| Album of the Year | ||
The Penguin Eggs 2009 Album of the Year certainly appeared right out of the blue—New Blue Day by Jory Nash as a matter of fact. The Toronto-based Nash topped our poll with a recording “full of sharp, concise writing,” as our scribe, Mike Sadava, notes on page 37. “Wow! I’m kinda stunned and terribly honoured!” said Nash, when informed. “It’s heady company, indeed! I can’t express how happy this news makes me.” Ah, bless him. The competition proved tough this year with one vote separating Nash from seven runners-up.
Reid’s win comes largely on the strength of her dynamic and often hilarious stage personality, as well as an astute debut release. And being the end of a decade and all, we couldn’t help but ask each panelist to choose what they considered their Album of the Decade. We didn’t tally up the choices but included the diverse picks just for fun. More than 50 members of the media, folk club and folk festival artistic directors, and various individuals with an acute knowledge of folk, roots and world music in Canada participated in this, our ninth, annual poll. As in years past, we asked participants to list their favourite 10 recordings released nationally. Every nomination, listed alphabetically, received one point. The winner gathered the most. For the New Discoveries category, we asked for three nominations. The only stipulation we placed on respondents was not to vote for anyone with whom they shared a professional association. Much thanks, then, to all who kindly participated. And a hearty congratulations to our winners. In the following pages, you can see how our judges voted. The results are also at www.penguineggs.ab.ca
Mike Barker: Artistic director, Folk Under The Clock, Peterborough, ON: Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara, Tell No Lies (Real World); Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson, Partners in Crime (Vertical Records); Bruce Cockburn, Slice O Life (True North); Alex Cuba, Alex Cuba (Caracol Records); Julie Fowlis, Uam (Cadiz Records); Lennie Gallant, If We Had A Fire (Revenant Records); James Keelaghan, House of Cards (Borealis); Mark Knopfler, Get Lucky (Mercury Records); Harry Manx, Bread and Buddha (Dog My Cat Records), Vieux Farka Toure, Fondo (Six Degrees Records) Jo Beattie: Host, Off the Beaten Track, CFUR Radio, Prince George, BC; founding member of the Prince George Folkfest Society: Rose Cousins, The Send Off (Old Farm Pony Records); Dala, Everyone Is Someone (Campus Music); The Deep Dark Woods, Winter Hours (Black Hen Music); Great Lake Swimmers, Lost Channels (Weewerk); Dan Mangan, Nice, Nice, Very Nice (File Under: Music); Maurice, Young People with Faces (Warner/143 Records); Navaz, Onsu–The Other Side (Independent); Joel Plaskett, Three (Songs for the Gang); Rachelle Van Zanten, Where Your Garden Grows (RvZ Music); Sultans of String, Yalla Yalla (Independent) Yves Bernard: Reporter, Le Devoir, host at CIBL-Radio-Montréal: Beyond The Pale, Postcards (Borealis); Boubacar Diabaté, Premier grand griot du Québec (Musique Multi-Montréal); Chic Gamina, Chic Gamina (Independent); Galant tu perds ton temps 11, Chansons traditionnelles a capella (La Tribu); La Nef, Déserts (Fidelio); Le Vent du Nord, La Part du feu (Borealis); Norouet, N2 (Independent); Okto Echo, Okto Echo (Elyium); Oliver Schoer, Hymns and Herd (Borealis); Wesli, Kouraj (Independent) Allison Brown: Radio host, For The Folk, CHRW Radio 94.9 FM, London, ON: Del Barber, Where the City Ends (Independent); The Deep Dark Woods, Winter Hours (Black Hen); John Doe and the Sadies, Country Club (Outside Music); Karyn Ellis, Even Though the Sky Was Falling (Mathilde’s Home Productions); Jason Fowler, Buckets of Rain (Independent); Good Lovelies, Good Lovelies (Independent); Levon