Best Latin-Electro-Pop Album:
Manik by Mia Calderon
We're not complaining, but for all of Nashville's musical diversity these days there are a few genres that we feel are lacking here at home. Specifically, we think this town could use more funky, futuristic, bossa nova-influenced pop of the brand that Mia Calderon concocts on her debut Manik. Bearing more of a resemblance to the far-out funk of transnationalist groove hunters like Quantic than to anything you're likely to find in the 615, Manik is a globe-trotting, time-jumping slice of sublimely hummable, hip-shakingly sweet sonic bliss. Imagine Astrud Gilberto and Sade making beats on the edge of a black hole and you've got the idea. SEAN L. MALONEY
Best Curated Move Back Into the Major-Label Fold:
The Features
Plenty of wistful locals recall pride-and-joy Middle Tennesseans The Features' brief flirtation with major-label superstardom. But after the release of Exhibit A and their ensuing and ultimately disenchanting dismissal from Universal Records, the indie-pop four-piece found themselves back on their own. Undaunted, The Features self-released last year's Some Kind of Salvation, a sparkling collection of smart and triumphant rock numbers that caught the ear of old pals and international chart-toppers Kings of Leon. In an admirable display of hometown support, KoL re-released Some Kind of Salvation on their new imprint via publishers Bug Music and 429 Records, and now The Features are playing dates all over the place, including a couple abroad with the Kings. From as unlikely a source as it may be, looks like The Features may have found some kind of salvation after all. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Best Radio Show No Longer on the Radio: The Best of Bread
After their unexpected and controversial dismissal from Vanderbilt's 91.1 WRVU–FM due to an equipment violation ("After four years, Chris and Greg Crofton's WRVU show Best of Bread is toast," Sept. 17), fraternal hosts Chris and Greg Crofton are left without a broadcasting home. It's a shame, too, because the brothers' unique oeuvre on the airwaves had made them something of a local institution over the past four years. But there just might be hope for the Croftons' good-natured buffoonery yet. We posted the (hopefully not) final episode on Nashville Cream, the Scene's very own music blog, and both the positive response and the calls for a resurrective podcast series were resounding. The audience is there, and according to the Croftons, the will is there as well. Keep your fingers crossed. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Best Self-Deprecating Country Star:
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift maintains that she always dreamed of playing country music's hallowed halls and festivals, and those dreams have come true 100 times over. But it was another dream of hers that caught our attention this year: the one where she becomes a thug. Who lives with her parents. And bakes cookies. In a video that played at the CMT Awards, Swift—or rather, T-Swizzle—joined Auto-Tune posterchild T-Pain on a dream-sequence rap number that included such verbal chestnuts as "You been out clubbin' / I just made caramel delights!" Country stars and rappers alike could take a cue from Swift's self-effacing levity: "You don't wanna fight me / In my extra-small white T!" Go, Sweezy. STEVE HARUCH
Best Local Album Only Available as an Import:
Boys by Cortney Tidwell
The world of music and music labels is strange enough these days, but when the latest album from one of our own city's brightest musical exports is only available as an import—well, then we really get to scratching the old noggin. (Sure, it's on esteemed Euro imprint City Slang, but still.) It's both lucky for us and awesome of the folks at Grimey's that they worked things out so we can buy Boys—a rich, rewarding set of haunting pop songs that is one of our favorites of the year—at a reasonable, domestic-feeling price. But c'mon, American labels—get with it. Tidwell's the real deal, and this record needs to find as many stateside turntables, iPods and CD decks as possible—as soon as possible. STEVE HARUCH
Best Place to Find Rap Legends in the Produce Aisle:
Green Hills Kroger
