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The Chart Show: No Joke, She's Back!

Brandi Carlile performs at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on Nov. 29, 2018.
Brandi Carlile performs at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on Nov. 29, 2018.Nate Ryan | MPR

by Mark Wheat

February 28, 2019

Last year Brandi Carlile spent 8 weeks at the top of our chart, with 3 different songs. Now she's back at #1 with 'Sugartooth', the fourth song from her album of last year to get into our chart, another record. "The Joke" was the first song we played and was at the top this time last year. It went on to win the Grammy for Americana Song of the Year and now it's being covered by Kelly Clarkson, who said of Brandi, "she's so inspiring and talented and just a really rad human being."

J.S. Ondara slips up another place to two this week, and yesterday tweeted that he 's involved in the new Robbie Robertson album, that's just one step away from his hero Bob Dylan, how long before they get together?! He also just did a splendid session for The Local Show we just posted to YouTube, the live version of this song.

One of the biggest upward movers this week is Jenny Lewis, to eight. She's the latest star to sit down with Kyle Meredith on his podcast series on Consequence of Sound. Jenny teases that doing shows this summer with Death Cab For Cutie means that they might play the Postal Service songs she was on.

South By Southwest in Austin TX is coming up next month and again we'll be there to bring you coverage. We're hosting a day party at Barracuda on Friday March 15 which will be streamed live on Facebook. It'll feature 11 artists on two stages including: Cherry Glazerr, Yola, The Nude Party and the #16 hit maker, Andrew Bird.

Social Cues is the new album coming April 19th from Cage The Elephant and the first single "Ready To Let Go" in at
18 is the highest new entry. They just announced some intimate shows on the UK leg of the world tour in June. After which they'll return to the USA for a co-headlining stint with Beck.

James Blake will return to Minnesota next Monday at The Palace Theater, and comes in new at nineteen with a collaboration with Andre 3000 from Outkast. If you want a primer for what he might sound like, he just wowed a sold out DC show.

Hometown hero Bob Mould returns in our basement space this week, from the new Sunshine Rock album. There's a clear vinyl version being released next week, and in March he'll do a sold out in-store performance at The Electric Fetus, another sold out show at The Turf, and a show with Porcupine at The Palace on March 30th. Apparently his set-list is a history of his career with Husker Du and Sugar songs in the mix, as Rolling Stone explains.

Submit your Chart Show ballot this week for a chance to win The Current's St. Paul & The Broken Bones giveaway at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul, MN on March 23, 2019!