Album Sweep: April 26, 2014 - Part One...

It's time to bring out the first half of this week's "album sweep", sampling the records making their first appearance on the official Top 200 Albums sales chart in Billboard magazine this week. As usual, I've included highlighted links to buy anything you see, as well as some of the artists' other work. Support the talent!

The top-selling record of the week again is the soundtrack to Frozen, with another banner week at over 133 thousand copies sold. So much for spring arriving. (Mind you, the #2 record only sold just under 30,000 copies. That's dismal.)

The top debut of the week belongs to contemporary Christian music band MercyMe, whose ninth studio album Welcome To The New comes in at #4. It's their third consecutive top-10 record - in 2010 they took The Generous Mr. Lovewell to #3...

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Doing a 180, the Black Label Society, a heavy metal band led by guitarist Zakk Wylde, lands right under them at #5 with Catacombs Of The Black Vatican. Out of their nine studio albums since 1999, this is their second to make the top ten - they peaked at #4 with Order Of The Black in 2010...

Texan singer Joseph Somers-Morales, who records under the moniker SoMo, sees his self-titled debut album arrive at #6 this week....

Country singer Martina McBride has one of if not the most powerful and pure voices in the genre, and she returns at #7 with her covers album Everlasting. It's her twelfth regular studio release; it's her seventh consecutive effort to make the top-ten. She previously went to #3 with Timeless (another covers album) in 2005...

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Linda Ronstadt comes in at #32 with a collection of Duets with past favorites with the likes of James Ingram and Aaron Neville as well as one previously unreleased cut with Laurie Lewis. In her career, Linda has gone to #1 on the albums chart three times; with Heart Like A Wheel in 1974, Simple Dreams in 1977, and Living In The USA in 1978...

Alt-soul singer/songwriter SZA (Solana Rowe from Maplewood, New Jersey) lands her first charting set at #39 with the EP Z...


You should really check out comedian Patton Oswalt's Comedy Central special, it's hilarious! And the CD from the show, Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time, arrives on the chart at #54. It's his fourth record to reach the top 200, and his highest rank as yet...

Australian indie-pop singer/songwriter Betty Who (real name Jessica Newham) debuts at #57 with her Slow Dancing EP...

Gospel singer Anthony Evans enters at #60 with Real Life/Real Worship. It's his first to reach the "big" chart. He had appeared on the second season of The Voice on Christina Aguilera's team (he was eliminated in the battle rounds)..

That's it for the first half of the bunch...out of this nine the three I would choose first are the Martina McBride, Patton Oswalt, and Linda Ronstadt sets...

I'll return tomorrow with part two!