Sonic Youth Rip Up The Competition

Well, here's some irony for you. Looking at the top 50 chart for the week ending July 1, Canada Day, we put to end the Canadian domination of the top spot. For the first time in 10 weeks, an import sits at #1 as Sonic Youth's Rather Ripped moves up five places to grab the top spot in its sophomore week on the chart.You have to go back to Neko Case's Fox Confessor Brings The Flood during the week of April 14 to find a non-Canadian #1 (and some radio programmers may still think she's Canadian, which she ain't). Tokyo Police Club's A Lesson In Crime slips down a place to #2, followed by Hylozoists' La Fin Du Monde, which jumps 13 places to land at #3. While Hylozoists' accomplishment is noteworthy, it's peanuts compared to the gargantuan rise by the #4 entry, the Jamaica To Toronto: Soul, Funk & Reggae 1967-1974 compilation. It rockets up 35 places to make a perfect Telemark landing at #4. Vancougar's Losin' It! drops three spots to #5, while Camera Obscura's Let's Get Out Of This Country moves back up four spots to #6. Ladyhawk's eponymous release rises two places to #7. Mission Of Burma's The Obliterati remains at #8, followed by Kinnie Starr's Anything at #9 and Feist's Open Season at #10.

While the Chart Sizzler can't be found until the mid-20s, it's a rare event when a re-entry bests the top new entry competition and should be noted for its achievement. Returning after a week's absence is Eux Autres' Hell Is Eux Autres at #21. The Chart Sizzler Award goes to outrageous ex-Torontonian Peaches. Her latest album, Impeach My Bush, debuts at #26 due to support from three Montreal-based radio stations: CKUT (McGill) at #7, CIBL (independent) at #14 and CISM (Montreal) at #15. It's also charting at #8 on CKMS (Waterloo) and at #20 on CKDU (Dalhousie). The Wailin' Jennys' Firecracker is the runner-up for the CSA, entering the chart at #29, while Screaming Eagles' Enemy Gold places with a #37 entry. It bests the Alive At CJSW compilation, which debuts at #38.

There were some changes at the top of the specialty charts, with Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere returning to the #1 spot on the Hip-Hop chart. Hot Chip's The Warning moves up three places to top the Electronic chart for the first time, while Jamaica To Toronto: Soul, Funk & Reggae 1967-1974 moves up one position to capture top spot on the World/Folk top 10. Jeff Healey And The Jazz Wizards' It's Tight Like That holds on to top spot on the Jazz/Blues chart and Celtic Frost's Monotheist seems cemented at #1 on the Metal/Punk chart after staying there for a third consecutive week.