Better Know A Jury Member #8: Quinn Omari July 17 2009
Blogger, From Blown Speakers
Jury member since: 2009
Please share the Top 5 Canadian records you put on your first ballot.
Pink Mountaintops Outside Love
Chad VanGaalen Soft Airplane
Women Women
Japandroids Post-Nothing
Land of Talk Some Are Lakes
Tell us about your top ranked choice. Why #1?
Until this record, I sort of saw Pink Mountaintops as the place where Steve McBean put the songs that didn't jive with Black Mountain. There were some really great tracks on the two previous releases, but the albums didn't seem as coherent. Their latest is a whole different story. Everything on Outside Love plays like part of a bigger picture, while the arrangements vary enough to keep things sounding fresh, and McBean's songwriting is at its best, which is saying a lot. Plus, even though it was released pretty late in the eligibility period, it's probably the record that I've listened to most.
Reaction to the Short List: Your most pleasant surprise? Shocked by any omissions?
It seems sort of "safe." I can't say that I'm shocked by any particular omissions, but I'm a bit surprised that there are so many repeat artists. Of course, an artist shouldn't get less consideration because they've been nominated previously, but I found a lot of the repeaters' latest efforts less compelling than their previously nominated ones. And it's not like the crop of albums by "new" bands on the long list was sub-par. Alternately, even though they didn't make my top 5, it's nice to see Fucked Up sneak in there.
Describe the Canadian music scene in 5 words:
Has not been the same.
IImagine the tables are turned and you are the nominee: What would you do with the $20,000 prize money?
In the spirit of my upcoming Vegas vacation: put it all on black and double up. Honestly, I'd probably be boring and save it.
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