Vote here to get your favorite acts added to this year’s Westword Music Showcase ballot

Okay, it was a monumental task but we’ve now had a chance to sort through all the comments — overlooking the ones coming from the exact same IP addresses — and have determined which five acts will be added to this year’s ballot. In no particular order, those bands are: Spare the Legion, Be the Ant, Saints, Kosmos and Petals of Spain. In a completely new twist this year, each of those five acts will have the chance to compete for a chance to perform at this year’s Showcase. If you’re a member of one the groups listed above, drop us a line and we’ll fill you in on the details.

Now that we’ve got those pesky ballot housekeeping items out of the way, we have some really rad Showcase news to lay on you. Although our nominating committee had nearly a hundred members, some important people with worthwhile opinions were missing: You. So we’ve reserved some slots on this year’s ballot for your picks.

Now’s your chance to tell us which five acts you’d like to see added to the ballot. As when we opened this up last year, it’s going to be a battle of the fans: Whichever acts generate the most comments below — the only place you can vote for these additions — will get the nod.

Good luck, and have at it. We’ll announce the top five acts next Wednesday.