Helm, Electric Dirt (Dirt Farmer Music); Jory Nash, New Blue Day (Independent); Dave Rawlings Machine, Friend of a Friend (Acony Music); Various artists, Things About Comin’ My Way: A Tribute to the Music of the Mississippi Sheiks (Black Hen Music) Roddy Campbell: Editor, Penguin Eggs: Sam Baker, Cotton (Music Road); Bellowhead, Matachin, (Navigator); Steve Earle, Townes (New West), The Gertrudes, Hard Water, (Apple Crisp); Nancy Griffith, The Loving Kind, (Rounder); Tony McManus, The Master’s Mark (Compass); The Navigators, Sea Miner, (Independent); Paolo Nutini, Sunny Side Up (Atlantic); The Pines, Tremelo, (Red House); Various Artists: Three Score and Ten (Topic). Shannon Webb-Campbell: Writer, Penguin Eggs: Amelia Curran, Hunter, Hunter (Six Shooter); Broken , Our Small Going (Gandhara), Catherine MacLellan, Water in the Ground (True North); Erin Costelo, Fire and Fuss (Independent); Jenn Grant, Echoes (Six Shooter Reocrds); Melissa McClelland, Victoria Day (Six Shooter), Ohbijou, Beacons (Last Gang); The Prospector’s Union, Sycracuse (Just Friends); Rose Cousins, The Send Off (Old Farm Pony); Tegan and Sara, Sainthood (Sire/Vapor). Charlie Cares: Retailer, Ground Floor Music, Guelph, ON: Amelia Curran, Hunter, Hunter (Six Shooter); Béla Fleck, Throw Down Your Heart (Rounder); Wille Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel, Willie and the Wheel (Bismeaux); Chloé Sainte-Marie, Nitshisseniten e tshissenitamin (GSI Musique); Charles Spearin, The Happiness Project (Arts & Crafts); Tinariwen, Imidiwan: Companions (World Village); Various artists, Playing For Change (Hear); Various artists, Things About Comin’ My Way: A Tribute to the Music of the Mississippi Sheiks (Black Hen); Loudon Wainwright, The Charlie Poole Project (2nd Story Sound); Tom Waits, Glitter and Doom Live (Anti-) Kerry Clarke: Artistic director, Calgary Folk Music Festival: Bell Orchestre, Live In Montreal (Arts and Crafts); Elliot Brood, Mountain Meadows (Six Shooter); Jon-Rae Fletcher, Oh Maria (Weewerk); Lhasa, Lhasa (Warner); Lightning Dust, Infinite Light (Jag); Po’Girl, Deer in the Night (Po’Girl); St. Vincent, Actor Out of Work (4AD); Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens, What Have You Done My Brother (Daptone); Timber Timbre, Timber Timbre (Arts and Crafts); Frank Turner, Poetry of the Dead (Epitaph) Steve Clarke: Host, Acoustic Planet, Erin Radio, CHES 101.5 FM: Sam Baker, Cotton (Independent); Jon Brooks, Moth Nor Rust (Independent); Crabtree and Mills, Freedom (Free and Easy Music); Dala, Everyone Is Someone (Universal Canada); Good Lovelies, Good Lovelies (Independent); James Hill and Anne Davison, True Love Don’t Weep (Borealis); James Keelaghan, House of Cards (Borealis); Steve Martin, The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo (40 Share Productions); Corin Raymond, There Will Always Be A Small Time (Independent); Nathan Rogers, The Gauntlet (Borealis) Val Cormier: Host, Folk Oasis, CITR-FM 101.9, Vancouver: Coco Love Alcorn, Joyful (Independent); Neko Case, Middle Cyclone (Anti-); The Decemberists, The Hazards of Love (Capitol); The Gourds, Haymaker! (Yep Roc); Corb Lund, Losin’ Lately Gambler (New West); Dan Mangan, Nice, Nice, Very Nice (File Under: Music); Los Paperboys, Callithump (Independent); Chuck Prophet, Let Freedom Ring! (Yep Roc); Lhasa de Sela, Lhasa (Audiogram); Various artists, Things About Comin’ My Way: A Tribute to the Music of the Mississippi Sheiks (Black Hen)
