The Chart Show: Courtney Barnett clears her way to No.1, opening for Blur
by Mark Wheat
July 16, 2015
Courtney Barnett climbs to the top this week! After playing a blistering set in the sun at Rock the Garden, we can attest to her festival expertise. She'll be one of the performers at Pitchfork Music Festival this coming weekend in Chicago, which is totally sold out, and just announced two shows opening for Blur later this year.
Submit your Chart Show ballot this week for a chance to win a pair of tickets to Minnesota United FC's match against Edmonton at the National Sports Center on Saturday, Aug. 8!
The other big festival this weekend worth a road trip is the inaugural Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival where you can see past Chart denizens Spoon, the National, Bon Iver, Low, Lizzo and Doomtree. The Staves, who recorded their new album in Eau Claire and are back for the festival, stopped by to record a session for us while they were in town. Check the site tomorrow for the in-studio archive, and check out a preview of the festival grounds!
Dawes, at No.6 this week after seven weeks on the Chart, recorded a session with Bill DeVille while they were in town this week for a show at the Cabooze Outdoor Plaza. In his review of the gig, college contributor Phil Levine said the venue was a perfect fit for the band.
Jamie xx is inducted to the Chart Show Hall of Fame for the first time as a solo artist, though the xx have been inducted four times. He's been busy playing major festivals across the globe this summer yet somehow found time to score a ballet, which was performed in Manchester last week.
Tame Impala are back with another track from Currents, out this Friday. It's been given a lot of good reviews including a 9.3 from Pitchfork. It's our Album of the Week, and Bill Deville says, "It's trippy, spacey and dreamy, and it's often awkward to dance to."
Wolf Alice are the other new entry with "Giant Peach" from their debut album My Love Is Cool, which reviewers say "plays like a mixtape" because it has many different sounds and seems to take from several influences, leaving us wondering where they will go next.
Read an interview with the band and see video of them performing at Glastonbury Festival.
Best Coast are back on the Chart after a two-week hiatus. Video for "Feeling OK" debuted last week on Apple Music's Connect, featuring Bethany and Bobb playing tennis, cycling and eating hamburgers.