Tokyo Police Club Outlast Islands

The battle is over. Long live the new champion. After weeks of jockeying between Islands and Tokyo Police Club, the latter's A Lesson In Crime remains in the coveted #1 spot while the former's Return To The Sea tumbles down to #6 this week. TPC's latest challenge comes from Canada's west coast, as Vancougar's Losin' It rockets up the chart 18 positions to settle in nicely at #2, making it the biggest gainer this week. Pony Up's Make Love To The Judges With Your Eyes lands at #3 after moving up seven spots. It's followed by The Lovely Feathers' Hind Hind Legs, which rises four positions to #4. Debuting at #5 is the Chart Sizzler, Sonic Youth's Rather Ripped, which appeared on 11 individual campus charts — including a #1 placing on CJAM (Windsor), a #2 on CJLO (Concordia) and a #5 on CKDU (Dalhousie).

Following Islands at #6 is Be Your Own Pet's self-titled album, which jumps six places to #7. Mission Of Burma's The Obliterati drops four spots to #8, while Camera Obscura's Let's Get Out Of This Country tumbles seven places to #10. Sandwiched in between these two releases on their way down is Ladyhawk's eponymous release, which rises three positions.

Also garnering major support is Kinnie Starr's Anything, which enters the chart at #11. The Hylozoists' La Fin Du Monde debuts at #16, while the Futureheads' highly anticipated News And Tributes arrives at #20. Waiting For The Real Thing, a collection of singles and rarities from Vancouver punk/new wave pioneers Pointed Sticks, hits the chart at a respectable #24. Other notable debuts include the Jamaica To Toronto: Soul, Funk & Reggae 1967-1974 compilation at #39, The Raconteurs' Broken Boy Soldiers at #43 and Frank Black's Fast Man Raider Man at #46.

There was almost a complete overhaul of the top albums on the five specialty charts. Four out of five have new #1s, though two of them feature discs returning to the top position after a week off. Both Tiga's Sexor on the Electronic chart and Jeff Healey & The Jazz Wizards' It's Tight Like That on the Jazz/Blues chart were at #1 prior to last week's chart champs. The two fresh #1s are Mr. Lif's Mo'Mega on the Hip-Hop chart and Roots Tonic's Roots Tonic Meets Bill Laswell on the World/Folk chart. The only returning #1 is Celtic Frost's Monotheist, which dominates the Metal/Punk chart for a second consecutive week.