When The Beastie Boys and Nas were in town for Bonnaroo this summer, rumors ran rampant, and unconfirmed Beastie sightings were all over the Intertubes. They're at Centennial Park! They're playing a secret show at The Basement! They're throwing eggs from the roof of the Belle Meade Mansion! But alas, they were in the last place anybody would look for a cadre of rap music legends—the produce aisle at the Green Hills Kroger. Not only is it the place to scope hot dads, but it seems it's also the only place in town where hip-hop heavyweights can casually peruse the bok choy without being recognized. SEAN L. MALONEY
Best Hipster Meat Market:
The 5 Spot's Keep on Movin'
Never heard of The 5 Spot's debaucherous late-night dance parties? If not, then your head is probably fedora-less, and your jeans are likely of a relaxed fit. Each Monday night, the crew of vinyl-spinners known as Electric Western Presents kicks out superlative dance tunes from soul to doo-wop to '50s rock 'n' roll. And, without fail, said tunes and an ample supply of booze get East Nashville's most irony-loving, shitty-day-job-having, beer-swilling, fixed-gear-bike-riding gadflies leering at one another with a modesty level typically reserved for the subjects of televised nature specials. That isn't to say the Keep on Movin' parties aren't a blast, and it certainly isn't to say we never attend. Not that our obliterated brain cells will allow us to recall any of it. Besides, there ain't nothin' wrong, as they say, with a little bump-and-grind. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Best Punk Band to Play Bluegrass Underground:
Those Darlins
There's probably no other local band right now that can be as many things to as many people as Those Darlins. One minute they're opening for scuzz-blues auteur Jon Spencer in NYC, the next they're playing a showcase (with opening act John Fogerty, no less) for the Americana Music Association festival, and the next they're at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, playing under the chandelier and the stalactites as part of WSM's Bluegrass Underground series. All while "breakin' hearts, rippin' farts," as they say, and whooping up a frenzied, fuzzed-out Appalachia-studded punky pop style that's got the whole country (as in the U.S.A.) talking. STEVE HARUCH
Best Place to Block out the Music Industry Apocalypse:
Grimey's
We get that the industry is in freefall and that Wal-Mart—the only place in most towns where people can actually walk in and buy a new CD—has record labels by the balls. So we ought to thank our lucky stars that Grimey's remains an oasis with entire catalogs by bands-who-aren't-The-Eagles to browse and staff with fires in their bellies for worthy underdog acts. Plus, they sell vinyl—something Wal-Mart will resume stocking on a cold day in hell. Grimey's is one of the only spots in town hosting in-stores these days (The Groove is another), and—regardless of hand-wringing elsewhere—people don't tend to look so pensive leaning against the pre-loved bins, drinking free beer and catching the Drive-By Truckers right after work. Co-owner and "vinylist" Doyle Davis says he doesn't "even think of Grimey's as being in the 'music industry' any more." And that's probably a good thing. JEWLY HIGHT
Best Ballsy Confession of Dysfunction in a Song:
"Mama's Eyes" by Justin Townes Earle
Justin Townes Earle couldn't pretend he had a model childhood if his life depended on it. Everyone in town knows what a punk kid he was, and whose blood runs in his veins. And if somehow you missed that whole story, he'll retell it willingly—but not in his songs. Earle's a swinging, sharp-dressed showman, and not the type of songwriter who usually writes soul-baring confessions. "Mama's Eyes" is his rare explicitly autobiographical song, and his history looms large behind it—with his dad ("We've never tried to be the fucking Cleavers"), his old habits and his mom ("Despite all her efforts I turned out a fucking raving lunatic junkie"). Only, in this song, Earle expresses these truths a lot less colorfully and with a quiet vulnerability that hits hard—even when you hear it for the 17th time. JEWLY HIGHT
Best Hip-Hop Album:
The Long Goodbye by Coolout
Coolout wasn't kidding when he called it The Long Goodbye—it took almost six months after the album dropped for him to pack his bags and go. Recently relocated to Philly, Coolout spent 10 years tending turntables and making beats with a keen ear for old-school idioms and new-school flavor alike. Goodbye is a mature, sophisticated sonic exploration of a man's relationship with his surroundings—for better or worse. Combining boom-bap party hooks with jazzy space soundscapes on songs like "Leaving" and "Love Affair," Goodbye is a high-water mark by which the city's progressive hip-hop community will judge for some time to come. SEAN L. MALONEY
