IT’S ALL ABOUT DAVE'S WORLD
The veteran RCA crossover jam band’s latest studio album, Away from the World, will debut at #1 next week with sales of between 260-275k. Those figures are based on one-day sales reports from physical music retailers not dealing in black-market iPhone 5s and the usual digital suspects.
The group, who play Hollywood Bowl tonight, sold 424k in the first week of its previous album, June 2009’s mellifluously titled Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, which was Grammy-nominated for Best Rock Album and Album of the Year.
Bob Dylan’s Tempest, already the subject of widely varying views, is his 35th in a 50-year recording career, mostly at Columbia Records, and is on target for between 95-105k in sales, highlighted by the opening of a temporary "pop-up shop" on Melrose Avenue in L.A. devoted entirely to Zimmy product. That will put Bob in a rundown for second place with veteran American/Republic roots band Avett Brothers, whose latest, The Carpenter, is estimated to do between 90-100k. The projected total dwarfs that of the Rick Rubin-nurtured group's previous album, I and Love and You, which debuted with 40k in sales in Sept. ’09. The Avetts memorably performed a tribute to acoustic music with Dylan and Mumford & Sons at the Grammy ceremony two years ago.
Capitol Nashville country rockers Little Big Town’s fifth album, Tornado, is also looking at first-week sales of 90-100k, which would also more than double its last album, The Reason Why, which debuted with 42k.
Young Turks/XL hip
American/Republic’s ZZ Top album, La Futura, co-produced by the band’s Billy Gibbons with Rick Rubin, is estimated at 25-28k.
Album sales were down 3% vs. last week, down 13% vs. same week last year and down 5% year to date.
Track sales were up 3% vs. last week, up 9% vs. same week last year and up 6% year to date.
TEA sales were down 1% vs. last week, down 7% vs. same week last year and down 2% year to date.
