Category: Awards

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Awards indie music LA Music Critic Awards

Announcement of winners for LA Music Critic Awards for the first half of 2019

It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that this will be the last LA Music Critic Awards for the foreseeable future.  Due to our current work schedule, and the lack of support from the committee, we find ourselves unable to continue with the awards.  We will continue to support the indie music community with our reviews, but will be cutting back to just our current five review articles per week, plus our monthly Ten Great Singles and Ten Amazing Videos articles.

As far as this year’s Fan Favorite competition, for the first 10 days it looked like it was going to be a one-horse show with all votes being cast for Cherie Currie & Brie Darling.  Out of nowhere came votes for four more artists:  Susan Santos, Neverwonder, Dee Miller Band and Niecie, and when the dust cleared, we had a surprise winner, which will be revealed below.  Unfortunately more than 100 votes could not be counted because fans did not follow the instructions and voted on Facebook, or tried to vote for music categories instead of Fan Favorite.  Among the artists who lost votes was previous LA Music Award winner Brigitte Rios Purdy.

Without further adieu, here are the winners:

BEST EP (Male) – PAehNE (beautyandpain Part 1)

BEST EP (Female) – Kat Holland (Retrovision)

BEST EP (Group) – NIIGHTS (Hellebores Part One & Two)

BEST EP (International Artist) – Marcus Haran (A True Story:  A Soundscape to In-Difference)

BEST EP (International Group) –The Fisherman & The Sea (The Hurt & the Humour)

BEST CD (Male) – Tony Campanella (Taking it to the Street)

BEST CD (Female) – Susan Santos (No U Turn)

BEST CD (Group) – The Empty Pockets (Tanglewoods)

BEST CD (International Artist) – Ronny Morris (Sweet Silence)

BEST CD (International Group) –Bahuki (Tell it to the Worms)

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Male) – Jerad Finck (“Home”)

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Female) – Kensington Moore (“I Don’t Like you Anymore”)

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Group) –  Taco Mouth (“The White House”)

BEST VIDEO (LYRIC) –Paige Peel (“The Crown”)

BEST VIDEO (COLLABORATION) – Americana Kitchen Band (“All Dressed Up”)

BEST VIDEO (COVER) – Cherié Currie & Brie Darling (“The Motivator”)

BEST VIDEO (INTERNATIONAL) – Girl Crush (“Blame Girls”)

BEST SINGLE (Male) – Keifer Sutherland (“Something to Love”)

BEST SINGLE (Female) – Brigitte Purdy (“Blue Collar Woman”)

BEST SINGLE (Group) – The Rembrandts (“Broken Toy”)

BEST SINGLE (INTERNATIONAL) –  Belle and the Beats (“Qetesh”)

BEST SINGLE (COLLABORATION) – William Shatner, Jeff Cook & Neal McCoy (“Why Not Me”)

BEST BLUES ARTIST – Diana Rein

BEST BLUES BAND – Dee Miller Band

BEST BLUEGRASS ARTIST/BAND – Balsam Range

BEST COLLABORATION – Americana Kitchen Band

BEST COMEBACK ARTIST – The Rembrandts

BEST COMPILATION ALBUM – Born to Uke (Various Artists)

BEST COUNTRY ARTIST – Kamber Cain

BEST COUNTRY BAND – Lowdown Drifters

BEST EDM/DANCE ARTIST/BAND – Dree Patterson

BEST FOLK ARTIST – David Huckfelt

BEST FOLK BAND –   Bettman & Halpin

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST –Ronny Morris

BEST INTERNATIONAL BAND –Straw

BEST INSTRUMENTAL ARTIST/BAND – Tommy Emmanuel & John Knowles

BEST JAZZ ARTIST/BAND – The Charlie Wooton Project

BEST LATIN ARTIST/BAND – Constanza Herrero

BEST POP ARTIST – Sarra

BEST POP BAND – We Three

BEST POP/ROCK ARTIST/BAND – Curtis Peoples

BEST PUNK ARTIST/BAND – Taco Mouth

BEST R&B/SOUL ARTIST/BAND –Billy Price

BEST ALT ROCK ARTIST/BAND – Neverwonder

BEST ROCK ARTIST/BAND –Odds Lane

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA ARTIST – Ted Russell Kamp

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA BAND – Jason Robert Band

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER – Fred Hostetler

RISING STAR –Katile

FAN FAVORITE – Niecie

MOST SUPPORTIVE PUBLICISTS – Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, So Much Moore Media, KG Music Press, Effective Immediately PR, Blind Raccoon, MAD Ink PR

Categories
Awards Hollywood Fringe Festival

Award winners announced for HFF19

We were unable to attend the Awards show, but wanted to recap them for you anyway.  Here are winners of the community awards, along with our picks, if different:

Here are the winners of the sponsored awards:

Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence

Solo – Blackboxing

Ensemble – An yet Another Evening with the Sistahs

2019 Unleashed Awards – The Mayor’s Debate Of Tranquillity Nebraska

2cents Theatre Distinctive Voices Award – The Institute For The Opposite Of Longing

Aunt Lyla’s Fave Fringe Flyer – Matt: The Gathering

Fight the Power Award – Start Swimming

No Room In The Green Room Award – Borracho: Spanish For Drunken Bum

O Face Award For Orgasmic Achievement In Theatre: “Most Orgasmic Performance” – Macy Idzakovich – Flower Society

Showorks Don’t Wait. Create! Award – The Duchess & The Stripper

Soaring Solo Artist Award – Dear Jeff by Callie Ott

Standout Song Award – “Smellay Lahk A Turkay (She Was)” from Blackboxing

Steve Kent Award – Earth Stories: Our Climate And Our Future

The Diverse Diva Award – Squeeze My Cans by Cathy Schenkelberg

The Golden Key – The Pod

The Inkwell Theater Playwright’s Promise Award – “Butcher Holler Here We Come” by Casey Wimpee

The Outdoor Voices Festival “conversation Creation” Award – 

Dear Jeff: A Musical Comedy About Suicide & Domestic Abuse

The Paul Koslo Memorial/Met theatre Award – A Time Traveler’s Guide To The Present

TPP’s Trope Buster! – Blackboxing

The LAFPI Most Wanted Awards:

Actors Company
Assistance League Theatre
Hudson Theatres
Lounge Theatres
Asylum @ McCadden Theatre
Asylum @ Studio C
The Hobgoblin Playhouse at The Arena Stage, Theatre of Arts
The New American Theatre
The New Collective

Fringe Runway Winners: 

1st Place- ANGELBIRD
2nd Place- THE HUMAN[OID] EXPERIENCE
3rd Place- Start Swimming
Honorable Mention – Mil Grus

Audience Winners:

1st Place – Squeeze My Cabaret
2nd Place – HAMILKONG

Best of Broadwater Award

SCARLETT FEVER
LEAR / LOMAN – THE BEST OF INK @FRINGE
COME BACK!
THE LAST CROISSANT
GRAIL PROJECT
POCKETS
JOURNEY
LINCOLN 2020
SUPPORTIVE WHITE PARENTS
EARTH STORIES: OUR CLIMATE AND OUR FUTURE
RIDE OR DIE: THE HIP-HOP MUSICAL
JORDAN MAVERICK HISTORY TEACHER
TEMPLE TANTRUM
NORMALER THAN EVERYONE
45 MILLIGRAMS
EARTH TO KAREN
THE FLOWER SOCIETY
SON OF A BITCH
ORANGUTAN
FOUR CLOWNS PRESENTS: SHAKEDOWN AT THE DUSTY SPUR!
COME ON DOWN
MR. YUNIOSHI
THE SAME ROOM
GHOST TOWN
RED, WHITE, BLACK & BLUE
DEAR JEFF: A MUSICAL COMEDY ABOUT SUICIDE & DOMESTIC ABUSE
THE DEATH OF SAM MOBEAN
MEET ME IN MIZZERY
ALIVE-ISH
IF TRUTH BE TOLD

