Torr

U.S. SoundScan Chart Report

Here's the notable stuff that entered (or moved up) on the U.S. Billboard SoundScan charts the week of Wed May 14th...

Billboard 200:

• #111 The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement [8,730]
• #196 No Age - Nouns [3,931]
• #200 Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell [Up by 19%. 15,992 to-date.]

Heatseekers chart (artists who've never had a release in the top 100 of the big chart):

• #4 MGMT - Oracular Spectacular [Up by 3%. 73,599 to-date.]
• #73 The Duke Spirit - Neptune [Up by 17%. 6,638 to-date.]
• #95 Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers [Up by 8%. 21,433 to-date.]
• #115 The Republic Tigers - Keep Color [740]
• #118 The Morning Benders - Talking Through Tin Cans [730]
• #133 The Long Blondes - Couples [689]
  IAMX - The Alternative did not chart.

Let me know if there are any recent releases you'd like me to look up.

Out in the U.S. on Tuesday

Here's the notable stuff that's out in the U.S. on Tues May 13th...

Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs [Album stream. 6th album from Seattle 4-piece.]

We Are Scientists - Brain Thrust Mastery [Album stream. 3rd album from Brooklyn band who are now a duo.]

Duffy - Rockferry [Vid. Debut from Welsh singer. Bernard Butler co-wrote four tracks.]

Teitur - The Singer [Vid. 3rd album from Stockholm singer-songwriter.]

UK Chart Report

Here's the notable stuff that entered the UK charts on Sun May 11th...

Albums:

• #26 Delays - Everything's the Rush [3rd album from Southampton 4-piece.]

Indie-label album chart:

• #10 Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell [Debut from Toronto 4-piece.]

These albums did not chart:

• Speedmarket Avenue - Way Better Now [Debut from Stockholm 6-piece with boy-girl vocals.]

Singles:

• #8 Coldplay - "Violet Hill" [Audio. Quality 1st single from their 4th album.]
• #24 The Pigeon Detectives - "This Is An Emergency" [Vid. On downloads-alone, CD-single out this week. 1st single from their 2nd album.]
• #53 Captain - "Keep An Open Mind" [Vid. 1st single from their upcoming 2nd album.]

Indie-label singles chart:

• #5 The Charlatans - "Misbegotten" [Vid. 3rd single from their new album.]
• #14 The Lodger - "The Good Old Days" [Vid. 1st single from their 2nd album.]

These singles did not chart:

• Cut Copy - "Lights & Music" [Vid. 3rd single from one of the best albums of the year.]
• Lightspeed Champion - "Galaxy Of The Lost" [Vid. 3rd single from his debut solo album.]
• Noah and the Whale - "Shape Of My Heart" [Vid. 2nd single from London 5-piece.]
• Attic Lights - "God" [Vid. 2nd single from Glasgow 5-piece.]
• Seavault - "Mercy Seat" [No vid? 7"-only debut from duo featuring ex-Slowdive drummer Simon Scott.]

Out in the UK on Monday

Here's the notable stuff that's out in the UK on Mon May 12th...

Singles:

Hot Chip - "One Pure Thought" [Vid above. 3rd single from one of the best albums of the year.]

The Pigeon Detectives - "This Is An Emergency" [Vid. 1st single from their 2nd album.]

Clay - "What They Told Ya" [Vid. Debut from South Wales trio.]

Ida Maria - "Queen Of The World" [Vid. 3rd single from Stockholm chick.]

The Cure - "The Only One" [Audio clip. Rather awful 1st single from their 13th album.]

Albums:

The Charlatans - You Cross My Path - Deluxe [2 CD version includes a 7-track live CD.]

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Sunday at Devil Dirt [Their 2nd album.]

Martha Wainwright - I Know You're Married... [Her 2nd album.]

Gemma Hayes - Hollow of Morning [Her 3rd album.]

Win tix to see Air Traffic in LA!

