Album Sweep: February 22, 2014 - Part Two...

I'm ready for round two of this week's "album sweep" sampling the records making their first appearance on the Top 200 Albums sales chart in Billboard magazine. You can check out part one by clicking here, and as before I've included highlighted links to buy the albums and other works from the artist when possible.

Blues-rock band The John Butler Trio from western Australia drop in at #58 with their sixth studio set Flesh And Blood. Their last, April Uprising, made it to #36 in 2010...

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Paul Rodgers, who was a member of today's "song of the day" band the Firm, comes in at #81 with The Royal Sessions. Apart from his work with that group, Bad Company, and Free, this is his highest mark as a solo artist...

The late great British blue-eyed soul queen Dusty Springfield has a new compilation out at Starbucks, and The Opus Collection is in at #96. With all her single hits, her biggest album in the U.S. was her second, Stay Awhile/I Only Want To Be With You, which only made it to #62 in 1964..

Americana music duo Les Claypool's Duo De Twang, named for the member of Primus leading the pair, enters at #98 with Four Foot Shack, their first album together.It has bluegrass covers of Les' songs as well as offbeat choices like the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" and Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box"...

Another Starbucks exclusive, the various artist collection of Women Of Jazz, comes in at #99. The set has tracks from Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, and even left-field choices like Fiona Apple...

London-based indie-rockers the Bombay Bicycle Club claim their first hit album in the States with their fourth release So Long, See You Tomorrow, which went to #1 in the UK. It enters here at #101...

Boulder, Colorado alt-rock faves Big Head Todd and the Monsters return at #112 with Black Beehive. Back in 1993 their third album Sister Sweetly was a cult classic, selling over a million copies without ever hitting the top half of the albums chart. Their follow-up set, Stratagem, sold a lot less but faster, peaking at #30 a year later...

Mike Curb and his Curb Records has a way of "raping" his artists' (especially former artists) backlog work, and non much more than country superstar Tim McGraw, who after a long legal fight wsa able to break free of the company. However, they manage to release an eighth "hits" set, and the second since his departure, as his Love Story is in at #116. Out of all his collections his Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 did the best, reaching #2 in 2006...

Alt-country newcomers Moonshine Bandits shoot in at #126 with Calicountry...

Brooklyn indie-rock group Augustines have their first chart entry at #141 with their self-titled sophomore effort...

Singer/songwriter Nicole Atkins arrives at #143 with her third full-length album Slow Phaser. It's the first to make the top 200 from the artist born in Neptune City, New Jersey...

Gospel vocal quartet Ernie Haase & Signature Sound ascend to #181 with Oh, What A Savior. Back in 2007 they made it to #59 with Get Away, Jordan...

 The final entry of the week belongs to Lake Street Dive, who showed up on the Colbert Report last week, with their Fun Machine EP from 2012. Their upcoming full length will be released tomorrow (Feb 18)...

 That's all for tonight...out of this very worthy baker's dozen the three I would go for first are the John Butler Trio, Bombay Bicycle Club, and Nicole Atkins sets...