Mitsuki Miyawaki, who records as Mitski, lands the first multi-week #1 of 2022 with her sixth LP, Laurel Hell (Dead Oceans). This is by far the deepest we’ve gone into a chart year with an album landing a second week on top. Mitski scores the most points any #1 album has had in almost two years. And she now moves into a tie for second place for the most cumulative weeks spent at #1 on the NACC 200 at 10 weeks. She ties St. Vincent and Ty Segall for that distinction and is just two weeks away from tying Arlo Parks.
Three albums reach the NACC Top 10 and the two we’re featuring this week both come from long-beloved and successful College and Community Radio artists. Austin band Spoon storms ahead 16-2 on the NACC 200 after enjoying most-added honors last week. Their tenth LP, Lucifer On The Sofa (Matador), is now just one notch away from becoming their second #1 on the chart. Formed in 1993, two original members remain, lead singer Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno. Spoon is waiting in the wings at #2 on the NACC Non-Comm & NEXT Charts as well.
Also reaching the Top 10 is Seattle trio Pedro The Lion. Formed in 1995 by primary member David Bazan, the band released four LPs before splitting in 2006. Bazan released a solo album in 2009 and another record as a member of Overseas in 2013. Bazan picked up the Pedro The Lion moniker again in 2017 and the band’s latest LP, Havasu (Polyvinyl), is their sixth studio album. It hops up to #6 this week after two weeks at #11. Also reaching the Top 10 is last week’s highest debut on the NACC 200 from Big Thief, which leaps 13-5.
2022 has started off with a string of massively high-profile releases. The latest in that run comes from Baltimore’s Beach House. Virginia Legrand and Alex Scally formed the project in 2004 just after college graduation. Once Twice Melody (Sub Pop) is their eighth LP and has been released in chapters, the first of which reached the NACC Top 10 late last year. They simultaneously land this week’s most-added album with 100 Top 10 Adds (only the second album to score triple-digit adds in the last year), and the highest debut on the NACC 200 this week at #19.
Toronto sister duo Softcult makes this week’s biggest climb on the NACC 200. Formed in 2020 by Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn, the siblings have just released their second EP, Year Of The Snake (Easy Life). It follows last year’s Year Of The Rat. The two are also members of the band Courage My Love, which has seven EPs and two LPs under its belt since forming in 2009.
Arlo Parks easily grabs a second week at #1 on the NACC Singles Chart with her new song, “Softly.” The song does gain points this week but is forced down 17-18 on the NACC 200. Kurt Vile returns with this week’s most-added new single “Like Exploding Stones.” It’s the first preview of his upcoming ninth LP Watch My Moves, due out April 15.
This week’s Top 5 overall NACC Adds, the genre chart-toppers, and the week’s most-added genre records are included below. There are new #1s at NACC Canadian, R&B/Soul, Heavy, Jazz, Hip Hop, & World as well as a return to #1 on Latin.
NACC 200 CHART: TOP 5 ADDS
# | ARTIST | TITLE | LABEL | # OF ADDS
1) BEACH HOUSE Once Twice Melody [Sub Pop] // 100
2) METRONOMY Small World [Because] // 58
3) KHRUANGBIN AND LEON BRIDGES Texas (EP) [Dead Oceans] // 45
4) METHYL ETHYL Are You Haunted? [Future Classic] // 43
5) ALICE GLASS PREY//IV [Eating Glass] // 42
NACC 200 CHART: TOP 5 DEBUTS
# | ARTIST | TITLE | LABEL | DEBUT
1) BEACH HOUSE Once Twice Melody [Sub Pop] // 19
2) DROPPER Don’t Talk To Me [Dirt Dog] // 37
3) KHRUANGBIN AND LEON BRIDGES Texas (EP) [Dead Oceans] // 38
4) SIMPS Siblings [Lex] // 45
5) SHAMIR Heterosexuality [Anti Fragile] // 48
NACC 200 CHART: TOP 5 CLIMBERS
# | ARTIST | TITLE | LABEL | MOVE
1) SOFTCULT Year Of The Snake (EP) [Easy Life] // 153
2) A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS See Through You [Dedstrange] // 139
3) EMPATH Visitor [Fat Possum] // 95
4) GULLY BOYS Favorite Son (EP) [Get Betterr] // 92
5) OMBIIGIZI Sewn Back Together [Arts & Crafts] // 78
#1 ON NACC GENRE CHARTS:
GENRE: ARTIST Title [Label]
NON-COMM: MITSKI Laurel Hell [Dead Oceans]
NACC NEXT: MITSKI Laurel Hell [Dead Oceans]
BLUES: TINSLEY ELLIS Devil May Care [Alligator]
CANADIAN: TANYA TAGAQ Tongues [Six Shooter]
CHILL: HOLLAN HOLMES Emerald Waters [Spotted Peccary]
ELECTRONIC: BONOBO Fragments [Ninja Tune]
FOLK: AOIFE O’DONOVAN Age Of Apathy [Yep Roc]
HEAVY: VOIVOD Synchro Anarchy [Century Media]
HIP HOP: DJ HARRISON Tales From The Old Dominion [Stones Throw]
JAZZ: IMMANUEL WILKINS The 7th Hand [Blue Note]
LATIN: COMBO CHIMBITA Ire [Anti-]
R&B/SOUL: LADY WRAY Piece Of Me [Big Crown]
WORLD: LOS BITCHOS Let The Festivities Begin! [City Slang]
MOST-ADDED @ NACC GENRES:
GENRE: ARTIST Title [Label]
ELECTRONIC (tie): DRAMA Don’t Wait Up (EP) [Self-Released]
TENNYSON Rot [Counter]
YEHNO Always (EP) [Disques Durs]
FOLK: ROB HEATH Biggest Moments [MAPL]
HEAVY: EMBRYONIC DEVOURMENT Heresy Of The Highest Order [Unique Leader]
HIP HOP: ROBERT OWENS “Be Ready” feat. Perrer Gomez [Wake Up!]
JAZZ: RON JACKSON Standards And My Songs [Roni]
WORLD: CONGOTRONIC INTERNATIONAL
“Banza Banza” + “Beyond The 7th Bend” (EP) [Crammed Discs]
NACC SINGLES:
GENRE: ARTIST Title [Label]
#1 SINGLE: ARLO PARKS “Softly” [Transgressive/PIAS]
MOST-ADDED SINGLE: KURT VILE “Like Exploding Stones” [Verve]