{"id":2927,"date":"2010-05-20T06:55:44","date_gmt":"2010-05-20T14:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/?p=2927"},"modified":"2010-05-20T06:56:37","modified_gmt":"2010-05-20T14:56:37","slug":"sales-week-ending-51610","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/2010\/05\/20\/sales-week-ending-51610\/","title":{"rendered":"Sales-Week Ending-5\/16\/10"},"content":{"rendered":"

196. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros "Up From Below"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 2,594
Percentage change: +2
Weeks on: 5
Cume: 79,201<\/p>\n

Buzz ain’t what it used to be.<\/p>\n

In the old days, you tried to get lucky.\u00c2\u00a0 Get on a station and then catch fire from there.\u00c2\u00a0 Or impress the honchos at MTV and get your video added.\u00c2\u00a0 Now, you’ve got buzz, and every single record is a hard sell.<\/p>\n

Sure, you can still catch fire.\u00c2\u00a0 But it might be years after release, especially if you don’t make music that fits the Hot AC, Country or Top Forty radio formats, which drive the majority of sales.<\/p>\n

190.\u00c2\u00a0 Slipknot "All Hope Is Gone"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 2,715
Percentage change: 0
Weeks on: 20
Cume: 938,669<\/p>\n

Airplay isn’t everything.<\/p>\n

You’re either a fan of Slipknot, or you’re not.\u00c2\u00a0 And most people aren’t.\u00c2\u00a0 Which is why those who are are even more devoted.<\/p>\n

Don’t be too impressed with the cume though, this record was released on August 26, 2008.\u00c2\u00a0 Not only before the Wall Street crash, but the music business crash.\u00c2\u00a0 Now, with music available on YouTube, even fewer people are buying the album, they’re stealing it or just buying the track.<\/p>\n

But, the flat sales from week to week demonstrate ongoing demand.\u00c2\u00a0 And that’s key in this business.\u00c2\u00a0 Ever since MTV we live in a world of rocket blasts.\u00c2\u00a0 Straight into the sky and then back to earth and forgotten.\u00c2\u00a0 Businessmen know this and whore you out now.\u00c2\u00a0 But best to go for the long haul.<\/p>\n

189. Straight No Chaser "With A Twist"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 2,764
Percentage change: -15
Weeks on: 5
Cume: 29,741<\/p>\n

Despite the anemic sales, I’m still a big believer in a cappella.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s the new karaoke.\u00c2\u00a0 Remember how karaoke was big in Japan and everybody said it would never work here?<\/p>\n

We need a TV show, and not the lame competition series with Ben Folds and Nicole Scherzinger as judges.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s got to have more edge. It’s got to be more like the Flava Flav and Bret Michaels VH1 shows.\u00c2\u00a0 College is about debauchery, it’s only clean on the surface.\u00c2\u00a0 And there are so many backstories…\u00c2\u00a0 Remember "GE College Bowl"?\u00c2\u00a0 Do you watch the "Jeopardy" college tournament?\u00c2\u00a0 There’s interest.<\/p>\n

But really, this is a live gig.<\/p>\n

This is what Live Nation should be building.\u00c2\u00a0 A show they own.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s not talent dependent.\u00c2\u00a0 In other words, lacking stars.\u00c2\u00a0 So they can keep the ticket prices low and everybody can have a good time.<\/p>\n

178. Alice In Chains "Black Gives Way To Blue"<\/span>

Sales this week: 2,957
Percentage change: -17
Weeks on: 33
Cume: 430,973<\/p>\n

A success in anybody’s book.\u00c2\u00a0 Jerry Cantrell was always the genius, but Layne Staley was the voice.\u00c2\u00a0 Now they’ve got a new voice. Which sounds just like the old voice, but isn’t that how Journey pulls ’em in on the road?<\/p>\n

177. Flyleaf "Memento Mori"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 2,995
Percentage change: -1
Weeks on: 27
Cume: 242,014<\/p>\n

You want sales to occur slowly.\u00c2\u00a0 That shows there’s still interest.\u00c2\u00a0 So, 242,000 sales of a developing artist over half a year is better than the same amount in much less time by someone who had a hit.\u00c2\u00a0 If you’re not part of the discussion, you’re irrelevant.<\/p>\n

But, I guess we’ve really got to credit James Diener.<\/p>\n

Not because he hooked up with Wall Street money and invented a new paradigm, that’s hogwash.\u00c2\u00a0 But because he signs very few acts and sticks with them.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s the new paradigm.\u00c2\u00a0 In an era where labels jump from hit to hit and don’t really give a shit about the underlying act.<\/p>\n