Best Source for Hip-Hop and Urban Music:
New Life Record Shop
They've been around so long it's sometimes easy to overlook the fact that New Life Record Shop is still around while Tower and Blockbuster (among others) are long gone. But they are perhaps the closest we have now to the types of stores that used to be the staple for the soul/R&B/funk music fan—operations where the workers had their ears to the street and knew the hottest jams long before they hit the airwaves. If you think record stores aren't necessary anymore, try finding songs popularized on mixtapes or, for that matter, anything done by rap, hip-hop or urban performers not on a Billboard chart. Ron WYNN
Best Breakout Band:
The Non-Commissioned Officers
Originally the soundtrack band for the locally shot and produced independent zombie film Make-Out With Violence, The Non-Commissioned Officers decided to be something more than a cinematic one-off. They released the Make-Out With Violence soundtrack in early 2009 while the film played at South by Southwest, and continued to play larger, more exciting shows around town until the film and the band were finally untangled. With songs that are morose but danceable, The Non-Coms fill a New Wave niche that's usually occupied by the sloppy and distracted. The marked growth in confidence and showmanship in frontman Eric Lehning bodes well for the band's potential, and it seems clear the group made the right decision to push beyond their origins. ASHLEY SPURGEON
Best Hip-Hop Mixtape:
Your Mom's Favorite Mixtape Vol. 2 by Wick-It
The problem with 98.75 percent of local hip-hop "mixtapes" in the digital age is that they aren't mixed. Technology has supplanted the need for actual skills, meaning any asshole can throw an instrumental into GarageBand and call it a mixtape. Wick-It is in that rare 1.25 percent that actually mixes records—and the difference is dramatic. Using a grab bag of classic turntablist tricks, Wick-It combines skillful cuts and scratches with blends and edits, flipping tracks both old-school and new to create a tape that's really, truly mixed. And he scores extra points for dropping "The Mexican" by Babe Ruth, which features Nashville transplant Alan Shacklock on guitar. SEAN L. MALONEY
Best Instrumental Hip-Hop Album:
Secret Recipe by Kidsmeal
The long-awaited debut from local hip-hop mainstay DJ Kidsmeal finally dropped this year, and it was worth the wait. The sinewy bass line and reverb-drenched snare of “She’s an Artist” and the slow-riding funk of “TN Hit” were on every mix we made this summer, and for good reason—Kidsmeal’s strong melodies and technical prowess with the cuts and scratches are perfect for the hazy dog days. Never veering into turntablist wankery, Kidsmeal keeps songcraft at the core of his music while exploring the outer reaches of sonic space on tracks like the electro-flavored “Down to the Wire” and the Southern-struttin’ “Funky Farm.” SEAN L. MALONEY
Best Excuse to Get Wasted and Wallow in Your Own Filth:
Bonnaroo
Some of our friends bailed when the rains came. Some of our friend spent hours in line for a hot shower. Some of our friends even changed their underwear—but not us! No, once a year we let ourselves—to paraphrase Robert Downey Jr.—go “full hippie” and let all interest in fresh scents and anti-fungal foot powders fall by the wayside. Sure, some might be offended by our odiferous emanations, but odds are they’re too wasted to notice. Hell, we were so drunk at this year’s Bonnaroo that we still haven’t shaken the hangover almost four months later. And our shoes still have this weird rotten-flesh smell. And that rash hasn’t gone away. But all that just gets us stoked to do it again next year—if our limbs don’t fall off, that is. SEAN L. MALONEY
Best Local Rock Contest:
The Road to Bonnaroo 8 off 8th Series
With so many local artists dead set on success, Nashville is a competitive town. At no other event was the tension in the air more palpable than at 2009's inaugural installment of the Mercy Lounge and BMI's "Road to Bonnaroo" 8 off 8th series: a three-round battle that sent three local bands to play the largest music event in the country. Everyone expected Middle Tennessee's favorite band of the millennium, The Features, to win round one—but when they did so by only a single vote, it suddenly felt like anyone's game. By round three, bands were pulling out every stop they could conjure—crowd-parting entrances, bikini-clad dancers—to secure victory in a knock-down-drag-out scrum for glory. Eventually The Protomen and Heypenny joined The Features in gracing a Bonnaroo stage. ADAM GOLD
