Crystal Castles Finally Defeat Black Mountain

The first hints of a new season are beginning to be felt in Toronto as temperatures struggle to rise into double digits for the first time since that unseasonably warm spell around Christmas. To celebrate, all (or at least enough of) campus radio programmers decided to play the debut CD by the Toronto electronic duo who finally overtook the band who had held a grip on #1 for almost two months. Jumping up four positions to #1 is the self-titled release from Crystal Castles, which pushes Black Mountain's In The Future to #2 — an unfamiliar spot for a band who has sat at the top of the chart since the week ending Feb. 8.

Plants And Animals' Parc Avenue slips a position to #3, while Ladyhawk's Shots remains at #4 for a third week. New York City's Vampire Weekend drops two spots to #5, while Born Ruffians' Red, Yellow And Blue improves by two to #6. It's followed by the 14-place jump of last week's Chart Sizzler Award winner, Destroyer's Trouble In Dreams. A former #1, Jason Collett's Here's To Being Here, rises four spaces to re-enter the top 10 at #8. Hayden's In Field & Town drops two positions to #9, while Cadence Weapon's Afterparty Babies tumbles four places to #10.

This week's Chart Sizzler Award, given to the album that debuts at the highest place on the chart for a particular week, goes to The Kills' Midnight Boom, which enters at #16. There are only six debuts, with the second highest new entry belonging to veteran college rock band The Breeders, whose Mountain Battles debuts at #29. The Gorgon's Corpse Whale arrives at #33 and is followed by Creature's No Sleep At All at #39, Elf Power's In A Cave at #40 and Kula Shaker's Strange Folk at #49.

As well as conquering the top 50 chart, Crystal Castles' debut album also tops the Electronic top 10, in one of four changes at the top of the five specialty charts. Meshuggah's Obzen returns to #1 on Metal/Punk after a week. Toumast's Ishumar moves up a spot on the World/Folk top 10 after a #2 debut last week. The ever-volatile Jazz/Blues chart has yet another #1 debut in Miles Black Trio's Some Enchanted Evening. The only #1 from last week that was able to fend off challengers to its title was Cadence Weapon's Afterparty Babies, which remains #1 on the Hip-Hop chart.