GRAMMY NOMINEES, WISIN Y YANDEL TOP DEBUTS

It's Going to be Another Tough Sales Week

After a nice debut by The Decemberists this week, the chart will return to its historical lows again, with Jive/JLG's 2011 Grammy Nominations album in competition to be next week's top debut with a total between 40-45k.

After one day of sales, and subsequent reports from retailers not still fretting about the discovery of Oprah's half-sister or Keith Olbermann's exit from MSNBC, the CD actually has a shot at #1 overall on next week's chart.

Still, the compilation will get a run for its top spot from Machete Music Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Wisin Y Yandel, with a first-week total expected between 35-40k for Los Vaqueros: El Regreso, which loosely translated means, "Hey, we beat all the gringos in sales this week." Actually, it means, The Cowboys: The Return, and how's that for high school Spanish? Based on sales from the island, it could surprise and land at #1.

Indie fave Iron & Wine, the nom de artist for South Carolina-born, Austin-based singer/songwriter Samuel Beam, make their major label debut on Warner Bros. (4AD overseas) with Kiss Each Other Clean, on track for between 28-32k, and could well go higher.

Blue Note/EMI Philly tunesmith Amos Lee has been moving up with every release and Mission Bell, his fourth for the label, seems on target to be his best debut yet, with 27-30k after spending some time at #1 on iTunes and Amazon.

Downtown Records emo pioneers Cold War Kids' latest, Mine Is Yours, should do between 15-18k

The market was up 8% vs. last week, down 10% vs. same week last year and still down 11% year to date.

Will somebody out there please release an album that might sell?

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GRAMMY NOMINEES, WISIN Y YANDEL TOP DEBUTS

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