Album Sweep: July 5, 2014...

Since I was away at Pride festivities in New York over the weekend, I'm gonna take care of this week's "album sweep", sampling the records making the Top 200 Albums sales chart in Billboard magazine, in one shot. As usual I've included links to buy them along with some of the artists' other major work. Support the talent!

The top-selling album of the week is the second full-length major release from Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence. It sold a very respectable 182,000 copies in its first week, allowing her to go to #1 for the first time...

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Coming in at second place with a close 166,000 copies is British newcomer Sam Smith with his debut album In The Lonely Hour. The "out" singer is already an odds-on favorite to nab at least one Grammy nomination...

Hard rock group Linkin Park land the third album of the week to sell over 100K with their sixth studio album The Hunting Party at #3. They've been to #1 five times on the album chart, including their last album Living Things in 2012...

Country legend Willie Nelson, who turned 81 this past April, comes in at #5 with his album Band Of Brothers. It's his third solo studio set to make the top-10; his 1982 album Always On My Mind went to #2...

Jennifer Lopez returns at #8 with her eighth studio album A.K.A. Seven of those have reached the top-10. J-Lo has topped the albums chart twice, with her J. Lo set in 2001 and the J To The L-O! The Remixes collection in 2002...

Canadian dance music producer and DJ Deadmau5 (aka Joel Zimmerman) scores his second top-10 album with while (1<2 i=""> at #9. His last, album title goes here, went to #6 in 2012..

British singer-songwriter David Gray is back at #15 with Mutineers. It's his sixth top-40 album; his last effort, Foundling, peaked at #9 in 2010...

Neo-soul/gospel singer Mali Music (Kortney Pollard) makes his debut at #16 with Mali Is, his first record...

Dutch progressive trance veteran DJ Tiesto enters at #18 with his sixth studio album A Town Called Paradise. It's his first to make the top-40...

Mary J. Blige returns at #30 with the soundtrack to Think Like A Man Too. The first Think Like A Man various-artists tie-in went to #21 in 2012...

With the release of the film adaptation of Jersey Boys hitting theaters, the 2003 hits set The Very Best Of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons appears on the top-100 for the first time at #41. The vocal quartet hit the top-10 on the albums chart five times in their heyday, with Sherry & 11 Others in 1962 and Dawn (Go Away) and 11 other great songs in 1964 both climbing to #6...

Another older release sees its first week in the top-200 as The Dave Matthews Band's mostly-live first album Remember Two Things comes in at #49. It was originally released in 1993 but never made the main chart until now thanks to a remastering deluxe treatment. Thirteen of their live releases have made the chart, with Live At Red Rock 8.15.95 going to #3 in 1997...

While Willie Nelson's new album comes on the chart at #5, his 2007 release Natural Renegade: Opus Collection gets the Starbucks treatment and enters the chart at #61...

Roots-rock singer Trevor Hall is in at #62 with Chapter Of The Forest. It's his third time on the top-200 and highest rank as yet...

Pop/punk band The Story So Far arrive at #66 with their acoustic EP Songs of The Story So Far. Their last album What You Don't See went to #46 in 2013...

The Antlers, an indie-rock band from Brooklyn, enjoy their second album in a row to make the top half of the chart as Familiars comes in at #73...

Hip-hop duo Kalin and Myles move in at #75 with their Chase Dreams EP...

Another Starbucks collection, Brazil Music Is The Pulse, enters at #81. I'm not sure why but the coffeehouse giant's CD store online is nowhere to be found...

Jazz pianist Keith Jarret teams up with double bassist Charlie Haden for Last Dance at #94. The pair went to #75 in 2010 with Jasmine...

Electronica group Ghost Town pops up at #135 with After Party...

Stars In Stereo score their first album on the "big" chart as their second full-length release Leave Your Mark comes in at #141...

Playing For Change 3: Songs From Around The World finds itself at #174. It's a project from studio whiz Mark Johnson...

Speed-metal act Expire storms in at #175 with Pretty Low...

British neo-house group Clean Bandit dance in at #180 with their debut album New Eyes...

Another international hit act, German indie-folk duo Milky Chance, land at #185 with their Stolen Dance EP...

The last debut of the week at #195 comes from the Front Bottoms, an indie-rock group from northern New Jersey, with their Rose EP. Their last full-length, Talon Of The Hawk, went to #181 last year...

That's it for this huge helping of new album goodness. Out of these twenty-six albums the six I would recommend to check out first are the Sam Smith, Clean Bandit, David Gray, Tiesto, The Antlers, and Milky Chance albums...