Brandi Carlile is the first Number One of 2018 with the first single from her By The Way, I Forgive You album which is out February 16. She also made
President Obama's end of '17 list, along with some other staples on The Current!

Highest of 8 new entries this week is JD McPherson, who'll be one of the guests at our 13th Birthday Party.

Belle and Sebastian were giving their fans several singles running up to the holidays. They just made a video for the new entry at #10 and will be touring throughout next year.

The Staves, a harmonizing trio of sisters from Watford, England and the experimental chamber ensemble from NYC ymusic, seems an incongruous mix. The collaboration was born at the Eaux Claires Music Festival and is new at #11. One of my fave UK music reviewing sources, who made St. Vincent their #1 of 2017, gives it 3 stars.

Alvvays have ignited the debate about what to call sneakers again! When I was growing up in the UK we didn't call anything sneakers, tennis shoes or pumps?! We referred to most soft shoes designed for Gym-wear as plimsolls, and we rarely wore them anywhere else in those days! The new song from the Canadians is in at #13, but the plimsoll was originally invented in Liverpool apparently.

Speaking of misnomers... Manchester Orchestra are NOT from Liverpool's main rival town in the north of England known for it's constant rain, but from sunny Atlanta GA! Appropriately enough, they're spending the Spring down under.

Hamilton Leithauser of The Walkmen is back at #16 with a collaboration with Angel Olsen, who'll be at Coachella Music Festival this April. The massive line-up was just released with headliners Beyonce, Eminem and The Weeknd.

The Wombats crash into the chart this week too, and have just started their January tour here, playing Washington DC on Monday night but not coming to the Twin Cities yet. They also have a string of dates with Weezer and Pixies in the summer.

Be careful when you search for news about the band Calexico! It's also a city in California on the Mexican border which seems to have a lot of trouble with patrolling it's border and soda spiked with meth?! The band however just announced their Spring USA tour which does include a date here at The Fine Line April 23rd.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Submit your Chart Show ballot this week for a chance to win two tickets to Bon Iver: For Emma, 10 Year anniversary show at BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwuakee, WI on February 17, 2018.