Bournemouth 4-piece Air Traffic are in the midst of their first-ever full U.S. tour and to celebrate we've got some stuff to giveaway!

1 grand prize winner will recieve:

• 2 guestlist spots for the show @ Spaceland this Saturday (May 10th)
• an autographed copy of their debut CD Fractured Life
• and an autographed poster.

5 other winners will get all the above, only without the tix.

Enter below by commenting with who your favorite piano-inclined band is, and don't forget to include your email address. The contest is open to U.S. or Canada residents only. All entries must be received by 5pmPT this Friday (May 9th.) 

U.S. SoundScan Chart Report

Here's the notable stuff that entered (or moved up) on the U.S. Billboard SoundScan charts the week of Wed May 7th...

Billboard 200:

• #7 Portishead - Third [53,020]
• #74 Santogold - self-titled [9,566]
• #100 Robyn - self-titled [7,231]
• #143 Feist - The Reminder [Up by 76%. 596,290 to-date.]

Heatseekers chart (artists who've never had a release in the top 100 of the big chart):

• #52 Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight  [Up by 63%. 2,713 to-date.]
• #82 The Duke Spirit - Neptune [Up by 15%. 5,671 to-date.]
• #116 South - You Are Here [687]

Let me know if there are any recent releases you'd like me to look up.

UK Chart Report

Here's the notable stuff that entered the UK charts on Sun May 4th...

Albums:

• #2 Portishead - Third
• #49 Cajun Dance Party - Colourful Life

Indie-label album chart:

• the chart was never updated this week.
  Duels - Barbarians Move In [2nd album from Leeds 4-piece.]

These albums did not chart:

• The Envy Corps - Dwell [Debut from Ames 4-piece.]

Singles:

• #37 One Night Only - "It's About Time" [Vid. 3rd single from their debut album.]

Indie-label singles chart:

• the chart was never updated this week.
  The Winchell Riots - "Histories" [Vid. Debut from ex-Fell City Girl singer-guitarist.]
  Hush The Many - "Revolve" [Vid. 7"-only debut from male-female London 6-piece.]

These singles did not chart:

• Delays - "Hooray" [Vid. 1st single from their 3rd album.]

Out in the U.S. on Tuesday

Here's the notable stuff that's out in the U.S. on Tues May 6th...

The Republic Tigers - Keep Color [Vid above. Album stream. Very good debut from Kansas City 5-piece featuring ex-The Golden Republic guitarist.]

The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement [Album stream. Surprisingly good debut from Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) & Miles Kane (The Rascals).]

The Long Blondes - Couples [Vid. The 2nd album from this female-fronted Sheffield 5-piece has quite a different sound than their debut.]

IAMX - The Alternative [Vid. 2nd album from Chris Corner (ex-Sneaker Pimps) finally gets a U.S. release.]

Out in the UK on Monday

Here's the notable stuff that's out in the UK on Mon May 5th...

Albums:

Delays - Everything's the Rush [3rd album from Southampton 4-piece.]

Speedmarket Avenue - Way Better Now [Debut from Stockholm 6-piece with boy-girl vocals.]

Singles:

Cut Copy - "Lights & Music" [Vid. 3rd single from one of the best albums of the year.]

Lightspeed Champion - "Galaxy Of The Lost" [Vid. 3rd single from one of the best albums of the year.]

The Charlatans - "Misbegotten" [Vid. 3rd single from their new album. The New Order-aping continue!]

Noah and the Whale - "Shape Of My Heart" [Vid. 2nd single from London 5-piece.]

The Lodger - "The Good Old Days" [Vid. 1st single from their 2nd album.]

Seavault - "Mercy Seat" [No vid? Debut from duo featuring ex-Slowdive drummer Simon Scott.]

Attic Lights - "God" [Vid. 2nd single from Glasgow 5-piece.]

Rosalita - "What Would Your Mother Say?" [Vid. Debut from Ipswich 5-piece.]