176. Corinne Bailey Rae "The Sea"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 3,002
Percentage change: -30
Weeks on: 16
Cume: 185,130<\/p>\n

She whores out the death of her husband to sell so few records?
Yes, it’s tragic her husband died, I feel sorry for her.\u00c2\u00a0 But I would have felt better about her if she’d refuse to discuss it in interviews, said it was private.\u00c2\u00a0 We’ll do anything to sell a record, and that isn’t good.\u00c2\u00a0 Then again, this hasn’t really sold.\u00c2\u00a0 Then again, she’s a minor talent at best.<\/p>\n


159. Nikki Yanofsky "Nikki"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 3,434
Percentage change: -42
Weeks on: 2
Cume: 9,345<\/p>\n

She might have played the Olympics, but that don’t mean shit south of the border.\u00c2\u00a0 Furthermore, this proves that press doesn’t sell new acts to adults, the initial target audience for Ms. Yanofsky.\u00c2\u00a0 TV and public radio sell to adults.\u00c2\u00a0 Start there.<\/p>\n

Nikki’s not finished, but most people in America still have no idea who she is.<\/p>\n

155. Brooks & Dunn "#1s…And Then Some"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 3,499
Percentage change: -28
Weeks on: 36
Cume: 321,484<\/p>\n

They’re just not that good.\u00c2\u00a0 The songs are serviceable, but cliched.\u00c2\u00a0 Their disappearance from the scene is…no big loss.\u00c2\u00a0 And if neither has solo success, they’ll be reunionizing soon.<\/p>\n

But there’s a TV special, all this ink.<\/p>\n

Make me puke.<\/p>\n

Just break up and go away.<\/p>\n

153.\u00c2\u00a0 Three Days Grace "Life Starts Now"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 3,555
Percentage change: -14
Weeks on: 34
Cume: 371,459<\/p>\n

They’ve got the number one Active Rock track, and thus have sold a modicum of albums, but they’re consigned to the ghetto, their odds of selling tonnage are low, because there’s nowhere to cross this record over to.<\/p>\n

138 Hole "Nobody’s Daughter"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 3,823
Percentage change: -44
Weeks on: 3
Cume: 32,560<\/p>\n

The only people who care are in the media.\u00c2\u00a0 The public, which actually buys the records, upon whom the whole edifice depends, knows that Mrs. Cobain is batshit crazy and has little musical talent.<\/p>\n

So she’s famous.\u00c2\u00a0 So is that guy roller skating and playing his guitar down on Venice Beach, and nobody wants his records.<\/p>\n

122. Gary Allan "Get Off The Pain"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 4,231
Percentage change: -24
Weeks on: 10
Cume: 152,368<\/p>\n

Got great reviews, but airplay is the key to success in the country field, and Gary Allan just does not have enough.<\/p>\n

104. Owl City "Ocean Eyes"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 5,197
Percentage change: -15
Weeks on: 44
Cume: 905,066<\/p>\n

The power of a hit single.<\/p>\n

And isn’t it funny, a hit rap track sells singles, a hit alternative single sells albums.<\/p>\n

96. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings "I Learned The Hard Way"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 5,459
Percentage change: -27
Weeks on: 6
Cume: 73,048<\/p>\n

Could be the best reviewed album on this chart.<\/p>\n

Like movies, is music now review-proof?<\/p>\n

I’m not saying there’s no critical consensus which affects sales, I’m just saying that the top down consensus, what the critics say, is less relevant than ever before.<\/p>\n

81. Broken Bells<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 6,235
Percentage change: 0
Weeks on: 10
Cume: 163,635<\/p>\n

I like this record.\u00c2\u00a0 "The High Road" is catchy, you want to play it again.\u00c2\u00a0 But the rest of the record is uneven.\u00c2\u00a0 Still, there are good tracks. Try "Your Head Is On Fire".\u00c2\u00a0 And "Float".<\/p>\n

And I was never into the Shins.<\/p>\n

But I follow Danger Mouse.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s got cred.<\/p>\n

And isn’t it funny that he made it by doing something illegal.\u00c2\u00a0 The Grey Album wasn’t as good as the story.\u00c2\u00a0 But Mr. Mouse used it to build a whole career.<\/p>\n

He did it his way.\u00c2\u00a0 Alone.\u00c2\u00a0 And got a toehold.<\/p>\n

Kind of like Shawn Fanning.\u00c2\u00a0 All innovation in the music sphere is now done outside the system, breaking the rules.\u00c2\u00a0 Whereas those in control of the rules want to sell us the same old crap.\u00c2\u00a0 Think about that…<\/p>\n