Best Celebration of a Musical Legacy:
Celebrating 50 Years by Del McCoury
Turning 70 and marking a golden anniversary would usually find an iconic entertainer relaxing and raking in the accolades. But bluegrassers don't like sitting still, and one of the hardest-working seniors in showbiz crowned this landmark year by re-recording 32 of his best-loved songs in a few marathon recording sessions. This five-CD box set features 50 songs, but only 18 are previous recordings. It's daunting to think the band could improve on the old man's well-known standards from the '60s and '70s—but compare them and it's clear that the patriarch sounds as good, or better, than ever, and the boys once again earn their rep as one of the best string groups America has ever produced. MICHAEL McCALL
Best Funk Album:
Burn It Down by The Dynamites
The second volume from local funkateers Charles Walker and the Dynamites finds the clique flippin’ the script from the JBs-style hard-funk throwdown of their debut to a wider, more inclusive vision of funk and soul. Employing a female chorus and slowing down the tempo for tracks like “If I Had Known” and “I Got Love (For You),” The Dynamites reach beyond the collector-nerd quagmire and find a broad-based R&B sound that even the most cold-hearted can’t refuse. Chock-full of humanist, politically charged centrist lyrics and rump-shaking hooks, Burn It Down is the most scorching set of songs Music City has seen in some time. SEAN L. MALONEY
Best A Cappella Album:
Naked With Friends by Maura O’Connell
O’Connell’s voice is a wondrous thing, finding a tonal center that is fuller and warmer than most other loud-and-proud vocalists raising roofs these days. Her goal has always been to move hearts rather than impress ears, and one of her impressive talents is matching her voice to equally nuanced musical arrangements. But this time she set out to create an album of only voices—not quite madrigals, and not quite Bobby McFerrin-Take 6 gymnastics, but a subtle melding of the two. It’s a bold project that achieves its goals through understatement. MICHAEL McCALL
Best House Concert:
Helado Negro at Willy T's
This low-key yet spellbinding performance—one of the last to be held at the now former home of guitarist-to-the-underground-stars William Tyler— thoroughly mesmerized the 40 or so folks crammed into the basement, providing one of the most intimate, enchanting performances of the year. Singing in Spanish and sporting a 'fro rivaling Sly Stone in his prime, frontman Roberto Carlos Lange led his ace backing band through a set that incorporated slinky Latin rhythms, electronic bleeps and lounge-y vibraphone—and pedals and gadgets connected with enough cable to wire the Mumbai electric grid. Unaware of Lange's Ecuadoran roots (and reflecting the standard, insular American naïeveté), one crowd member (certainly not moi!) described them as a Mexican Lambchop, which despite its geographical ignorance was a fairly apt description, with Lange's half-sung, half-spoken incantations a Spanish-language corollary for Lambchop frontman Kurt Wagner's gauzy, hypnotic delivery. Farewell, Willy T's. JACK SILVERMAN
Best Americana Album:
Written in Chalk by Buddy and Julie Miller
Sometimes awards programs do get it right: Recent Album of the Year winners from the Americana Music Association, the Millers represent the Americana dream not by recreating roots music, but by drawing on several of its tributaries to create something distinctively their own. Miller's soul-deep voice and guitar paired with his wife's urgent rocking voice and the fragile beauty of her ballads continue to set a standard for modern music that ignores genres in search of a sound of its own. Meanwhile, covering Leon Payne's great "The Selfishness of Man"—likely learned from an old George Jones album— proves that reviving the past has its place in the right context. MICHAEL McCALL
Best Bluegrass Album:
Brothers From Different Mothers by Dailey & Vincent
