Avett Brothers' new album drops [industry term] today

We're big fans of the Avett Brothers here. And I, for one, am extremely excited about their new album, "I and Love and You," which is released today. (Heard it via NPR's site; it's very good. The one complaint: no song with a North Carolina-centric title. Oh well.)

"It's their first album on Columbia Records and was produced by Rick Rubin, co-chairman of the label and producer for artists from Johnny Cash to Jay-Z to Metallica," says the Charlotte Observer. "On pre-orders alone, 'I and Love and You' hit the top 50 on Amazon.com.

"It's possible, of course, that this week turns out to be as good as it gets. The record could tumble down the charts, the part-time fans could wander off, and before long the Avetts could slide back down the hill they've spent all these years climbing.

"It's also possible, of course, that the opposite could happen.

"On major labels like Columbia - home of Dylan and Springsteen, Celine Dion and Beyonce - records routinely sell in the hundreds of thousands, and the top artists sell millions.

" 'We are at the table now,' says Dolph Ramseur, the band's manager. 'We're at the point where, if the general public likes the record ... well, things could happen that we can barely imagine.' "

The boys played Letterman last night. Unfortunately, their local affiliate in the Charlotte area cut away. Those of us in Raleigh got to see/hear the entire title track. (You can see it here also.)

The Charlotte Observer has done a very good job of tracking the band over the past week or so, so no need to re-hash here.


Update: As of 4p.m., "I and Love and You" is up to No. 22 on the Amazon chart.