News

The Orange Show

Continued from page 2

"Show" is the operative word with this bunch of Montrose bluegrass gonzos. Like North Carolina's Avett Brothers, the Med boys like to add vigorous doses of punk attitude and swagger to their gigs, and that creates an atmosphere of excitement that may offend the average true-blue "that ain't the way Bill Monroe done it" bluegrass Nazi. The repertoire, on the other hand, with old standards like "Salty Dog," would thrill the purest bluegrass snob. The band's been known to make up songs pretty quick: We heard top-hatted singer Craig "the Reverend" Kinsey sing a line or two at the awards show about how we compared him to the preacher from Deadwood. -- W.M.S.

Best Blues/Zydeco: The Zydeco Dots

It says a lot about the Dots' enduring popularity that even after the Awards did away with a dedicated zydeco category (in which they've won the award more than ten times), they can beat out all the bluesmen in town. "It is very strange they've done away with that category, because all of the other zydeco bands in Houston are playing more gigs than ever before," Dots rubboardist and founding member Mike Vee said backstage. "But a lot of them are in the Fifth Ward, and they're not always in places you see over the counter. And we're like that. We're a blue-collar band that works all year long." The Dots will soon celebrate their 21st anniversary, and they are required viewing at some point for any festival-bound music lover, since the band's zydeco is augmented by a smattering of blues, R&B and C&W. Vee had just returned from Italy the night before the ceremony, where he played on tour with another Houston zydeco band, Li'l Brian and the Zydeco Travelers. The Dots have their own series of gigs in the country booked for next summer, so they'll have to learn to say "crawfish" with a Corleone family accent. -- B.R.

Best Rock en Español: Los Skarnales; Best Bassist: Nick Gaitan

The big man with the big instrument (um, his bass, that is) takes his third consecutive win in this category, a testament to his talent as an (upright) four-string plunker. "Oh, my God, this feels beautiful! I love Houston and I love our music scene!" he said seconds after leaving the stage with his prize. Gaitan has been with Los Skarnales since 1999 but this year started a side project with a number of other musicians called the Umbrella Man. However -- like some hood inducted into the Mafia -- he says he'll never leave La Familia Skarnales. "That's continuous -- and there's no way out!" he said with a laugh.

And while he took home honors as Best Bassist, Gaitan insisted that even that honor was a group win. "It's a win for me, sure, but it's a win for the band, too. Anything I get is because of the group; it's always about the group," he said.

The repeat win for Best Rock en Español is especially sweet for the group, since they say their audience has stayed with them through some style changes. People evolve, bands evolve, sounds evolve, too. We're growing and we're happy that Houston is still liking what we're doing." -- B.R.

Best Roots Rock/Rockabilly: The Hollisters

Hiatus? What hiatus? After taking the Best Country award in '96, '97 and '98, the Hollisters jumped categories for this victory -- not bad, considering that the reformed unit played only three gigs this year. "We're gonna step it up next year - maybe do five," joked guitarist Eric Danheim. "But we really appreciate this award. And since the band is located closer to each other [geographically] now, you can expect more from us in the next year. Seriously!" Bassist Denny Blakely -- he of the on-stage pipe puffing -- certainly doesn't take for granted the fans that put them on top in this category. "We built such a core base when we were around before. And since we don't play all the time, it keeps 'em coming back for more! The whole band lives in Houston, but I'm still stuck in west Houston -- Austin, that is," he said. Danheim said they'll be working on new, original material in the next year, and a new CD is "not out of the question." -- B.R.

Best Metal: Sevrin

Formed in 2003, Sevrin puts out a sound that isn't straight Maiden-type head-banging metal. There are plenty of touches of alternative sounds reminiscent of Korn and Incubus in this quartet's mix. "This is great!" said singer Sam Ammash seconds after nabbing the trophy. "I know we've had some lineup changes recently, but the fans are behind us. And it's great to know we're still supported." Ammash added that Sevrin has been playing "nonstop" shows in Houston for the past several months since taking an extended hiatus. Finally, he noted, they hope to have out soon their first full-length effort. "We're planning on going in the studio in September for real and getting the whole record done by early next year," he added. "And it will be worth the wait, believe me." -- B.R.

Best Jazz: Drop Trio

Drop Trio has a problem: They have to figure out which one of the three will get to keep the Houston Press Music Award statuette. "I'm the only one who actually lives in Houston, so I should have it," said drummer Nuje. Bass player Patrick Flanagan thinks maybe they should play Rock, Paper, Scissors for the honor. Since keyboardist Ian Varley didn't attend the awards ceremony, he didn't get a vote.

But figuring out where to store their awards is a small thing compared to getting Houston audiences to jazz performances. Nuje said the group chooses to play jazz, which might be the least marketable genre, "because we like to think. It's complicated, it's certainly the most expressive kind of music, it's the most fluid. It changes every night, there's so much improvisation. We understand the music we play has a limited audience, but we're fine with that." -- O.F.A.

Best Alternative Rock: LoneStar PornStar

Singer Greg David Stegman was excited after the PornStar win. "We've only been together three years and have won this the last two years in a row, so we're real excited about that."

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
Next Page »