Fast on the heels of their outstanding 2008 debut, these string-band veterans show the value of inspired collaboration. Jamie Dailey's tenor is one of the great instruments of its time, and it's found its best showcase through the sympathetic partnership of Darrin Vincent and a tight band that pushes the leaders to new plateaus. Best of all, they loosen up and have some fun between ballads that tear the heartstrings and escalating, top-this harmonies that blow your mind. MICHAEL McCALL
Best New Model Album Release:
Deadly Art by How I Became the Bomb
Originally released in dribs and drabs as a series of free digital EPs through the band's website, Deadly Art has reconfirmed How I Became the Bomb's status as one of Nashville's most important bands. Much ink has been spilled over the group's '70s and '80s influences, but they never slide into lazy mimicry. Self-aware 21st-century attitudes force a reassessment of the supposed banality of 20th-century synth-pop, especially on standouts "Best Man" and "Atlas," both heavy with the anxious emotions of the ill-at-ease. The band is not above revisiting their own past, with favorites "Killing Machine" and "Secret Identity" granted newer, more lush recordings. The album is a reminder that music will have a better time of moving forward if artists seriously consider what has been left behind. ASHLEY SPURGEON
Best Near-Death Musical Recovery: (Tie)
The Wreckage by Will Hoge and Here With Me by Holly Williams
With careers delayed while recovering from horrific accidents that resulted in extended physical therapy (and certainly plenty of nightmares), these two singer-songwriters—one a heartland anthem-stomper and the other a mesmerizing, searingly honest country-blues balladeer—found the best within themselves on a trying yet triumphant path back to a normal life that will never quite be the same as it was before emergency crews saved them from crossing over. MICHAEL McCALL
Best Country Albums Recorded in Nashville by Non-Country, Non-Nashville Residents: (Tie)
Secret, Profane and Sugarcane by Elvis Costello and Love Filling Station by Jesse Winchester
Two completely different artists making albums with completely different objectives, they both came to Nashville to record for the greatest of reasons: local instrumental talent and the kind of vibe unavailable anywhere else. They come in search of the twang, as both pull from Americana, bluegrass and country musicians, thereby emphasizing the magnolia-scented aspects of their own music and personalities. If not classic works, they do each have a breezy charm of their own. MICHAEL McCALL
Best Local Jazz Musician:
Rahsaan Barber
When saxophonist Rahsaan and his trombonist brother Roland first began turning heads as high school students it became clear that they had something special to say as soloists and keepers of the jazz flame. Many years later, after successful periods of study at Indiana University and in New York, Rahsaan Barber has established himself as both a hard-working professional and an instructor at Belmont. But he's now excelling in his current role as both host of the Nashville Jazz Workshop's Contemporary Jazz Series and a participant. (He's a member of both El Movimiento and a group led by drummer Nioshi Jackson.) Through his prowess and advocacy, Barber is also able to reach youthful audiences—something jazz can always use. RON WYNN
Best Song for Easing the Pain of this Economic Malaise:
"Free Drinks"by Streetlight Allstars
The recession is over! No, it's not! Yes it is—sorta, if you don't count the fact that the only people with job security work for the Unemployment Office. How is an honest, non-working American supposed to make any sense of this economic downturn? By hittin' the sauce, duh! Streetlight Allstars are on to something with "Free Drinks," an ode to grifting liquor at your local watering hole. Whether it's friendly patrons paying your way, a badass bartender hookin' up the hard stuff or an ass-pocket flask to keep you frisky, it's all about "Free Drinks." SEAN L. MALONEY
Best Nashville Soundtrack Contributor:
Erin McCarley
From sensitive chick flicks to crass teen comedies, McCarley's clever, angular tunes added bounce and bite to several formulaic cineplex-fillers over the last year, as well as at least six prime-time dramas, where her slyly expressive voice could be heard as trauma workers make out on Grey's Anatomy and the idle young rich relieved their boredom with faux drama on The Hills. McCarley's strong pop-rock point of view deserves a better forum, but at least she's building bank and a fan base while on her way to moving off the screen to a bigger, less distracting stage. MICHAEL McCALL
