Tag: Wet Leg

Top 30 Songs for June 1-7, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments

English singer-songwriter & producer Frank Joshua remains at #1 for a second week with his lush single “Walls”, while Fontaines D.C.‘s “It’s Amazing To Be Young” advances a spot to #2. Rounding out the top five are “Bad Larry” by Cloakroom, “Mortal Wound” by The Veils and “The Turnaround” by DelCobras (who just released their second single “Untied (She’s the One)” this past Friday), all moving up two spots. The biggest upward mover this week is the majestic “back to friends” by 19-year-old artist sombr, leaping eight spots to #16 (I find it interesting that some artists name themselves and/or their songs in all lower case).

I have two wonderful debut songs this week, the first of which is “Feels Right” by northern Virginia-based artist Talk in Waves (the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos). The exuberant pop-rock song is a joyous celebration of a budding romance, where everything’s coming together and just “feels right”. Jake has released an impressive amount of music since 2015, and I’ve featured him numerous times on this blog. I’ve loved all his songs, five of which have reached #1 on my Top 30 chart. One of them, “Like You Do”, topped my 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 list, and his previous single “You’re My Drug” reached #2 this past March.

The second debut, coming in at #30, is the marvelous “Bonnet Of Pins” by silky-voiced singer-songwriter Matt Berninger, who’s also frontman of alternative indie rock band The National. I love his warm baritone singing voice so much, he could literally sing the phone book and I’m certain it would sound captivating. The song is from his new album Get Sunk, his second release as a solo artist which dropped this past Friday, May 30th.

  1. WALLS – Frank Joshua (1)
  2. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (3)
  3. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (5)
  4. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (6)
  5. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (7)
  6. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (8)
  7. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (2)
  8. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (4)
  9. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (9)
  10. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (10)
  11. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (17)
  12. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (12)
  13. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (13)
  14. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (14)
  15. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (15)
  16. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (24)
  17. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (11)
  18. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (18)
  19. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (21)
  20. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (22)
  21. SO LONG – Wavves (23)
  22. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (25)
  23. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (16)
  24. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (26)
  25. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (27)
  26. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (18) 19th week on chart
  27. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (19)
  28. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (30)
  29. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (N)
  30. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 25-31, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments

London, England-based Frank Joshua – an enigmatic but enormously talented singer-songwriter and producer who, wanting his music to speak for itself, shares no photos of himself – has become a favorite of mine on the strength of his gorgeous baritone voice and beguiling adult contemporary music style. The prolific artist has released a staggering amount of music over the past four years or so, including three albums, an EP and 43 singles! Every one of his songs is a captivating feast for the ears, and I love them all. I’ve previously written about four of them, most recently this past February when I reviewed his marvelous single “Walls”. After a long but steady climb, the song has finally reached #1 in its 14th week on my chart. It’s his first song to top my chart; his singles “Bluebell Wood” reached #6 in 2023 and “Winter Cowboy” reached #3 in 2024. Since “Walls”, Frank has released two more singles, including “These Words” which dropped this past Thursday, May 23rd. All of his singles have been released via British music label Numen Records.

Although Frank writes some of his songs, like the majority of his singles, “Walls” was written by his frequent collaborator Simon Pitheakley, and produced by Tony White. And like all his songs, this one’s a beauty, with gorgeous reverb-drenched bluesy guitars accompanied by warm piano keys, soaring orchestral synths and gently crashing cymbals layered over a sensuous pulsating beat. It all creates a glorious cinematic backdrop for Frank’s melancholy yet captivating vocals which are both passionate and heartfelt. It’s become my favorite of all his songs, and I never tire of listening to it. The poetic lyrics speak of the challenges of growing older and maintaining a long-term relationship, in which there’s often a tug of war between the comfort and security that comes from being with a devoted loved one, and the primal urge to be independent and free of responsibility or commitment – something I’ve long struggled with myself.

In other chart news of note, The Black Keys hold at #2 with “The Night Before”, and Fontaines D.C. move up a notch to #3 with “It’s Amazing To Be Young”. Maryland shoegaze/indie rock band Icarus Phoenix enters the top 10 with their beautiful song “Poor Sad Indie Everything”, and “Nothing I Need” by Lord Huron is the biggest upward mover this week, jumping eight spots to #17.