Doug Cox: Artistic director, Vancouver Island Musicfest; Musician, Producer: Adrian Belew Power Trio, E (Independent); Amelia Curran, Hunter Hunter (Six Shooter Records); Dala, Everyone Is Someone (Lenz Entertainment); Matt Epp, Safe or Free (Independent); David Essig and Rick Scott, Double Vision (Watershed); Charlie Haden, Rambling Boy (Decca); Imogen Heap, Ellipse (Sony); Lester Quitzau, The Same Light (Independent); John Scofield, Piety Street (Emarcy); The Unthanks, Here’s the Tender Coming (EMI) Tom Coxworth: Producer, CKUA’s Folk Routes: Acres and Acres, All Nations (Independent), Guy Clark, Somedays the Song Writes You (Dualtone); The Gentle Good, While you slept I went out walking (Independent); James Keelaghan, House of Cards (Borealis); Harry Manx, Bread and Buddha (Dog My Cat Records); Tom Russell, Blood and Candle Smoke (Hightone); Sharon Shannon, Saints & Scoundrels (Compass); Martin Simpson, True Stories (Topic); Ian Tamblyn, Gyre (Independent); The Wooden Sky, If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone (Black Box Records) Ian Davies: Artistic director, Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club & Acoustic Muse Concerts, London, ON: Liz Carroll and John Doyle, Double Play (Compass); Rosanne Cash, The List (EMI/Manhattan); Steve Earle, Townes (New West); Bela Fleck, Throw Down Your Heart: Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3—Africa Sessions (Rounder); Julie Fowlis, Uam (Shoeshine Records); David Francey and Mike Ford, Seaway (Laker Music); Harry Manx, Bread and Buddha (Dog My Cat); Martin Simpson, True Stories (Compass); The Unthanks, Here’s the Tender Coming (EMI/Rabble Rouser); John Wort Hannam, Queen’s Hotel (Black Hen) Greg Davis: Owner, Soundscapes, Toronto, ON: Blind Blake, Bahamian Songs (Megaphone); Bill Callahan, Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle (Drag City); Thomas Mapfumo, Hokoyo (Water); Orchestre Poly-Rhytmo De Cotonou, The Vodoun Effect (Analog Africa); Doug Paisley, Doug Paisley (No Quarter); Alasdair Roberts, Spoils (Drag City); Timber Timbre, Timber Timbre (Arts & Crafts); Various artists, Boogaloo Pow Wow (Honest Jon’s); Various artists, Legends of Benin (Analog Africa); Vetiver, Tight Knit (Sub Pop) Steve Dawson: Founder, Black Hen Music: Brian Blade, Mama Rosa (Verve); Bob Dylan, Together Through Life (Columbia); Bill Frisell, Disfarmer (Nonesuch); Levon Helm, Electric Dirt (Dirt Farmer Music); Joe Henry, Blood from Stars (Anti-); Geoff Muldaur and the Texas Sheiks, Texas Sheiks (Tradition & Moderne); Michael Penn, Sunshine Cleaning Soundtrack (Lakeshore); Allen Toussaint, The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch); Tom Waits, Glitter and Doom Live (Anti-); Works Progress Administration, WPA (Independent) Andy Donnelly: Host, The Celtic Show, www.ckua.com: Karan Casey, Ships in the Forest (Crow Valley Music); Aine Furey, Cross My Palm (Cooking Vinyl); John Gorka, So Dark You See (Red House); Grada, Natural Angle (Compass); Olov Johannson and Catriona MacKay, Foogy (Johannson Musik); Lau, Arc Light (Compass); Nathan Rogers, The Gauntlet (Borealis); Sharon Shannon, Saints and Scoundrels (Compass); Martin Simpson, True Stories (Compass); The Unwanted, Music from the Atlantic Fringe (Compass)
Chris Frayer: Artistic director, Winnipeg Folk Festival: Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavillion (Domino); Andrew Bird, Noble Beast (Fat Possum); Blitzen Trapper, Black River Killer (Sub Pop); Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes, Secret, Profane and Sugarcane (Hear Music); The Deep Dark Woods, The Winter Hours (Black Hen); Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba, I Speak Fula (SubPop); Joel Plaskett, Three (Maple Music); The Swell Season, Strict Joy (Anti-); Rokia Traore, Tchamante (Nonesuch); M. Ward, Hold Time (Merge) Gerry Goodfriend: Host/producer, Folk Directions (CKUT): Cori Brewster, Buffalo Street (BRE Records); The Haints Old Time Stringband, Shout Monah (Independent); James Keelaghan, House of Cards (Borealis); Rahgu Lokanathan, Blue Girl (Independent); Chris MacLean, Feet Be Still (Independent); Madison Violet, No Fool For Trying (True North); Kate Reid, I’m Just Warming Up (Independent); Shearwater, Shearwater (Independent); Trevor Tchir, Sky Locked Land (Independent); John Wort Hannam, Queen’s Hotel (Black Hen) Barry Hammond, Writer, Penguin Eggs: Levon Helm, Electric Dirt (Vanguard Records); Little Miss Higgins, Live Two Nights In March (Little Miss Higgins Music); Corb Lund, Losin’ Lately Gambler (New West Records); Harry Manx, Bread & Buddha (Dog My Cat Records); Willie Nelson, American Classic (Blue Note Records); Madeleine Peyroux, Bare Bones (Rounder Records); Po’ Girl, Live (Po’ Girl Music, Inc.); Dave Rawlings, A Friend of A Friend (Acony); Tom Waits, Glitter and Doom Live (Anti); Sara Watkins, Sara Watkins (Nonesuch). Phil Harries: Writer, Penguin Eggs: Liz Harvey-Foulds: Artistic director, Live from the Rock Folk Festival: Abrams Brothers, Blue on Brown (UFO); Matt Anderson, Live from the Phoenix Theatre (Busted Flat); Heather Bishop, My Face is a Map of My Time Here (Independent); Lennie Gallant, If We Had a Fire (Revenant); Dave Gunning, We’re All Leaving (Independent); Jory Nash, New Blue Day (Independent); Corin Raymond, There Will Always Be a Smalltime (Independent); Katherine Wheatley, Landed (Hoot); The Wooden Sky, If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone (Independent); John Wort Hannam, Queen’s Hotel (Black Hen) Mike Hill: Artistic chair, Mariposa Folk Festival: Dala, Everyone Is Someone (Campus Music (Independent); Steph Dunn, Blackmail and Love Letters (Independent); The Good Lovelies, The Good Lovelies (Independent); John Gorka, So Dark You See (Red House); Nanci Griffith, The Loving Kind (Rounder); Dave Gunning, We’re All Leaving (Independent); Jory Nash, New Blue Day (Independent); Ron Nigrini, Undisguised Hearts (Independent); The Skydiggers, The Truth About Us: A Twenty Year Retrospective (Latent); The Wooden Sky, When Lost At Sea (Blackbox Music) Tamara Kater: Executive director, Winnipeg Folk Festival: C.R. Avery, The Great Canadian Novel (Bongo Beat); Chris Coole, Old Dog (Independent); Erin Costello, Fire and Fuss (Sonic Entertainment); Rose Cousins, The Send Off (Independent); Amelia Curran, Hunter, Hunter (Six Shooter); Matt Epp, Safe or Free (Independent); Fish and Bird, Left Brain Blues (Fiddle Head); Romi Mayes, Achin’ In Your Bones (Outside Music); Corin Raymond, There Will Always Be A Small Time (Independent); Sun Parlour Players, Wave North (Outside)
Patrick Langston: Music writer, Penguin Eggs magazine, Ottawa Citizen: Jim Byrnes, My Walking Stick (Black Hen); Leonard Cohen, Live in London (Sony); Bob Dylan, Together Through Life (Columbia); Steve Earle, Townes (New West); Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, A Stranger Here (Anti-); Lyle Lovett and his Big Band, It’s Not Big It’s Large (Lost Highway); The Pines, Tremolo (Red House); Danny Schmidt, Instead the Forest Rose to Sing (Red House); Andrew Vincent, Rotten Pear (Kelp Records); Jesse Winchester, Love Filling Station (Appleseed) Scott Lingley: Freelance music writer: Mulatu Astatke and the Heliocentrics, Inspiration Information Vol. 3 (Stone’s Throw); Dan Auerbach, Keep It Hid (Nonesuch); Andrew Bird, Noble Beast (Anti-); James Blackshaw, The Glass Bead Game (Tompkins Square); Neko Case, Middle Cyclone (Anti-); Vic Chesnutt, At the Cut (Constellation); Monsters of Folk, s/t (Rough Trade); The Pines, Tremolo (Red House); Alasdair Roberts, Spoils (Drag City); Tinariwen, Imidiwan (Independiente); Wilco, Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch) Arthur McGregor: Director, Ottawa Folklore Centre Ltd.: Ball and Chain, Louisiana Love Bug (Independent); Alicia Borisonik and the Argentinian Project, Busco un Lugar (Outside Music); James Hill and Anne Davison, True