Best Venue for Metal Shows:
The Muse
The venue's show calendar never fails to provide the city's worst band names (Killwhitneydead and Coathanger Abortion regularly appear there), and its sketchy reputation was buoyed when a laptop computer stolen from a state government office was recovered there a couple years ago. Beyond that, any establishment providing a safe haven for unrestrained teen angst is bound to find derision from scene cynics—but that doesn't change the fact that The Muse is Nashville's stop for underground metal's elite. This past year has seen visits from underappreciated death metal pioneers Master and American black metal trailblazers Absu, as well as contemporary rising stars like Rwake, Weedeater and Goatwhore. And at the end of the day, the Muse serves as the Nashville venue of choice for Anal Cunt, which deserves at least some sort of distinction. MATT SULLIVAN
Best Non-Rock Radio Station: (Tie)
WQQK/WRLT
As an ardent satellite and Internet radio listener, I don't really keep the conventional airwaves ("terrestrial" radio, in industry parlance) on my radar that much anymore. But if you're seeking a strong blend of contemporary urban music, vintage R&B and funk—occasionally even some classic soul—WQQK-FM (92.1) aims its sound more toward the adults than its younger-skewing competition. Likewise, WRLT-FM (100.1) has a smart mix of Americana, specialty shows and nods to blues and folk that make it the place to hear breaking acts from singer-songwriters to groups and vocalists, as well as the music of the generation that shaped the American vernacular music canon. RON WYNN
Best Local Musician No One Knows About:
Jeffrey Novak
Jeffrey Novak's band Cheap Time formed in Nashville in 2006. Their self-titled record on the label In the Red was filled with glam/garage/power-pop gems. The LA Times called it "fresh," "timeless" and "unique." Most locals haven't heard them—they've played here all of twice. Last year, Novak went solo and released a limited run of After the Ball, an LP filled with John Cale- and Kinks-referencing songs. The website terminal-boredom.com praised its "rough-hewn, chemically imbalanced piano-pop." Most locals haven't heard it—it sold out immediately. So if Novak isn't a music celebrity in Nashville, it's not entirely Nashville's fault. But it's a fine time to start paying attention. Novak's new record Baron in the Trees comes out early next year, and there should be enough copies for all. EMILY BARTLETT HINES
Best Place to See One-Off Bands:
8 off 8th
Just when you think the 8 off 8th has exhausted its potential for new and exciting fare, we see it inspire the birth and rebirth of local musical supergroups. There was Hobbit Night, on which members of the Nashville rock community recreated the legendary Rankin & Bass cartoon version of Tolkien's story. There was The Electric Mayhem, a Muppets cover band and Martians Go Home, a tribute to '90s post-grungers Hum. And, of course, let us not forget the nefarious return of body-pop unit Spring Hill Spider Party as surprise guests—so many presumptive Kings of Leon fans were disappointed. Hell, even yours truly was a member of a one-time-only 8 off 8th troupe, the 5-hour tenure and shitty execution of which press me to speak no further. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Best Regional Awards Show:
SEA Entertainment Awards
Sadly, the Southern Entertainment Association's annual Entertainment Awards show had to leave Nashville in order to assure its existence. The first was held at Gibson Showcase, but didn't attract much audience. But the event has grown every year since, and it remains the most comprehensive awards ceremony of its type in the South. It may also be the only one where models and agents are recognized right alongside producers, performers and DJs. With some 200 indie labels and more than 400 DJs playing everything from rap to electro part of the SEA coalition, the 2010 event, set for the Memphis Marriott in March, 2010, should be the biggest yet. RON WYNN
Best Urban Music DJ:
Kenny Smoov, WQQK
There aren't many disc jockeys in any format whom I would favorably compare to the great ones who schooled me on all types of music in my youth, from the blues and jazz to country and gospel. But WQQK program director and weekday mid-morning jock Kenny Smoov is a throwback to the greats like Rufus Thomas, Nat D. Williams, "Hoss" Allen, Ralph Emery and John "R" Richbourg in that he's both a fine storyteller and personality, and can hook listeners through savvy musical choices that naturally flow. While he's not going to mimic some of the old-timers' more zany on-air antics, Smoov—on air from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, right after The Tom Joyner Morning Show—makes any time you spend listening to him worthwhile. RON WYNN
