Indie Dispatches: Checking in on the Charts & Off to MusicfestNW
Another week, and another set of prime independent releases smash into the upper reaches of the mainstream charts. This past week it was Sufjan Stevens, Ra Ra Riot and The Sword with their moment in the spotlight, as all three made it into the top 50. Most noteworthy is the Sufjan EP, All Delighted People, which managed to rank #27 in spite of a previous limited release (that also trickled into the charts), and still being digital-only with no physical formats due for some time. Meanwhile Ra Ra Riot’s The Orchard on Barsuk clocked in at #36, and the Kemado/Mexican Summer crew showed that their Best Coast chart debut was no fluke by nabbing the #42 slot with the Warp Riders album from Texas face-melting metal band The Sword. Of course the real message in chart-land may be that the majors are losing ground (and sales) faster than the indies. But with the proliferation of prime independent releases hitting the charts in 2010, including the Arcade Fire nabbing the top spot, and the just-released Interpol album on Matador sure to do big business, maybe the story is now almost becoming a non-story?
Meanwhile, this week all (discerning) eyes are pointed towards the northwest. As if Stumptown Coffee, Pok Pok restaurant, the fresh air, Voodoo Donuts and the fine vinyl emporiums (like Mississippi Records) aren’t enough of a reason to make a trip to Portland, OR, the annual MusicFestNW festival is the icing on the cake. The 2010 line-up may be the festival’s best yet, featuring a heavy bias towards some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest talent, both new and old, paired with a choice selection of artists from other regions. So you have A-list acts such as The Decemberists, The National, The Walkmen and Panda Bear, combined with newbies such as The Head and the Heart, Jeff the Brotherhood and Magic Kids, making for a winning combination. Add in The Thermals, Kevin Devine, Menomena, The Dodos, AA Bondy and Past Lives and you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to spend your time this weekend.
- Cool Hand Luke
Sent via BlackBerry
08.18.10Indie Dispatches: New Superchunk, A Toast to Best Coast & Fitz on Fire
Lost in the warm fuzzy glow over the Arcade Fire topping the charts last week, one rather important item was neglected, which is that amidst all of their efforts to create the landmark 2010 Merge is having, the label owners Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance also found time to record a new album. Yes ladies and gentlemen, reason to rejoice, as there is a new Superchunk album on the way! It’s entitled Majesty Shredding and is due for release on September 14 – on Merge Records of course! A number one record and a new Superchunk album – now that really IS a banner year.
Speaking of landmark years, the same can be said for Best Coast who surprised more than a few people with their #36 debut (with one industry rag leaving them out of their charts altogether!) for the album Crazy for You. But kudos to the Mexican Summer label for a superb job of artist development, and it just goes to show that in amongst all the clutter of the ‘long tail’ music biz in 2010, the same formula of great songs, a good build up and a masterful job of marketing can achieve results! Alas, not so fortunate were WAVVES, whose latest album King of the Beach only trickled to a #168 chart position first week, despite some great reviews and a ubiquitous presence amongst the blogs.
Also benefitting from a nice job of development and marketing is Los Angeles act, Fitz and the Tantrums, who are riding a great word-of-mouth wave leading to the August 24 release of their album Pickin’ Up the Pieces on Dangerbird Records. After a glowing review in the LA Times, a “you had to be there” jam-packed performance at the Hammer Museum, an exclusive streaming preview of the album on KCRW, and an instore performance at Amoeba Records in LA scheduled for release day, the buzz is becoming rather deafening. Which makes it hard to believe it was barely a year ago that the retro-soul combo was playing to a small scattering of early adopters at the 3 of Clubs…
- Cool Hand Luke
| Posted in Indie Dispatches, Uncategorized | No Comments »
| Posted in Indie Dispatches | No Comments »