The last week of summer has come and gone and the charts have been as an all out brawl. Below KJHK’s Top 5 on Charts and Top 5 for Adds for CMJ this week are detailed below. Below that in the charts section are links to the reviews written by the Station’s wonderful reviewers.
KJHK TOP 5 CHARTS
5. “Puberty 2” by Mitski
There are few albums that were released this past summer that were as visceral and heart-wrenching and visceral as “Puberty 2.” The Pacific Northwest singer-songwriter details the growing pains associated with adolescence and subtly hints at the myriad of ways that it has shaped her as a person. Tackling everything from insecurity to her identity struggles as a mixed Japanese and Caucasian individual. An angry Angel Olsen, there is a crazy range of quiet to rough, loud instrumentation. A late add to KJHK’s killer rotation line-up, this album is cut this week from rotation.
4. “Still Life” by Young Magic
A surprising sleeper hit this week, “Still Life” has hopped up the charts considerably from last week’s spot. Young Magic is an electronic duo from New York, New York composed of Melati Melay and Isaac Emmanuel. Similar to Purity Ring, their soulful album is jam-packed with dreamy pop vibes equipped with a ambient sonic landscape. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, Melay brings a fresh worldly influence to this third studio release. This is Young Magic’s last week on rotation.
3. “Light Upon The Lake” by Whitney
After The Smith Westerns had split in 2014, Whitney was born out of those ashes with members Max Kakacek and Julien Ehrlich. The Chicago-based band released this indie thumper with noted heartland rock influence. This is an excellent album to sit back and relax to while crying over a relationship. There is little in the way of the falsetto heartbreak that is preached on this album and that is clear in its ranking on KJHK’s charts so long after its release. This album leaves rotation this week.
2. “My Woman” by Angel Olsen
Angel Olsen doesn’t want to be thought of as an up-and-coming folk icon anymore and it is clear in this LP. “My Woman” is a sound-driven record that smashes through car stereos with robust love frustrations. There is a decline in focus on lyrics – an element to Olsen’s previous albums that has stood out famously – though this does not mean that they carry any less weight. Only two weeks after being a top add at KJHK, Olsen has climbed the charts all the way to #2.
1. “Wildflower” by the Avalanches
The titan of summer remains at the top of our charts. Flowery summer beats clash with a pinch of cartoonish vulgarity drive this Australian trio’s sophomore LP. Released 16 years after their first record,”Since I Left You,” this record delivers with a noted switch in direction from the groovy night-life infested debut. This LP is a waltz in a field on a pretty day and its often subtly dark undertones are shoved way beneath tracks like “Sunshine” or “Saturday Night Inside Out.” After a monumental run on charts, this album will be leaving rotation this week.
KJHK TOP 3 ADDS
3. “Sundur” by Pascal Pinion
A release from Iceland that isn’t Björk or Sigur Rós! Sundur is a folky release from the icy coasts of Scandinavia – and an incredibly solid one at that. Blending organic Icelandic beats and calm, traditional folk, sisters Ásthildur and Jófríður Ákadóttir are reaching the international market in an ambitious way. There is a calm vibe about it that transcends a lot out in the market. This album has been placed on Light Rotation.
2. “Gravity” by Arjun
Although hard to come by, solid jazz releases are always more than welcome here at KJHK. Founded by Snarky Puppy member Cory Henry, Arjun mixes rock and Jazz fusion in a beautiful way. Expect a ride of emotions directed by masterful guitar and complex instrumentation. Though guitar dominates this release, there is an excellent amount of comprehension and improvisation in the backing members. This album is placed on heavy rotation.
1. “Schmilco” by Wilco
It was expected. Backed by an all-star cast of musicians, wilco has broken down the doors with a solid release. Taking particular notice to members of the band like the famed Nels Cline who stand out immensely on this project, fans of Wilco will love it. Additionally, “Schmilco” acts as an excellent ambassador album – with tracks that deviate just perfectly enough to draw in new fans. This album has been placed on Medium Rotation.
TOP 30 CHARTS
| 1 | AVALANCHES | Wildflower | Astralwerks | |
| 2 | ANGEL OLSEN | MY WOMAN | Jagjaguwar | |
| 3 | WHITNEY | Light Upon The Lake | Secretly Canadian | |
| 4 | YOUNG MAGIC | Still Life | Carpark | |
| 5 | MITSKI | Puberty 2 | Dead Oceans | |
| 6 | BADBADNOTGOOD | IV | Innovative Leisure | |
| 7 | DJ SHADOW | The Mountain Will Fall | Mass Appeal | |
| 8 | MOON HOOCH | Red Sky | Hornblow | |
| 9 | PREOCCUPATIONS | Preoccupations | Jagjaguwar | |
| 10 | GRAPE ROOM | Heart Of Gum | ||
| 11 | JERRY PAPER | Toon Time Raw! | Bayonet | |
| 12 | CAVEMAN | Otero War | Cinematic | |
| 13 | ANTHONY D’AMATO | Cold Snap | New West | |
| 14 | DEAD GAZE | Easy Travels | Ernest Jenning | |
| 15 | SUSAN | Never Enough | Volar | |
| 16 | VINYL WILLIAMS | Brunei | Company | |
| 17 | APHEX TWIN | Cheetah [EP] | Warp | |
| 18 | FUTURE GENERATIONS | Future Generations | Frenchkiss | |
| 19 | BAT FOR LASHES | The Bride | Warner Bros | |
| 20 | CCR HEADCLEANER | Tear Down The Wall | In The Red | |
| 21 | COUNTERCULTURE | Not For Pressure [EP] | ||
| 22 | AJJ | The Bible 2 | SideOneDummy | |
| 23 | BLOOD ORANGE | Freetown Sound | Domino | |
| 24 | SWANS | The Glowing Man | Young God | |
| 25 | WESTERN MEDICATION | The Entertainers’ Secret | Self-Released | |
| 26 | MORGAN DELT | Phase Zero | SUB POP | |
| 27 | DANIEL ROMANO | Mosey | ||
| 28 | PASCAL PINON | Sundur | Morr | |
| 29 | ANOHNI | Hopelessness | Secretly Canadian | |
| 30 | PI JA MA | Radio Girl [EP] | Bleepmachine |
ADDS
| 1 | WILCO | Schmilco | Anti | |
| 2 | ARJUN | Gravity | Pheromone | |
| 3 | PASCAL PINON | Sundur | Morr | |
| 4 | ALBUM LEAF | Between Waves | Relapse | |
| 5 | NATURAL CHILD | Okey Dokey | Natural Child Records & Tapes |