Best Blog for Keeping Up With the House Show Circuit:
Nashville's Dead
Since house shows take place at the homes of people, and sometimes those people's neighbors and landlords aren't so keen on the idea of rock shows instead of TiVos, the scene has to keep a relatively low profile. Local blog Nashville's Dead helps keep fans of JEFF the Brotherhood, Kintaro, Heavy Cream, Daniel Pujol and other living-room rockers in the know without blowing their cover (the way flyers or, ahem, listings in the local alt-weekly do). If you've already taken in a lineup at Little Hamilton, Glenn Danzig's House (not actually Glenn Danzig's house) or Skyhouse, you probably already know. Throw in funny asides and news about bands from all over who travel the D.I.Y. trail, and this blog comes up aces without blowing up the spot. STEVE HARUCH
Best Jazz Radio Station:
WMOT-FM
This is a bittersweet honor, because some time in the near future 89.5 WMOT-FM will no longer be a 24/7 mainstream jazz station. Just as classical fans saw the pursuit of demographics and dollars doom Mozart and Beethoven in the daytime hours at WPLN-FM, their jazz counterparts will soon experience a similar fate vis-à-vis Parker and Coltrane. That's not to say jazz will completely disappear from the station—word is the nightly treasure Jazz With Bob Parlocha will remain, and hopefully they will salvage other worthy weekend specialty shows like Austin Bealmear's Jazz on the Side, The Brazilian Hour and the weekly program produced by the Nashville Jazz Workshop. But unfortunately, while the folks at Japan's Jazz Journal and listeners around the country salute and celebrate WMOT-FM's quality and excellence as a 100,000-watt voice for mainstream jazz, the folks who run the store are nearly ready to devote the daytime to talk—as if that's something lacking in the Nashville radio world. RON WYNN
Best Dance Music Blog:
Blogging Is Serious Business
In the year-and-a-half since local dance music impresario Justin Kase decided to put the blog back in blog house, BISB has become the local go-to source for the latest in squiggly, wiggly electro-funk. The blog features the hottest house tracks from across the Intertubes and a plethora of local dance mixes from local beat-jackers like Sanchez and The Shockers, Fan Fiction and even the man himself—the muscle behind the hustle—Mr. Kase. And while we would love to see more frequent posts, we will gladly take quality this high over quantity. SEAN L. MALONEY
Best 'Secret' Show:
Pavement 'Reunion' at The 5 Spot
The Internets were abuzz last month when Brooklyn Vegan broke the news of a Pavement reunion—and again when the band sold out five nights in New York over a year in advance—but there was plenty of buzz in Nashville this past February when a couple hundred wide-eyed wedding crashers got to see the closest thing to a Pavement redux to hit a stage in almost a decade. Sure, they didn't play anything off Wowee Zowee, and Spiral Stairs wasn't even there, but just seeing them—bumping into them, even!—at Bob Nastanovich's open-to-the-public reception was thrill enough for the slacker rock-starved who got to witness Malkmus leading a crack house band through "Come and Get Your Love" and a few other pop classics. STEVE HARUCH
Best Other 'Secret' Show:
John Fogerty at Mercy Lounge
John Fogerty's AMA appearance at Mercy Lounge wasn't much of a secret by the time it rolled around, but that didn't keep some people from sitting it out for fear of ending up like a few hundred Kings of Leon fans who were duped into catching a performance by techno ironists Spring Hill Spider Party at the very same venue a few weeks prior. Those who decided to skip this one will likely never stop kicking themselves, and those who went still have the marks from repeatedly pinching themselves to make sure it was real. What was initially billed as a 45-minute performance became an unforgettable near-two-hour run through a dozen-plus Creedence classics—prompting Mercy co-owner Todd Ohlhauser to call it the most special moment in the club's six-year history. ADAM GOLD
Best Local Band Cameo in a Feature Film:
Turbo Fruits in Whip It!
