Tag: Wolf Alice

My Top 30 Songs for December 14-20, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments
Photo of Twenty One Pilots from their Facebook account

It’s a particularly exciting chart this week as we approach the end of 2025, with a new #1 song and two fantastic new debuts, incidentally all by duo acts. Twenty One Pilots, my favorite music act for the past ten years, takes over the top spot with “City Walls”, marking their 14th song to top my chart, and their third this year alone, following “The Line” this past March and “The Contract” in August. Like “The Contract”, “City Walls” is from their eighth studio album Breach, which was released September 12th and serves as the final installment in their decade-long narrative arc explored by their previous albums Blurryface (2015), Trench (2018), Scaled and Icy (2021), and Clancy (2024).

(For those who’ve been living under a rock, Twenty One Pilots are based in Columbus, Ohio and consist of the dynamic duo of singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Tyler Joseph and power drummer Josh Dun. “City Walls” was written and produced by Joseph and his longtime collaborator Paul Meany, the lead singer and keyboardist for alternative rock project Mutemath, who opened for Twenty One Pilots on their Emotional Roadshow Tour that I saw in 2016.)

According to songsdiscussion.com, “‘City Walls’ delves into powerful themes of betrayal, reluctant leadership, and the immense psychological cost of rebellion, all set within the band’s established Dema and Trench narrative. The song’s core meaning centers on a protagonist who feels utterly abandoned by a trusted guide who was supposed to show him the way past the oppressive “city walls.” Now, he is forced to lead a dangerous and uncertain “breach” on his own, all while battling the severe fragmentation of his own mental state under the crushing weight of his new responsibility.“

The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Jensen Noen, runs for nearly ten minutes, making it the longest music video Twenty One Pilots have ever released. (The track itself is 5:22 minutes long.) Band frontman Tyler Joseph stated that the video serves as the proper conclusion to the story surrounding the conceptual city of “Dema”, a fictional location in the world of “Trench”, and its two central characters, Clancy (portrayed by Joseph) and Torchbearer (portrayed by drummer Josh Dun). With a production budget of $1 million, “City Walls” is one of the most expensive music videos of all time, as well as the second most expensive music video of the 2020s. Wikipedia

As I noted earlier, we have two marvelous new debuts, starting with “who’s your boyfriend” by Sydney, Australia-based duo Royel Otis. Comprised of Otis Pavlovic (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano) and Royel Maddell (lead guitar, backing vocals, bass, synthesizer), they’ve previously reached #1 twice on my chart, with “Murder on the Dancefloor” in 2024 and “moody” earlier this year. Like “moody”, “who’s your boyfriend” is from their third studio album hickey.

The second debut is “I’ve Got A Broken Heart”, the latest single by hyper-talented jangle pop-rock duo The Lemon Twigs. Based in Long Island, New York, they consist of brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario, both of whom are vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. Their wonderful song “My Golden Years” reached #1 on my chart and ranks #5 on my Top 100 Songs of 2024 list (right behind “Murder on the Dancefloor”). “I’ve Got A Broken Heart” was released on November 25th as a double single also featuring “Friday (I’m Gonna Love You)”.

  1. CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (2)
  2. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (1)
  3. DRACULA – Tame Impala (3)
  4. 12 TO 12 – sombr (10)
  5. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (5)
  6. THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (6)
  7. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (7)
  8. SPECTER – Bad Omens (9)
  9. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (4)
  10. SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce The Veil (12)
  11. THE FEAR – Future Theory (13)
  12. LUCY – Mt. Joy (14)
  13. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (15)
  14. WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (16)
  15. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (8)
  16. ENSENADA – Sublime (11)
  17. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (18)
  18. TANANA – Portugal. The Man (19)
  19. BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (20)
  20. REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (21)
  21. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (22)
  22. MADALENA – Goose (23)
  23. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (24)
  24. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (25)
  25. HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (30)
  26. STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (29)
  27. SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (17)
  28. WHO’S YOUR BOYFRIEND – Royel Otis (N)
  29. I’VE GOT A BROKEN HEART – The Lemon Twigs (N)
  30. DANG – Rainbow Kitten Surprise (28)

My Top 30 Songs for December 7-13, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments
Photo from All Time Low’s Facebook Account

Pop-punk rockers All Time Low remain at #1 for a second week with “The Weather”, while “City Walls” by my favorite band Twenty One Pilots closes in at #2 and Tame Impala‘s “Dracula” advances to #3. sombr – which my Spotify Wrapped revealed was my top artist of 2025 – enters the top 10 with “12 to 12”.