Love Don’t Weep (Borealis); Cara Luft, The Light Fantastic (Independent); Chris MacLean, Feet Be Still (Independent); Alise Marlanne, Room for Less (Independent); Jory Nash, New Blue Day (Independent); Kate Reid, I’m Just Warming Up (Independent); Ian Tamblyn, Gyre (North Track); Katherine Wheatley, Landed (Independent) Jim Marino: Host, Freewheeling Folk Show & Smokin’ Bluegrass Show, 93.3 CFMU (cfmu.mcmaster.ca), Hamilton, ON: Barney Bentall, The Inside Passage (True North); Cori Brewster, Buffalo Street (Shadow Lake); Heather Dale, The Green Knight (Amphis Music); John Wort Hannam, Queen’s Hotel (Black Hen); James Keelaghan, House of Cards (Borealis); Madison Violet, No Fool For Trying (True North); Marigolds, That’s The State I’m In (Outside Music); Jory Nash, New Blue Day (Independent); Katherine Wheatley, Landed (Hoot Music); Jesse Winchester, Love Filling Station (Appleseed) Ian Menzies: Artist manager: Neko Case, Middle Cyclone (Anti-/Epitaph); Elvis Costello, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane (Hear Music); The Deep Dark Woods, Winter Hours (Black Hen); Steve Earl, Townes (New West); Bela Fleck, Throw Down Your Heart: Tales from the Acoustic Planet Vol. 3 (Rounder); Great Lake Swimmers, Lost Channels (Nettwerk); Levon Helm, Electric Dirt (Vanguard); Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba, I Speak Fula (Out Here); Catherine MacLellan, Water in the Ground (True North); Jah Wobble and the Chinese Dub Orchestra, Chinese Dub (30 Hertz) Monica Miller: Host/producer, How I Hear It, www.ckua.com: Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara, Tell No Lies (Real World); Coco Love Alcorn, Joyful (Sound of Pop); Céu, Vagarosa (Urban Jungle); Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, A Stranger Here (Anti-); Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, The MBF Love LP (Load); Kieran Kane, Somewhere Beyond The Roses (Compass); Baaba Maal, Television (Palm); Eleni Mandell, Artificial Fire (ZedTone); PSAPP, The Camel’s Back (Domino); Charles Spearin, The Happiness Project (Arts & Crafts) Tony Montague: Writer, Georgia Straight, fRoots, Penguin Eggs: Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara, Tell No Lies (Real World); Bob Dylan, Together Through Life (Columbia); Le Vent du Nord, La Part Du Feu (Borealis); Lo’Jo, Cosmophono (Irl); Rupa & The April Fishes, Este Mundo (Cumbancha); Oumou Sangare, Seya (Nonesuch); Martin Simpson, True Stories (Compass); Tinariwen. Imidiwan : Companions (Outside Music); Vieux Farka Toure, Fondo (Six Degrees); Various Artists, Things About Comin’ My Way: Tribute to the Mississippi Sheiks (Black Hen); Peter North: Music director, CKUA Radio, freelance journalist: Brian Blade, Mama Rosa (Verve Forecast); Rosanne Cash, The List (Manhattan); Emitt Nershi Band, New Country Blues (Sci Fidelity); Levon Helm, Electric Dirt (Vanguard); Buddy and Julie Miller, Written In Chalk (New West); David Rawlings Machine, A Friend of a Friend (Acony); Eddi Reader, Love Is the Way (101 Distribution); Tinariwen, Imidiwan: Companions (World Village); Various artists, Man of Somebody’s Dreams, A Tribute To Chris Gaffney (Yep Roc); Sarah Watkins, Sarah Watkins (Nonesuch)
Tom Power: Host, Deep Roots, CBC Radio: The Avett Brothers, I and Love and You (Columbia); Bonnie Prince Billy, Beware (Independent); The Deep Dark Woods, Winter Hours (Black Hen); Elvis Perkins in Dearland, S/T (XL); Dave Rawlings Machine, A Friend of a Friend (Acony); Allan Ricketts, Rivers (Independent); Meaghan Smith, The Cricket’s Orchestra (Rhino); Al Tuck, Food for the Moon (Independent); Andrew Vincent, Rotten Pear (Kelp); The Wooden Sky, If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone (Black Box) Tim Readman: Guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer; artistic