WELCOME TO THE DOG DAYS

The Throne is still theirs.

After the second-highest debut of the year (next to only Lady Gaga), Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Roc-a-Fella/Roc Nation collaboration, Watch the Throne, will once again top the HITS Album sales chart next week.

That’s pretty much a no-brainer, considering the serious dearth of new releases this week as the summer draws to a close.

Universal Republic Nashville’s Eli Young Band appears to be the top debut of the week, based on one-day sales reports from those music retailers who haven’t vacated their stores in favor of Menchie’s Yogurt outlets. Life at Best, the veteran Denton, TX band’s fourth album overall, looks headed for between 30-35k in sales. Their last album, 2008’s Jet Black & Jealous, peaked at #30 on the Album Sales chart.

Fellow Lone Star natives and Up/Down/Megaforce Records/RED artists Blue October’s Any Man in America, their first indie release since the band’s 1998 debut, should do between 24-27k. Their last album, 2009’s Approaching Normal, on Universal Motown, went as high as #13 on the sales chart.

Next big releases include Columbia’s Barbra Streisand and Geffen’s Game next Tuesday (8/23), with Cash Money/Universal Republic’s Lil Wayne and WB’s Red Hot Chili Peppers coming out the following Monday (8/29).

Album sales were up 5% vs. last week, up 20% over same week last year and still up 2% to date. Digital tracks were down 2% vs. last week, up 13% vs. same week last year and up 11% year-to-date. TEA (Track Equivalent Albums) were up 3% vs. last week, up 18% vs. same week last year and up 5% to date.