The lone new entry to this week’s chart is “Human”, a beautiful, uplifting song by the wonderful singer-songwriter and producer Brandi Carlile. Over her 21-year career, she’s released nine studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, three demo albums, 15 EPs, and 31 singles. She’s won 11 Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards, and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for her collaboration with Elton John on the single “Never Too Late”, the theme to John’s 2024 documentary of the same name. In addition to John, she’s also collaborated with scores of artists, including Amanda Shires, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby in their country music supergroup the Highwomen, Joni Mitchell, Tanya Tucker, The Secret Sisters, Lucius, Dave Matthews Band, Pat Monahan (of Train) and Noah Kahan.

“Human” is from her latest album Returning to Myself, released on October 24th. Written by Carlile along with her long-time collaborators, twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth, & watt (singer-songwriter, musician and producer Andrew Wotman), the song is about accepting that each of us in only human and on this earth for a short time, and to try and find bits of happiness and joy along the way.

  1. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (1)
  2. CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (3)
  3. DRACULA – Tame Impala (4)
  4. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (2)
  5. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (7)
  6. THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (8)
  7. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (9)
  8. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (5)
  9. SPECTER – Bad Omens (10)
  10. 12 TO 12 – sombr (12)
  11. ENSENADA – Sublime (6)
  12. SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce the Veil (13)
  13. THE FEAR – Future Theory (14)
  14. LUCY – Mt. Joy (15)
  15. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (16)
  16. WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (17)
  17. SUSHI AND COCA-COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (11)
  18. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (20)
  19. TANANA – Portugal. The Man (21)
  20. BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (23)
  21. REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (24)
  22. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (25)
  23. MADALENA – Goose (26)
  24. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (28)
  25. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (29)
  26. EVERYBODY SCREAM – Florence + The Machine (18)
  27. MISTAKES – Caamp (19)
  28. DANG – Rainbow Kitten Surprise (21)
  29. STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (30)
  30. HUMAN – Brandi Carlile (N)

My Top 30 Songs for November 30-December 6, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments
Photo from All Time Low’s Facebook Account

It’s hard to believe we’re now entering the final month of 2025, and pop-punk band All Time Low take over the top spot this week with their infectious ear worm “The Weather”. Formed in Towson, Maryland, in 2003, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, and they’ve released a total of nine studio albums, six EPs, two live albums and thirty-seven singles. “The Weather” is the second single from their tenth album Everyone’s Talking!, released on October 17th.

“Ordinary Creature” by Icelandic alt-rock band Of Monsters and Men and “Spector” by American alternative metal band Bad Omens enter the top ten. Three songs make their debut this week, starting with “infinite source” by American alternative metal band Deftones, which enters at #28. Formed in Sacramento, California way back in 1988, they currently consist of frontman Chino Moreno (lead vocals), Stephen Carpenter (lead guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums) and Frank Delgado (keyboardist and turntablist). Deftones have released 10 studio albums, four EPs, three compilation albums, five demo albums, 32 music videos and 25 singles. “infinite source” is from their 10th and latest album private music, which dropped August 22nd, and follows their previous single “my mind is a mountain”, which recently spent nine weeks on my chart.

The second debut is “White Horses” by English alt rock band Wolf Alice. Formed in London in 2010, they consist of singer Ellie Rowsell (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards) Joff Oddie (guitar, vocals), Theo Ellis (bass, vocals) and Joel Amey (drums, percussion, vocals). “White Horses” is from their fourth studio album The Clearing, which was also released August 22nd. Coming in at #30 is “Stay In Your Lane”, a cool song by highly acclaimed and beloved Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett, who never fails to deliver a compelling song.

