The Chart Time Tunnel: Plumtree

Plumtree were an all-female quartet from Halifax in the '90s, much like Jale. Where Jale's beginnings were strongly linked to their relationship with the members of Sloan, Plumtree caught the rock 'n roll bug when all four members were still in their teens.

Plumtree featured two sisters — Carla and Lynette Gillis — with friends Amanda Braden and Nina Martin. The band first hit the college radio airwaves with Green Mittens, a split seven-inch single with P.E.I.'s Strawberry, in 1994.

Plumtree's Mass Teen Fainting debut full-length entered bi-weekly charts in early 1996. When the charts went weekly that April,  the album was at #10 and remained on the charts for another eight weeks.

In late 1997, Plumtree's Predicts The Future follow-up entered the campus chart at #10, hitting #1 in January 1998. The album featured new bassist Catriona Sturton and remained n the chart for 12 weeks. Videos of three songs from the album, including "Scott Pilgrim," received airplay on MuchMusic.

That song inspired the titular graphic novel by Bryan Lee O'Malley. The novel has been turned into a film starring Michael Cera (Juno, Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist) and Kieran Culkin (Home Alone, Father Of The Bride).

Plumtree's members were all attending university during this time and were only able to tour during the summer months.

Plumtree's This Day Won't Last At All was released two years later, entering the campus chart of the week March 16 to 23, 2000 at #6, making it the week's highest debut. The album never rose any higher on the chart during its 13-week stay.

The band called it quits after completeing a cross-country summer 2000 tour with Vancouver's Salteens.

Today, both Laura and Lynette Gillis live in Toronto and perform in a trio called Sisters, while Catriona Sturton lives in Kingston, Ont.,  teaches harmonica, performs solo and in a couple of musical groups and also works for Dolly Parton. Original bassist, Nina Martin, is geography professor at the University Of North Carolina.

Let's look at the rest of the campus charts 10 years ago:

Neko Case & Her Boyfriends' Furnace Room Lullaby remained at #1 for a second week. Kid Koala's Carpal Tunnel Syndrome rose three places to grab #2, jumping over the stationary Yo La Tengo's And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out at #3. The Smugglers' Rosie fell two places to #4, while Morphine's The Night fell a spot to #5.

There were other noteworthy new entries after Plumtree, starting with Boss Hog's Whiteout debut at #16.

The first appearance from the Montreal-based post-rock outfit then called A Silver Mt. Zion occurred on that chart. The collective's He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts Of Light Sometimes Grace The Corners Of Our Rooms debut album entered the chart at #35, one spot before Dwarves' Come Clean at #36.

Fatboy Slim's Greatest Remixes debuted at #40 and Eels' Daisies Of The Galaxy entered at #48.