The one new debut this week is “Scars”, a heartwarming song of love and empathy by Welsh artist Secret Postal Society, the music project of singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone. In addition to being a talented, hard-working artist, Craig’s a thoughtful, generous and kind soul, and though we’ve never met in person, I’ve grown quite fond of him on both a personal and professional level. It’s his third song to appear on my chart, the first being “Something From Nothing/Points of Light” in 2022 and more recently “Autumn Leaves”, which spent 19 weeks on my chart from late November 2024-early April 2025, peaking at #3 in March.

  1. WALLS – Frank Joshua (3)
  2. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (2)
  3. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (4)
  4. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (1)
  5. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (5)
  6. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (6)
  7. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (7)
  8. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (9)
  9. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (10)
  10. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (13)
  11. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (14)
  12. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (15)
  13. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (16)
  14. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (17)
  15. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (18)
  16. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (8)
  17. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (25)
  18. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (21)
  19. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (11)
  20. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (12)
  21. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (22)
  22. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (23)
  23. SO LONG – Wavves (24)
  24. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (29)
  25. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (28)
  26. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (26)
  27. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (30)
  28. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (19)
  29. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (20) 19th week on chart
  30. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 18-24, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments

There are several really beautiful songs on this week’s list, starting with “Time Waited” by My Morning Jacket, which holds the top spot for a second week. Three more are “Walls” by English artist Frank Joshua, moving up to #3, “Bad Larry” by Northwest Indiana shoegaze band Cloakroom and “Mortal Wound” by English/New Zealand indie/rock band The Veils, which advance two spots to #s 5 and 6. None of those three songs have appeared on any charts as far as I can tell, which is a travesty. “The Night Before” by The Black Keys moves into second place, and “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C. jumps six spots to #4. Two more gorgeous songs, “Laredo”, by Texas singer-songwriter Leon Bridges and “Snakeskin” by English singer-songwriter NAVE, enter the top 10 at #s 9 & 10.

There are two debuts this week, the first of which is “back to friends” by sombr, the music project of astonishingly talented 19-year-old singer-songwriter Shane Boose. Born and raised in New York City, he’s now based in Los Angeles. The song was actually released last December but as so often happens these days, it recently went viral on TikTok and began appearing on American charts. I’ve grown to love the song, and also love his follow-up single “Undressed”. The second debut, bringing up the rear at #30, is “Spaceman in Tulsa” by legendary alt-rock band Counting Crows. The song is from their eighth album Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!, which dropped May 9th. Still fronted by Adam Duritz who’s now 60, they sound as good as ever.

  1. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (1)
  2. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (3)
  3. WALLS – Frank Joshua (4)
  4. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (10)
  5. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (7)
  6. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (8)
  7. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (9)
  8. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (2)
  9. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (12)
  10. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (14)
  11. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (5)
  12. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (6)
  13. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (15)
  14. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (16)
  15. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (18)
  16. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (19)
  17. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (20)
  18. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (21)
  19. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (11)
  20. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (13)
  21. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (22)
  22. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (23)
  23. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (24)
  24. SO LONG – Wavves (25)
  25. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (26)
  26. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (17)
  27. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (29)
  28. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (30)
  29. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (N)
  30. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 11-17, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's10 Comments
Cover photo of My Morning Jacket album is

With their expansive and eclectic sound, alternative indie rock band My Morning Jacket have been making innovative music for more than a quarter century. 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). The introspective and lovely “Time Waited” takes over the #1 spot on my latest Top 30 chart. The song is from their latest and 10th album is, released on March 25th. It’s their second song to reach #1 on my chart, their previous being the gorgeous “Feel You”, which also ranks #6 on my list of 100 Best Songs of 2020.

About the song, James told Stereogum: “I made a loop of that piano intro and listened as I went for a walk, and all these melodies started coming to me. For a long time, I didn’t have lyrics, but then I had a dream where I was in a café and a song was playing, and the lyrics to that song became the lyrics to ‘Time Waited’ — the melodies just fit perfectly. And the lyrics are about how flexible time is, how we can bend and warp time, especially if we are following our hearts, the universe and time itself can flow to work with us.” In addition to that beautiful piano, I also love the marvelous guitar work.

In other chart news of note, The Black Keys advance two spots to #3 with “The Night Before”, and English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua climbs three spots to #4 with “Walls”. Two songs enter the top 10: “The Turnaround” by Philadelphia power pop trio DelCobras, and “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C., whose song “Starburster” was my favorite song of 2024.