Encore Extensions:

The Actors Company
#CANCELLED
BIRTHDAY
HAPPY HOUR
HUMAN FOUNTAINS
MANDY PICKS A HUSBAND
ORACLES AND MIRACLES
PUBLIC DOMAIN: THE MUSICAL
REWIND – A NEW 80’S POP MUSICAL
THE LONDON ROSE
[TITLE OF SHOW]

New American Theater
THE SCORPION AND THE FROG: A TIME-KILLER
LOOSE UNDERWEAR

Hudson Theater
COMEDY HOE
THE RIDE
GOLDFISH
EVA PERON BY COPI EN ESPAÑOL
AN YET ANOTHER EVENING WITH THE SISTAHS- UNSUNG SHEROES
LOVE, MADNESS, AND SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN
IT TAKES TWO: MUSICAL IMPROV WITH PEARCY & BYRNES
SWIPED

The New Collective
YOU TOO
YOU, AGAIN

The Complex Hollywood
2 FOR 1
ACID WASH LOVE
BLACKBOXING
CAVE GIRL THE MUSICAL
THE COLOR COLLECTIVE
CRACK WHORE, BULIMIC, GIRL-NEXT-DOOR
DEATH AND THE FOOL
FIVE
IF IT GOES THERE
KLINGON TAMBURLAINE
MY TRANS WIFE
THE NARCISSIST NEXT DOOR
OLIVIA WILDE DOES NOT SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE
PIT OF GOBLINS
POCKETMON! A PARODY MUSICAL
PRINCESS MAGIC’S TRASH TIME REVUE
PRODIGY
SEXUALMISADVENTURESOFASTRAIGHTWHITEMALE: APRIVILEGESTORY
SHIVA FOR ANNE FRANK
TALES FROM THE POWDER ROOM
THE MAYOR’S DEBATE OF TRANQUILITY, NEBRASKA
THIS WAY YONDER
VERY GOOD ACTOR: AN ACTING SEMINAR
WHAT I NEVER TOLD YOU
WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?
YES. NO. MAYBE.

Lounge Theatre
AN EXCUSE TO BEHAVE BADLY
CHRISSY METH – A DANCE WITH THE DEVIL AND THE JOURNEY BACK
CORINA, FROM LAP DANCE TO SUNDANCE
HIDE YOUR FIRES: BUTOH LADY MACBETH
HOLLYWOODN’T
(IM)PERFEKT
TO RICHARD!
A BIT MUCH
CLEMENTINE
FERTILE.
IF WE RUN
LEAVING PRINCE CHARMING

Studio/Stage
BAT KNIGHT!
BATTER UP! MY BRAIN ON BASEBALL
CRABBE AND GOYLE ARE DEAD
DISROBED
LIFE PLAN, OR LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE IN A COLLAPSING WORLD
THE JOURNEY OF THE LITTLE PRINCE
PHO GIRL
TATTERED CAPES
SILENT JOY, A NEW PLAY
SUGARFREE: FOSTER CARE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

The Hobgoblin Playhouse at the Arena Stage
EARTH & FIRE WALKING (TIERRA Y FUEGO QUE CAMINA)
SHE KILLS MONSTERS
RADICALS
TABLETOP (THE MUSICAL)
THE BULLY PROBLEM

McCadden Theater
GUNFIGHT AT THE NOT-SO-OK SALOON
LET’S WRITE A MUSICAL
MIL GRUS
MONKEY MIND
NO MORE TOYS
SIREN CALL
STRAIGHT WHITE MEN TRYING TO WOKE
Thymele Arts
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND.

Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre
BUNNY THE ELF LIVE!
GEORGE.
GREENWOOD 1964
OUT OF THE BLUE
RAISED BY WOLVES
SORRY ABOUT MY FRIEND
SWIPE RIGHT: THE MUSICAL
THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME
THE HUMAN[OID] EXPERIENCE
TOBINCON

Studio C
AMERICAN STRANGER
ASK A BLACK WOMAN
DANDY DARKLY’S ALL ABOARD!
DEAR JEFF: A MUSICAL COMEDY ABOUT SUICIDE & DOMESTIC ABUSE
DOUBLE FEATURE: THE ORIGINAL ENGLISH & MURDERFUCK
I AM NOT A MAN
JAMBA JUICE: THE MUSICAL
MORAL FIXATION (ORIGINALLY TITLED BOYS
WILL BE BOYS)
MR. YUNIOSHI
ONE HUMP HEART
PAPER TRAILS
SPEAK I WILL: A FRACTURED SHAKESPEARE
SUPPORTIVE WHITE PARENTS
TEMPLE TANTRUM
THE LAST POWERPOINT
THE MASHER
THE ONE-MAN IMPROVISED MUSICAL
SEVEN
ALL OUR PRETTY SONGS

Congratulations to all the winners and especially to their audiences, who are the real winners here.

Categories
Awards Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it Theatre

HFF19 day 17 – see it or skip it

I only took in three shows on Saturday, out of the seven I had originally planned, giving me time to spend some time talking to friends at the Plunge and actually eat a sit-down meal before hanging with my bestie Kimleigh Smith for a while.  Before we get started on those reviews, I’m sure you’re all anxious to know who won the Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence, so here we go:

SOLO SHOW – Blackboxing

ENSEMBLE SHOW – An yet Another Evening with the Sistahs

Both shows have been extended, and we strongly recommend them both, so grab your tickets on their individual Fringe project pages.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Olivia Wilde Does not Survive the Apocalypse

VENUE:  The Complex (Ruby Stage)

REVIEW:  Another of the Matts, this time Matt Robinson, has come through with an amazing addition to HFF19.  This show is a masterpiece and his hand-selected cast are comedic geniuses in pulling out all the stops to make this the funniest damn show of the Fringe.  Featuring Sean-Michael Bowles as the “hack director” and Emilie Martz as the “snooty actress,” the amazing cast also included Francesca Manzi as Rodeo, Chelsea Langenderfer as Chandler, Everett Dailey as Marcus, Chris Bunyi as Crenshaw, Asia Pitts as Abbot Kinney and Ashley Frances Hoffman as Dr. Kelli Hu  The show was directed by Robby DeVillez, and he was brilliant.  My sides hurt so much from laughing, especially at all the inside jokes.  We will be quoting lines from this show for a long time.

RECOMMENDATION:  Although this was their last performance, they have been granted an extension, so we advise you to be first in line when tickets become available.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Transference

VENUE:  The Broadwater (Black Box)

REVIEW:  Certain Fringe actors have earned their reputation by consistently delivering quality work.  Two of those particular performers are Esther Mira and Lisa K. Wyatt.  They have brought this show to life which was written and directed by the equally brilliant Jim Blanchette. In what might be one of the most challenging roles of their lives, they play a therapist and her client, who is unintentionally “made aware” of her past lives during the therapy.  I will not give away the great story, but suffice it to say that this one is definitely worth your time and money, making it one of the best dramas of HFF19.

RECOMMENDATION:  This was their last performance, but if they do an extension, we strongly recommend that you attend.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Hell’s Kitty

VENUE:  The Broadwater (Main Stage)

REVIEW:  After hanging around the Plunge for a bit, Kimleigh showed up from a long day of work and we shared dinner from the food truck before heading in to the movie.  I had previously met Nicholas Tana at Starbucks and he invited me to see this show because of my history with horror films.  He had also invited Kimleigh, so we thought it would be a great chance to catch a memorable show.  It was that, although not the type of memories you necessarily want to remember.  The show was very campy and dark, and will probably be enjoyed by a much younger demographic.  It also seemed like the cast was not quite up to the challenge, as their were serious vocal issues.  The one shinning star was the over-the-top performance of Maeve Thompson Osgood as Lisa Graves.  Although not a total bomb, it could use some additional rehearsal time and maybe some recasting before going forward.  i truly see the potential in the show, but felt it was not nearly as strong as NMI‘s other entry, The Bully Problem.

