barons
THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF WHAT IF – Eleanor Collides & Emily Gray
Hailing from the Fraser River Valley, east of the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, is Western Jaguar, the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor. Skillfully blending indie rock, dream pop and shoegaze, he writes songs exploring common themes of life, love, emotional well-being and loss, expressed through poetic, relatable lyrics which he delivers with pleasing low-key vocals. I’ve been following him for nearly six years, and have featured him and his music three times on this blog, most recently in July 2023 when I reviewed his beautiful album Oblivion. Two of his songs, “Disappear” (2019) and “Darling” (2023) have reached #1 on my Top 30 chart.
Trainor formed Western Jaguar in 2012, and since 2013 has released two EPs and four albums as both a solo artist and a band made up of an evolving lineup of musicians. His most recent album, released March 1st, was Ranges: 2013-2023, a sort of greatest hits album containing ten tracks Trainor describes as “a quintessential crash course of the first ten years of Western Jaguar.” Now he’s back with a terrific new single “Repossess“, which will be included on his forthcoming album Vacationland. For the recording of the track, he sang vocals and played guitars, bass, synths and percussion, and fellow musician Ted Kim played drums. Trainor produced and mixed the track, while Ryan Niklas handled mastering.
About “Repossess”, Trainor says it’s “about growing up and the struggles that go along with the pressures of being an adult. It reflects on losing the joys and carefree nature of adolescence, while also bemoaning the constant weight, and pressure adulthood provides. In the end, we all want someone to walk along side us in this life; someone to help “repossess” the joy we once had and lost.”
Musically, the song serves up the signature mellow shoegaze vibes we’ve come to love and expect from Western Jaguar. His intricate guitar work is lovely, with a colorful mix of shimmery strummed notes and edgier riffs layered over a gentle, pulsating bassline and accompanied by Kim’s spirited drums that nicely complement the other instruments without overpowering them. As always, Trainor’s earnest vocals exude a heartfelt vulnerability that’s quite endearing as he laments “Feeling like a jerk in a tropical shell. I can’t keep throwing back pill after pill. I’m swimming to a future, but drowning in my past. I just want to prove that I can make it last.”
Well, Green Day return to the top spot this week with “The American Dream Is Killing Me”, making it their fourth non-consecutive week at #1. It was the lead single to their critically-acclaimed 14th studio album Saviors, which dropped January 19th. Georgia genre-bending singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, whose sound has been described by Aaron Williams of webzine UPROXX as “Post Malone singing Lenny Williams or Jelly Roll doing Teddy Pendergrass”, moves into second place with his blistering torch song “Lose Control”. The song is from his debut album I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1). The captivating “All I Die For” by Canadian indie rock band SWiiMS, which I love more each time I hear it, moves up two spots to #5, while Bleachers‘ “Modern Girl” and The Last Dinner Party‘s “Nothing Matters” also advance two spots to #6 and #8, respectively. Noah Kahan and Hozier enter the top 10 with their rousing “Northern Attitude”, which is now in its third non-consecutive week at #1 on the Billboard AAA chart.
Five excellent new songs make their debut this week. The first and highest debuting is “Beautiful People (Stay High)” by one of my long-time favorite bands The Black Keys, entering at #22. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming 12th studio album Ohio Players. Entering at #27 is “Meant To Be” by Chicago alt-rock band Wilco, the lovely second single from their 13th album Cousin. Coming in at #28 is the delightful “My Golden Years” by indie rock duo The Lemon Twigs. Based in Long Island, the band is comprised of the hyper-talented and charismatic brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario, who began making music in their teens. I love those jangly guitars and beautiful vocal harmonies.
Next up is “Blush” by Detroit-based deathgaze act Vazum, the music project of Zach Pliska and Emily Sturm, entering at #29. The marvelous song is reminiscent of great 80s darkwave and goth rock songs by such bands as Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure. Last but certainly not least is “Lunar Eclipse” by English indie rock band The Vaccines. Though they’ve been around since 2010, I only recently learned about them from fellow blogger Christian’s Music Musings when he featured one of their songs in a post. “Lunar Eclipse” is one of many great songs from their outstanding sixth studio album Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations, which dropped January 12th.
