Charty Chart Chat: New Pornographers Hit #1 For A Fourth Time

There used to be two things you could always count on in life: death and taxes. Let's add some 21st century additions to this list.

One, you can't buy a cell phone that just makes calls without getting a camera, computer and stereo features cluttering up the works and adding to the cost.

Two, the Toronto Maple Leafs will never win the Stanley Cup again (unless fans stop supporting the team in droves).

Three, when The New Pornographers release a new album, it will quickly rise to the peak of the top 50 campus/community radio chart. The Vancouver-based supergroup have released four albums, and all have reached the top of this chart. Each one lasted at #1 for six weeks — Mass Romantic in late 2000 and early 2001, Electric Version between late May and early July 2003, and Twin Cinema in September and October 2005.

TNP's Challengers wrested the top spot from Caribou's Andorra, which fell to #2 in the week ending Sept. 21. M.I.A.'s Kala remained at #3. After those three albums, there was an almost complete wipeout of the previous week's top 10. Only one other record remained, as Hot Springs' Volcano dropped two spots to #7. Jumping up seven spots to #4 was the previous week's Chart Sizzler Award winner, We Are Wolves' Total Magique. The newest Chart Sizzler winner, The Go! Team's Proof Of Youth, debuted at #5. The runner-up debut, The Weakerthans' Reunion Tour, checked in at #6. Stars' In Our Bedroom After The War rose seven places to #8, while Animal Collective's Strawberry Jam debuted at #9. A former top 10 entry, Doers ' Gaiety, re-entered by rising three spots to #10.

The topsy-turvy nature of the chart didn't stop with the top 10, as 14 more new entries appeared. And there were substantial moves made by many albums. Last week's #8 record, Tegan And Sara's The Con, dropped to #21. Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Is Is EP tumbled 25 places to #36. Three albums in the 20s fell to the 40s: Russian Futurists' Me, Myself And Rye to #46, Interpol's Our Love To Admire to #47 and the Tranzmitors' self-titled album to #48.

Among the specialty charts, there was no clear trend or change. On the Metal/Punk and Jazz/Blues charts, half the entries were new. On the Electronic and Hip-Hop charts, there were no new entries at all. Four of the five charts had the same #1 as the previous week. Gaudi + Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's Dub Qawwali was #1 on the World/Folk top 10, while 3 Inches Of Blood's Fire Up The Blades remained at #1 for a 13th week. Aesop Rock's None Shall Pass stayed at #1 on the Hip-Hop chart and Caribou's Andorra did likewise on the Electronic chart. The new #1 is on the Jazz/Blues top 10, where Jane Fair Quartet's Chances Are debuted there.