The Dears Dominate This Week's Top 50 Chart

Yo La Tengo, the indie rock veterans from Hoboken, New Jersey, were sitting in the runner-up spot on the chart last week and seemed poised to become top dog. But along came a band out of Montreal to snatch the coveted top spot from the aging American rockers. The Dears' Gang Of Losers isn't a loser this week, as the band rocket up 16 places to grab the top spot. Moving up two positions to settle in the #2 position is The Hidden Cameras' Awoo. It's followed by last week's #1, Chad VanGaalen's Skelliconnection, at #3, and Yo La Tengo's I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass at #4. The Bicycles' The Good The Bad And The Cuddly slides down a spot to #5, while Shout Out Out Out Out's Not Saying/Just Saying slips three spots to #6. The Sadies' In Concert Volume One drops a spot to #7 and Sufjan Stevens' The Avalanche rises four spots to #8. Thom Yorke's The Eraser sits at #9. The Golden Dogs become the first band from Thunder Bay, Ontario to reach the top 10 with Big Eye Little Eye.

Two bands made a massive jump up the chart this week. While TV On The Radio's Return To Cookie Mountain zipped up 30 places, they were outdone by the somewhat less known collective, Souljazz Orchestra. Their new Freedom No Go Die album rises 34 places to grab the #15 spot. Pinback's Nautical Antiques jumps 19 places to #17 and Emily Haines And The Soft Skeleton's Knives Don't Have Your Back moves up 13 notches to #21.

The Chart Sizzler Award goes to Junior Boys' So This Is Goodbye, which enters the chart at #23. The Hamilton duo have had some success with their recent In The Morning EP, especially on the Electronic chart. Other significant debuts include The Stance's The Stance Shall Inherit The Earth at #26, J Dilla's The Shining at #34 and Alexisonfire's Crisis at #39.

Like crossing the magic barrier in baseball, where a pitcher winning 300 games virtually assures entrance into the Hall Of Fame, the coveted 20-week mark has been crossed by Tokyo Police Club's A Lesson In Crime. The album currently sits at #30. Only 13 records have ever graced the top 50 for longer. The last album to break 20 weeks was the eponymous release by Broken Social Scene earlier this year.

There wasn't much change at the top of the specialty charts. Four of the five feature the same #1 albums as last week. Oh No's Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms holds down #1 on the Hip-Hop top 10, while MSTRKRFT's The Looks is entrenched atop the Electronic chart. Art Ensemble Of Chicago's Non-Cognitive Aspects Of This City remains at #1 on the Jazz/Blues chart and Ali Farka Toure's Savane (which also debuted on the top 50 chart at #45) remains the king of the World/Folk top 10. The only new #1 is Voivod's Katorz, which supplants Slayer's Christ Illusion on top of the Metal/Punk chart.