RECOMMENDATION:  This was their last performance.

Categories
Awards Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it Theatre

HFF19 Day 16 – see it or skip it

Yesterday was a very bad day for me personally, and because of that I will be unable to attend this year’s Fringe Awards Show and present the Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence.  The past two years have gone to solo shows, and this year would have been different. Since we can’t do it live and are no longer limited to just one award, we’ll do it online, and we are including both solo show and ensemble categories.   Every show that we checked out for this award was marvelous (and we considered more than 30), but we  felt these ten shows were especially amazing in showing the power of music within the context of a play.  We’ll announce the winners tomorrow, but here are the nominations.

SOLO SHOW

Blackboxing

Hollywoodn’t

Keith Moon:  The Real Me

Drought

Jessie’s Messy Mind

ENSEMBLE SHOW

Silent Joy

An Yet Another Evening with the Sistahs

The Last Croissant

Come Back!

Meg Jo Beth Amy & Louisa

Since I will not be at the Awards Show or Closing Party, I wanted to say my goodbyes and thank each and every participant that I met for your kindness and great work.  Hopefully I’ll see you around the Fringe today or tomorrow, but just in case, thanks for making my first year as a participant a memorable experience, even though it was cut short.  Special thanks to Jessica Lynn Johnson for helping me develop my story and directing my show; Greg and Jenn Crafts, Erin Moore and Michael Lutheran for taking care of me at Studio/Stage; Lara Repko, Patrick Daly and Rasika Mathur for being my viewing buddies, and all my fringeships past and present.  Your support over the years, and especially yesterday, are what drew me to and kept me involved with Fringe.  May each of you be blessed in every endeavor.  Here is my sole review from yesterday.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Red, White, Black & Blue

VENUE:  The Broadwater (Studio)

REVIEW:  At Matt Martin‘s insistence, I witnessed a powerful hour of solo shows featuring Adam Meredith in Drowning (written by Leilani Squire) and Blaine Vedros in Black & Blue (written by Ron Fromstein.  This was powerful theater about the effect hope has in keeping us from making bad decisions.  Both shows were skillfully directed by Martin, and gave us plenty of food for thought.  Because of my own personal experiences with the military and domestic violence, these stories left a lasting impression on me.

RECOMMENDATION:  This was their last performance, but if they do an extension, we strongly recommend that you attend.

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Awards Big Sky Documentary Film Festival indie music Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday Mashup 2019: vol 8

The 16th annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival has come to an end, and judging from the crowds that continued to come to the films on closing day, it was a very successful run.  Over the past week we were able to view two more films, as well as working in the box office nearly every day.  We made a lot of new friends, had fun at the daily parties, and are now looking forward to slowing down the pace.

On Wednesday we had the privilege of witnessing Fire on the Hill:  The Cowboys of South Central LA, a truly inspiring film from director Brett Fallentine.  The film, which started out as an investigative piece to discover who burned down The Hill stables in South Central LA, shifted to become a compelling profile of several of those black cowboys who ride their horses through the streets of South Central LA and Compton.  The goal of their group is to teach the skills and values of horsemanship, as well as give inner city kids an alternative to a life in the gangs and on the streets.  Definitely check out their website for ways you can contribute to meet that goal.

The director, along with four of the subjects from the film – Ghuan Featherstone, Calvin, Will and PRCA professional bull rider Chris Bird, arrived just as the film credits rolled and gave us an amazing Q&A.    The film screened again to another packed house on Saturday, and the Q&A for that one was truly off the hook.  Ghuan, who is also an amazing singer-songwriter who contributed songs to the movie, sang a stirring a capella version of one of his songs, resulting in a standing ovation.  We also enjoyed having the time to get to know Ghuan and Brett during the week, and look forward to taking a ride with Ghuan when we are in LA this summer.

The second film we watched was Desolation Center, a film about the punk rock movement in LA in the early 80s.  What made this film so unique was that Stuart Swezy, the creator of Desolation Center, was not just the subject of the film, but also directed and produced it.  The film began with the infamous riot at The Ramones concert at the Hollywood Palladium led by former police chief Darryl Gates, who was forced to resign after the 1992 riots.  Realizing that it was not safe to organize large punk rock events in the city of Los Angeles, Swezy created several site specific concerts in the Mojave Desert and on a boat in San Pedro harbor that featured some of the biggest acts of that time, including local band The Minutemen, The Meat Puppets, Sonic Youth and more.  These shows spawned other alternative festivals, including Burning Man and Coachella, and left a legacy that will never be forgotten.  The film brilliantly captured this tumultuous time and shone a light on both the music and the people who attended these concerts.

We had intended to view ..So Good I Can’t Take it, but the screening was sold out and we had to turn away people.  Director Kirk Leclaire has promised to send us a link to screen the film, and we will write our review thereafter.

On Friday night, the winners of Big Sky’s four competitions were announced.  In addition to the four winners, the juries honored one film in each category with Artistic Vision awards.  Winners of the mini-doc and shorts categories are eligible for consideration for an Academy award.  One of the shorts shown at this year’s Festival, Lifeboat, was a nominee at this year’s awards which were held last night.

BEST FEATURE
Winner – PARIAH DOG – Jesse Alk
Artistic Vision – DARK EDEN – Jasmin Herold & Michael Beamish
BIG SKY AWARD
Winner – THE BLESSING – Hunter Robert Baker & Jordan Fein
Artistic Vision – FIRE ON THE HILL: COWBOYS OF SOUTH CENTRAL L.A. – Brett Fallantine
BEST SHORT
Winner – ST. LOUIS SUPERMAN – Smriti Mundhra and Sami Kahn
Artistic Vision – EL DESIERTO – Carly Jakins and Jared Jakins
BEST MINI-DOC
Winner – SCENES FROM A DRY CITY – Francois Verster & Simon Wood

Artistic Vision – LOTUS – Mohammadreza Vatandoust

NEW SINGLES

Our first single this week comes from the Insomniac Bears.  We love the retro sound of their song “Passing Trains,” which we think could be a hit on college radio.  Check it out.

Our next single is a feisty dance track from Nikki’s Wives.  This one is guaranteed to get you up and dancing as you enjoy the groove of “Lemonade.”

Our third single today comes from LA Music Critic Award winning electronica duo Lovers & Poets.  We continue to be amazed at the growth of this band, and think you will love “Nevergonnastop.”

https://loversandpoets.bandcamp.com/track/nevergonnastop

Next up is the latest from Blue Élan Records artists Red Wanting Blue, who have joined up with Liz Brasher for their latest single, “I’ve Got a Feeling It Hurts.”  This one is an amazing collaboration and we think it belongs on radio stations everywhere.

Our final single this week is from Australian artist Philip la Rosa, an amazing R&B/pop artist with a dynamic flair for the incredible.  Here is his song “Fable,” which we think is simply one of the best singles we have heard this year.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first video this week is from LA Music Critic Award winner Keaton Simons, and was inspired by the book and film A Chance in the World.  We love this inspiring song and video, and are so proud of the growth of this artist.  Check out “Find Us.”

Next up we have the last segment of three live videos featured the driving blues sound of The Spear Shakers.  We think “Leaving it all Behind” is the perfect song for the culmination of this project.

Our third video is from European rockers Ivan & the Parazol.  They have created a rocking lyric video for their song “When I was 17.”  Rock on!

Nashville’s premier punk band and LA Music Critic Award winners Taco Mouth have created a powerful video for their protest song “The White House.”  This one captures the energy and the powerful lyrics, so be prepared to be rocked out.

We close out this week’s Monday Mashup with the latest from glam rocker Jess Weimer.  It is a visually stimulating video for her insightful song “Glass Tower.”