Brittany Howard remains at #1 for a second week with “What Now”, while Green Day‘s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” and Teddy Swims‘ “Lose Control” hold at #2 and #3 for a second week as well. boygenius move up two spots to #4 with “Cool About It”, and Mitski holds at #5 again with “My Love Mine All Mine”. Otherwise, there’s quite a bit of movement on the rest of the chart as several long-running hit songs move downward, making way for several that have been stuck in the lower reaches for weeks.
“Nothing Matters” by English all-female band The Last Dinner Party leaps 10 spots to enter the top 10 at #10. It took me a while to warm up to this song for some reason I can’t explain, but now I love it! “How Did You Get Here?” by English singer-songwriter Antony Szmierek moves up five spots to #12, “Blame Brett” by The Beaches, another all-female indie rock band, jumps six spots to #13, “Northern Attitude” by Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier leaps nine spots to #14, “Pretty Vicious” by English rock band The Struts moves up six spots to #15, and “Winter Cowboy” by English crooner Frank Joseph also moves up six notches to #16. Jumping eight spots each are FutureIslands‘ “The Tower”, to #17, English singer-songwriter Bakar‘s “Alive!”, to #18, and American rapper JackHarlow‘s “Lovin On Me”, to #21. “Mother Nature” by American psychedelic pop-rock duo MGMT, moves up seven spots to #20. The sole debut this week is “Normal People Things” by yet another English act, indie rock band Lovejoy, entering at #30. It’s their second song to appear on my chart, the first being “Call Me What You Like” last year.
Alabama-born and now Nashville-based singer-songwriter Brittany Howard takes over the top spot this week with her soulful and funky kiss-off single “What Now”, displacing Green Day‘s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” after it’s three week run at #1. The astonishingly talented artist with a powerhouse voice was front woman of rock band Alabama Shakes, but went solo in 2018 when the band went on hiatus. She released her debut album Jaime in 2019 to widespread acclaim, and was nominated for numerous music awards, winning a Grammy in 2021 for Best Rock Song for her single “Stay High”. “What Now” is the lead and title single from her forthcoming second album of the same name, scheduled for release on February 2. About the single, Howard explains “It was written during the pandemic when the question “What now” was on all of our minds. I think it is a feeling that has continued to the present moment in the world we live in. It is also the title of the new album and I think when you hear it you will understand why I landed on that title…but more on that later.” The dark video was directed by Danilo Parra, produced by Adam Braun and filmed by Benjamin Whatley. In addition to Howard, the video features Mohnsta Simmons, Anaelle Rabotoson, Laquane Barnes and Andre Lambert.
In other notable chart developments, Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims is the biggest upward mover for the third consecutive week, as his bluesy and blistering “Lose Control” leaps nine spots to #3. Moving into fourth place is “Attraction”, the sweet song of budding love by talented young British trio Wild Horse, followed by “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski at #5. Entering the top 10 after a long slow climb are the ethereal “All I Die For” by Canadian indie rock band SWiiMS and “Modern Girl” by pop-rock band Bleachers.
Making their debut this week are two songs that couldn’t be more different from each other: Entering at #29 is “Lovin On Me” by the enormously popular rapper Jack Harlow, who’s racked up a stream of hits over the past five years, some of them collaborations with other artists. The song is already a massive hit, currently returning to the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 after all the Christmas songs that dominated the chart in December dropped off. I’m not generally a fan of his type of music, but with its infectious groove, “Lovin On You” has finally grown on me. Entering at #30 is the lovely “Your World Now” by fellow blogger, musician and all-around Renaissance man Marc Schuster. About the song, he explains: “On the surface, it sounds like it could be a wistful breakup song in the style of Jens Lekman or Belle & Sebastian, but it isn’t really influenced by any personal experiences beyond the broad strokes of realizing that the world is changing and that I’m okay with handing the reins over to people who will do things differently than I would.” I think it’s one of Schuster’s best songs yet, and his vocals have never sounded better.
WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (2)
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (12)
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (5)
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (6)
COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (8)
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (7)
DARLING – Western Jaguar (3)
ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (13)
MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (14)
NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (4)
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (9)
HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (10)
ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (11)
ATOMIC CITY – U2 (15)
LOVING YOU – Cannons (17) 22nd week on chart
HOW DID YOU GET HERE? – Antony Szmierek (19)
HOUDINI – Dua Lipa (20)
BLAME BRETT – The Beaches (21)
NOTHING MATTERS – The Last Dinner Party (23)
PRETTY VICIOUS – The Struts (22)
WINTER COWBOY – Frank Joshua (24)
NORTHERN ATTITUDE – Noah Kahan feat. Hozier (25)
WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (16)
Not a lot of changes to this week’s Top 30, with the songs in the top six spots remaining in place for a second week. Green Day‘s “The American Dream Is Killing Me” is #1 for a third week, while Brittany Howard‘s “What Now” holds on the #2 spot for a second week. The lovely “Cool About It” by boygenius climbs three spots to enter the top 10 at #8. The biggest upward mover again this week is “Lose Control” by Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, jumping seven spots to #12. The sole debut this week is “nice to know you” by L.A. pop-rock trio lovelytheband, who I had the pleasure of seeing in concert last June. In fact, in addition to lovelytheband, I’ve also seen two other acts on this list – Cold War Kids and Cannons.
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (2)
DARLING – Western Jaguar (3)
NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (4)
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (5)
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (6)
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (10)
COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (11)
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (7)
HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (8)
ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (9)
LOSE CONTROL – Teddy Swims (19)
ALL I DIE FOR – SWiiMS (14)
MODERN GIRL – Bleachers (15)
ATOMIC CITY – U2 (12)
WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (13)
Happy New Year! As we transition from 2023 to 2024, Green Day remain on top for a second week with their protest anthem “The American Dream Is Killing Me”. They’ve been a long-time favorite of mine, and I’m glad they’re still making music nearly 34 years after the release of their first album 39/Smooth. They’ll be dropping their 14th studio album Savior on January 19th. Brittany Howard‘s gloriously defiant “What Now” climbs five spots into second position, while Cold War Kids (who I saw open for Tears for Fears last August) enter the top 10 with “Run Away With Me”. British pop-rock band Wild Horse move up three spots to #5 with their breezy love song “Attraction”, followed at #6 by Mitski‘s contemplative “My Love Mine All Mine”. The biggest upward mover this week is the bluesy “Lose Control” by Georgia singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, leaping 10 spots to #19.
Four songs debut this week: Entering at #27 is “Northern Attitude”, a terrific duet by Vermont-based singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. The song is a newly-recorded version of the track from Kahan’s critically-acclaimed album Stick Season, which also features his hit single “Dial Drunk”. He’s also recorded collaborative versions of a number of the album’s tracks, including “Dial Drunk” with Post Malone. Hozier also scored a successful and acclaimed album in 2023, Unreal Unearth, which features his hit songs “Eat Your Young” and “Francesca”. Next up is “The Tower” by always wonderful Baltimore-based synth pop band Future Islands. The song is from their forthcoming seventh studio album People Who Aren’t There Anymore, slated for release on January 26. Coming in at #29 is “Alive!” by British singer-songwriter Bakar, marking his third appearance on my chart. The song is the lead single from his second album Halo, which was released in September. Last but certainly not least is the lovely “Mother Nature” by American neo-psychedelic rock band MGMT. The song is the lead single from their upcoming fifth studio album Loss of Life, due for release on February 23, their first new music in six years.
THE AMERICAN DREAM IS KILLING ME – Green Day (1)
WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard (7)
DARLING – Western Jaguar (2)
NOW AND THEN – The Beatles (3)
ATTRACTION – Wild Horse (8)
MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE – Mitski (9)
MORE THAN A LOVE SONG – Black Pumas (4)
HONEY (ARE U COMING?) – Måneskin (5)
ONE MORE TIME – blink-182 (6)
RUN AWAY WITH ME – Cold War Kids (12)
COOL ABOUT IT – boygenius (16)
ATOMIC CITY – U2 (10)
WILD – Brian Lambert, Harmoni Kelley & Marc Schuster (14)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 