U.S. album sales were down 21.7 percent during the first week of December compared with the same period last year, accelerating from the 17.4 percent decline recorded during the last two weeks of November, according to Nielsen SoundScan....

The continued slide in CD sales remains the industry's biggest challenge, even though hit albums are selling better this year than last. Sales of the top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 for the three weeks ended December 7 totaled 5.8 million units, up 2.9 percent from 5.7 million during the same period of 2007. But overall CD sales are down 24.7 percent during that period to 28.2 million units, a faster pace of decline than the 19.3 percent drop recorded year to date....

In general, smaller chains and independent retailers are performing better than large chains and mass merchants. For the first three weeks of the holiday selling season, indie stores have seen album sales decline 8.6 percent, while chains suffered a 19 percent drop and mass merchants saw sales plunge 29.2 percent.

Full story (with requisite annoying lead sentence: "NEW YORK, Billboard - 'Blue Christmas' may turn out to be the music business's theme song for this holiday season...") here.

Passes are now available for the Seattle post-rock festival, Cumulus, happening Jan. 23-25. Go here.

Enjoy this video of “Moonbeam Death Ray” by Bronze Fawn, who are playing Cumulus Jan. 25 at Vera Project.

Nectar Lounge head talent buyer Colin Johnson is moving to Los Angeles later this month in order to better focus on raising his infant daughter with his wife, while also looking to further his music-biz career in the industry's West Coast capital. Johnson, who’s already filled several dates in January and February for the Fremont club, will continue to work with Nectar until the venue can find his replacement. Nectar's local talent buyer, Aarika Walker, will help with the transition.

After being let go from Chop Suey in 2007, Johnson came to Nectar and began to bring high-quality electronic, hiphop, world-music, and avant-rock acts to the club such as the Dead C., Ya Ho Wha 13, the Herbaliser, El Guincho, and Daedelus—the type of artists rarely seen in Fremont. Some interesting bookings on the horizon include Venetian Snares/Otto Von Schirach, Souls of Mischief, Orgone, Mad Professor, Buraka Som Sistema, and Caro/the Sight Below.

Johnson set a high standard during his year-and-a-half tenure at Nectar; we hope the club—which is interviewing candidates for the position—can locate a talent buyer who can build upon his excellent work there.

In an email received this morning, Johnson wrote:

I'm really proud of all that has been accomplished at Nectar this past year and a half and the impact we've had on the ever-changing music community of Seattle. Many have expressed appreciation (and even a bit of shock!) with some of the quality shows that have been hosted here at our little club in Fremont and I wish Nectar the very best in its future. I'm going to miss Seattle, my home for the past six years, and all the friends we've made, both in and outside of the music business. My list of thank you's would be quite extensive, but in quick summary I'd love to show appreciation to everyone who I've ever learned from, anyone I've ever worked with, and anyone who's ever come to a show that I've been fortunate enough to put on in this great city. I will miss you all!

More info about Johnson and Nectar after the cut.