CMJ ISSUE 1328 WEEK 3

Every new year when all the MD's come back every one is soooooo excited about the new stuff. Out with the old and in with the new! We are seeing a lot of that on the charts now with Adds from the last few weeks ROCKETING up the charts.

Damien Jurado is already #4!!!
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks #9
Painted Palms #11
Toy #19

All of them pushing out the old of Arcade Fire, Los Campesinos, Cut Copy.  This week on ADDS we saw Mogwai completely dominate with 112 adds, no other record was within 50 so does this mean they could be our next #1?   Well it is likely they will get there. I am not sure about next though.

This week Sharon Jones and The Dap kings took #1 from Blood Orange who took it from Arcade Fire.. could we see our 4th new #1 next week in Damien Jurado and then Mogwai in 2 weeks? I don't know but I think it would be pretty exciting to have a new #1 every week. Isn't that what really happens at college radio anyways? Something that gets 30 plays one week ends up with 4 the next and then 17 the week after. Thats how I know a station is reporting real charts, if they are volatile.  Whereas when my record debuts at #24 and then goes up to #17 and then up to #14 and then peaks at #5 and then down again, well that usually does not really happen.

I wanted to spend some more time on this Sharon Jones record though because we have been having some interesting conversations on Facebook and Twitter about it.  I for one am excited she got there and think it is just a fantastic story! She is even #1 on AAA and is moving on up at Hip Hop at #12.

You read that right. #12 at Hip Hop.    So what is it about Sharon Jones that makes her Hip Hop?
Some stations responded that she had an "urban" vibe to her and thats why she is charting for Hip Hop for them. So does Hip Hop mean Urban now, and if so what does Urban mean?
 I don't really have huge answers for any of this but am wondering how enough stations decided that Sharon Jones was Hip Hop enough to chart her and that was enough to put her on the charts, in the middle not barely on.

I think it is a fascinating debate. Are the MD's at these stations racists because they threw a black woman's band on the Hip Hop charts?  I don't think so. It probably has a lot to do with the communities they are in. Perhaps some stations only play "indie rock" and are forced to put things that don't fit into "indie rock" in some other sub genre that might not be perfect. Like lets say they LOVE the Sharon Jones record but it does not fit regular rotation but they still want to play it. They have RPM, HIP HOP, JAZZ and WORLD specialty shows. Even then would HIP HOP be the best place for it.  

Is the term Hip Hop then outdated? Do we need a new one?

You can follow the Discussion  and hopefully contribute on Facebook here Or on Twitter 

Looking forward to what you have to say.

Douglas