 

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Awards LA Music Critic Awards Women in Entertainment

Announcement of nominations for LA Music Critic Awards for the second half of 2018 (updated)

It’s finally here.  We are so proud to announce this amazing list of nominations for the LA Music Critic Awards for the second half of 2018.  We culled through 461 CDs and EPs from around the globe, and an equal number of singles and music videos to create what we believe is one of the most diverse group of musicians in the world.

The committee votes on all nominations except the Fan Favorite, where you the reader get to choose your favorite performer.  In order to vote, you must leave a comment below.  Votes left on social media do not count.  The deadline for voting is December 28, and the winners of the awards will be announced on January 4, 2019.  Please remember that you cannot nominate an artist who has already won this award.

Without further adieu, here are the nominations:

BEST EP (Male) – Wolfe Jackson (Nobody Knows Me (Better Than You)); Trevor Douglas (Four in the Morning), Zach Callison (A Picture Perfect Hollywood Heartbreak), Ben de la Cour (The High Cost of Living Strange), Alex Riddle (Snow White)

BEST EP (Female) – Frankie Simone (Love Warrior); Mariel Austin (Runner in the Rain); Lauren Jaimes (Here to Stay), Leslie Nuss (The Album V)

BEST EP (Group) – Shelby Texas (We are Shelby, Texas); Small Million (Young Fools); Paper Gliders (Trials), Heartspank (II), PublicArt (Modernika), Neverwonder (self-titled)

BEST EP (International Artist) – Paolo Preite (An Eye on the World); Jon Mullane (Singles); Valerio Lysander (We are Like Colored Moths Towards the Sunlight); Matty T Wall (Sidewinder); Abby Zotz (Local Honey)

BEST EP (International Group) – Delta Will (Multitudes I); The Fisherman & The Sea (I Can’t Alone); CAP ON. (Be Better Than Jeff), thisquietarmy (The Body and the Earth), The Spanish Flies (Good Things Come to Those Who Wait)

BEST CD (Male) – Slim Gambill (Fake Jazz); Doran Danoff (King of Crown City); Ken Sharp (Beauty in the Backseat); Jeffrey Foucault (War on the Radio); Jordan Siwek (Sun Inside You); Hadden Sayers (Dopamine Machine)

BEST CD (Female) – Deb Ryder (Enjoy the Ride); Rachel Sage (Myopia); Tammie Shannon (All of Me); Bridget Rios Purdy (Still I Rise); Gina Sicilia (Heard the Lie); K. Michelle Dubois (Autumn)

BEST CD (Group) – The Furious Seasons (Now Residing Abroad); Broken Bellows (I, Kaleidoscope); Post Season (self-titled); Birds and Arrows (Arbitrary Magic); The Dream Logic (Liquid Sunshine)

BEST CD (International Artist) – Leeroy (Burn to Ashes), Dustin Tebbutt (Chasing Gold), Kate Reid (The Heart Already Knows), Hollie Haines (Letters to my Last Love), Zsuzsika (Start Again)

BEST CD (International Group) – Hymn for Her (Pop-n-Downers); VNV Nation (Noire); Neville & Sugary Staple (Rude Rebels); Crack of Dawn (self-titled); Norway Reloaded (My Longest Mile)

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Male) – Michael Peterson (“From Here to Eternity”), Colin Devlin (“High Point”), Kramies (“The Hill Dweller”), Everlast (“Don’t Complain”), Van Bobbi (“Kickdrum Heartbeat”), **Jason Robert/Stone Stanley (“Mr. Bell”)** Inadvertently left off list

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Female) – Alana Sweetwater (“Gotta Get Up”), Nuela Charles (“Danger”), Lauren Duski (“Costume Party”), Tiffany Young (“Teach You”), Dree Mon (“Dance Like I Want To”)

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Group) – Satellite Citi (“Collide”), Fanny Walked the Earth (“When we Need Her”), The Guess Who (“Playin on the Radio”), Honey River (“Peace, Love”), Roan Yellowthorn (“Talk About It”), JP Soars (“Southbound I-95”)

BEST VIDEO (FOR A CAUSE) – Lora Kelley (“Good Men Don’t Hurt You”), Kim Kline (“Stand Tall”), No Small Children (“I’m so Concerned”), Sofia Evangelina (“This is Your Song”), Aijia (“For You”), Various Artists (“Let’s Rise”)

BEST VIDEO (LYRIC) – Smoke Season (“Sweetest Thing”), Stephen Michael Murphy (“Why”), Post Season (“Numb to This”), Rachel Eckroth (“Call my Name”), Greg Laswell (“Royal Empress”), The Spider Accomplice (“Epilogue”)

BEST VIDEO (COVER) – CALICO the Band (“California Dreaming”), Rachel Eckroth (“Love is Lost”), PaperDolls (“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”)

BEST VIDEO (COLLABORATION) – Janiva Magness & Bryan Stephens (“Love is an Army”), Seawaves & Jerad Finck (“New Kids”), Free Love & Suzanne Roden (“Pushing Too Hard”/”July”), Defanico & Avanti (“You Make me Feel”), Cindy Alexander & Rusty Young (“My Favorite Artist”)

BEST VIDEO (INTERNATIONAL) – Constanza Herrero (“Packing Up”), Chesca (“Azucar”), Ziggy Alberts (“Stronger”), The Trouble Notes (“Grand Masquerade”), Peakes (“Still Life”)

BEST SINGLE (Male) – Rod Melancon (“Westgate”), Mike Edell (“Grow with You”), CJ Harper (“When we Rise”), Curtis Peoples (“Castaways”), Thomas Graff (“Make it Easy”)

BEST SINGLE (Female) – Amy Wilcox (“Bandwagon”), Chelsea Gill (“Ray-Bans”), Alexis Keegan (“Gospel”), Kris Angeles (“Stained Glass”), Christine Parker (“Where You Are”)

BEST SINGLE (Group) – SIGNY (“Water”), Honey River (“Peace, Love”), Only Bridges (“Ordinary”), Mustangs of the West (“T-Shirt from California”), The Textones (“20 Miles From Wrong”)

BEST SINGLE (INTERNATIONAL) – Vanessa Zamora (“Malas Amistades”), Liron (“Pina Colada”), Maya Payne (“Jungle”), Greta Jaime (“Computer Games”), Carlo & the Montes (“Nobody’s Fool”)

BEST SINGLE (HOLIDAY) – PaperDolls (“God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen”), Tiffany Young (“Peppermint”), Jack Tempchin (“Jesus and Mohammed”), Mustangs of the West (“Everybody Wants Peace on Earth”)

BEST BLUES ARTIST – Gina Sicilia, Brigette Rios Purdy, Hadden Sayers, Katie Knipp, Kirk Fletcher

BEST BLUES BAND – Detroit Rebellion, Black Cat Road, Michelle D’Amour and the Love Dealers, Keith Stone and Red Gravy, JP Soars

BEST BLUES (TRADITIONAL) ARTIST – Tammie Shannon, Tom Hambridge, Wily Bo Walker, Lawrence Lebo, Deb Ryder, Jonathon Long

BEST BLUES (TRADITIONAL) BAND – Peter V Blues Train, Delta Moon, Karen Lawrence and Blue by Nature, Matheus Matthews, Julianne Q and the Howl

BEST BLUEGRASS ARTIST/BAND – Roland White, Tellico

BEST CHILDREN’S ALBUM – Ruth and Emilia (The Spaceship That Fell in my Backyard)

BEST COMEBACK ARTIST – Mustangs of the West, The Textones, Frank Bey, Buddy Guy

BEST COMEDY ALBUM – Brad Wenzel (Sweet Nothings)

BEST COMPILATION ALBUM – Come See About Me (IBMA Trust Fund), A Blue Élan Christmas (various Blue Élan Records artists)

BEST COUNTRY ARTIST – Dennis Duff, Hilary Scott, Corinne Cook, Stephanie Urbina Jones, Lauren Jaimes

