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Nine Inch Nails hammer away at the competition

Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch NailsCourtesy of the artist

by Mark Wheat

August 03, 2017

Spoon have their second #1 from the recent Hot Thoughts LP on the eve of their gig at Lollapalooza in Chicago. If you are not on your way there now or missed out on the TWO sold out shows at The Palace, maybe you could try Milwaukee Sept 13th or Madison on the 14th!

Arcade Fire got jumped by Spoon and may have jumped the shark themselves?! They still haven't made it to the top of our chart, with this the best sounding track of the album. Now the reviews are in for Everything Now released last week, it seems as though the consensus is...disappointing. Metacritic website considers the reviews "generally favorable." But with a weak score of 68 it lags well behind Lorde (91) and Kendrick Lamar (95), the best reviewed artists of the year so far that we play.

The National are inducted for the sixth time to the Chart Hall of Fame, putting them at #13 on the All Time Hall of Fame list. And LCD Soundsystem, last inducted almost 7 years ago, are in for the third time. Tickets are still available for their Roy Wilkins show Nov 9th.

Nine Inch Nails are back as the highest new entry this week at #10. They also returned to live action in NYC for The Panorama festival last weekend. They played two tracks from the new EP and a David Bowie cover.

Lana Del Rey returned to our chart and to live performance as well this week, doing two small shows at West Coast House of Blues venues before leaving for some festival dates in Europe.

Dan Auerbach bounces back after a 6 week hiatus at #13. Recently he's also contributed to a couple of soundtracks. Showing his versatility, one involves murder ballads and the other is for ... Cars 3!

St. Vincent's new album is presumably on the way later this year, the first single enters at #14. Coincidentally, or not...if anyone had asked me who the best dressed guests I've ever interviewed are, it would be. Janelle Monae and Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent). Now they have both been hired by Tiffany's!

Jason Isbell probably will not be getting such an endorsement deal soon, but he has sold out six nights at The Ryman Theater in Nashville, appropriate for the tour supporting The Nashville Sound. He sat with Rolling Stone this week to describe what that means to him now.

Submit your Chart Show ballot this week for a chance to win a pair of guest list passes to Belle & Sebastian at the Palace Theatre, July 15, 2017!