director of CelticFest Vancouver: Bellowhead, Matachin (Navigator); Anne Briggs, A Collection (Topic); Liz Carroll and John Doyle, Double Play (Compass); Chumbawamba, The Boy Bands Have Won (No Masters); The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, In Person at Carnegie Hall (Columbia/Legacy); Matt and Shannon Heaton, Lover’s Well (Eats Records); Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies, Northern Echoes: Live on the Tyne (Tantobie); Andy May, Happy Hours (Fellside Recordings); Ruth Notman, The Life of Lilly (Mrs. Casey Records); Kate Reid, I’m Just Warming Up (Independent) Mike Regenstreif: Music journalist (Montreal Gazette, Sing Out! Magazine, Ottawa Jewish Bulletin, frrb.blogspot.com) and broadcaster: Leonard Cohen, Live in London (Columbia); Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, A Stranger Here (Anti-); Woody Guthrie, My Dusty Road (Rounder); Susan McKeown and Lorin Sklamberg, Saints & Tzadiks (World Village); Geoff Muldaur, Geoff Muldaur and the Texas Sheiks (Tradition & Moderne); Maria Muldaur, Maria Muldaur and Her Garden of Joy (Stony Plain); Gretchen Peters with Tom Russell, One to the Heart, One to the Head (Frontera/Scarlet Letter); Tom Russell, Blood and Candle Smoke (Shout! Factory); Loudon Wainwright III, High Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (2nd Story); Jesse Winchester, Love Filling Station (Appleseed) Jeff Robson: Host, Tell the Band To Go Home, CJUM 101.5 UMFM, Winnipeg: Wendy Bird, Natural Wonder (Beaumont Classic); Jim Bryson, Live at the First Baptist Church (Kelp); Rose Cousins, The Send Off (Old Farm Pony); Ron Hawkins, 10 Kinds of Lonely (Independent); Madison Violet, No Fool for Trying (True North); Dan Mangan, Nice, Nice, Very Nice (File Under: Music); Carolyn Mark and NQ Arbuckle, Let’s Just Stay Here (Mint); Romi Mayes, Achin’ in yer Bones (Independent); Leeroy Stagger, Everything Is Real (Boompa); Two Hours Traffic, Territory (Bumstead) Mike Sadava: Journalist, editor of Edmonton Folk Music Festival program book, guitar/mandolin player: Jon Brooks, Moth Nor Rust (Independent); Alison Brown, The Company You Keep (Compass Records); Susan Crowe, Greytown (Corvus Records); Dust Poets, World at Large (Independent); Ashe Grunwald, Fish out of Water (Shock Records); Joe Henry, Blood from Stars ( Anti-); James Hill and Anne Davison, True Love Don’t Weep (Independent); Melissa McClelland, Victoria Day (Six Shooter); Corin Raymond, There Will Always be a Small Time (Independent); J.R. Shore, An Impeccable Shine (Independent) les siemieniuk: General manager, Calgary Folk Music Festival: Avett Brothers, I and Love and You (Sony); Sam Baker, Cotton (Independent); Joshua Cockerill, The Trick With Your Heart I’m Learning To Do (Independent); The Deep Dark Woods, Winter Hours (Black Hen); Great Lake Swimmers, Lost Channels (Nettwerk); Cam Penner, Trouble and Mercy (Independent); Joel Plaskett, Three (Independent); Rural Alberta Advantage, Hometowns (Saddle Creek); Tom Russell, Blood and Candle Smoke (Shout Factory) Lyle Skinner: Host, Prairie Ceilidh, CKJS Radio 810 Winnipeg, MN: Beoga, The Incident (Compass); Joey Kitson, Stan (Groundswell); Le Vent Du Nord, Le Part Du Feu (Borealis); The Paul McKenna Band, Between Two Worlds (Greentrax); Nathan Rogers, The Gauntlet (Borealis); Tommy Sands, Let the Circle Be Wide (Appleseed); Shanneyganock, VII (Independent); The Shee, A Different Season (Independent); The Unwanted, Music from the Atlantic Fringe (Compass); Wailin’ Jennys, Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House (Outside)
