Radio Loves KAPTN
Los Angeles-based rapper KAPTN is attracting listeners, and viewers, with his single “Ricky Ricardo” (Island Def Jam). At the rhythmic format, the song rises by 22% in plays, according to Nielsen BDS. Its clip has been viewed more than 400,000 times on YouTube since its June 21 posting. While the song is only loosely based on “I Love Lucy,” KAPTN pays homage to the iconic sitcom at its start: “Hey Lucy, I’m home/Where you been? Oh, I know/You been conga dancing? Well, me too/Now you got some ‘splaining to do.”
Whale Of A Hit
Vancouver-based rock band Said the Whale is making inroads south of the Canadian border, as “I Love You” debuts at No. 38 on Alternative. It’s the first U.S. chart hit for the Juno Award-winning act, which has notched a handful of entries on the Canada Rock airplay tally since 2009. The five-member Hidden Pony/Caroline group will release its fourth full-length album, “Hawaii,” on Sept. 17.
Aquilina Leaps
British singer/songwriter Lauren Aquilina, 18, draws her first chart ink, as her self-released EP, “Sinners,” bows on Heatseekers Albums at No. 5 with 2,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The set follows her first EP, “Fools,” released last fall. Despite her young age, Aquilina is no musical newbie, having begun writing songs before her 10th birthday. She describes her sound as “reverby magical piano stuff.”
Swords Cut Through
The moniker of English electronic producer Matthew Barnes, Forest Swords returns to making music for the first time since 2010 EP “Dagger Paths” with new single “The Weight of Gold” (Tri Angle). The orchestral cut caught the attention of indie tastemaker Pitchfork, whose exposure has helped the track accrue more than 110,000 SoundCloud plays in less than two weeks. Swords enters Uncharted at No. 34, with the single’s parent album, “Engravings,” due Aug. 26.
(Reporting by Keith Caulfield, William Gruger, Rauly Ramirez and Gary Trust.)