Album Sweep: September 13, 2014 - Part One...

Hey gang, I'm ready to start the first half of this week's "album sweep", sampling the records making the official American sales chart in Billboard magazine. As always, I've included highlighted links to buy anything when possible....but if you can, stop by an independent record store and show some love...

The top-selling album of the week on the Top 200 Albums list  is the second #1 out of two tries for Ariana Grande, whose My Everything sold over 169,000 copies in its first week. It not only outdid the #2 record three times over, but even bested her debut album Yours Truly...

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Country singer and ace guitarist Brad Paisley returns at #2 with his second album, Moonshine In The Trunk. Brad has not had a #1 album on the "big" chart yet, though he's been to #2 now five (probably frustrating) times, including his last four studio albums like last year's Wheelhouse...

Neo-soul singer Kem lands his third top-ten album as his Promise To Love: Album IV is in at #3. His last effort, Intimacy: Album III (natch) went one step higher at #2 in 2010...

The album at #10 is a reissue of a 2003 album from heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, whose last two albums, 2010's Nightmare and last year's Hail To The King have topped the album the chart. Their second record Waking The Fallen had missed the Top 200 the first time it was released, but it's remaster treatment now gives them their fourth top ten placing...

Canadian Christian rock band Thousand Foot Krutch return at #11 with their seventh studio album Oxygen: Inhale. It's their third top-40 album and highest rank to date...

Another Canadian group, power-pop outfit The New Pornographers, are back at #13 with Brill Bruisers, their sixth release. Like the Krutch, its their third top-40 set and highest they've been at...

Queens, New York rap collective G Unit, led by 50 Cent, land at #17 with their The Beauty Of Independence EP. Their first full-length album, Beg For Mercy, went to #2 back in 2003...

Opeth, a progressive death metal act from Sweden, arrive at #19 with Pale Communion, their eleventh effort. It's their third top-40 album, and matches the peak of their last, 2011's Heritage...

Christian music artist Steffany Gretzinger, a member of the Bethel Music collective, ascends to #20 with The Undoing, her first solo album to make the chart...

Shovels & Rope, an alt-country twosome from Charleston, move in at #21 with their third album (and first to make the top-40), Swimmin' Time...

Puerto Rican singing superstar, Chayanne, is back at #23 with En Todo Estare. It matches his last album and other top-40 set, No Hay Imposibles...

British heavy metal duo Royal Blood seep in at #30 with their self-titled debut album...

Ca$h Out, a rapper from Georgia, enters at #43 with his official debut album Let's Get It...

That's it for the first half of the new bunch... out of these thirteen the three I would recommend first are the Royal Blood, New Pornographers, and Shovels and Rope albums...

I'll be back tomorrow with part two...