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The Chart Show: Courntey Barnett lands at No.1 ahead of First Avenue gigs

Courtney Barnett performing live at Rock the Garden 2015
Courtney Barnett performing live at Rock the Garden 2015MPR / Nate Ryan

by Mark Wheat

April 21, 2016

The top six songs this week are all sung by female artists – hat's a first, by a long shot!

Courtney Barnett led the pack as we were giving tickets away for her two shows at First Avenue next week. We have been saying that they are sold out, but it looks like some tickets have been released.

Submit your Chart Show ballot this week for a chance to win tickets to Silversun Pickups and Foals at the Myth on May 5!

Lissie at No.3 is also in town this weekend, at The Pantages Theater on Saturday. If you got tickets early when it was scheduled at the Varsity, they will be honored.

Tickets are also still available for Rock the Garden at Boom Island on June 18, featuring
Polica (No.4) and Hippo Campus (No.11).

The Kills are the highest new entry with the first track released from Ash and Ice due June 3. They just posted a new video for "Heart of a Dog," another track, filmed in L.A. with "muscle cars and backflips, dogs and dice."

Lizzo is also brand new with another track from her latest. She's also featured on the
Barbershop; The Next Cut soundtrack and is doing the rounds of publicity for that, including a performance on The Real daytime television show.

Har Mar Superstar, another local luminary who just returned to Minnesota to live in the trendy Northeast neighborhood, is up nine places this week, fresh off a Local Show session that had us all in tears.

A local hero who doesn't live here anymore, Bob Mould, is back in town this Friday and Saturday night at First Avenue (tickets available). His latest is our featured Album of the Week.

Speaking of local heroes, our old friend Krista Tippett invited Cloud Cult to do a special session for her show On Being. The talk is transcribed, too, illuminating Craig's musical and spiritual journeying: "If you look at the history of music, people have used it as a medicine, or as a connection to the divine."

Nathaniel Rateliff is inducted to our Hall of Fame for the very first time and Tame Impala for the fifth!

Lake Street Dive are on our chart for the first time. They will also make their debut on the BBC's Later ... with Jools Holland this week. It's one of the longest running and most respected shows in the U.K.

Kendrick Lamar is back with an untitled track from his unmastered new album. I hope he cleared the samples at least. Apparently he has not been thorough with that in the past, according to a Bill Withers-based lawsuit.

Mavis Staples makes her debut this week, too, and she also debuted at Coachella at the weekend. Apparently, the "hipsters absolutely lost it" for her!