BEST COUNTRY BAND – Robbie Fulks & Linda Gail Lewis, The Bob Peek Thing, Shelby Texas

BEST EDM/DANCE ARTIST/BAND – Sterling Infinity, Risky Motion, Andrew Bayer, United Ghosts, Lavender Fields, TNEO

BEST FOLK ARTIST – Paul Givant, Lauren Balthrop, Wolfe Jackson, Jason Erie, Ben Bostick

BEST FOLK BAND –   The Furious Seasons, The Skiffle Players, Max Caddy, New London Fire, Lay Low Moon

BEST HARD ROCK/METAL ARTIST/BAND – Rebel Rampage, YYNOT, Code Red Riot, Cosmogyral, Lana Blac

BEST HIP-HOP/RAP ARTIST/BAND – Everlast

BEST HOLIDAY ALBUM – The Humming Bards (Holy Common Grounds); Redhead Express/PaperDolls (Christmastime); Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers (All I Got for Christmas is the Blues); Paul Cardall (Christmas)

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST – Solomon Grey, Dave Wells, Jon Mullane, Abby Zotz, Mac Murray

BEST INTERNATIONAL BAND – Monsta X, Ace of Wands, Koenix, Crack of Dawn, Norway Reloaded

BEST INSTRUMENTAL ARTIST/BAND – Andrew Abaria, Rob McAllister/Music Within, Daniel Aged, Lucky 757, Tauk

BEST JAZZ ARTIST – Mariel Austin, Walt Weiskopf, Calvin Arsenia, Slim Gambill, Leo James Conroy

BEST JAZZ BAND – CeCe Teneal and Soul Kamotion, Strunz & Farah, Frank Gambale Soulmine, S U M, Mark Winkler and Cheryl Bentyne

BEST LATIN ARTIST/BAND – Lauren Henderson, De’Anza, The Chamanas. Constanza Herrero

BEST LIVE ALBUM – Shari Puorto (Live at Bogie’s), Sonia Leigh (Live in London), John McLaughlin & Jimmy Herring (Live in San Francisco), Jocelyn Michelle (Live at Viva Cantina), Karen Lawrence & Blue by Nature (Best of Live)

BEST POP ARTIST – Greg Laswell, Rachel Sage, Trevor Douglas, Ken Sharp, Jordan Siwek

BEST POP BAND – Small Million, Broken Bellows, My Brothers and I, Baby Jay, Roan Yellowthorn

BEST POP/ROCK ARTIST/BAND – Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes, The Persian Leaps, Coyote Choir, Teddy and the Love Gang, KT Tunstall

BEST PUNK ARTIST/BAND – Subterfuge, Castle Black, A Very Special Episode, Taco Mouth, Post Season

BEST R&B/SOUL ARTIST – Sara Marie Barron, Candace Devine, Dave Keller, Nuela Charles, Doran Danoff

BEST R&B/SOUL BAND – Down North, DaM-FunK, The Dream Logic, Diane Durrett & Soul Suga

BEST ALT ROCK ARTIST – Kayla Starr, Trevor James, Ruby Rose Fox, Scott Shifflett, Polly Panic

BEST ALT ROCK BAND – Ascent, Farewood, Static and Surrender, Birds and Arrows, The Upstart Crows

BEST ROCK ARTIST – Guilande, Eric McFadden, K. Michelle DuBois

BEST ROCK BAND – Fellow Robot, Tokyo Police Club, Animal Waves, The Guess Who, Band of Silver

BEST REGGAE ARTIST/BAND – Phony Ppl, Sean Paul, Megative

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA ARTIST – Ian Crawford, Roger Len Smith, Lora Kelley, Andy Sydow, Jeffrey Foucault

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA BAND – mmhmm, No Dry County, Mapache, The Textones, Lil’ Red & The Rooster

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER – Cynthia Brando, Peggy James, Kris Angelis, Gaelynn Lea, Dave Tamkin, Paul McDonald

BEST SOUTHERN ROCK ARTIST/BAND – Sunshine Riot, Moonshine Saints

MOST UNIQUE ARTIST/BAND – Grave Danger, Bella Bartok

RISING STAR – Shaunt Avakian, Hayley Lynn, Sofia Evangelina, CH3LS, Sarra, Bella Rios

Categories
Awards Hollywood Fringe Festival Theatre Women in Entertainment

Top ten shows at HFF 18 and Indie Voice Awards for Theatre

The 9th Annual Hollywood Fringe Festival has been put to bed (with the exception of those shows selected for encores) and we are safely back in Montana, so it is time to reveal our favorite shows of HFF18, as well as our winners for the Indie Voice Awards for Theatre.  You can find the “official” list of winners that were handed out on June 24 here.

We saw a total of 46 shows during the 13 days we were at Fringe.  So many of them were great, and we wish we could give credit to more, but here are our favorites.

TOP TEN SHOWS

10.  Met Again.  Once again, Theatre Unleashed delivered a breathtaking drama of infinite worth.  The duo of Julia Plostnieks and Michael Lutheran were stunning in their portrayal of a loving couple who had ups and downs during their lives.  This one left us with tears in our eyes.

9.  Blind Spots.  This was the only show we saw at the beautiful Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre, and it was definitely worth the trip.  The show was female written with an entire cast of females, and they demonstrated by their amazing performances that they are definitely forces to be reckoned with.

8.  The Parisian Dream.  Cabaret Versatile is the master at creating interesting shows, and this amazing French Cabaret was definitely one of their best.  It was told through mime, skits, song and dance, and it represented the historic Assistance League Playhouse well.

7.  With my Eyes Shut.  Esther Mira led a strong cast and told the story of two people with Asperger’s Syndrome who were learning how to function in life.  Through incredible dancing, music and physical theatre, they told the story as lovingly as they could, and made us proud to be part of HFF18.

6.  SQUIRREL!!  Jessica Lynn Johnson directed and Sarah Rose Reynolds delivered a stunning and revealing story of dealing with ADHD.  Reynolds even wowed us with her singing abilities, on top of her hilarious telling of her life story.

5.  Stripped.  Another great Johnson directed show featuring Julia Cavanaugh as the exotic dancer with a heart of gold.  Like Reynolds, she has an excellent singing voice, and totally tugged at our heart strings as she told the story of her life.

4.  The Word.  Victor Isaac is a comic genius and he puts it all on display in this comedic romp through the discovery of how to forgive yourself.  This one truly deserved its Fringe recognition.

3.  Doctor Nympho vs. The Sex Zombies.  The triumphant return of the Michael Shaw Fisher rock musical claimed three Fringe Awards, and was truly one of the highlights of HFF18.  Just seeing the entire cast safely navigate the small stage at Three Clubs was an event worthy of recognition.

2.  Play On!  A one-woman musical event, Laura Jo Trexler stole our hearts and our ears with these amazing original songs about the heroines of Shakespeare.  She also showed her stage presence and skills as she brought the songs to life, with nothing but herself and a grand piano.

1. The Women of Lockerbie.  We think it is a travesty that this show was not even nominated for a single award at Fringe.  This amazing cast brought the story of Pan Am Flight 103 to life by showing its effect not just on the passengers but those in the town of Lockerbie, Scotland as well.

INDIE VOICE AWARDS FOR THEATER

We agreed with some of the awards given out by the community, but not all of them, so here are the shows we would have given awards to:

In addition, we would also award these shows:

What were your favorites?  We would love to know.

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Awards LA Music Critic Awards Women in Entertainment

Nominations announced for LA Music Critic Awards for first half of 2018

If you recall, we had to revise our submissions dates after the second half of 2017 because we had so many submissions.  As a result, the nominations we are announcing today cover the period  from December 1, 2017 through May 31, 2018.  We still received 339 submissions this time around, including more than 100 international ones, making our job harder than ever to winnow them down to those we have selected.