  1. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (2)
  2. ANOTHER LIFE – Alabama Shakes (1)
  3. CITY WALLS – Twenty One Pilots (4)
  4. DRACULA – Tame Impala (6)
  5. ELEGANTLY WASTED – Hermanos Gutiérrez feat. Leon Bridges (3)
  6. ENSENADA – Sublime (5)
  7. DOWNSTAIRS – Matt Maeson (8)
  8. THE FATE OF OPHELIA – Taylor Swift (10)
  9. ORDINARY CREATURE – Of Monsters and Men (11)
  10. SPECTER – Bad Omens (12)
  11. SUSHI AND COCA COLA – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (7)
  12. 12 TO 12 – sombr (14)
  13. SO FAR SO FAKE – Pierce the Veil (15)
  14. THE FEAR – Future Theory (16)
  15. LUCY – Mt. Joy (17)
  16. GET THE MESSAGE – The Paradox (18)
  17. WATCH ME GO – Lord Huron (19)
  18. EVERYBODY SCREAM – Florence + The Machine (9)
  19. MISTAKES – Caamp (13)
  20. ZOMBIE – YUNGBLUD (21)
  21. DANG – Rainbow Kitten Surprise (22)
  22. TANANA – Portugal. The Man (23)
  23. BY YOUR SIDE – Meltt (25)
  24. REMEMBER US? – Two Feet (26)
  25. RUBBER BAND MAN – Mumford & Sons w/Hozier (29)
  26. MADALENA – Goose (30)
  27. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (20)
  28. INFINITE SOURCE – Deftones (N)
  29. WHITE HORSES – Wolf Alice (N)
  30. STAY IN YOUR LANE – Courtney Barnett (N)

My Top 30 Songs for September 7-13, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's14 Comments

It’s been a rough week at my house, as we had to say goodbye to our beloved cat Panda, who was part of our family for almost 19 years and finally lost his battle with kidney disease. Feeling heartbroken, I’m not much in the frame of mind to write about music. But given that the new top song on my chart this week is by an artist I’m particularly fond of, I felt I needed to soldier on for his sake, as well as the other indie artists who follow me that have songs on my chart.

After a long, steady climb, the ebullient “Feels Right” by Talk in Waves, the music project of northern Virginia-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos, ascends to #1. It’s his sixth song to top my chart, the previous being “Dark Places” (2019), “Can We Go Back” (2021), “Closer” (2022), “Walk Through the Fire” (2023), and last year’s “Like You Do”, which also holds the honor of being my #1 indie song of 2024. And two more of his singles – “Sleep” in 2020 and “You’re My Drug” from earlier this year – have reached #2. Several of those outstanding songs are featured on his debut album Medicine for the Apocalypse, which he released on July 18th.

Entering the top 10 this week are three great songs all spelled in lower case letters – “jupiter” by San Diego-based indie pop band almost monday, featuring added vocals by L.A.-based indie pop singer-songwriter Jordana, “undressed” by New York City-based sombr (whose single “back to friends” recently spent three weeks at #1 and now sits at #17), and “polyester (yes sir)” by L.A. indie pop-rock band Sorry Ghost, at #s 8, 9 & 10, respectively.

Two songs make their debut this week, starting with “Mistakes” by Columbus, Ohio-based bluegrass-folk band Caamp, whose single “Let Things Go” reached #8 on my chart in early July. Formed in 2012 by childhood friends Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall, Caamp was later joined by Matt Vinson on bass, Joseph Kavalec on keyboards, and NIck Falk on drums. Many of their songs have done well on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart, with four, including “Let Things Go” reaching #1. “Mistakes” is from their sixth and latest album Copper Changes Color, which dropped June 6th.

Entering at #30 is “The Weather” by American pop-punk/rock band All Time Low. Formed in Towson, Maryland, in 2003, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson. They’ve released a total of nine studio albums, six EPs, two live albums and thirty-seven singles. “The Weather” is the second single from their forthcoming tenth album Everyone’s Talking!, set for release on October 17th. Their single “Sleepwalking” spent 11 weeks on my chart in 2023.

