And They're Off! The Race to the Top of the Charts Has Begun!

Yesterday was a huge day in the world of album releases, featuring new ones from and ColdplayThe White Stripes. While both are supposed to be huge releases, it appears that Coldplay will be top dog, which is perfectly logical considering The White Stripes' new album Get Behind Me Satan is a piece of crap. I'll let Claude give you the low down on that when he gets his post up.

Let me first go on a tangent here. This is something I've been thinking about a lot recently. Sleater-Kinney's album The Woods and The White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan are both absolutely terrible albums, yet both have gotten so much acclaim. I don't know about anyone else, but it certainly makes me wonder what the criteria for "good" and "bad" are in the industry these days. In the case of The White Stripes, it's likely the fact that they're so well known and have previously come out with decent albums. It's highly possible that, because everyone expected this album to be as good as its predecessors, people just assumed the album was good. But then how do you explain The Woods? I have no idea. It all just makes me a little suspicious.

Back to what I was trying to say. The UK charts have been particularly interesting in the last week or so. When Oasis' new album, Don't Believe the Truth, was released last week, its first week sales were around the 250,000 mark, the second highest of the year, of course making them number one. In just the first day of sales, however, the new Coldplay album, X&Y, sold 150,000 copies. At that rate, they're liable to sell 400,000 copies by next week. Incredible? I thought so.

What's even more incredible is how poorly the US received the new Oasis album. Though it hit number one in the UK, it didn't even grace the Billboard top ten; it came in at number twelve, selling only 65,000 albums in its first week. Even more astounding is the fact that it didn't even beat out Mariah Carey's Anticipation of Mimi (what kind of name is that?!), which is still at number one. Okay, so... yeah, who went out and bought a bunch of Mariah Carey CD's, because you need a swift kick to the head.

If the US charts are anything like the UK charts, which this Mariah Carey crap makes me wonder about, Coldplay should soon be in total domination.

In other news...

A couple related stories. First of all, my boyfriend asked me yesterday what the artwork on the cover of the X&Y album represented. I know I posted on this before, but I found another article about it so I thought I'd re-explain it. The blocks of color are designed in the Baudot Code, a 19th century telegraph code. It was quickly replaced by the Morse Code, which we're all familiar with. The cover of the album says "X&Y" and the back says "Make trade fair." The middle pages show the entire alphabet. Case closed.

The topic of our second related story is, of course, Liam Gallagher, and his latest victim is U2. Once again he says they suck and he's better than them and blah blah blah. Seriously, does he ever get tired of being a prick?

Lastly, more news from Jack White. No, he's not divorced yet. Instead he's got a side project and they're called the Raconteurs. They're readying up an album with no release date as of yet.

A few other things to note before I sign off. Frankie Poullain, the now former bassist for The Darkness, is suddenly saying that he didn't leave the band at all, but was rather forced out over time. I just wonder why it took him so long to break his silence.

The RIAA now has competition: The American Association of Independent Music. The trade group is composed of 125 indie labels and will focus on the digital and online aspects of music.

Upcoming Columbus Shows

6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion
6.13 - Iron and Wine w/ Band of Horses - The Newport
6.15 - Travis Morrison - Supraphonic Studios (Where the heck is that?!)
6.23 - Aqualung - Little Brothers
7.07 - Reel Big Fish - Newport Music Hall
7.19 - Dressy Bessy - Little Brothers
7.20 - Howie Day - Promowest Pavilion
7.20 - Luna Halo w/ Modena Vox - Skully's Music Diner
7.22 - Tegan and Sara - Newport Music Hall
8.11 - Ben Folds w/ Ben Lee and Rufus Wainwright - Promowest Pavilion
8.20 - Pretty Girls Make Graves - Little Brothers
8.30 - Xiu Xiu w/ Das Yellow Swans and Nedelle? - Little Brothers
8.31 - Coldplay w/ Rilo Kiley - Germain Ampitheater
9.06 - Of Montreal - TBA
9.24 - The Rolling Stones w/ Beck - Germain Ampitheater

Daily Downloads

The Arcade Fire - Cold Wind (link, mp3)

My finals are over and now I'm getting ready to move! So good!