By rising to #1 on the NACC 200, Dr. Dog makes Hop Along the first artist to spend a single week on top in 2018. Dr. Dog’s tenth release, Critical Equation, rises from 3-1 this week. The Philadelphia-based band are currently on tour, supporting their Thirty Tigers release, with dates straight on through June, many being supported by (Sandy) Alex G. Dr. Dog will have no shortage of competition for #1 next week with Speedy Ortiz (7-2) and King Tuff (6-3) moving into the Top 3 and two more competitors (who we will feature here as well) racing toward the top. It will definitely be fun to see how it shakes out next week.
One of those other #1 contenders is last week’s most added record from La Luz. They debuted at #58 and soar into the Top 10 this week, rising to #7 with their Hardly Art release. After losing friends in a mass shooting in 2012 and then themselves surviving a near-fatal car crash in 2013 that destroyed all their musical instruments, La Luz found themselves in a much happier state while recording their third album, Floating Features. It’s one of two new albums finding their way into this week’s Top 10. Joining them is Chicago sextet, Post Animal, who rise 12-10.
Another act that could find themselves at #1 next week is Beach House, who make the most dramatic debut of the year with their seventh LP, creatively called, 7. The band has long been indie radio darlings and this week’s lofty debut at #12 on the NACC 200 only solidifies that reputation. We have to go all the way back to July of 2017 to find a higher debut. In fact, only two bands have ever had a higher debut on the chart (Washed Out, 10 and Alt-J, 6). The Baltimore dream-pop duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally are also #1 on this week’s most-added chart, collecting 127 Top 10 Adds. Every act that has ever received more than 125 adds has gone on to #1. Just sayin’.
Making the biggest climb on the NACC 200 this week are Pittsburgh-based experimental electronic group Black Moth Super Rainbow. With band-member names like Tobacco, The Seven Fields Of Aphelion, and Iffernaut can you really go wrong? (Fun Fact: The band also includes Graveface Records founder Ryan Graveface). Sadly, members Father Hummingbird and Power Pill Fist are no longer in the band. Black Moth Super Rainbow’s sixth LP, Panic Blooms, is out on Rad Cult and jumps from 143-36 on the chart this week.
With Beach House taking highest debut and most-added honors, we have the opportunity to highlight one other artist this week. On any other week, debuting at #24 on the NACC200 would most likely make you the week’s highest debut. But even with it being this week’s second-highest it’s still impressive. So we’re happy to shine a spotlight on Eleanor Friedberger, who, along with her older brother, Matthew, performed as The Fiery Furnaces from 2000-2011. Her fourth solo release, Rebound, is her second on Frenchkiss Records. Friedberger has the interesting distinction of having songs from both Spoon and Franz Ferdinand written for her having dated the lead singers of both of those bands.