According to Music Week, the UK Album Chart is looking to get a bit of a shake-up, if the OCC mid-week sales are any indication.
Arctic Monkeys look set to go in at Number 1 with Suck It And See, which was released on Monday on an independent label.
Similarly, Seasick Steve finds his way into the Top 10 with his latest offering, whilst Example is topping the Singles Chart with ‘Changed The Way You Kiss’.
Perhaps most surprisingly – and one that makes me smile most – is that Frank Turner’s England Keep My Bones currently sitting at Number 6.
For those who aren’t familiar with his work, Frank used to front hardcore band Million Dead, before becoming a solo folk/punk singer-songwriter when the group disbanded in 2005.
Whilst he’s constantly touring, and has sold out the Brixton Academy, Turner is still a independent artist who wasn’t expecting such success.
Indeed, he doesn’t even really need it to qualify his music. That said, seeing such an important, political songwriter (whose sound isn’t very mainstream) leaping into the charts is quite exceptional.
As a whole, these independent acts make an important trend in the industry, where maybe artists can stop depending on major labels and a loss of creative control in order to “make it”.
I am a big advocate of indie labels and artists using the DIY approach to music, so it’s fantastic to see that actually paying off.
Also remarkable is that albums released independently can, it seems, sell well in spite of illegal downloading and despite maybe lacking the promotional power of a “major” release.
It’ll be interesting to see the final chart positions for these albums by the end of the week.
