Music Awards Festival 2015

BASS PERFORMANCE

Matt Hembree can play just about anything, from reggae and punk to pop and funk, but his feel for melody really sells the dark rockabilly vibe of Henry the Archer’s “Why Can’t You Hear Me?” Kyle Harding’s melodic, percussive runs bounce around the proggy island-pop of Cleanup’s “Sun Life” as the clockwork precision of Patrick Smith’s percolations gives the chiming delay of Jefferson Colby’s “Swans” an Alan Parsons-esque focus. Overdriven and blanketed in chorus, Tyler Moore’s intro to Bummer Vacation’s “Creative Differences” is a modern update on one of the most underrated pieces of The Cure — it’s also a hooky opening move that makes you sit up and sit through the entire uptempo, head-nodding effects-fest. And, of course, there’s some jazz here. On the breezy blast of Flipside’s “Perfectly Sane,” the woody boom of Paul Unger’s upright flows and dips around the drums like bourbon finding cracks in a cube of ice or a bumblebee going for style points when she lands on a sunflower. — S.S.

C&W

Brandon Wayne & The Brushcreek Band will honkytonk your face off and fill up a dance floor quicker than you can say, “Lone Star!” They like their country traditional. So do their fans. Vincent Neil Emerson is barely in his 20s but has quickly made an impact on local listeners by filtering traditional country music through the mind and fingers of a soulful poet. His eponymous debut album should be out any day now. Few artists make music sound more fun than accordion goddess Ginny Mac, who will move from Bob Wills to hot jazz to Texas blues with ease. If you like your country more two-steppy and roadhouse-y, The Paychecks are cranking out the sound you’re seeking, anchored by a sweet pedal steel and that familiar electric Telly sound. Walker & The Texas Dangers eschew the honkytonk for psychobilly. Part bluegrass, part folk, part wicked –– they bill themselves as the “Kenny Powers of string bands” and have been “mildly impressing hipsters since 2011.” — J.P.

ACOUSTIC/FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Metaphorically speaking, veteran Scott Copeland’s road is littered with potholes, detours, and train wrecks, many by his own hand, but that also means he’s the best singing about them. Jacob Furr’s songs come from trying to overcome loss and deal with grief, but the upside is that for all their sadness, they are masterpieces of imagery and melody. Named after their missing bassist, the two guys in Ghost of John Murphy put their years of experience into their songs about yearning for love, for connection, and for the trouble you can get into when you grow up in Lubbock. After years in Los Angeles working as an actor, Jody Jones gave it up to become a songwriter, and his time between LaLaLand and now has resulted in a body of work that’s informed by a little bit country and plenty of rocks and hard places. Former thrash metal prodigy Darrin Kobitech’s acoustic suites are inspired by music from around the world, but at the center of it all is a dexterity that’s as soulful as it is technically impressive. A great man once said, “Punk is whatever we make it to be,” and that ethos is echoed in the uptempo vibe of upstart folkster Luke McGlathery, who can play pretty much anything with strings on it, and he uses traditional folk instrumentation to spin tales of sex, drugs, and rock ’n roll. While Keegan McInroe’s music is rooted in Texan signifiers, he is a citizen of the world, having taken his show all over Europe, spreading his gospel of late-night livin’ in his signature raspy voice laced with understated humor. While you’ll find some dark themes in Clint Niosi’s atmospheric tracks, you’ll also find love and redemption, and the veteran songwriter’s way with a phrase demands future replays. — S.S.

SEMI-LOCAL BAND

Oil Boom’s gutshot blues-pop is catchy, bombastic, and trance-inducing all at once. The Rolling Stone-praised White Denim serves up some sweet, sweet psychedelic soul. Bludded Head’s brand of sludgy doom is the musical equivalent of a pissed-off volcano. Veterans The Dangits and The Phuss have transformed themselves from propulsive party boys to mature, dynamic band-bands, and Trái Bơ’s eclectic, jazzy rock is yacht-y but still edgy. — E.G.

PRODUCER

Though Jordan Richardson has won a Grammy, for drumming on and co-producing a collaboration by Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, he is a Fort Worth boy at heart, working on records as eclectic as Oil Boom’s Red Metal, The Longshots’ eponymous debut album, and Tidals’ Seplica’s Bedroom. Perhaps following in Richardson’s footsteps, Green Audio Productions’ Ben Napier, whose credits include Sally Majestic’s Remote Agent and forthcoming albums by Keegan McInroe and Animal Spirit, goes for syrupy sounds. For a more metallic flavor, head into the studio of Britt Robisheaux, who has recently worked on tracks by War Party, Bludded Head, and The Longshots. The two remaining nominees couldn’t be any more different. As Will Hunt (Burning Hotels, Calhoun, Green River Ordinance) pumps out radio-friendly sheen, Dreamy Soundz’ Jennifer and Robby Rux go for trashy lo-fi techniques, treatments, and equipment, having over the past few years produced records and songs by Fungi Girls, The Cush, and Bitch Bricks. — A.M.

VOCAL PERFORMANCE

Just try to keep up with Leon. The superstar’s warm pipes, which evoke ’50s soul on his debut hit “Coming Home,” pretty much guarantee him the victory in this category. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some other stellar performances. Rachel Gollay’s vocals are as pristine as a silvery snowflake on Gollay’s “Built for Love.” Schuyler Stapleton propels Bitch Bricks’ “Stop Smiling in My Direction” with some ebullient yet gravely vocal work. On Jetta in the Ghost Tree’s “Clandestine,” Brandin Lea’s piercing tenor rises and falls with the lyrics’ moods. Jordan Richardson creatively weaves bright falsetto lines into his pitch-perfect crooning on Son of Stan’s “Feel Her Design.” On “Peace Sign,” Chucho’s Kenny Uptain channels Billy Gibbons channeling Tom Waits, and Jake Paleschic’s mournful, heartfelt singing on “Bullet” gives the song an almost ethereal quality. — E.G./A.M.

DRUMMER PERFORMANCE

You want speed? Check out Skyler Salinas’ stickwork on Fungi Girls’ “God Cops.” How about melody? Jetta in the Ghost Tree’s Joe Carpenter on “Reaction” and Hank Tosh on The Ape Hangars’ “Retarder” have got you covered. What about substance and style? That would be Jordan Richardson on Son of Stan’s “The Lady That’s Around Me.” And for something on the jazz tip, take a listen to Riley Pennock on Cleanup’s “Petrichor.” — A.M.