  1. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (2)
  2. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (1)
  3. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (5)
  4. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (7)
  5. LONDON TOWN – Healer (6)
  6. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (3)
  7. MOODY – Royel Otis (4)
  8. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (11)
  9. UNDRESSED – sombr (12)
  10. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (15)
  11. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (17)
  12. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (14)
  13. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (8)
  14. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (13)
  15. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (16)
  16. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (18)
  17. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (10)
  18. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (20)
  19. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (9)
  20. UNRAVELLING – Muse (21)
  21. AFTERLIFE – Alex G (22)
  22. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (23)
  23. ENSENADA – Sublime (24)
  24. MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones (25)
  25. HORNETS – Western Jaguar (26)
  26. METAL – The Beths (29)
  27. EVERYDAY MAGIC – My Morning Jacket (30)
  28. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (19)
  29. MISTAKES – Caamp (N)
  30. THE WEATHER – All Time Low (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 31-September 6, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments
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.

  1. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (1)
  2. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (3)
  3. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (2)
  4. MOODY – Royel Otis (4)
  5. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (7)
  6. LONDON TOWN – Healer (8)
  7. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (9)
  8. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (6)
  9. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (5)
  10. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (10)
  11. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (12)
  12. UNDRESSED – sombr (13)
  13. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (14)
  14. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (15)
  15. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (16)
  16. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (17)
  17. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (18)
  18. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (19)
  19. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (11)
  20. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (23)
  21. UNRAVELLING – Muse (24)
  22. AFTERLIFE – Alex G (26)
  23. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (27)
  24. ENSENADA – Sublime (28)
  25. MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones (29)
  26. HORNETS – Western Jaguar (30)
  27. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (20) 20th week on chart
  28. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (21)
  29. METAL – The Beths (N)
  30. EVERYDAY MAGIC – My Morning Jacket (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 24-30, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments
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!

  1. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (1)
  2. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (2)
  3. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (4)
  4. MOODY – Royel Otis (3)
  5. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (6)
  6. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (7)
  7. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (8)
  8. LONDON TOWN – Healer (9)
  9. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (10)
  10. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (5)
  11. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (12)
  12. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (13)
  13. UNDRESSED – sombr (14)
  14. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (15)
  15. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (19)
  16. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (20)
  17. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (21)
  18. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (22)
  19. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (24)
  20. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (11)
  21. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (17)
  22. INCOMPREHENSIBLE – Big Thief (25)
  23. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (26)
  24. UNRAVELLING – Muse (27)
  25. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (16)
  26. AFTERLIFE – Alex G (29)
  27. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (30)
  28. ENSENADA – Sublime (N)
  29. MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN – Deftones (N)
  30. HORNETS – Western Jaguar (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 17-23, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's11 Comments
Photo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney by Larry Niehues

“No Rain, No Flowers”, the title track from Nashville-based blues rock duo The Black Keys‘ 13th and latest album No Rain, No Flowers, is my new #1 song this week. Though the song, along with many of the other tracks on the album, has a decidedly more polished, poppy sound than their usual musical fare, I really like it. I love its smooth head-bopping dance groove, twangy guitars and Dan Auerbach’s always-cool vocals, plus it’s catchy as hell. The song and album have received mostly positive reviews, though some have criticized it for being too pop-oriented, overly produced or simply veering too far away from their blues rock roots. That said, the album’s lead single “The Night Before” spent two weeks at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart this past May, whereas “No Rain, No Flowers” peaked at only #28 and is now falling. The song did recently peak at #2 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, however.

In other chart news of note, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” by Los Angeles-based ROLE MODEL (the music project of singer-songwriter Tucker Harrington Pillsbury), advances six spots to enter the top 10 at #10. And curiously, the songs at numbers 11 and 12 both have three-word titles in all B’s – “Basic Being Basic” and Bloom Baby Bloom”.

There are two new debuts again this week, the first of which is the delightful “Afterlife” by American musician, producer, and singer-songwriter Alex G (born Alexander Giannascoli in Havertown, Pennsylvania). Since 2011, the prolific musician has released ten studio albums, four EPs, three live albums, two soundtrack albums and 30 singles. The lead single from his 10th and latest album Headlights, “Afterlife” has become Alex G’s highest charting single in the U.S., currently sitting at #8 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart. That ukelele is utterly charming.

