Jack White tops Indie chart for second week

Summertime is a frantic time for music. The new releases are swift and as our compartmentalized existence forces us to consume and regurgitate an opinion that's relevant until the next big release in a weeks time. Rinse and repeat, the spin cycle of pop culture. It's only when you get one of those all too brief breaks in the action, a week where nothing is new, can one gain a proper sense of reflection and begin to develop a true opinion on what the music is that defines them. On the indie charts, this was one of those weeks.

First place was taken by Jack White's Lazaretto. In an era where star power is so manufactured, White is something of a testament to the true definition of the term. The fact that he has been allowed to evolve and develop his sound while still remaining critically acclaimed and having a large loyal fanbase is no longer a given. Lazaretto may possibly the defining album of summer 2014, but two weeks since its release we have to avoid speaking to soon.

White is followed by Nathan Carter's live version of The Wagon Wheel Show. Returning into the top two, Carter has proven that his American-tinged country music is capable of developing quite a following. A credit to his popularity on the island, this isn't Carter's lone appearance in the top ten.

A constant presence in the top ten since its release last summer, Arctic Monkey's AM has once again returned to the top three. It's safe to say that the Arctic Monkeys have become something of a transcendent band, one that can break away from the hype cycle and produce something that society yearns to hear, to not just have an opinion on but to allow it to soundtrack their existence. This is something to bask in for the band, but while they currently have the keys to the Matrix, the locks change quite often. Success leads to pressure and we here at the indie chart look forward to what the band will bring us on their next album.

Showing that Ireland has not forgotten their own the top six is rounded out by three of our own. The Gloaming's Gloaming maintains that while Garth Brooks-esque pseudo country pop may fill up Croke Park, the people of Ireland still have an appetite for the trad. The Coronas' Closer to You comes in at five after an astounding 113 weeks on the chart. It's hard to think back to November 2011, the same month Michael D. Higgins was inaugurated and Ireland qualified for Euro 2012 and remember who we were. As a nation and as a people we have grown and changed, in some ways better, in some ways worse, but still, our appreciation of Closer to You remains. Finbar Furey's The Last Great Love Song marks a return to the top ten after rising six places, an album cementing the Irish legacy of making hauntingly beautiful music. It's no exaggeration that a tear came to this writer's eye upon the first listen to this album.

Nathan Carter shows up again at number seven with his original Wagon Wheel. While there are some doubts to his indie cred, the question remain as to what is indie? Is it a sound? What is it independent of? As society and music evolves we face Robin Thicke-esque blurred lines as to how we define our music and how we define ourselves. No one exists by a consistent manual, even if they give off that impression. Indie is the same way. While he may not be what's expected, he makes the list regardless.

The list is wrapped up by three bands that are no strangers to the indie chart. Pixies come in at seven with Indie Cindy,remaining solidly in the top ten after nine weeks of release. Hopefully they are blessed with the same luck as London Grammar, who come in at eight with Metal & Dust after an impressive 41 weeks on the charts. Rounding out our top ten is Brother Nature by the Hot Sprockets, falling victim to the dreaded second week curse and taking a precipitous decline after debuting in the second spot last week. The Dubliners still have plenty of time to regain their position, and given some of the lengthy success of some of their Irish contemporaries higher on the list, sometimes slow and steady can reap huge benefits down the line.

Check in with the Indie Chart Countdown next week as new entries by Lana Del Rey, The Antlers and Klaxons are sure to cause a stir in the top ten.