Eric Thom: Writer, Penguin Eggs, Blues Revue, Sing Out: Blackburn, Brotherhood (Make It Real); The Bridge, Blind Man’s Hill (Hyena); Joshua Cockerill, The Trick with Your Heart I’m Learning To Do (Independent); Manassas, Pieces (Rhino); Mr. Something Something, Shine Your Face (Independent); Taylor Mitchell, For Your Consideration (Independent); Joe Price, Rain or Shine (Blue Acres); Serre L’écoute, Buveurs philosophes (Independent); Tinariwen, Imidiwan: Companions (Outside); Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Gurrumul (Justin Time/Skinnyfish) Richard Thornley: Reviewer, Penguin Eggs: Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara, Tell No Lies (Real World); Akron/Family, Set ’Em Wild, Set ’Em Free (Dead Oceans); The Avett Brothers, I and Love and You (American); Neko Case, Middle Cyclone (Anti-); Dentdelion, La Tondeuse (Roues et Archets); Kronos Quartet, Floodplain (Nonesuch); Low Anthem, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin (Nonesuch); Michael Rault, Crash! Boom! Bang! (Michael Rault); Vieux Farka Touré, Fondo (Six Degrees); Warsaw Village Band, Infinity (Barbes) Jan Vanderhorst: Host, Just Us Folk, CKPC AM 1380, Brantford, ON: Annabelle Chvostek, Resilience, (Borealis); Lennie Gallant, If We Start A Fire (Revenant); Marianne Girard, Pirate Days (Independent); Dave Gunning, We’re All Leaving (Independent); John Wort Hannam, Queen’s Hotel (Black Hen Music); James Keelaghan, House of Cards (Borealis); Harry Manx, Bread And Buddha (Dog My Cat); Jory Nash, New Blue Day (Independent); Ian Tyson, Yellowhead To Yellowstone (Stony Plain); Katherine Wheatley, Landed (Independent) David Ward: Host/producer, CKUA Radio: Cori Brewster, Buffalo Street (Independent); Brandi Carlile, Give Up the Ghost (Sony); Alela Diane, To Be Still (Rough Trade); Great Lake Swimmers, Lost Channels (Nettwerk); Corb Lund, Losin’ Lately Gambler (New West); Dave McCann and the Firehearts, Dixiebluebird (Independent); Joel Plaskett, Three (Maplemusic); Leeroy Stagger, Everything Is Real (Independent); Mark Sterling, Take From It What You Need (Independent); Various artists, Dark Was the Night (4AD)
Dana Whittle: Musician (Dentdelion), founder of Québec folk music marketing consortium Folquébec: Dala, Everyone Is Someone (Independent); Catherine Durand, Coeurs migratoires (KatMusik); Chic Gamine, Chic Gamine (Independent); Good Lovelies, Good Lovelies (Independent); Hawp, Storm and Calm (Independent); Le Vent du Nord, La part du feu (Roues et Archets); Madison Violet, No Fool for Trying (True North); Norouet, N2 (Independent); Oliver Schroer, Camino (Borealis); Sheesham & Lotus, Everytime (Independent) Terry Wickham: Producer, Edmonton Folk Music Festival: Justin Adams and Juldeh Camera, Tell No Lies (Realworld); The Avett Brothers, I and Love and You (American); Brandi Carlile, Give Up the Ghost (Columbia); Neko Case, Middle Cyclone (Anti-); Steve Earle, Townes (New West); Johnny Flynn, A Larum (Lost Highway); Patty Griffin, Downtown Church (Credential); Paolo Nutini, Sunny Side Up (Atlantic); Joel Plaskett, Three (Independent); Le Vent du Nord, La Part Du Feu (Borealis) Michael Wrycraft: Creative Artist: Digging Roots, We Are (Digging Roots Music); Chic Gamine, Eponymous (Independent); James Keelaghan, House of Cards (Borealis Records); Madison Violet, No Fool For Trying (True North Records); Scott McCord, Blues for Sunshine (BonafideSongs); Jory Nash, New Blue Day (Thin Man Records); Watermelon Slim, Escape From The Chicken Coop (NorthernBlues); Various Artists, It Came From Memphis: The Legendary Sounds (Barbicon/Manteca); Various Artists, Oxford American’s Southern Music Compilation 2010 (Oxford American Magazine); Katherine Wheatley, Landed (Hoot Music Company)
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Our Critics’ Favourite New Discovery of 2009 also turned into a dogfight, with Vancouver’s Kate Reid just edging out Scotland’s Paulo Nutini and Toronto’s Alejandra Ribera (featured in issue No. 44). 
