These figures ran as a sidebar to a long article about the Austin Music
Class of '99 in this weeks Austin Chronicle (www.auschron.com) Featured
artists include Monte Warden, Kelly Willis, Damnations, Will and Charlie
Sexton, and more.
ACCORDING TO SOUNDSCAN ...
Although there's a few surprises on the report card below, it's not so
shocking
anymore that the raw sales data for releases from Austin's Class of '98
(or any class
before them, for that matter) is once again something of a reality
check. The numbers
speak for themselves, but remember, these SoundScan figures -- number
of albums
sold, the same numbers that drive the Billboard charts -- don't include
many of the
small so-called "mom 'n' pop" record stores that have proven so
instrumental in
breaking Texas music. And by the way, if you're wondering why Fastball
shows only
934,528 units sold -- rather than the million the Platinum hoopla would
lead you to
believe -- know that Platinum awards are given on units shipped, not
sold. And given
the 812,000-unit gap between Fastball and the local trio's closest
local competitor, a
newcomer named Willie Nelson, what's it really matter anyway? -- A.L.
Marcia Ball, Tracy Nelson, Irma Thomas,
Sing It! (Rounder): 35,605
Junior Brown, Long Way Back (Curb):32,623
Mary Cutrufello, When the Night Is Through (Mercury): 8,814
Kacy Crowley, Anchorless (Atlantic): 9,668
Joe Ely, Twistin' in the Wind (MCA):19,063
Fastball, All the Pain Money Can Buy
(Hollywood): 934,528
Davíd Garza, This Euphoria (Lava/Atlantic): 15,181
Willie Nelson, Teatro (Island): 122,340
Pushmonkey, Pushmonkey (Arista): 8,823
Charlie Robison, Life of the Party (Lucky Dog/Columbia): 4,163
Bruce Robison, Wrapped (Lucky Dog/Columbia): 4,536
Sixteen Deluxe, Emits Showers of Sparks
(Warner Bros.): 2,061
Spoon, A Series of Sneaks (Elektra): 3,330
Storyville, Dog Years (Atlantic): 34,756
Ugly Americans, Boom Boom Baby (Capricorn): 9,859
Vallejo, Beautiful Life (TVT): 4,365
Jimmie Vaughan, Out There (Epic): 35,207
Don Walser, Down at the Sky-Vue Drive-In (Sire/Watermelon): 10,660
