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The Chart Show: Record Store Day participants prevail

Dessa performs at PledgeHouse, The Current's day stage at South by Southwest.
Dessa performs at PledgeHouse, The Current's day stage at South by Southwest.Nate Ryan | MPR

by Mark Wheat

April 12, 2018

Janelle Monae stays at the top this week, appropriately as we get ready to commemorate Prince's passing next week and as our new stream Purple Current gets up and running. It's not just his music but some from his inspirations and those artists inspired by him, including Janelle, Lizzo, Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar.

CHVRCHES continue to climb up eight places to the #2 spot and through their success they're helping "Girls Rock Glasgow" a summer program that had lost it's funding until Lauren and the boys stepped in.

Dessa had a big week last week and climbed another 4 places to three. You can read a review of her First Avenue gig on Friday where she even sang the National Anthem, which she did at the Twin's home opener, where the eagle known as Challenger, challenged her for the spotlight!

Low Cut Connie return after a week hiatus, at #6, just in time to celebrate the coming of summer with us! They are on the line-up for Rock The Garden which was announced yesterday, and tickets are back on sale to members.

Leon Bridges jumps 8 places, joint biggest upward mover with CHVRCHES and Superorganism. He's just added another show at The Palace on his tour with Khruangbin, September 20 and 21st.

Since releasing the highest new entry for Valentine's Day, Ryan Adams has been busy prepping his new album. Suggestions have been made that we'll hear it sometime this summer but meanwhile he has a big gig planned May 5th in New Orleans when he has to cover The Rolling Stones "Exile On Main Street"?!?

Record Store Day is next weekend and several of the artists on our chart are putting out special releases. Including Courtney Barnett, at 11, who previews her forthcoming album 'Tell Me How You Really Feel' with a double A-sided single.

Muse are back at eighteen, with a grave sounding single calling for the final solution! They're playing a few big festivals in the USA this year, Carolina Rebellion, BottleRock in Napa and Bonnaroo in Manchester TN, where they are headlining the Friday schedule.

Lake Street Dive's new album comes on May 4th and they are new at #19. They issued another video for "I Can Change" last week, where they are heard switching from their usual large arrangements to understated folk.

If you search for the band Bodega on the net, you might find one from Glasgow first or one from Norway! Such is the life of a good band name, but the one in our basement space this week comes from Brooklyn. They supported Franz Ferdinand at DC's 9:30 Club tonight before heading to Europe themselves. Here's a video of a recent Mercury Lounge gig.

Submit your Chart Show ballot this week for a chance to win a pair of passes to the Lock Inn at The Oxbow featuring Justin Vernon, S. Carey, and friends on May 9, 2018!