As always, fans are encouraged to vote for the Fan Favorite Award.  To vote for your favorite,  simply leave a comment below in the following format:  “I vote for (name of artist) for Fan Favorite.”  No other comments will be counted toward the Fan Favorite Award, and each reader may only vote once.   Comments made on other social media sites will not count.

Fans are also encouraged to comment on other award nominations, and those comments will be reviewed by the Awards committee.  However, they will not count for the Fan Favorite Award unless the comment specifically says that the artist is being nominated for the Fan Favorite Award. 

The deadline for voting for the Fan Favorite Award is Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at midnight MST.  The full list of winners will be announced at 2 p.m. MST on Friday, June 29, 2018.

Without further delay, here are the nominations.

BEST EP (Male) – Michael Malarkey (Captain Solitaire); Kevin Daniel (Myself Through You); Rich Krueger (Life Ain’t That Long); Eric Benoit (Heartrender); Larry Lacerte (Dreaming of the Ways)

BEST EP (Male International) – Tom Richardson (Promise of the Light); Average Dez (Beautiful Life); Purkinje (Voyager); Jeremy Romeo (All You’re Meant to Be); Saux (Right)

BEST EP (Female) – Alezzandra (The Black Rose); Amanda Mair (To the Moon); Kyler England (The Wilderness); Margaret Glaspy (Born Yesterday)

BEST EP (Female International) – Oklou (The Rite of May); Yuki Ame (Anamnesis); Clare Hennessy (April); Violetta Zironi (Half Moon Lane); Elin K (Still Your Desire)

BEST EP (Group) – TIDES (Crossroads); Only Bricks (Foundation); The Spider Accomplice (Los Angeles:  The Dichotomy); Tribal Seeds (Roots Party); Wildeor (Wildeor)

BEST EP (Group International) – Calembour (Let the Wind Lead us Home); Ellevator (Ellevator); Mushy Callahan (Revelations); Accent (In This Together); The Dreggs (Seas Embrace); Belle and the Beats (Lose Your Feathers)

BEST CD (Male) – Keith Harkin (In the Round); Rob Bonfiglio (Trouble Again); David Philips (Get Along); Kris Barras (The Divine and Dirty); Frank Hannon (From One Place . . . to Another, Vols 1 & 2); Luke Winslow-King (Blue Mesa)

BEST CD (Male International) – Mr. Pong (Echoes Between a Rock and a Hard Place); Jon Allen (Blue Flame); Endre Nordvik (Suburb Hero); Sule (Hold On); Dom Fricot (Deserts)

BEST CD (Female) – Kari Kimmel (Gold & Glitter); Janiva Magness (Love is an Army); Caitlin Canty (Motel Bouquet); Katie Herzig (Moment of Bliss); Leilani Wolfgramm (Live Wire); Cindy Alexander (Nowhere to Hide)

BEST CD (Female International) – Em Joy (The Feast); Bossie (Not Pictured); Kira May (Sense); Lucy Wise (Winter Sun); Esme Bridie (Today it Rains)

BEST CD (Group) – RVZOO & The Sugar Spun Elephant Band (Guiding Star); Hello Stranger (Long Division); The Nightowls (We are the Nightowls); Floods (Bad Times); The Evening Attraction (The End, Again); Southern Halo (Just Like in the Movies)

BEST CD (Group International) – John Flanagan Trio (Honest Man); Lee Ainley’s Blues Storm (Shoot me Down); Vickers Vimy (Atlas of Hearts); Fifth Dawn (Duality); Dany Franchi Band (Problem Child)

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Male) – Andy Sydow (“Reasons for Departure”); Sean McMahon (“Show me the Way”); David Garfield (“I Lied”), Keaton Simons (“1 2 3 Go”); Harts (“Ain’t Nothing on Me”); Rob Drabkin (“It’s a Beautiful Day”)

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Female) – FlecHaus (“Tell me Something”); Hannah Lucia (“Your Love”); Janey Street (“Undone”); Dree Mon (“Rebel Soul”); Kari Kimmel (“High”); Lucy Levinsohn (“Dear God”)

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Group) – The Zephyr Bones (“Telephone”); The Spider Accomplice (“Swallow”); Halo Circus (“Narcissist”); Fanny Walked the Earth (“Lured”); Floods (“Heavy Hearts”)

BEST VIDEO (FOR A CAUSE) – Alice Wallace (“Elephant”); riVerse (“Giant”), Ashley Delima (“Stay in America”)

BEST VIDEO (LYRIC) – Janiva Magness (“Protest Song”); Polly Baker (“Scraped Knees”); Foreign Figures (“Heart of Gold”); Cindy Alexander (“Passenger”); A Big Yes and a small no (“Enough is Enough”)

BEST VIDEO (COVER) – Frank Hannon (“Blue Sky”); Frank Hannon (“Sunrise in Texas”); Pros & iCons (“I Did Something Bad”)

BEST VIDEO (COLLABORATION) – Blue Elan Family (“Shine Down on Us”); Chelsea Williams and Poco (“Rose of Cimarron”)

BEST VIDEO (INTERNATIONAL) – Black Mamba (“Loop”); Young Galaxy (“Frontier”); DJ Moh Green (“Por Favor”)

BEST SINGLE (Male) – Keaton Simons (“1 2 3 Go”); Jesse Dayton (“May Have to do it”); Craig Cardiff (“Okay Cupid”); Johnny Stimson (“End of Times”); Jon Allen (“Jonah’s Whale”)

BEST SINGLE (Female) – Janiva Magness (“Down Below”); Aja Warren (“Show me the Magic”); Kris Angelis (“A Billion Hearts”); Ashley Delima (“Stay in America”); Manda Mosher (“Please Stand By”)

BEST SINGLE (Group) – Delsinki (“Wishing Upon a Star”); Crimson Calamity (“Fool’s Gold”); SIGNY (“Human”); Halo Circus (“Narcissist”); Feel Alright (“Cool Water”)

BEST SINGLE (INTERNATIONAL) – Reichelt (“Seduced by the Light Side”); tantamsound (“Blue”); The Dreggs (“Feel Alive”); Belle and the Beats (“Soldiers of the Night”); South Village (“Say it Now”)

BEST COMPILATION ALBUM – Worth of Souls; Transference

BEST COVER ALBUM – Mark Erelli (Mixtape), Frank Hannon (From One Place . . . to Another, Vols 1 & 2); Craig Cardiff (Upstream Fishing All the Words, He Is – Birthday Cards for Bob Dylan)

BEST BLUES ARTIST – Janiva Magness, Meg Williams, Victoria Ginty, Peggie Perkins, Luke Winslow-King

BEST BLUES BAND – Ghalia and the Mamas Boys, The Keeshea Pratt Band, Lee Ainley’s Blues Storm, Barrence Whitfield & the Savages

BEST BLUES (TRADITIONAL) ARTIST/BAND – Reverend Raven and the Chain Smoking Altar Boys, Johnny Tucker, Miss Freddye, Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps, Peter V Blues Train

BEST BLUEGRASS ARTIST/BAND – Tommy Emmuel, John Flanagan Trio, Becky Buller, Nefesh Mountain, Sideline

BEST CELTIC ARTIST/BAND – Wildeor, Vickers Vimy

BEST COMEBACK ARTIST – Rita Coolidge, Michael Peterson, Fanny Walks the Earth

BEST COUNTRY ARTIST – Ruby Boots, McMains, Laura Benitez, Sara Morgan, Kevin Daniel

BEST COUNTRY BAND – Flood County, Steven Casper & Cowboy Angst, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, Southern Halo

BEST EDM/DANCE ARTIST/BAND – Computer Magic, Cultural Critic, Oklou, Saux, Amanda Mair

BEST FOLK ARTIST – Em Joy, Bob Crain, John Hufford, Tom Richardson, Martha Reich

BEST FOLK BAND – The Fisherman & the Sea; The Raven & the Fox, Century Thief, The Dreggs, Mala Ruckus

