The Shortlist panel, this year numbering Franz Ferdinand, Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, KT Tunstall, Panic! at the Disco, Ronnie Vannucci of The Killers, Sufjan Stevens and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips has selected Cat Power's The Greatest for its best of 2006. The album won out over shortlist's shortlist of Band of Horses, Beirut, Bonnie Prince Billy, Cat Power, Girl Talk, Hot Chip, Joanna Newsom, Regina Spektor, Spank Rock and Tom Waits.
Formed in 2001, Shortlist selects its nominees from albums of the previous year that have NOT been designated as gold. This means that previous winners have generally, (though with exceptions), been cooler than previous choosers. You be the judge.
[Exhibit A] Past winners: Sigur Ros, N*E*R*D, Damien Rice, TV on the Radio and Sufjan Stevens.
[Exhibit B] Past choosers: (well some of them) Beck, Perry Farrell, Trent Reznor, Aimee Mann, Mos Def, Dave Matthews, Pharrell Williams, Tom Waits, Tori Amos, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and members of U2, the Roots, Linkin Park, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Massive Attack, Dashboard Confessional, Metallica, System of a Down, the Cure, Black Eyed Peas, Chemical Brothers, and Coldplay.
Beyond the extra dose of fame and glory this allows Cat Power's Chan Marshall, her music will also be promoted especially hard on iTunes for a week, where an exclusive track, “Up and Gone,” will be available.
