The Chart Show: 2017 starts out with five debuts
by Mark Wheat
January 05, 2017
Bon Iver is our first No.1 of the 2017, appropriate really when listeners made 22, A Million The Current's No.1 album of 2016! Unfortunately, Justin Vernon and his band have canceled their winter tour dates in Europe and their Jan. 14 appearance on A Prairie Home Companion. The good news: He's still on for Rock the Garden!
Submit your Chart Show ballot for a chance to win tickets to both nights of The Current's 12th Birthday Parties at First Avenue!
Lizzo is the first inductee to the 2017 Hall of Fame, again neatly wrapping up our look back at 2016: "Worship" was voted No.4 on The Current's Top 89 countdown and reigned supreme with "Good As Hell" being voted the best song of the year!
Feels like the xx are going to have a big year as predicted by a spread in the Sunday Arts section of the the New York Times and a cover story in Pitchfork, who also revealed this week that Romy is engaged!
Big leaps for two of the artists that will be joining us later in the month to celebrate The Current's 12th Birthday: Haley Bonar and Joseph!
Dave Simonett of Trampled By Turtles has resurrected his more electric outfit Dead Man Winter – they make their debut on the chart as the highest new entry at No.11. Simonett and his band have national tour lined up for the late, dead winter and early spring starting in Lutsen on Feb. 3 at the GNDWIRE Records Ski Party. (Enter for a chance to win a ski and stay package including tickets to the show!)
Alternatively, another high entry, Milky Chance, have only two summer festival dates scheduled so far. But the German duo are back in the studio recording the follow up to their debut sadnecesary and the success of "Cocoon" as a single also portends more shows to come.
Angel Olsen, back on at No.16, also had a big breakout year, playing a bunch of Febuary shows in the southern states and West Coast (where many of them are sold out already) before storming Europe in May.
Ty Segall makes his debut on the chart at No.17 with a wispy new love song dedicated to an "Orange Color Queen." The full self-titled album will be available Jan. 27 via Drag City.
Neil Young's Peace Trail album was a fitting final Album of the Week for The Current in 2016. Excellent way, then, to start the new year on the chart by leading off with the title track at No.20!
Happy New Chart Year, everyone!!!