Two songs make their debut, the first of which is “Ritalin” by Texas rock band Dexter and The Moonrocks, who’s previous single “Sad in Carolina” went to # in late December-early January. The second new entry is “catch these fists” by English indie rock duo Wet Leg, comprised of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. With a winning combination of infectious melodies, ascerbic lyrics, and their quirky deadpan vocal style, they burst onto the music scene in 2021 with their critically acclaimed eponymous album Wet Leg, which spawned two hits, “Chaise Longue” and “Wet Dream”. “catch these fists” is the lead single from their forthcoming second album Moisturizer, to be released in July.

  1. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (2)
  2. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (1)
  3. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (5)
  4. WALLS – Frank Joshua (7)
  5. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (3)
  6. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (4)
  7. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (9)
  8. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (10)
  9. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (11)
  10. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (12)
  11. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (8)
  12. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (14)
  13. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (6)
  14. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (15)
  15. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (16)
  16. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (17)
  17. LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (13)
  18. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (20)
  19. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (21)
  20. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (23)
  21. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (24)
  22. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (22)
  23. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (26)
  24. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (27)
  25. SO LONG – Wavves (28)
  26. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (30)
  27. PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (18) 19th week on chart
  28. SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (19)
  29. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (N)
  30. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 21-27, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

“Kid”, the feel-good anthem by New Orleans band The Revivalists, remains atop my Top 30 for a second week, while Hozier‘s enchanting “Eat Your Young” moves into second place. Entering the top 10 are “Dummy” by Portland alt-rock band Portugal. The Man and “Go Down River” by British duo The Heavy Heavy, at #s 9 and 10 respectively. The biggest upward movers this week are “Rescued” by Foo Fighters, leaping 12 spots to #16, “Not Strong Enough” by supergroup boygenius (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers & Lucy Dacus), climbing five spots to #4, and “Those Eyes” by New West, also advancing five spots to #21.

The lone debut this week is “Pineapple Sunrise” by Beach Weather, who’ve become one of my favorite bands over the past year. The title track from their album of the same name, “Pineapple Sunrise” has not been officially released as a single, however they did release a terrific new video for the song this past Friday, and I love it so much it’s made my Weekly Top 30.

  1. KID – The Revivalists (1)
  2. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (3)
  3. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (2)
  4. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (9)
  5. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (4)
  6. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (8)
  7. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (7)
  8. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (5)
  9. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (13)
  10. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (14)
  11. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (6)
  12. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (12)
  13. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (11)
  14. ESSENCE – Refeci featuring Shimmer Johnson (15)
  15. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (10)
  16. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (28)
  17. 1982 – Morgendust (20)
  18. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (21)
  19. LEAVING – Au Gres (22)
  20. THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (24)
  21. THOSE EYES – New West (26)
  22. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (25)
  23. WHY – Future Theory (27)
  24. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (16)
  25. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (18)
  26. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (17)
  27. HELLO – GROUPLOVE (29)
  28. EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (30)
  29. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (19)
  30. PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 14-20, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments
Photo by Alysse Gafkjen

I’ve loved making song lists since my teens, but one thing I don’t like about doing them is having to drop songs down and then ultimately off. And just because I move songs down and then off my lists doesn’t mean I no longer like them or am even tired of them, but they must eventually make way for newer songs to have their own time in the sun, so to speak. That said, it makes me a little sad to knock “New Gold”, by Gorillaz, Tame Impala and Bootie Brown, from the top spot it’s held the last three weeks, but it must step aside because The Revivalists‘ “Kid” is my new current favorite song. For those unfamiliar with The Revivalists, they’re an 8-piece alternative roots rock band who formed in New Orleans in 2007. They finally burst onto the music scene in 2015 when, on the strength of their third album Men Amongst Mountains, Rolling Stone magazine named them one of “10 Bands You Need to Know”. One of the singles from that album, “Wish I Knew You”, was a sleeper hit, finally reaching #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart in September 2016, then topping the Alternative Airplay chart in May 2017.

The exuberant feel-good anthem “Kid” is the lead single from their forthcoming fifth studio album Pour It Out Into The Night, due for release on June 2nd, and is currently #1 on the Adult Alternative Songs chart. Band lead vocalist David Shaw said the song “is about capturing the essence of life. We all go through ups and downs. Sometimes, we don’t believe in ourselves. We’ve got skeletons in the closet trying to drag us down. But you’ve got to believe in yourself. You’ve just got to live for the spirit. Nothing good ever comes easy. If you don’t have hope, what do you have?” Besides making great songs, The Revivalists use their music as a force of positivity, and are actively involved in several philanthropic causes, including establishing an umbrella fund Rev Causes in 2019, for the purpose of supporting various organizations dedicated to reviving and investing in their communities, public health, and the environment.