The second new entry is “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, their first new music release in four years since “ISN’T EVERYONE”, a collaborative single with Los Angeles-based industrial/noise rock band Health. Formed in 1988 as a solo act by singer-songwriter, musician, and composer Trent Reznor (who was inspired by Prince to play all instruments himself except drums, which he programmed electronically), Nine Inch Nails for many years consisted of Reznor as the only official member, aided by an ever-changing group of backing musicians for live performances. He finally added English musician and long-time collaborator Atticus Ross as the act’s second permanent member in 2016. Released on July 17th, “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” is from the forthcoming soundtrack album Tron: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), to be released September 19th. Nine Inch Nails composed the score for the film Tron: Ares, the third installment in the Tron series scheduled for release October 10th. At the age of 60, Reznor sounds as good as ever.

  1. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (3)
  2. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (1)
  3. MOODY – Royel Otis (2)
  4. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (5)
  5. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (4)
  6. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (7)
  7. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (8)
  8. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (9)
  9. LONDON TOWN – Healer (10)
  10. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (16)
  11. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (6)
  12. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (15)
  13. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (17)
  14. UNDRESSED – sombr (18)
  15. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (20)
  16. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (11)
  17. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (12)
  18. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (13)
  19. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (21)
  20. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (22)
  21. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (23)
  22. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (24)
  23. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (14)
  24. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (29)
  25. INCOMPREHENSIBLE – Big Thief (26)
  26. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (28)
  27. UNRAVELLING – Muse (30)
  28. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (19)
  29. AFTERLIFE – Alex G (N)
  30. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE – Nine Inch Nails (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 10-16, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments

It’s a second week on top for “The Contract” by Twenty One Pilots, with “moody” by Royel Otis holding onto second place for a second week after two weeks at #1. The Black Keys move up two to #3 with “No Rain, No Flowers”, the title track to their 13th and latest album No Rain, No Flowers, which dropped this past Friday, while Talk in Waves moves up a spot to #5 with his jubilant ear worm “Feels Right”. Entering the top 10 are “Ripple” by English indie rock duo Good Neighbours, “Better Off Eventually” by Canadian alt-rock band Bealby Point, “Love Is A Fire” by English singer-songwriter Art Block and “London Town” by English rock band Healer.

Making their debut this week are songs by two legendary bands, the first of which is “Better Days” by pop punk band Yellowcard, who formed in 1997, broke up in 2017, then reunited in 2022. Their lineup has changed over the years, and now consists of Ryan Key (lead vocals), Ryan Mendez (lead guitar), Josh Portman (bass) and Sean Mackin (violin). Their music is notable for its distinct and unique sound due to their prominent use of Mackin’s violin. The song is the lead single and title track from their forthcoming eleventh studio album Better Days, due for release on October 10. The album was produced by blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who played drums on every song.

The second debut, coming in at #30, is “Unravelling” by English alternative space rock band Muse, who since forming in 1994 have consisted of Matt Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Chris Wolstenholme (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Dominic Howard (drums, percussion). Though I’m a pretty big fan of Muse, I find it always takes several listens for many of their songs to grab me, which was the case with “Unravelling”. But grab me it did, and I now like it a lot.

  1. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (1)
  2. MOODY – Royel Otis (2)
  3. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (5)
  4. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (3)
  5. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (6)
  6. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (4)
  7. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (11)
  8. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (13)
  9. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (14)
  10. LONDON TOWN – Healer (15)
  11. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (7)
  12. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (8)
  13. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (9)
  14. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (10)
  15. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (16)
  16. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (18)
  17. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (19)
  18. UNDRESSED – sombr (20)
  19. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (12)
  20. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (22)
  21. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (23)
  22. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (24)
  23. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (27)
  24. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (29)
  25. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (17)
  26. INCOMPREHENSIBLE – Big Thief (28)
  27. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (21)
  28. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (30)
  29. BETTER DAYS – Yellowcard (N)
  30. UNRAVELLING – Muse (N)

My Top 30 Songs for August 3-9, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments
Photo of Twenty One Pilots from their Facebook account

One of my favorite music acts for the past ten years is Twenty One Pilots, comprised of the dynamic duo of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph and power drummer Josh Dun. Their latest single “The Contract” is my new #1 song this week, marking their 13th song to reach the top of my chart, and their third in just the past year, following “The Craving” last September and “The Line” this past March. The lead single from their forthcoming eighth studio album Breach, to be released September 12th, “The Contract” starts the final act of the narrative begun on their 2015 album Blurryface and continued through Trench, Scaled And Icy, and last year’s Clancy.

