Final Fantasy's Heartland Out Jan. 12

If you're already making a list of albums you think will be on the 2010 Polaris Music Prize short list, you might want to reserve a spot for Final Fantasy's long-awaited third album, Heartland.

The follow-up to 2006's Polaris Music Prize-winning He Poos Clouds comes out Jan. 12 through Domino Records. It features guest appearances from Gentleman Reg, Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara, composer Nico Muhly and the Czech Symphony Orchestra. It's also a concept album and the man born Owen Pallett recorded it over nine months in four countries.

"The songs themselves form a narrative concerning a farmer named Lewis and the fictional world of Spectrum," Pallett says. "The songs are one-sided dialogues with Lewis, a young, ultra-violent farmer, speaking to his creator."

Pallett, who thankfully does not have swine flu, will perform songs from Heartland at the following shows:

Sept. 30 Regina, SK @ The Exchange w/ Timber Timbre
Oct. 1 Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos Cantina w/ Timber Timbre
Oct. 2-3 Winnipeg, MB @ West End Cultural Centre w/ Timber Timbre
Oct. 23 Halifax, NS @ Rebecca Cohn Auditorium at Dalhousie University w/ Symphony Nova Scotia
Nov. 4 Grand Rapids, MI @ Ladies Literary Club w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 5 Chicago, IL @ The Metro w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 6 Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 7 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 10 Seattle, WA @ The Showbox w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 11 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 14 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 15 Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theatre w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 18 Austin, TX @ Antone's w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 19 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 20 Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 21 Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 23 Orlando, FL @ The Social w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 24 St. Augustine, FL @ Cafe Eleven w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 27 Washington, DC @ Nightclub 9:30 w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 28 Philadelphia, PA @ Theater Of Living Arts w/ The Mountain Goats
Nov. 29 Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theater w/ The Mountain Goats
Dec. 1 New York, NY @ Webster Hall w/ The Mountain Goats
Dec. 2 Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House w/ The Mountain Goats

Here are the songs on Heartland:

"Midnight Directives"
"Keep The Dog Quiet"
"Mount Alpentine"
"Red Sun No. 5"
"Lewis Takes Action"
"The Great Elsewhere"
"Oh Heartland, Up Yours!"
"Lewis Takes Off His Shirt"
"Flare Gun"
"E Is For Estranged"
"Tryst With Mephistopheles"
"What Do You Think Will Happen Now?"