Fractionals

So I voted in the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll this year, as it would have felt weird not to, and my ballot is here (I did Idolator too, because why not?). Very little of my list made it anywhere near the top of theirs, and given my disdain for everyone's favourite record this year (and the paralyzing, smoothing powers of consensus) that's not surprising. I'm not boasting - sometimes I definitely wished I had more in common with my peers as far as taste went. But it's not really important, is it? Most of my friends like music I hate and vice versa, and agreeing on music is highly overrated, I think.

You may notice that the ballots are different - this was also the year I happily gave up on the notion that I'd have one, set-in-stone, real true definitive top ten for the year. Just some records that I really liked and wanted to highlight. (Hence why what switched from list to list were things like the New Pornographers and Radiohead, and not, say, Picastro) I did the Idolator ballot first, if anyone wants to know how my picks may have shifted. Making lists is fun, but I can't say I have the time or patience to pick through either massive undertaking; are clearly put together well and feature tons of great writing, but other than checking out what friends had to say I kind of have to, and want to, leave it alone.