Bicycles #1 For Fifth Week

Much has been written about the demise of the music industry, but little analysis has been made of the impact that free swapping and downloading will ultimately have on the creation of new music, its distribution and eventual airplay on college radio.

The music business slows down in December as Christmas sales are dominated by greatest hits packages, baby boomer bands and top 40 nymphets. But things usually bounce back in the new year when indie bands begin to unleash their musical wares on the world.

That really hasn't happened to date in 2009. There are a few new albums out there, but not the amount of past Januaries. If this continues, college radio — which must already be suffering from competition from the iPod generation's dual attack of focused podcasts and 160-gig playlists — may not have much new to play in the future.

The Bicycles' Oh No, It's Love remains at #1 on the campus radio top 50 chart for the fifth week in a row. You'll be able to hear songs from the album when The Bicycles play one of the CHARTattack Canadian Music Week showcases at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern on March 13.

B.A. Johnston's Stairway To Hamilton moves back up a spot to #2, while The Souljazz Orchestra's Manifesto jumps five spots to return to #3. This album was originally released in late September and has been on the chart for nine weeks.

The latest collaboration between Brian Eno and David Byrne, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, jumps nine places to #4 and pushes the Nothing On But Your Radio: Live From CJSW 90.9 FM compilation down a place to #5.

This week's Chart Sizzler Award goes to a reissue. The Gruesomes' Gruesomania, which was originally released by the veteran Montreal garage rockers in the late '80s, debuts at #6. It's the highest new entry due to significant airplay at five stations. CKXU (Lethbridge) charted it at #2, CHUO (Ottawa) at #6, CIUT (Toronto) at #7, CITR (UBC) at #8 and CJSR (Alberta) at #16. I'd venture an educated guess that these stations wore the grooves out of the original LP 22 years ago.

The rest of the highest charting albums include a re-entry by a former #1 record. Chad VanGaalen's Soft Airplane was last seen on the chart two weeks ago at #21. It returns at #8 in its 18th week on the chart. VanGaalen will play the CHARTattack CMW showcase at the Horseshoe on March 12.

The Organ's Thieves EP also experiences a resurgence and rises 10 spots to #10.

Most of the new entries this week are in the lower half of the chart, with one exception... barely. Arrington De Dionyso's I See Beyond The Black Sun enters at #24. Other notable debuts include The High Dials' independently released Moon Country at #34, Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees' self-titled debut at #41 and Ruby Coast's Projectable Collections at #48. That makes them the first band from my hometown of Aurora, Ont. to make this chart.

Twelve albums re-enter the chart this week, including The Maynards' Date And Destroy at #13 and Arkells' Jackson Square at #14. Both were absent for one week. Parts And Labor's Receivers re-enters at #50. It was originally released on Oct. 21 and debuted on the chart seven weeks ago. It lasted one week at #43.

All of the action on the specialty charts is happening below the #1 position, since all five have the same #1s as last week. So let's focus on some of the highest debuts instead.

The Rapture's Tapes enters the Electronic top 10 at #3. The reissue of Thor's Keep The Dogs Away enters the Metal/Punk chart at #3. The Delmark: 55 Years Of Jazz compilation debuts at #4 on the Jazz/Blues list and leads a pack of seven new entries — every one from #4 to #10 — on the chart.

Madlib's The Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute to J-Dilla arrives at #6 on the Hip-Hop chart, while Ablaye Cissoko & Volker Goetze's Sira is the highest World/Folk chart debut at #8.