Album Sweep: February 8, 2014 - Part One...

Well folks, it's time to kick off the first part of this week's "album sweep", sampling the records making their first appearance on Billboard magazine's Top 200 Albums sales chart, as the soundtrack to Frozen spends a third non-consecutive week at #1...(I've included highlighted links to buy the albums and other work from the artists when available, but please drop by an independent record store if you can. It's worth it!)

The top debut of the week at #2 is the compilation from Sunday's Grammy award show. Grammy 2014 Nominees is the twentieth volume of the yearly collection, includes all the contenders for both Record and Song of the year, as well as selections from the Album of the Year noms and more...

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 Coming in at #3 are newcomers A Great Big World with their debut indie-pop album Is There Anybody Out There?...

Alternative rock band Young The Giant place their sophomore effort Mind Over Matter at #7. It's their first to make the top ten...

Against Me! the punk rock band from Florida, arrive at #23 with Transgender Dysphoria Blues. It's their sixth full-length album and first since leader Laura Jane Grace came out as transgender (which the album's theme is based on). This new one is their second to reach the top-40 and highest rank to date...

Massachussetts alt-rap-rock duo Aer debut at #26 with their self-titled third album...

Indie-rockers Bad Suns drop in at #41 with their debut four-song EP Transpose...

Warpaint from Los Angeles come in at #43 with their self-titled second album, their first to make the top half of the chart. It's produced by new wave/modern rock legend Flood...

Alt-country "supergroup" Hard Working Americans, formed by Todd Snider put their self-titled take on folk and roots music songs in at #45....

The 13-disc box set The U.S. Albums collects the remastered versions of the Beatles' albums between 1964 and 1970, and moves enough to come in at #48, despite a $170 price tag ($120 digitally on iTunes). It contains three albums that never have been offered on CD before, The Beatles' Story, Yesterday and Today, and Hey Jude. (Yesterday... also comes in on its own at #74 and Hey Jude at #72)...

Tampa-based heavy metal band Iced Earth rock in at #49 with Plagues Of Babylon, their eleventh studio set. It's their fifth album to make the chart and highest rank yet...

Singer and rapper Ty Dolla Sign cashes in at #51 with his Beach House EP...

Scottish post-rock act Mogwai enter at #55 with Rave Tapes, their eighth album and fifth to make the American Top 200. It's also the highest they've gone...

That's all for part one...out of this dozen the three I would recommend first are the Against Me!, Young The Giant, and Great Big World sets (trumped by the Beatles if you have the moolah)...

Tomorrow I'll drop part two, with new stuff from veteran German metalheads, Dallas rockabilly kings, and more...