Ejectorseat - "Not My Girl" [Vid. 3rd single from Derby 5-piece.]

Out in the U.S. on Tuesday

Here's the notable stuff that's out in the U.S. on Tues April 29th...

South - You Are Here [Album stream. 4th album from London 4-piece.]

Portishead - Third [Their first album since 1997.]

Your Vegas - A Town And Two Cities [Vid. Debut from LA-based band who are originally from Leeds.]

Joy Division - The Best Of [Stream. 2nd CD is 8 tracks recorded at two separate Peel Sessions in 1979.]

Echo & The Bunnymen - Breaking the Back of Love [Live album from 2005 at Shepherds Bush Empire.]

Tony Visconti: The Autobiography - Bowie, Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy [Forward by Morrissey]

Duran Duran Tour Kicks Off Tonight

As much as Red Carpet Massacre is just not doing it for me, I still can't resist catching Duran Duran whenever they come to town. I wish Andy wouldn't have left the band last year, so that they could have released the guitar oriented album instead of going back into the studio with Timbaland/Timberlake. But oh well, as one of the first bands I ever saw live (Wedding Album tour @ Starplex in Dallas, 1993), they'll always remain my favorite band to have come out of the New Romantic-era.

A look at a few recent setlists shows a nice mixture of new and old ("New Religion"! "Hold Back The Rain"!) And fingers crossed that they play this mid-show "electro set":

Last Chance On The Stairway / All She Wants / Leatherette (The Normal cover) / I Don't Want Your Love / Skin Trade / Tempted

Duran Duran U.S. tour dates: (tix)

Apr 29 - General Motors Place - Vancouver, BC
Apr 30 - WaMu Theater - Seattle, WA
May 2 - Sleep Train Pavilion - Concord, CA
May 3 - Santa Barbara Bowl - Santa Barbara, CA
May 4 - Nokia Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
May 6 - Dodge Theatre - Phoenix, AZ
May 8 - Valley View - San Diego, CA
May 9 - The Joint - Las Vegas, NV
May 10 - The Joint - Las Vegas, NV
May 12 - Wells Fargo Theatre - Denver, CO
May 14 - Rosemont Theatre - Chicago, IL
May 15 - Masonic Temple Theatre - Detroit, MI
May 16 - Summit City - Whitesburg, KY
May 17 - Chastain Park Amphitheater - Atlanta, GA
May 18 - UCF Arena - Orlando, FL
May 19 - Mizner Park Amphitheatre - Boca Raton, FL
May 21 - Koka Booth Amphitheatre - Raleigh, NC
May 22 - Mann Center for the Performing Arts - Philadelphia, PA
May 24 - Atlantis - Paradise Island (Bahamas)
May 27 - Merriweather Post Pavilion - Columbia, MD
May 28 - Agganis Arena - Boston, MA
May 30 - Central Park Summerstage - New York City, NY
May 31 - Central Park Summerstage - New York City, NY

UK Chart Report

Here's the notable stuff that entered the UK charts on Sun April 27th...

Albums:

• #1 The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement

Indie-label album chart:

• nothing of interest

Singles:

• #40 The Wombats - "Backfire At The Disco" [Vid. 4th single from their debut album.]

Indie-label singles chart:

• #14 iLiKETRAiNS - "We Go Hunting" [Vid. 7"-only 2nd single from their 2nd album.]

These singles, sadly, did not chart:

• Cajun Dance Party - "Race" [Vid. 7"-only single from their debut album.]
• Pacific - "Hot Lips" [Vid. 7"-only 1st single from their debut album.]
• The Envy Corps - "Story Problems" [Vid. 7"-only single from their debut album.]
• Speedmarket Avenue - "Way Better Now" [Vid. 7"-only 1st single from their debut album.]
• Duels - "Regeneration" [Vid. 7"-only 1st single from their 2nd album.]