With so many musicians deserving recognition in and around the Triad, there's no dearth of choices for each of the "Best Of" music-related categories. If you're floundering, here's are a few of my own personal recommendations for this the best artists of the last year. Just remember one thing: only tools vote for cover musicians anywhere except the one category reserved for them.
Best Singer: Jacob Darden, Israel Darling - His unbridled charisma is only a small slice of the pie for why he's the top choice, but he's really in a league of his own in that regard.
Honorable Mention: Renee Mendoza (Kloefkorn), Filthybird
Best Guitarist: Sam Robinson, Five Gallon Groove - Robinson more than held his own against The Allman Brothers' Oteil Burbridge on his debut album and is one of the few around here capable of making contemporary blues palatable for the under-40 crowd.
Honorable Mention: Matt Hill, The Buzzkills
Best Bassist: Brian Tyndall, The Mantras - In the hardest of them all to gauge, Tyndall is adept with so many styles and utilizes so many effects that he gets the nod on unpredictability alone.
Honorable Mention: Billie Feather, The Darnell Woodies
Best Percussionist: Chuck Cotton - Ages like a fine Bordeaux.
Honorable Mention: Brennen O'Brien, The Bronzed Chorus
Best New Band: Kelley & the Cowboysl - Country music the way it ought to be.
Honorable Mention: The Kitchen Sink Fiasco
Best Local DJ: DJ L in Japanese
Honorable Mention: DJ Yona
Best Local Hip-Hop Act: Brother Reade - Technically they're now known as WIDOWS and they live in LA, but these Winston-Salem boys take hip-hop to another dimension.
Honorable Mention: Ed. E Ruger
Best Local Cover Band: Vagabond Saints Society - Thank you, VSS, for actually choosing to play interesting covers.
Honorable Mention: Walrus
Best jukebox: Old Town Draft House, and it's not even close.
Best Live music venue, Greensboro: Greene Street Club - Their booking philosophy has taken a huge step forward in the past six months.
Honorable Mention: The Blind Tiger
Best Live Music Venue, Winston-Salem: The Garage - The only place you can still hear the real crying-in-your-beer country.
Honorable Mention: Millennium Center
2 comments:
Nice, Ryan. I'm in complete agreement on cover bands. No slight to the musicians who play in them, because everybody's got to make a living. But discerning listeners should insist on originality so that bookers and promoters respond accordingly.
why am i just now seeing this? awesome bro... thank you!!!
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