BEST HARD ROCK/METAL ARTIST/BAND – Tiavara, 1099, Animal Confession, Ovtlier, Ascending Dawn

BEST HIP-HOP/RAP ARTIST/BAND – 070 Shake, Mollys Reech, Camp Hope, Discrepancies

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST – Tom Richardson, Clare Hennessy, Dom Fricot, Kira May, Jon Allen

BEST INTERNATIONAL BAND – Black Mamba, John Flanagan Trio, Fifth Dawn, The Dreggs, Belle and the Beats

BEST INSTRUMENTAL ARTIST/BAND – mmph, Mr. Pong, Jamison Isaak, Fernando Perdomo, Jay Katana

BEST JAZZ ARTIST – Kristina Koller, Shirley Crabbe, Patrick Yandall, John Proulx. Dani Ocean

BEST JAZZ BAND –  The Brubeck Brothers Quartet, News from Planet Kniffen, Grand Marquis, Susan Krebs Chamber Band, Roberta Donnay & the Prohibition Mob Band

BEST LATIN ARTIST/BAND – Adan Jodorowsky, Dexist, Cheo & Ulises Hadjis

BEST POP ARTIST – Cindy Alexander, Kari Kimmel, Kyler England, Amanda Mair, Michael Malarkey

BEST POP BAND – Thrillchaser, Viv and the Revival, Floods, Only Bricks, For Esme

BEST PUNK ARTIST/BAND – This is Eggland, The Tracys, Typhoid Rosie, Sharp/Shock, Johnny & the Bootlegs

BEST R&B/SOUL ARTIST – Marieme, Ann, Jon Allen

BEST R&B/SOUL BAND –  Ghost & the City, TIDES, The Nightowls, Ebb & Flow Band, Into the Ark

BEST ROCK ARTIST – Malina Moye, Alezzandra, Adrian Underhill, Margaret Glaspy, David Hopkins

BEST ROCK BAND – The Spider Accomplice, Hello Stranger, ROCKET, Fifth Dawn, Black Mamba, Halo Circus

BEST REGGAE ARTIST/BAND – Freevolt, Super Hi-Fi, Tribal Seeds, Leilani Wolfgramm, Sly & Robbie meet Dubmatix

BEST RETRO ARTIST/BAND – The Evening Attraction, The Swinging Laurels

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA ARTIST – Alison Ferrier, Caitlin Canty, Jenny Van West, Elise Wunder, Gerry Spehar, McMains

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA BAND – Acadian Driftwood, Under the Oak, County Well, Bay Station, Porlolo

BEST SOUTHERN ROCK ARTIST/BAND – Blackwater Lake, James Scott Bullard, David Fitzpatrick, Allman Goldflies Band

RISING STAR – Jamey Geston, Ray Goren, Rachel Arianna

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER – Average Dez, Caleb Michael, Katie Vincent, Michael McDermott, Jenny Van West, Mike Vitale

FAN FAVORITE – ???

 

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Awards Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2018: vol. 9

March has arrived so spring shouldn’t be too far behind!  What did you think about the Oscars last night?  Besides the fact that it was long, we were delighted to see the focus shift onto the hard-working ladies and minorities who have contributed so much and received so little recognition.  With that in mind, let’s look at what’s happening in the indie world.

UM CIRCUS CLUB TO HOST FIRST EVER RENAISSANCE FAIRE

The University of Montana Circus Club is hosting their spring fundraiser, and it’s a mini-Renaissance Faire!  The event will occur on Sunday, March 11 from 2-5:30 p.m. in Schreiber Gym on the campus of the University of Montana.  It is right next to the Library on the southeastern corner of campus.

There is a $5/person suggested donation, or $15 per family (bring all the kids!)  Please pay at the door with cash!

The faire will include food and beverage (of course), a costume and “Best Knees-in-a-Kilt” contests with prizes, live weapons and combat demonstrations, archery and axe-throwing activities, circus performances, face painting, crafting workshops, and a photo booth with costumes and props.  Costumes will also be available for rent.

THE AUDIENCE AWARDS ANNOUNCE BIG SKY WINNERS

The recently concluded Big Sky Documentary Film Festival included a Native American Doc Challenge this year, which was run by the Audience Awards.  Here were their winners:

The First Place Jury Winner was Derrick Lamere, with his film United by Water, while the Jury Honorable Mention went to Anthony Florez for Generations.

Check out the top eight films which are competing for the $5,500 prize by clicking here.  Voting runs April 4-10.

NEW SINGLES

Our first single today comes from a band we have previously reviewed who has recently signed with Blue Élan Records.  Please check out “Tip of my Tongue” by Mint Trip.

Next up is a young artist named Ashley Delima, who has a lot to say with her single, “Stay in America.”  She is a living example of a Dreamer, and wants to tell everyone why she wants to stay here.   She is an American born child who was raised in Brazil but has now settled in New Jersey.  The song is a shout-out to those struggling to stay in the U.S. at a time when DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) is being threatened.  The song was produced by two-time Grammy winning producer Marc Swersky (Joe Cocker, Hillary Duff) and mixed by Mark Needham (Imagine Dragons, Fleetwood Mac).  Please share her story.

Our final single today comes to us from Amsterdam and features Belle and the Beats with their single, “Soldier of the Night.”

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Last week we had the pleasure of reviewing Floods.  They have now released a music video for their first single, “Heavy Hearts.”  We hope you dig it as much as we do.

Our second new video features acclaimed actor Danny Trejo in the latest video from The Zephyr Bones.  Check out “The Arrow of our Youth.”

Our third video is from Blue Élan Records’ latest revival artist, Fanny Walked the Earth.  We simply love this video for the amazing single, “Lured Away.”  Don’t forget to check out their review as well.

Our final video this week is from Little Stranger for their single, “Sing it High.”  this should get your week off to a great start.

Belle

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Awards LA Music Critic Awards Women in Entertainment

Winners of LA Music Critic Awards for second half of 2017

Thank you for your enthusiastic response to this round of nominations for the LA Music Critic Awards.  Last July, when we announced the winners for the first half of 2017, we thought we had reached a pinnacle in fan support, but you blew that away this time around.  In a two week period, there were 5,725 views of the nominations article on our blog and 7,996 total views from 59 countries.  You left a mindboggling 864 comments that included the nomination of 30 artists for the Fan Favorite Award.  Thank you for your support of indie music.

The second annual Winners Showcase will take place in June in Los Angeles.  Watch for more details.

Before we get started with the announcement of the winners, we wanted to add in a couple of special awards.  It has become more and more obvious of the value of promotion for an indie artist.  They can either do it all themselves or hire a professional publicist.  We wanted to give some credit and recognition to those who promote.

LA MUSIC CRITIC PUBLICISTS “SEAL OF APPROVAL”  – We have worked with a lot of publicists this year, and are happy to give our “Seal of Approval” to two of them who have truly stepped up for their clients – ABIK Promotions and Frank Roszak Promotions.  They now join the previous recipients of this award, including Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, Red Boot PR, Noisy Ghost PR, MAD Ink PR and KG Music Press.

BEST SELF-PROMOTION – We received a lot of submissions from artists doing their own promotion, and we were impressed by the quality of their work.  Among those we noticed were Ben Anderson, Andrea Harsell & Luna Roja, and Kate Steinway, but the award this year goes to The Khourys.

Without further ado, here are the results for the second half of 2017.  Winners are indicated with BOLD type.

BEST EP (Male) – Ryan Sims, My Side of the Story; Sam Marine, Big Dark City; Ben Anderson, YouTopia; Matt Westerman, Life Out Loud; Vinnie Paolizzi, Kids

BEST EP (Female) – Jacquie, The Only One; Katie Costello, New World; Cara Frew, Dance; Helen Culver, Seven Year Glitch; Libbie Schrader, Red Thread

BEST EP (Group) – Mare Island, Eponymous; TYA, No Money, More Love; RVBY My Dear, Cycles; Social Repose, Empress; Surf Rock is Dead, We Have No Friends?

