Brendan Maclean Claims #2 Indie Charts Debut With New EP 'Funbang1'

Australian baroque-pop doyen Brendan Maclean has put a sense of meaning back into the Carlton Dry Independent Album Chart as his self-released fifth EP, funbang1, claims the #2 spot on debut, far and away the week's highest new entrant.

Maclean's arrival shakes up the pointy end a bit, which has been dominated recently by Sia (she's still atop the pile with This Is Acting at #1, and previous effort 1000 Forms Of Fear at #3). This week also sees debut efforts from Be'Lakor — whose new album Vessels lands just outside the top 10, at #11 — as well as Hermitude, over on the Singles chart at #5 with Viberation/Gimme.

Otherwise, it's a week that heavily favours incumbent entries, with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (Nonagon Infinity, #4) and Russell Morris (Red Dirt Red Heart, #5) remaining unmoved to round out the top five full-lengths for the week. Casting a slightly wider net, Urthboy steps up a rung to see The Past Beats Inside Me Like A Second Heartbeat land at #6, while The Cat Empire's Rising With The Sun takes a tumble from #2 to #7.

Meanwhile, feelings-punk faves Camp Cope remain steady with their acclaimed self-titled effort at #8, with label-mates Luca Brasi hot on their heels with If This Is All We're Going To Be at #9. Plus, Courtney Barnett continues to show her resilience, with Sometimes I Sit & Think, & Sometimes I Just Sit falling a space this week but still settling inside the top half to land at #10. Hermitude (Dark Night Sweet Light, #15) and Flight Facilities (Down To Earth, #17) both make re-entries to the rankings this week.

It's a similar story on the Singles chart where the top five remain as they were last week — Flume occupies the #1 and #3 spots with Say It (ft. Tove Lo) and Never Be Like You (ft. Kai) respectively, while Sia slots in-between with Cheap Thrills at #2, as well as keeping Chandelier at #7. Also unmoved is Hayden James (Just A Lover, #4), while Vance Joy experiences a mixed bag, losing ground with Riptide slipping a spot to #6, though Fire & The Flood keeps on-track at #8. 

The top half is completed by Client Liaison (World Of Our Love, #9) and The Temper Trap (Fall Together, #10), with re-entries popping up down the list from Joel Adams (Please Don't Go, #16), Flume (Lose It, ft. Vic Mensa) and Vance Joy (Georgia, #19).

Brendan Maclean's funbang1 is available on iTunes now.