Alternative Top 5 Chart, September 6, 2020

Norway's Marie Ulven, who performs as Girl in Red, takes the No. 1 spot this week with the synth-pop song Rue, apparently about the character Rue in HBO's Euphoria (she's wearing the same hoodie as Rue in the song's video).

English psych-rock band Temples debut at the No.2 spot this week with their song Paraphernalia.

Identical, the Phoenix synth-pop song from the soundtrack of the upcoming Bill Murray movie, On The Rocks, debuted at No 3 two weeks ago, rose to No. 1 last week, and returns to No. 3 again this week. Congratulations Phoenix, you managed to outlast our predictions on the longevity of your song in the Top 5.

Texas-bred singer-songwriter Kevin Morby takes No. 4 with Campfire.

Finally, the No. 5 spot is taken by our imaginary girlfriends, Jessica Dobson and Sharon Van Etten, on Deep Sea Diver's new song Impossible Weight (featured here last Tuesday).   We had said that it might finally be time for DSD to get some long-overdue recognition, and their debut at No. 5 shows that it might actually be finally coming.  

List compiled "from over 70 alt and new release sources" by alt.nwmsc.com   Enjoy!

Alternative Top 5 Chart, August 30, 2020

 

Identical, the new Phoenix synth-pop song from the soundtrack of the upcoming Bill Murray movie, On The Rocks, debuted at No 3 last week and is now our new No. 1.  Congratulations Phoenix, but don't get used to it - songs typically don't remain at No. 1 on this list for long

Norway's Marie Ulven, who performs as Girl in Red, takes the No. 2 spot with the synth-pop song Rue, apparently about the character Rue in HBO's Euphoria (she's wearing the same hoodie as Rue in the song's video).

Baby It's You, the synth-pop ballad by England's London Grammar (not the Burt Bacharach song covered by The Beatles in 1963 and by Smith in 1969) slipped from No. 2 last week to No. 3 this week.

It's typical and we should have seen it coming.  Although Sufjan Steven's synth-pop tune Video Game is a perfectly fine song, it's probably the least interesting of his recent outstanding releases (America, My Rajneesh, etc.), yet it's the one that debuted two weeks ago at No. 1 and remains in the Top 5 this week at No. 4. As I said, typical.

Finally, the No. 5 spot is taken by To S, last week's No. 4.  A one-off single by crooner Father John Misty backed with To R. (for Skyler and Robin of his old band, Fleet Foxes?), the song is a folk-rock ballad and not synth pop like the rest of this week's Top 5.

List compiled "from over 70 alt and new release sources" by alt.nwmsc.com   Enjoy!

Alternative Top 5 Chart, August 23, 2020

It's typical and we should have seen it coming.  Although Sufjan Steven's synthpop tune Video Game is a perfectly fine song, it's probably the least interesting of his recent outstanding releases (America, My Rajneesh, etc.), yet it's the one that debuted last week at No. 1 on the New Alternative Top 40 Chart and remains at the Number 1 spot again this week. As I said, typical.

Everything else in the Top 5 debuted this week.  England's London Grammar takes the No. 2 spot with Baby It's You (not the Burt Bacharach song covered by The Beatles in 1963 and Smith in 1969), Phoenix are back with a song from the soundtrack of the new Bill Murray movie On The Rocks at No 3, the No. 4 spot is taken by To S,.a one-off single by Father John Misty backed with To R. (for Skyler and Robin of his old band, Fleet Foxes?), and Angel Olsen's Waving, Smiling, which we posted here last Tuesday, takes No. 5.

All in all, not bad for a Top 5 - a little heavy on the ballads but perhaps the best quintet we've seen since we started posting this series.

List compiled "from over 70 alt and new release sources" by alt.nwmsc.com   Enjoy!