Harmony Korine's Trash Humpers hasn't played Nashville yet, so we don't know whether the Turbo Fruits are taking a slot that should rightfully belong to 'humpers Dave Cloud, Chris Crofton, Travis Nicholson or Brian Kotzur. But after all these years of having Austin's cool cred lorded over us, it's a juicy bit of payback to see the city's indie rockers played onscreen by a band from Nashville. (This is how it must feel to be ubiquitous rent-a-location Vancouver.) Watch for them in Drew Barrymore's irresistible roller-derby yarn backing indie-rock cutie pie Landon Pigg, perfectly cast as the kind of doe-eyed sensitive rock dude every girl should avoid like an unsanitized toilet seat. JIM RIDLEY
Best Thing the Music Scene Needs:
An All-Purpose Next-Level Venue
Granted, City Hall may have been a concrete cavern with all the sleek style of a Quonsett hut. But its heart and function were in the right place. Nashville needs that pivotal venue twixt the Cannery Ballroom and the Ryman Auditorium. Our solution: A mixed-use hall that could accommodate shows too big or small for other stages, while providing a home for parties and other events. Are the Nashville Rollergirls outdrawing their space at the Fairgrounds? Give 'em a full-fledged Thunderdome for wheeled combat. Comedy shows? A Nashville chapter of Lebowskifest? The return of Girl Talk? Put it here. The war for naming rights begins...now. JIM RIDLEY
Before & After
Jason Ringenberg/Farmer Jason
Most parents wouldn’t trust their children to a program conducted by a punk-rock singer. But Jason Ringenberg was never a typical punk-rock singer.
The qualities that made the leader of ’80s Nashville rock heroes Jason & the Scorchers such an engaging performer—earnestness, enthusiasm, physical abandon and a whole-hearted commitment to the emotion of the moment—also account for Farmer Jason’s knack for holding the attention of a much younger audience.
“This started because I wanted to make an album for my kids to play while I was on the road,” says Ringenberg, who created Farmer Jason in 2003. “I never set out to start a second career. It took off in a completely organic way.”
At first, Ringenberg would book an occasional Farmer Jason show while touring as a solo act or amid the occasional Scorchers outing (of which there will soon be more, thanks to a new album being prepped for release). Those roles have switched. “Farmer Jason now drives the touring,” he says. “I pick up solo gigs along the way.”
The fan base does cross: “There’s always at least one parent with a Scorchers album to autograph,” he says. “Sometimes the kids will have me sign a Farmer Jason CD and then slide me a Fervor CD.” Farmer Jason takes Scorchers requests, too. “Help, There’s a Fire” goes over especially well.
The primary difference between his rock band and his family act, however, goes beyond the intoxication level of fans or having to duck from careening Scorchers guitarist Warner Hodges.
“With a young audience, you must have total concentration,” he says. “You can’t relax and take a guitar solo or a drink of water between songs. You lose their attention for a second, and suddenly two brothers are wrestling or tugging on mom’s coat to go. You have to be constantly on top of your game.”Michael McCall
