After last week’s surprise return to #1 by Sufjan Stevens, who scored an eighth non-consecutive week at #1, Kurt Vile puts the pedal down and rises back to #1 for a second week on top with his Back To Moon Beach EP (Verve). While the album has the duration of an LP, it was marketed as an EP with an amusing quote from Verve that it is an “EP by no one’s definition but Kurt Vile’s.” Vile’s album surges to its highest point total yet this week. He’ll need every one of those points next week as a number of albums that reach the Top 10 this week are on a fast trajectory for challenging Vile for the top spot.
One of those challengers for #1 next week is last week’s most-added album from Irish quartet Sprints. After leaping onto the NACC 200 last week at #56, the band’s debut LP, Letter To Self (City Slang), zips to #6 this week. Also reaching the Top 10 this week is Chicago’s Brigette Calls Me Baby. This House Is Made Of Corners (ATO) is the band’s debut EP. Fronted by Texas native Wes Leavins, the album rises 19-7 giving us two first-time bands reaching the Top 10 this week!
The third band to reach our Top 10 this week couldn’t be more seasoned and successful. To say they hold legendary status in the indie rock world is not hyperbole. From Britt Daniel of Spoon to St. Vincent, to The Gossips’ Beth Ditto, these hugely successful musicians in their own right credit Olympia, Washington’s Sleater-Kinney as a big influence. The band began as a side project in 1994 for Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein who were both members of other bands that often played gigs together. Over time the duo expanded to a trio with Janet Weiss on drums. Sleater-Kinney has been back to its original duo since 2019. Their new album, Little Rope, is their first on Loma Vista/Concord. In addition to being this week’s most-added album, they also score the highest debut on the NACC 200 at #9. Their 90 Top 10 Adds is the most since Unknown Mortal Orchestra scored 94 in March of last year and their #9 start is the highest since Slowdive opened at #8 in September. Both of the artists went on to reach #1 on the NACC 200.
Making the biggest climb on the NACC 200 this week, and the biggest by far so far this year, is English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Marika Hackman. Her fourth studio album of original music is called Big Sigh and is her first on Chrysalis. Hackman calls this her hardest and longest album to write after questioning if she’d ever write again after COVID lockdown. Clearly she connected with her talent again as her album soars from 185-23 this week.
Katie Crutchfield, who records as Waxahatchee, is back with the first single from her upcoming sixth LP, Tigers Blood, due March 22. “Right Back To It” featuring MJ Lenderman rises 5-1 on NACC Singles this week and reaches the Top 20 on the NACC 200 as well, racing 68-18. This week’s most-added single marks the return of Houston trio Khruangbin. “A Love International” is the first taste of the band’s fourth studio album on their own but their fifth including their 2022 collaborative album with Vieux Farka Touré. The single is the only one to reach the Top 10 of the Adds Chart. Nine singles make the Top 30 Adds this week with Adrianne Lenker and Soran being the only other musicians to reach the Top 20.
