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Weekly Update
The number of back-to-school ads aimed at kids to get their parents buying them the cool clothes, the cool backpack, the right shoes, the right pen (are you serious??), the most awesome folder, etc. have me more thankful than ever to be just the cool aunt.
If I showed up today at any school, any grade, anywhere in the country, I’d still get the crap beat out of me. I see no one wearing t-shirts, jeans and flip flops in any of these commercials. I wonder what my mean nick-name would be at age 43. In elementary school the best they could come up with was occasionally singing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” or asking me to get them free Happy Meals (none of them knew my last name was spelled Mac, not Mc so I went with it.... promises of fries got me invited to a lot of parties). None of these “teasing’s” were very original or particularly mean and, luckily, there was a smelly kid with a lisp who took most of the focus off of the rest of us. He did get the last laugh though, somewhere along the line he discovered soap, is now lisp-less, gorgeous, successful and happier than the jocks who picked on him (most of whom are now living in small towns spilling Pabst Blue Ribbon on their tear-stained yearbooks). God school was brutal.
The line our parents fed us growing up over and over: “you’ll understand when you’re older” seemed like a complete blow off back then. It has turned out to be the single most truthful sentence mine ever said to me. It certainly wasn't, “Your braces and glasses make you look like a classic beauty.” Liars both. My sisters and I complained non-stop about the required school uniforms we had to wear from first grade through senior year of high school. They were a polyester plaid material with knee socks. There was nothing not to complain about. You would think that those clothes paired with my Star Wars Trapper Keeper and my homemade pencil case all packed neatly into my backpack with a giant “MEG” stenciled on it, would’ve meant a lot of time spent stuffed in lockers. Not so much because everyone had to wear the same thing. We all looked like idiots but, it turns out, plaid pants and three button vests were the great equalizer.
Freedom of expression for kids my ass. God bless polyester.
Next week look for a brand new BDS chart with a layout that we think you’ll dig. More artist focus, easier to read and universally formatted no matter what your device (computer, ipad, smartphone etc.) We’ll debut it on Monday night 8/26.
See below for the week at radio, sales and news:
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BDS CHART HIGHLIGHTS:  Top 5 includes: Lorde, Jack Johnson, Capital Cities, Matt Nathanson, Delta Rae
Top 10 includes: Kings of Leon, Imagine Dragons, Frank Turner, Mowgli’s, ZZ Ward
Top 15 includes: Walk Off The Earth, Fitz & the Tantrums, John Mayer, The Wild Feathers, Unlikely Candidates
Top 20 includes: Michael Franti & Spearhead, Jake Bugg, Atlas Genius, The Civil Wars
Top 30 includes: Amos Lee, Avicii, Brett Dennen, The Lone Bellow, Kopecky Family Band, Phillip Phillips, Dawes, Jamie N Commons, Sara Bareilles
New & Active Includes: The Head and The Heart, Elvis Costello & The Roots, Saints of Valory, Tom Odell, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Satellite, Avett Brothers
Most Added Includes: John Mayer, The Head and The Heart, Avett Brothers, Tired Pony, Avicii, Jonny Lang, Bastille, Frank Turner, Gov’t Mule, Trombone Shorty
Most Increased Plays Includes: Avett Brothers, Avicii, The Head and The Heart, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Unlikely Candidates, Lorde, ZZ Ward, Imagine Dragons, Brett Dennen, Frank Turner
SALES HIGHLIGHTS:  Billboard Top 200 Includes: The Civil Wars, Imagine Dragons, Lorde, Sara Bareilles, Phillip Phillips, Vampire Weekend, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The National
Billboard Heatseekers Includes: Bastille, The Mowgli’s, Lord Huron, Delta Rae, Smith Westerns, Beth Hart, Kopecky Family Band, Jillette Johnson, Family of the Year
APPEARANCE ALERTS:  Valerie June – Letterman on 8/21
Dawes – Austin City Limits taping on 8/25 w/ Fun.
Robert Randolph - Letterman on 8/27
Grace Potter – The Tonight Show on 9/5
The Wild Feathers - The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on 9/6
Gov’t Mule - Conan on 9/11
The National – Ellen on 9/24
Jake Bugg – Conan on 10/1
Julian Lennon – The View on 11/11
NOTABLE QUOTABLES:  Valerie June
“Valerie June wants to be on your mind, to get inside your head. She writes or co-writes songs that mix blues, gospel, folk and soul, and which describe emotional isolation, financial deprivation and insecurity about her place in the world. She's unafraid to proclaim her neediness — perhaps because, possessed of a powerful voice, she knows that her vulnerability isn't likely to come off as passive or self-pitying on Pushin' Against a Stone.” - NPR
“Valerie June has one of those rare voices that is immediately recognizable, a mix of Dolly Parton country, Billie Holiday blues and Amy Winehouse retro-soul. Her debut "Pushin' Against a Stone" (Concord) is rarer still, as producers Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and Kevin Augunas, of Florence and The Machine fame, help June create just the right musical backdrops to let her voice shine. She moves effortlessly from the simple, plaintive folk of "Somebody to Love" to the hushed gospel-influenced soul of "The Hour" to the bluesy boogie of "You Can't Be Told," which she co-wrote with Auerbach, and will confirm June as one of 2013's breakout stars. The Grade A” - Newsday
John Mayer
"['Wildfire' is] pure enjoyment and sweetness." - Perez Hilton
"['Wildfire'] has all the elements of a wholesome and super-chill summer jam." – Buzzfeed
The Civil Wars
“…No pop act makes outsize romantic dysfunction sound as extravagantly pretty as the Civil Wars.” – Rolling Stone
“…powerful, rewarding music.” – NPR
“A crackling, morose blues-rock ballad that swells with moments of fury.” – Entertainment Weekly
Tired Pony
“Love, love, LOVE the way this song sounds on KINK! And you can quote me!” - Chris Mays, PD, KINK/Portland
The Unlikely Candidates
“Follow My Feet has reacted great for RXP. Ben a top tester since the beginning and requests sheets don’t lie…it’s a hit” - Aaron Zytle/ PD at KRXP, Colorado Springs
OTHER A3 NEWS:  The Civil Wars’ highly anticipated self-titled sophomore album debuted this week at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart in the U.S. with sales over 115,878 units – far and away the duo’s best single week performance and their highest chart position to date. The U.S wasn’t the only country with top tier numbers as they have also seen success internationally, debuting at #1 in Canada, #2 in the U.K. and #3 in Ireland.
