The Chart Show: Fiona's Back With A Bang
by Mark Wheat
April 30, 2020
When Fiona Apple's new album came out by surprise twelve days ago Pitchfork gave it a ten out of ten, they haven't done that in nearly a decade! Other reviews have followed suit, including our Album of the Week review from Jade. Everyone it seems is thrilled to have Fiona Apple back after an eight year hiatus. This song "Shameika" was the first I played and was immediately impressed by the stuttering structure and the story behind it. Apparently there was a girl in school with Fiona who once told her, "You've got potential." That's been realized, she's at #1!
After doing a benefit for Bernie Sanders, the Strokes' singer Julian Casablancas is now wondering if Joe Biden will pick Bernie as his Vice President?! But he doesn't think artists are necessarily the best arbiters of political introspection. Knocked off the top by Fiona, that are compensated by getting inducted to our Chart Hall of Fame for the very first time.
Highest new entry this week is by one of the most prolific virtual session performers, doing something almost every day live Christine has put Paris back on the musical map. Tuesday she performed one for us on our Facebook page, where you can find all the rest of our archived sessions.
After having collaborated with Tame Impala, of whom he's a fan, Mike Skinner, the man behind The Streets, said that all that is left in his bucket is Daft Punk calling him up to be on a track. That seems like a better fit for him. But it's good to have him back with a new mixtape and video that this song, at Sixteen leads off.
Funny how we like to grab some artists as locals when they get famous, like Lizzo and Justin Vernon and Big Thief recently. The good folks of Austin, Texas obviously have the same tendency, as they list Har Mar as one of their own in this sweet feature.
Lots of fans were trying to parse all the references in his first new song in years, the 17 minute 'Murder Most Foul'. But the residents of a tiny Irish village were more interested in 'I Contain Multitudes', new at #18 because it references their home!
New at nineteen is one of those local artists that we love from Eau Claire. Bon Iver is one of the many who have released music to raise money for COVID-19 victims and the health care providers.
Another veteran back on the chart in the basement, is Neil Young who has been keeping up with the times by playing around the campfire at his home in Colorado and having them filmed by his wife Darryl Hannah. One of these sessions revealed a new version of a song that was on his last album, Colorado. Hence the 2020.
Submit your Chart Show ballot this week for a chance to win a $50 gift card to Down in the Valley record store.