BEST EP (International) – House Hounds, Saturate; Wolf & Moon, Frames; HUNDREDS, Wilderness; The Raft; Orion; The Raft, A Lullaby

BEST CD (Male) – Canyon City, Constellation; Chuck McDermott, Gin & Rosewater; Case Garrett, Aurora; Rusty Young, Waitin’ for the Sun; Bryan Stephens, Village of Dreams

BEST CD (Female) – Monica Chapman, Small World; Chelsea Williams, Boomerang; Cindy Alexander, Deep Waters; Marina V, Born to the Stars; Katie Costello, Twice the Love; Amilia K. Spicer, Wow and Flutter

BEST CD (Group) – The Commotions, Vol 2; Great Willow, Find Yourself in Los Angeles; Andrea Harsell and Luna Roja, Something for the Pain; FreeWorld, What it Is; Chris Daniels and the Kings, Blues with Horns

BEST HOLIDAY ALBUM – Katie Garibaldi, Home Sweet Christmas; Balsam Range, It’s Christmas Time; Jennifer Hanson, Under the Tree; Beth Marie Anderson, Christmas with You; Bloodshot Records, 13 Days of Xmas; Blue Elan Records, A Blue Elan Christmas

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Male) – Matt Hawkins, Steel Ya Blues; Brandon Bonine, Remember my Name; Canyon City, Midnight Flight; Josh Johnstone, Just What it is; Rod Melancon, Dwayne & Me

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Female) – Janey Street, Undone; Dree Mon, Rebel Soul; Lexie Rose, Wrong; Katie Costello, Hearts on Fire; Rachel Ariana, Imperfect; Suzanne Santos, Ghost in my Bed

BEST VIDEO (OFFICIAL) (Group) – FlecHaus, Tell me Something; Satellite Citi, Undead; Elizabeth and the Catapult, Ambrosia; Oh Geronomo, No More Stones; Pet Fangs, Gold Coast Dreaming; The Flatlines, Indoors

BEST VIDEO (LIVE) – Sierra Blanca, Paint the Road; Bernie Faulkner, Potbelly Stove; CALICO the Band, The Leaving Kind; Rosi Golan, Underneath; Chelsea Williams, Anything Worth Saving

BEST VIDEO (LYRIC) – Mellott, Shooting Stars; Rachel Price, Love is War; The Rebel Light, Where did all the Love Go; Chris Chilton, Adonai; Jared Finck, New Kids

BEST VIDEO (HOLIDAY) – Redhead Express, Love is Christmas; Chelsea Williams, Peppermints and Mistletoe; Kate Steinway, White Christmas; Pam Taylor, Let’s Get it on for Christmas

BEST VIDEO (INTERNATIONAL) – Straw, Bang Bang; Straw, 1965; Captive (ft. Hannah Trigwell), I Could be the One

BEST VIDEO (COLLABORATION) – Blue Elan Artists, Shine Down on Us; David Garfield and J. Paris, I Lied; Beckett and Claire Ridgely, Butterflies

BEST SINGLE (Male) – Mikey Wax, “Spaceman;” Zvchvivh, “Think of Me;” Tim Maiden, “So Far Gone;” Matt Zambon, “Blue and Yellow;” Jason Crosby, “Final Step”

BEST SINGLE (Female) – Hannah Lucia, “Your Love;” Heather Bonds, “Keep it Quiet;” Ashleigh Watson, “Little Love;” Liz Kennedy (ft. Taj Mahal), “Everyone Knows how it Goes”

BEST SINGLE (Group) – Featurette, “Upside Down;” Delsinki, “Wishing Upon a Star;” Echo City, “Burn Me;” Astral Queen, “Take it all the Way;” The Sound of Ghosts, “Train to Nowhere”

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST/BAND – The Fisherman and the Sea, Belle Miners, The Raft, HUNDREDS, Wolf & Moon

BEST COUNTRY ARTIST – Case Garrett, Tim Bennett, Whitney Lusk, Kaylee Keller, Ryan Sims

BEST COUNTRY BAND – CALICO the Band, Steve Azar and the Kings Men, Honey County

BEST BLUES ARTIST – Pam Taylor, John Verity, Stacy Jones, Alastair Greene, R. D. Olson, Dave Hunt

BEST BLUES BAND – Paradise Kings, FreeWorld, Andrea Harsell and Luna Roja, BB and the Blues Shacks, Chris Daniels and the Kings, The McKee Brothers

BEST POP ARTIST (FEMALE) – Marina V, Cindy Alexander, Katie Costello, Alex Mabey, Maggie McClure, Rosi Golan

BEST POP ARTIST (MALE) – Curtis Peoples, Fernando Perdomo, Matt Westerman, Bryan Stephens, Ben Anderson, LeRiche

BEST POP BAND – Flood Coats, Seasonal Beast, Elizabeth and the Catapult, Warbly Jets, High Dive Heart, Laini and the Wildfire

BEST ROCK ARTIST – Billy Burnette, Rusty Young, Ben Lorentzen, Russ Carrick, Robert Francis, Peter Simpson

BEST ROCK BAND – The Khourys, Surf Rock is Dead, Social Repose, The Slants, Xs and Arrows, Dopapod

BEST R&B/SOUL ARTIST – Ray Goren, Leslie Clio, Zoey Clarke, Louise Lemon

BEST R&B/SOUL/RETRO BAND – The Marias, The Commotions, Burgess Meredith

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA ARTIST (FEMALE) – Lydia Loveless, Shannon McNally, Liz Kennedy, Chelsea Williams, Amilia K. Spicer, Suzanne Santos

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA ARTIST (MALE) – Rich McCulley, Marc Berger, Chuck McDermott, Jason Hawk Harris, Sam Marine, Vinnie Paolizzi

BEST ROOTS/AMERICANA BAND – Great Willow, The County Liners, JD and the Straight Shot, The Empty Pockets, Dead Rock West

BEST BLUEGRASS ARTIST/BAND – The Jerry Douglas Band, The Grascals, My Girl My Whiskey and Me, Tommy Emmanuel and David Grisman

BEST JAZZ/INSTRUMENTAL ARTIST/BAND – Tout, Noon, Monica Chapman, John McLaughlin, KRON

BEST DANCE ARTIST/BAND – The Innocent Bystanders, TYA, Elephant Stone, Niteshifters, Cara Frew

BEST REGGAE ARTIST/BAND – Never Ending Fall

BEST PUNK BAND – Franks and Deans, Emmer Effer, Hang Tight, The Paranoid Style

BEST HARD ROCK/METAL BAND – SBK, Vacant Home, Aviator, The Black Hand, Downfall 2012

BEST FOLK ARTIST – Ben Bostick, Canyon City, Garrison Starr, Fred Smith, Sierra Blanca, Brandon Luedtke

BEST FOLK BAND – Tony Lovato and MEST, Fire Chief Charlie, Amber Run, Nescora, FXRRVST

BEST TRADITIONAL FOLK BAND – Storywrens, The East Pointers

BEST PROG ROCK ARTIST/BAND – Orissa, Dave Kerzner

RISING STAR – Ray Goren, Kaylee Keller, Rachel Arianna, Gina Sicilia, Chelsea Williams

FAN FAVORITE:   This year’s competition was fierce, with 30 artists nominated.  However, it came down to a battle between two artists, and went neck and neck until the final day.  In fifth place was Flechaus.  Kate Steinway took fourth place by a slim margin to third place finisher Andrea Harsell & Luna Roja.  Second place goes to The Khourys.  This year’s winner is RACHEL ARIANNA.

Thank you all for voting and for your support of indie music.  We’ll be back on Monday with our next edition of Monday Mashup.  Have a great weekend.