John Mayer’s new single “Wild Fire” Paradise Valley is out at radio now and the album, produced by Mayer and Don Was is available everywhere August 20. Collectively, Mayer's previous albums have sold 20 million copies worldwide and the artist has garnered 7 Grammy Awards & 11 nominations. He landed on Time Magazine's annual Time 100 list of the “most influential contemporary thinkers, leaders, artists and entertainers” and has been featured twice on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine's Annual Guitar issue. Mayer was recently honored in Washington, D.C. by the Recording Academy for his philanthropic work on behalf of both U.S. military veterans and young people interested in music.
Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” is already a huge global smash (it’s rocketed to #1 in 68 countries), with north of 2.5m sales worldwide in its first two weeks of release. The track has hit the iTunes Top 10 in the U.S., it’s the #2 most-played clip worldwide on VEVO, and it’s breaking big at multiple formats of domestic radio now, including great radio from all formats. It’s an amazing setup for Avicii’s star-studded debut studio album True, hitting on Sept. 17.
Bastille’s “Pompeii” is performing incredibly well and the Rate The Music numbers are growing stronger as familiarity rises. The latest include: Persons 12+ Ranked #5 and 82% familiar. 18-34 #4 84% familiar. 18-24 #2 82% familiar. 25-34 #4 85% familiar. Females 18-34 #2 and 73% familiar. 18-24 #3, 73% familiar. 25-34 #4 76% familiar. Males 18-34 #4 93% familiar. 18-24 #2 92% familiar. 25-34 #10 93% familiar. “Pompeii” sold 18,278 singles this week and is ranked #94 nationally, nearing 150,000 singles sold in the U.S. Bastille’s Haunt EP debuted #1 on Billboards Heatseekers Chart and the debut album Bad Blood is in stores and online 9/3 while entering the UK charts at #1 in March. It’s platinum and the best-selling debut album in the UK this year while “Pompeii” is double platinum in the UK.
The Jake Bugg Gatorade Commercial featuring “Lightning Bolt” has started up again and will run Internationally through 2014. Running on Prime Time TV stations ABC, NBC and CBS. You can view it in tonight’s Link or You’ll Miss It.
The Wild Feathers debut album can be found on 4 iTunes pages today (Main/Main, Music/Main, New Artists and Rock). The Wild Feathers (Deluxe) is currently No. 45 on the Main albums chart and No. 3 on the Rock albums chart and The Wild Feathers (Standard) is currently No. 159 on the Rock albums chart.
ON THE ROAD:  Serena Ryder
Look for more tour dates from Serena Ryder as her new release "What I Wouldn't Do", the follow up to the #1 AAA Single, from the new album Harmony on Capital is in stores & online: 8/27/13. The overall recap on Serena’s stellar 2013 this far includes:
“Stompa” as the Fastest Moving Single to #1 at Triple A This Year hitting the benchmark in only 8 weeks
It is the longest running #1 Single at the Format this year spending 8 consecutive weeks there
“Stompa” Nominated for FMQB Triple A Song of The Year Award
45,000,000 + Audience Impressions
100,000+ “Stompa” Singles Sold
1,200,000 + “Stompa” Video Views
Certified Triple Platinum Canada
Serena Won the JUNO Award for Best Adult Alternative Album: “Harmony”
Was VH1 You Oughta Know Artist for June
The National have sold over 150k albums to date and are this week’s VEVO video premiere fresh off their feature in People Magazine. They’ve been seen previously on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Mornings Become Eclectic and Conan and will be appearing on Ellen 9/24 (see Appearance Alerts). Their US Tour has sold out and includes dates in Nashville, Atlanta, Louisville, Madison, Seattle and ending this fall with an appearance on Austin City Limits.
Dawes have announced their fall headline tour as well as an Austin City Limits TV taping on 8/25 with Fun. The band kicks off their tour in Ohio at Kent State University and is hitting the east, south, midwest, ending on the west coast playing the Life is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas.
The Mowgli’s new single “The Great Divide” is just now getting warmed up at radio as the follow up to their Top 5 smash “San Francisco.” The band has surpassed 1 million views on VEVO and have appeared on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Conan as well as national festivals Lollapalooza, Road to Hangout, Bumbershoot and more. The band is back out on the road and kicked off their fall tour last week in Nashville at Live on the Green. This run will include Bumbershoot, Cultivate Festival and will wind up in the Midwest with a gig in Madison on 10/31.
The Unlikely Candidates head out on tour next week 8/31 and their sales continue to rise with over 13k singles sold to date and close to another 1k this week.
Johnathan Rice is joining Dawes on the road including gigs in Maine, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
To Hear A3 Singles with no Passwords or Logging In:
Go to www.m-mmusic.com to stream current singles at the format by clicking the ‘Listen to A3 Singles’ link on our home page. No passwords, no searching. All artists are in alphabetical order.
To see this Chart Recap Anytime:
Go to www.m-mmusic.com and click the green M:M Update/BDS Chart logo
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