71. Hold Steady "Heaven Is Whenever"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 6,595
Percentage change: -71
Weeks on: 2
Cume: 29, 734<\/p>\n

A press story.<\/p>\n

And if you believed the press, they’d be multiplatinum and touring arenas.<\/p>\n

Alas, you don’t.\u00c2\u00a0 So another mediocre band that looks like those who write about it slug it out before giving up and getting day jobs.<\/p>\n

46. Jackson Browne & David Lindley "Love Is Strange"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 10,034
Debut<\/p>\n

Mmm…\u00c2\u00a0 Do I have a more treasured artist?<\/p>\n

They were blowing out this double album for $11.99 at Amazon.\u00c2\u00a0 Now that that sale is done, is it completely over?<\/p>\n

This is a set-up for a tour.\u00c2\u00a0 But the record is…superfluous except for fans.\u00c2\u00a0 This is Jackson’s third live greatest hits release out of four albums, and the studio project, "Time The Conqueror", was substandard.<\/p>\n

Methinks Jackson should cut some new stuff with Mr. Lindley.<\/p>\n

Then again, even I didn’t know this record was coming out.\u00c2\u00a0 If he cuts new material, who would know?<\/p>\n

Maybe if he writes a song for Carrie Underwood!<\/p>\n

31. Carrie Underwood "Play On"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 13,504
Percentage change: -30
Weeks on: 28
Cume: 1,532,234<\/p>\n

This is not about Ms. Underwood.\u00c2\u00a0 She’s just the Barbie atop the cake.<\/p>\n

Underneath it all is a bunch of professionals constructing the most sellable product they can.\u00c2\u00a0 Meaning no limits are tested, you don’t end up with a Tesla, but a Lexus.\u00c2\u00a0 The big boat, the 460.\u00c2\u00a0 Then again, they just recalled it.\u00c2\u00a0 Then again, maybe they’ll end up recalling Ms. Underwood, there must be some part inside about to fail, I mean she’s not really human, right?\u00c2\u00a0 I mean she gave up eating…\u00c2\u00a0 Who can survive without food, think about it!<\/p>\n

This ain’t a Mercedes-Benz, made for a well-heeled crowd.\u00c2\u00a0 This ain’t a BMW, sporty, taking a chance.\u00c2\u00a0 This is the best of the middle of the road.<\/p>\n

Listen to "Undo It".\u00c2\u00a0 It works. <\/p>\n

3. The National "High Violet"<\/span><\/p>\n

Sales this week: 50,671
Debut<\/p>\n

What kind of crazy fucked up world do we live in where the act with the number three album is unknown to almost everybody in the country?<\/p>\n

One in which music has been Balkanized, where we’ve got endless scenes and almost no mainstream.<\/p>\n

I’d love to tell you I love this album, but I don’t.\u00c2\u00a0 I far prefer Broken Bells.<\/p>\n

And while I’m at it, I’ll say that Grizzly Bear doesn’t float my boat either.<\/p>\n

And my ultimate point is I’m now ignoring everything from Brooklyn.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s not the new Seattle, certainly not the new San Francisco.\u00c2\u00a0 The magazines and blogs need something to write about, and when they trumpet substandard stuff it ends up baffling the audience, makes them play video games or watch TV or listen to the same damn classic tunes over and over again.<\/p>\n

Better to have one genuine hit track like "Fireflies" than a plethora of insider backers.<\/p>\n

But the bottom line is, we need someone to tell us what to listen to.\u00c2\u00a0 Someone we can trust.\u00c2\u00a0 Someone with a batting average of .667.<\/p>\n

It’s not Pandora, that station’s batting average stinks.<\/p>\n

It’s got to be driven by people, not algorithms, data has no taste and machines have no soul.<\/p>\n

And one of the reasons GaGa has sold so much product is that so many agree she’s good.\u00c2\u00a0 Sure, some shoegazers like living on the outside, but most people want to belong, they want to be able to discuss music with their friends.\u00c2\u00a0 Today, we’re living in the Tower of Babel.<\/p>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

196. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros "Up From Below" Sales this week: 2,594Percentage change: +2Weeks on: 5Cume: 79,201 Buzz ain’t what it used to be. In the old days, you tried to get lucky.\u00c2\u00a0 Get on a station and then catch fire from there.\u00c2\u00a0 Or impress the honchos at MTV and get your video […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music-business"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p96vPs-Ld","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2927"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2929,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2927\/revisions\/2929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}