On the Beat: David Menconi on music

News & Observer music critic David Menconi's random (and we do mean random) musings about all things related to music and culture of the "popular" variety.

Merge marches on

Submitted by dmenconi on 08/13/2008 - 12:38

Compared to last year, when it scored two top-10 albums on the Billboard 200, Durham-based Merge Records has had a fairly quiet 2008. But this week, Merge registers its third-highest-ever chart placement with "Conor Oberst," the eponymously titled solo album by the Bright Eyes frontman who played in Carrboro last weekend. On first-week sales of 29,000 copies, the album debuts at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 (right behind "Kidz Bop 14").

Merge is also hosting its first-ever art exhibition on Friday, with artwork from Robert Pollard's book "Town of Mirrors" (Fantagraphics Books). It's at 6 p.m. Friday at Merge's building, 409 E. Chapel Hill St. in downtown Durham, during the monthly "Third Friday" arts/culture crawl; and yes, ex-Guided by Voices mastermind Pollard is supposed to attend.