Make it three weeks at #1 for Frankie Cosmos on the NACC 200. Their Sub Pop debut, Vessel, is dominating the chart and seems to have just fended off a #1 challenge by The Decemberists (who dip 2-3 this week). Colin Meloy and the gang can’t be written off just yet though, as they reach #1 this week on both the NACC Next and NACC Non-Comm Charts. Vessel will try to become the third album in a row to spend four weeks on top next week but will have to fend off competition from Wye Oak (3-2), Hop Along (5-4) and Unknown Mortal Orchestra (6-5).
Three albums reach the Top 10 of the NACC 200 this week. Jack White (who previously peaked at #9), rises back 11-10, Guided By Voices climb 12-8, and our biggest climb into the top tier comes from The Voidz, led by Julian Casablancas (the lead singer of The Strokes, who have not released any new music since 2013). The band, previously known as Julian Casablancas+The Voidz, released their first album in 2014. They announced their name change at the end of 2017 as well as an announcement that they had signed with RCA Records. Their sophomore release, Virtue, rises 18-9 this week.
The NACC 200’s highest debut this week at #36 comes from legendary songwriter John Prine. His career dates back to 1971 and he’s widely credited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation receiving accolades by everyone from Bob Dylan to Roger Waters to Johnny Cash and even Bon Iver. Prine has released over 20 albums and his latest, The Tree Of Forgiveness, on his own Oh Boy Records just gave him his first ever Top 10 album on the Billboard 200, debuting at #5 this week. The album also holds at #2 on our NACC Folk Chart after jumping 19-2 there last week and advances 9-5 on the NACC Non-Comm Chart as well.
Barrelling ahead 142-20 on the NACC 200 this week, and taking ‘biggest climber’ honors, is New York City-based noise rock trio A Place To Bury Strangers with their fifth LP, Pinned. Interestingly, the two musicians who started APTBS in 2002 left the group in its infancy and were not involved in the band’s recorded music. Lead singer and guitarist Oliver Ackermann joined the group in 2003 when one of the founding members left. Its other two members joined the band in 2010 (Dion Lunadon on bass) and 2018 (Lia Simone Braswell on drums).
If the number of Top 10 Adds that Dr. Dog scored this week is any indication, we have a future #1 on our hands. Every record that has ever collected 120+ Top 10 Adds has gone on to #1 on the NACC 200 aside from last week’s #1 add from King Tuff. Though to be fair, it still could! He jumped 118-13 this week. Dr. Dog nabbed 127 Top 10 Adds this week, which is the most any record has had this year. The Philadelphia-based band’s tenth album, Critical Equation, is their first for Thirty Tigers.