A CAB CATCHES ON,
AS DUFFY SOARS

Death Cab for Cutie’s sixth album, and second for Atlantic, is headed for #1 on next week’s HITS sales chart, according to our network of retailers still standing around the country.

Based on one-day sales reports, the critically acclaimed new release, fronted by the eight-minute-long single, “I Will Possess Your Heart,” will sell around 140k in its first week and easily end Neil Diamond’s reign atop the chart.

The big news, though, is Wales songstress Duffy, whose highly touted Mercury/IDJ bow, Rockferry, is showing surprising strength in the marketplace, with a total of 55k which will have it debuting inside the Top 10.

Reprise/Rhino’s Frank Sinatra collection, part of WMG’s comprehensive deal with the late legend’s estate, should sell between 65-70k.

Jason Mraz, now on Atlantic for his new album We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things, is headed for 60k in sales.

Veteran soul star Keith Sweat’s Rhino release, Just Me, should do around 30-35k, while Universal Republic Knoxville, TN, rockers 10 Years are in the 25-30k range for Division, their follow-up to 20005’s The Autumn Effect, which produced the #1 Modern Rock hit, “Wasteland.”

The market was up 7% over last week, down 5% vs. same week last year and now down 11% year-to-date. We return you to your regularly scheduled Hillary Clinton Obama-bashing.