The lone debut this week is “Empty Nest” by L.A.-based alt-rock band Silversun Pickups, who’ve been making music since 2000.

  1. KID – The Revivalists (3)
  2. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (1)
  3. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (5)
  4. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (2)
  5. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (4)
  6. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (6)
  7. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (9)
  8. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (10)
  9. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (11)
  10. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (7)
  11. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (12)
  12. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (14)
  13. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (18)
  14. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (17)
  15. ESSENCE – Refeci featuring Shimmer Johnson (19)
  16. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (8)
  17. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (15)
  18. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (16)
  19. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (21)
  20. 1982 – Morgendust (22)
  21. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (23)
  22. LEAVING – Au Gres (24)
  23. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (13)
  24. THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (25)
  25. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (26)
  26. THOSE EYES – New West (27)
  27. WHY – Future Theory (28)
  28. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (29)
  29. HELLO – GROUPLOVE (30)
  30. EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (N)

Top 30 Songs for May 7-13, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

“New Gold”, the wonderful collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz, Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown, maintains it’s grip on the #1 spot for a third week, while “Ghosts Again” by Depeche Mode moves into the #2 spot. Jumping five spots each are “Kid” by The Revivalists, to #3, and “Eat Your Young” by Hozier, to #5. The raucous “Paid Off”, by British alt-rock band Oli Barton & the Movement, enters the top 10 at #10. They just released their biting new single “Left Alive in America?” on May 5th, and will be releasing their album Pipe Dreams on the 19th.

Making their debut this week are “Rescued” by the Foo Fighters, their first new release since the untimely death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, at #29, and “Hello”, by the always delightful L.A. band GROUPLOVE, at #30.

  1. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (1)
  2. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (3)
  3. KID – The Revivalists (8)
  4. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (4)
  5. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (10)
  6. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (6)
  7. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (2)
  8. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (5)
  9. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (9)
  10. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (13)
  11. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (17)
  12. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (14)
  13. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (7)
  14. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (16)
  15. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (11)
  16. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (12)
  17. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (18)
  18. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (19)
  19. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (20)
  20. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (15)
  21. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (22)
  22. 1982 – Morgendust (23)
  23. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (24)
  24. LEAVING – Au Gres (25)
  25. THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (27)
  26. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (28)
  27. THOSE EYES – New West (29)
  28. WHY – Future Theory (30)
  29. RESCUED – Foo Fighters (N)
  30. HELLO – GROUPLOVE (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 30-May 6, 2023

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“New Gold”, the marvelous collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz, Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown, remains at #1 for a second week. Holding at #2 for a second week is the beautiful “Tropic Morning News” by The National, which previously spent two weeks at #1. Depeche Mode‘s “Ghosts Again” holds at #3 for a second week, and “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus moves up a notch to #4. Moving up three spots each are “Soften” by Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Southey, to #5, and “Bluebell Wood” by British singer-songwriter Frank Joshua to #6. Entering the top 10 are “Kid” by The Revivalists, climbing three spots to #8, and “Eat Your Young” by Hozier, which jumps six spots to #10.

Two songs make their debut this week: the gorgeous “Those Eyes” by Toronto band New West, entering at #29. The song, which reminds me a bit of Coldplay’s beloved earlier songs like “Yellow” and “Fix You”, was actually released in May 2019 as their very first single, and later included on their debut EP Call Me When You Hear This Song. Like Beach Weather’s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, the song apparently went viral on Tik Tok, and has recently been climbing the Alternative charts. Entering at #30 is “Why”, a stunning song by British psychedelic indie rock band Future Theory, an immensely-talented act I’ve written about many times on this blog. This is their third song to appear on my Top 30, with their 2021 single “One and the Same” reaching #3.

  1. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (1)
  2. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (2)
  3. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (3)
  4. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (5)
  5. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (8)
  6. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (9)
  7. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (4)
  8. KID – The Revivalists (11)
  9. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (10)
  10. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (16)
  11. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (6)
  12. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (7)
  13. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (14)
  14. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (15)
  15. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (12)
  16. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (17)
  17. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (18)
  18. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (20)
  19. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (21)
  20. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (22)
  21. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (13) 20th week on chart
  22. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (24)
  23. 1982 – Morgendust (25)
  24. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (26)
  25. LEAVING – Au Gres (27)
  26. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (19) 22nd week on chart
  27. THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (29)
  28. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (30)
  29. THOSE EYES – New West (N)
  30. WHY – Future Theory (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 23-29, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's4 Comments

I love when artists from different genres and backgrounds come together to create music, especially when the pooling of their collective talents and imagination results in glorious sonic alchemy. One of the finest examples of this in recent memory is “New Gold”, a brilliant collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz (fronted by British singer-songwriter and producer Damon Albarn), Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown (aka Romye Robinson). The deep, pulsating beat and lush, intricate synths by Albarn, producer extraordinaire Greg Kurstin, and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker create a magical backdrop for Albarn’s and Parker’s dreamy vocals and Brown’s flawlessly rapped verses, all of which not only complement each other beautifully, but also create a palpable sense of excitement and energy. The song is a gorgeous feast for the senses, and ascends to the #1 spot on my latest Weekly Top 30.

Co-written by them all, the song’s lyrics speak to the ephemeral and often unfulfilling things too many people indulge in, expressed in the chorus “New gold, foolish gold, everything will disappear.” They rely on self-delusions or any number of palliatives, rather than face their problems in a realistic way, whether it be the ultimately self destructive overuse of cosmetic surgery that often ages poorly, abuse of party drugs that destroy the user’s mind, or endless social media drama, wasting time on online content lacking any real value or engaging in online arguments that only serve to make us feel more isolated than ever.

In other chart developments, Young the Giant‘s poignant and lovely “The Walk Home” enters the top 10, and two songs make their debut: “The Way” by American alt-rock band Manchester Orchestra, at #29, and “In My Head” by Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park) and Arizona-based singer-songwriter Kailee Morgue, at #30.

  1. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (3)
  2. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (1)
  3. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (4)
  4. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (2)
  5. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (6)
  6. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (5)
  7. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (7)
  8. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (9)
  9. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (10)
  10. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (12)
  11. KID – The Revivalists (14)
  12. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (13)
  13. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (8)
  14. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (15)
  15. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (16)
  16. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (23)
  17. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (19)
  18. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (20)
  19. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (11) 21st week on chart
  20. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (21)
  21. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (22)
  22. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (24)
  23. PAGES – White Reaper (17)
  24. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (27)
  25. 1982 – Morgendust (28)
  26. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (29)
  27. LEAVING – Au Gres (30)
  28. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (18)
  29. THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (N)
  30. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (N)

Top 30 Songs for April 16-22, 2023

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's16 Comments

The beautiful “Tropic Morning News” by The National holds at #1 for a second week, with Sea Power‘s majestic “Transmitter” also remaining at #2. “New Gold” by the dream collaboration of Gorillaz, Tame Impala and Bootie Brown slides into 3rd place (Gorillaz & Brown performed the song at the Coachella Music Festival this past Friday night), while Depeche Mode‘s “Ghosts Again” assumes the #4 spot. British singer-songwriter Frank Joshua enters the top 10 with his sublime love song “Bluebell Wood”.

Three songs make their debut this week: Entering at #23 is the amazing “Eat Your Young” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. He states the song was inspired by Gluttony, one the 9 Circles of Hell contained in the first part of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem Divine Comedy, and describes a feast being prepared and served together with the chaos that comes with it. “Rescue Me” by Southern California reggae-ska rock band Dirty Heads enters at #29, and “leaving” by Michigan singer-songwriter Au Gres enters at #30.

  1. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (1)
  2. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (2)
  3. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (6)
  4. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (7)
  5. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (4)
  6. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (8)
  7. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (5)
  8. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (3)
  9. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (10)
  10. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (12)
  11. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (9)
  12. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (14)
  13. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (15)
  14. KID – The Revivalists (16)
  15. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (17)
  16. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (18)
  17. PAGES – White Reaper (11)
  18. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (13)
  19. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (22)
  20. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (25)
  21. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (26)
  22. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (28)
  23. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (N)
  24. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (27)
  25. EYEZ – The Arcs (19)
  26. WEIGHTLESS – Arlo Parks (20)
  27. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (29)
  28. 1982 – Morgendust (30)
  29. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (N)
  30. LEAVING – Au Gres (N)