There was massive turnover inside the Top 20 of the NACC 200 this week with six new albums reaching the region and four albums rushing into the Top 10 as well. The turnover extends right to the top of the chart too. After the buildup leading to the release of Arlo Parks’ album (which has been well documented here) her rise to #1 seemed inevitable. But one question remained. After she spent a record 12 weeks on top with her debut album, how long of a run would her second LP have on top? So far, the answer seems to be ‘two weeks.’ Although she maintains her bullet this week, Nashville-based artist Alicia Bognanno, who records as Bully, ousts her from the top spot after gaining on her the previous two weeks while she held at #2. Bully began as a trio in 2013 and has released four albums, though the two most recent efforts, including her latest, Lucky For You (Sub Pop), have been solo projects for Bognanno. And both of them have now reached #1 on the NACC 200.
As we mentioned, four albums reach the NACC Top 10 this week. Last week’s most-added album from Jenny Lewis leads the charge, up 46-7. New York duo Purr jumps 39-9. And Dinosaur Jr frontman J Mascis’ other band, Witch, climbs 17-10. But it’s Archy Marshall, who records under the name King Krule, who makes the biggest move, racing 63-8 with his fifth album, Space Heavy (Matador). The London-born, Liverpool-residing musician began making music as a teenager and released his debut album, 6 Feet Beneath The Moon, on his 19th birthday back in 2013. This is his third release in a row to score the week’s biggest climb into the Top 10 and is the biggest mover of the three.
This week’s highest debut on the NACC 200 is one of the Top 10 debuts of the year. it comes from Montreal’s Teke Teke, who spells their name TEKE::TEKE. They came together in 2017 with a shared love of Japanese guitarist Takeshi Terauchi’s music and decided to play a tribute set for the musician. The success of the show led them to begin creating their own original music. Two studio albums have come since then including Hagata (Kill Rock Stars) which storms the NACC 200 at #14 after placing at #8 on the NACC 200 Top 30 Adds Chart last week. Though we’ve not kept statistics on it, no other record comes to mind that started as low as #8 on the adds chart and was the next week’s highest debut and such a lofty one at that.
Just last week Ben Harper set the record for the biggest climb on the NACC 200 in 2023. That record lasted all of one week. Besting his 167-spot climb last week is Youth Lagoon. Begun in 2010 by Boise, ID native Trevor Powers, Youth Lagoon released three albums before Powers retired the project in 2016. His next two albums were released under his own name. He re-adopted the Youth Lagoon moniker last year and is back with a fourth LP under that name. Heaven Is A Junkyard (Fat Possum) soared 173 spots this week, moving 198-25.
Providence, Rhode Island quartet Deer Tick takes ‘most-added’ honors this week with their first new album in six years. Formed in 2004 by John McCauley as a vehicle for his songwriting, which was different than the band he played in at the time. He remained the only official member of the band until 2007, when the band’s debut, War Elephant, was released. Emotional Contracts (ATO) is the band’s eighth LP and collects 47 Top 10 Adds narrowly edging out Protomartyr, Sigur Ros, and King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard for adds. The album also debuts at #114 on the NACC 200 this week.
Longtime English quartet Blur holds down the #1 spot on NACC Singles for a third straight week with “The Narcissist,” the first single from their upcoming ninth LP, The Ballad Of Darren, due July 21. Another English quartet, Bombay Bicycle Club, enjoys the most-added single of the week. “My Big Day” is the title track from they band’s sixth LP, due October 20. Only one other single, from Allah-Lahs, makes the NACC 200 Top 30 Adds Chart this week.