Clint Anderson: Megatunes record store, Edmonton: Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, Roadhouse Son (Lost Highway); The Deep Dark Woods, Winter Hours (Black Hen); Deer Tick, Born on Flag Day (Partisan); DePedro, S/T (National Geographic); John Doe and the Sadies, Country Club (Outside); Heartless Bastards, The Mountain (Fat Possum); Dan Mangan, Nice, Nice, Very Nice (File Under: Music); ManRayGun, Everything Is Temporary (Independent); Elvis Perkins, In Dearland (XL); Dave Rawlings Machine, A Friend of a Friend (Acony) 
François Côté: Artistic director, Deep Roots Music Festival (2005-09): Avett Brothers, I and Love and You (American/Columbia); Andrew Bird, Noble Beast (Megaforce); Neko Case, Middle Cyclone (Anti); Guy Clark, Some Days the Song Writes You (Dualtone); Leonard Cohen, Live in London (Sony); Justin Townes Earle, Midnight at the Movies (Bloodshot); Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest (Warp); Oumou Sangare, Seya (Nonesuch); Taken By Trees, East of Eden (Rough Trade); Various artists, Things About Comin’ My Way: A Tribute to the Music of the Mississippi Sheiks (Black Hen)
Steve Edge: Artistic director, Rogue Folk, Vancouver, BC, and host/producer of The Edge On Folk, CiTR FM 101.9, 
Richard Knechtel: Artistic director, Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival: Bop Ensemble, Between Trains (Cordova Bay); The Dardanelles, The Dardanelles (Independent); David Francey and Mike Ford, Seaway (Laker Music); John Wort Hannam, Queen’s Hotel (Independent); Lee Harvey Osmond, A Quiet Evil (Latent); Madison Violet, No Fool for Trying (True North); Jory Nash, New Blue Day (Independent); The Once, The Once (Independent); Corin Raymond, There Will Always be a Small Time (Independent); Nathan Rogers, The Gauntlet (Borealis Records) 
Paul Norton: Host/producer, What The Folk, CFRO 102.7: Jim Byrnes, My Walking Stick (Black Hen); Levon Helm, Electric Dirt (Vanguard); Keiran Kane, Somewhere Beyond the Roses (Compass); Corb Lund, Losin’ Lately Gambler (New West); Del McCoury, Family Circle (McCoury Music); Novalima, Coba Coba (Cumbancha); Los Paperboys, Callithump (Stompy); Rupa and the April Fishes, Este Mundo (Cumbancha); Sultans of String, Yalla Yalla! (Independent); Various artists, Things About Comin’ My Way: Tribute to the Mississippi Sheiks (Black Hen)
Brenda and Roman Tacik: Hosts, Regina’s Mighty Shores, CJTR 91.3 FM, Regina, SK: Ben Bedford, Land of the Shadows (Hopeful Sky); Susan Crowe, Greytown (Corvus); Amelia Curran, Hunter, Hunter (Six Shooter); The Good Lovelies, The Good Lovelies (Independent); John Wort Hannam, Queen’s Hotel (Black Hen); Catherine MacLellan, Water in the Ground (True North); Carolyn Mark and NQ Arbuckle, Let’s Just Stay Here (09); The Once, The Once (Independent); Danny Schmidt, Instead the Forest Rose to Sing (Red House); Le Vent du Nord, La Part du Feu (Borealis) 
Wendy Wall: Host, Rootopia, CFUV: Bon Debarras, Bon Debarass (Productions Delonde); Guy Clark, Somedays the Song Writes You (Dualtone Music Group); Fish and Bird, Left Brain Blues (Fiddle Head); Sarah MacDougall, Across the Atlantic (Independent); Kate Reid, I’m Just Warming Up (Independent); Adrien Sala, Diamond in the Mind (Dollartone); Indio Saravanja, The Caravan Sessions (Del Norte); Various artists, Things About Comin’ My Way: A Tribute to the Music of the Mississippi Sheiks (Black Hen); Corinne West, The Promise (Make Records); The Wooden Sky, If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone (Fontana North)