Chart accomplishments are getting to be old hat for Triangle-based Merge Records, but here's another: She & Him, the too-adorable-for-words pop duo of M. Ward and actress/singer Zooey Deschanel, debut this week at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with their latest Merge release "Volume Two." Following Spoon's No. 4 debut on the same chart back in January, that gives Merge two top-10 albums in a single year for the first time since 2007 (when Spoon and Arcade Fire both turned the trick).

Sometimes you want to be part of a frenzied mob going nuts; but sometimes you'd rather be in a crowded room where everybody just shuts up and listens. I've been fortunate enough to have both experiences in recent nights -- the former at Saturday night's Avett Brothers show, and the latter with She & Him Monday night.

That wasn't anything I expected. Cat's Cradle was jam-packed to the point that it was almost impossible to find a vantage point that was both good and comfortable, and the chattery crowd paid scant attention to opening-act Freakwater. But once the headliners got going, everybody quieted down at all the right times. I was holding my breath wating for some yahoo to holler and screw up "You Really Got a Hold on Me," on which Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward's voices descended to a quiet murmur. But lo and behold, everybody maintained absolute silence until the end.

Nice going, gang.

ADDENDUM (3/9/10): Video for "In the Sun."

Yes, it's a cryptic name. But even if you've not heard the duo's record, you've probably seen her on a movie or television screen. Click through for more on her, as well as him.

Or check the interview in Friday's paper.