The year’s first big debut comes from Laura Mvula, who recruits Nile Rodgers on new single “Overcome,” in at #5. Lucius continues climbing 9-7 with “Born Again Teen,” while new Good Grief track “Madness” also debuts at #66. The week’s biggest mover is Charles Kelley’s “Lonely Girl,” up 26 spots to #49; Grizfolk’s “Cosmic Angel” (#41) and “Bounty On My Head” (#59) each follow with a 24-spot jump (they also debut “Bohemian Bird” at #94 this week). Additional debuts include a new Lissie track, Wild Belle, Mree, Mayer Hawthorne.

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Cam stays at #1 for a fourth week, with Adele’s “When We Were Young” moving into the runner-up position. Lucius scores their first top-ten hit with “Born Again Teen” and CAFUNÉ gets a second top-twenty as “Lay Low” jumps 22-17. Birdy is the week’s biggest mover, however, as “Keeping Your Head Up” leaps from last week’s #100 debut up to #42. Just below, Alabama Shakes gets a lofty re-entry – the first of four – with “Sound & Color” at #46; Charles Kelley’s “Lonely Girl” is the highest new entry at #75.

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The top three is static for a sixth consecutive week, with the only movement in the top ten this week coming from Coldplay, whose “Adventure Of A Lifetime” moves 11-10. Two songs make high debuts in the top thirty: new Lucius single “Born Again Teen” and a new single from former chart-topper Lissie, “Don’t You Give Up On Me.” Troye Sivan adds three more songs from Blue Neighbourhood to his list of chart entries, while CAFUNÉ, Sophia Somajo, Ra Ra Riot & Rostam (of Vampire Weekend), Miike Snow, FLETCHER, and Coldplay also debut.

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While many people flocked south to Austin, Texas last week for this year’s South By Southwest festival, which showcases more than two thousand artist performances alongside label presentations, technology reveals, and discussion panels, some of us had to settle for attending Couch By Couchwest from home. I spent the past week digging through a spreadsheet of 2,121 artists who were slated to play during SXSW 2015, and after whittling down the list and listening to 622 of them, I have selected 76 independent acts that warrant further attention now that the festivities have ended. Read a short blurb on each artist below along with a prime track among their discography, or skip ahead to the full playlist on SoundCloud by clicking here. Continue reading “76 independent artists to watch following SXSW 2015”