The song is a frenetic and electrifying mash-up of music styles, something Twenty One Pilots have incorporated into many of their songs over the years. As Kory Grow observed in his article about the single for Rolling Stone, the song “ping-pongs between pop, rap, emo, and drumline practice.” While I love that about the song and their music in general, some do not. Paulo Ragusa, a writer who’s obviously not a Twenty One Pilots fan, trashed the song in his article for Consequence Sound, calling it “a complete mess, a sloppy hodge-podge of genres and styles that directly compete with one another from moment to moment.” Well, to each their own I say, as “The Contract” takes its place among a long line of songs I love by this talented duo.

In other chart news, Lorde enters the top 10 with “What Was That”, and we have two new debuts. The first is “Five More Seconds”, a wonderfully exuberant collaboration by English duo Seafret and Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, which enters at #29. Seafret, based in Yorkshire and comprised of singer Jack Sedman and guitarist Harry Draper, released three albums and a number of singles from 2015-2023 and saw their debut 2015 single “Atlantis” go viral on TikTok over the past three years, eventually racking up over 1.1 billion streams on Spotify alone. KT Tunstall burst onto the British music scene in 2004 with her debut album Eye to the Telescope, which spawned the hit singles “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and “Suddenly I See”, which won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song in 2006. “Five More Seconds” marks both Seafret and KT Tunstall’s first new music in two years.

The second debut is “light years apart” by Unobliterated, the music project of England-born and now Portugal-based singer-songwriter and musician Gary Taylor. In my review of the song upon its July 11 release, I described it as “majestic”, with a haunting melody driven forward by a strong pulsating groove and layered with swirling atmospheric synths and warm guitar notes to create a mesmerizing backdrop for Taylor’s arresting vocals that masterfully convey a sense of both despair and hopeful optimism.

  1. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (3)
  2. MOODY – Royel Otis (1)
  3. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (2)
  4. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (4)
  5. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (7)
  6. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (9)
  7. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (5)
  8. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (6)
  9. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (10)
  10. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (11)
  11. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (13)
  12. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (8)
  13. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (15)
  14. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (17)
  15. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (18)
  16. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (19)
  17. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (12)
  18. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (21)
  19. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (22)
  20. UNDRESSED – sombr (23)
  21. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (16)
  22. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (25)
  23. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (26)
  24. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (27)
  25. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (14)
  26. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (20)
  27. TODAY’S SONG – Foo Fighters (29)
  28. INCOMPREHENSIBLE – Big Thief (30)
  29. FIVE MORE SECONDS – Seafret & KT Tunstall (N)
  30. LIGHT YEARS APART – Unobliterated (N)

My Top 30 Songs for July 20-26, 2025

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's9 Comments
Photo of Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell by Shervin Lainez for Flood Magazine

We have a new #1 song this week, as well as four new debuts. Over the past year, I’ve become a fan of Australian act Royel Otis on the strength of their infectious guitar-pop sound and charming, laid-back persona. Formed in 2019 by Royel Maddell (who rarely shows his face) and Otis Pavlovic, the Sydney-based duo draw from elements of indie pop, indie rock, new wave, pop rock, post-punk and psychedelic rock in the creation of their music. They released two EPs in 2021 and 2022 to little notice until the song “Oysters in My Pocket”, from the second EP Bar n Grill, gained traction in late 2022. Their third EP Sofa Kings, released in 2023, proved more successful, with the breakthrough title track marking their first appearance on American charts and eventually peaking at #12 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. In late January 2024, they released their electrifying cover of “Murder on the Dancefloor”, the 2001 disco pop hit by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor which they performed on the Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version program. The song went viral and reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative chart, as well as my own Top 30 chart. I couldn’t get enough of it, and it ended up ranking #4 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. The guys quickly followed with their debut album Pratts & Pain in February 2024, which debuted at #1 on the Australian Albums Chart, and went on to win four awards at the 2024 ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Music Awards. They also released a wonderful cover of The Cranberries’ classic “Linger”.

Their charming single “moody“, released on May 9th, is a love song of sorts, detailing a problematic relationship with a woman who drives the singer crazy in both good ways and bad. She’s jealous, bitchy and cranky, yet he’s hopelessly in love with her: “She’s always givin’ it to me. Late nights, she always accusin’. Last time, she said she would kill me. My girl’s a bitch when she’s moody. But she’s my everything. She’s all that I need.” I love the song’s languid laid back groove, highlighted by Royel’s terrific guitar noodling and Otis’ sweet vocals, and it ascends to #1 on my latest chart.

The joyoustly upbeat “Feels Right” by northern Virginia artist Talk in Waves, who’s no stranger to my charts, enters the top 10 at #10. And as I noted above, four songs make their debut this week, three of which are spelled in all lower case letters. Entering at #27 is “jupiter” by San Diego-based indie pop band almost monday, comprised of Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Cole Clisby (guitar), and Luke Fabry (bass), and featuring L.A.-based indie pop singer-songwriter Jordana. The song was originally included on their 2014 album DIVE as a recording by only the band, but a new version with Jordana singing backing vocals was released in January on a deluxe version of DIVE. It’s the third song by almost monday to appear on my chart, following 2020’s “broken people” and last year’s smash hit “can’t slow down”.

The second debut, coming in at #28, is the relentessly catchy “undressed” by sombr, whose single “back to friends” just spent three weeks at #1 and now sits at #2. The song continues the theme exploring the challenges of moving on from a failed relationship that was first introduced in “back to friends”. Next up is “Backseat” by New Zealand-born and now New York City-based duo Balu Brigada, comprised of multi-instrumentalist brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley, whose single “So Cold” spent three weeks at #1 on my chart in March. Though a long one, running nearly six and a half minutes, “Backseat” is a compelling, melodically complex song that’s sure to be another hit for the talented brothers.

Last but certainly not least is the delightful “polyester (yes sir)” by L.A. indie pop-rock band Sorry Ghost, which I featured in a recent Fresh New Tracks post. As I noted in that post, the charismatic band – comprised of Dan Anton (vocals), Matt Polito (guitar and vocals), Tate Silver (drums) and Sean Duong (guitar and vocals) – have a cheeky sense of humor and frequently delight their fans and followers with hilarious and endearing video reels of themselves on Instagram and TikTok. I love the song’s mellow vibe that sits in a sweet spot between sunny and melancholy, as well as the colorful blend of jangly and chiming guitars accompanied by pleasing harmonies.

  1. MOODY – Royel Otis (2)
  2. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (1)
  3. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (4)
  4. THE CONTRACT – Twenty One Pilots (8)
  5. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (5)
  6. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (3)
  7. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (6)
  8. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (9)
  9. BONNET OF PINS – Matt Berninger (10)
  10. FEELS RIGHT – Talk in Waves (11)
  11. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (12)
  12. WHAT WAS THAT – Lorde (13)
  13. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (7)
  14. NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS – The Black Keys (18)
  15. RIPPLE – Good Neighbours (17)
  16. BETTER OFF EVENTUALLY – Bealby Point (19)
  17. RELATIONSHIPS – HAIM (20)
  18. EMERGENCE – Sleep Token (21)
  19. LOVE IS A FIRE – Art Block (22)
  20. LONDON TOWN – HEALER (23)
  21. BLOOM BABY BLOOM – Wolf Alice (24)
  22. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (14)
  23. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (15)
  24. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (16)
  25. ASSHOLE – The Lumineers (26)
  26. SALLY, WHEN THE WINE RUNS OUT – ROLE MODEL (30)
  27. JUPITER – almost monday ft. Jordana (N)
  28. UNDRESSED – sombr (N)
  29. BACKSEAT – Balu Brigada (N)
  30. POLYESTER (YES SIR) – Sorry Ghost (N)

I feel guilty including a Spotify playlist anymore, but here it is in case anyone cares to check out any of the songs: