Rescued Cards Launch Party
Switchfoot
Last night, Humphreys Concerts by the Bay once again played host to the annual music schmooze-fest known as the San Diego Music Awards. While it was initially pretty hard to hear the announcers onstage over the din of drinking and talking, my friends and I posted up in a good spot and had a blast seeing the trophies roll in.
In last week's issue of CityBeat, I offered my predictions on five SDMA categories. I ended up getting three out of five correct, the same record I got last year. As I'd predicted, Vokab Kompany bagged Best Hip-Hop, Hills Like Elephants got Best New Artist and Switchfoot won Artist of the Year pretty much by default (1.8 million Facebook likes goes a long way at a local awards show). However, I was pleasantly surprised that singer Erika Davies won Best Jazz and rockers Delta Spirit got Album of the Year. Congrats to all!
Fortunately for SDMAs organizer and CityBeat publisher Kevin Hellman, the awards show didn't have any of the unexpected surprises or onstage shenanigans that have gone down in previous years. But there were some memorable moments. In particular, blues singer Candye Kane (who won Best Blues Album and also received the first-ever Courage in Music award) put on a lovely performance with jazz pianist Mike Wofford (who won this year's Lifetime Award). And then there was P.O.D.'s performance. Wow, what a trip! They sounded like a Christian version of Rage Against the Machine.
Of course, the SDMAs still aren't perfect. As I wrote in my feature, Joshua White should've at least gotten nominated for Best Jazz, and the fact that he didn't was a huge oversight on the part of the "Academy" that decides nominees. Methinks the Academy needs a jazz expert on hand (lookin' at you, Robert Bush).
All in all, though, I'm content with the results. While the Artist of the Year category was as unbalanced as ever, at least The Silent Comedy (who I was rooting for and who we featured on the cover in last week's issue) walked home with the trophy for Best Pop. I'm also thrilled that Parker & The Numberman won Best Hip-Hop Album for Clockwork Slang and Mrs. Magician got Best Pop Album for Strange Heaven. Definitely give those albums a listen if you haven't already.
See below for the full list of winners.
Best Tribute Band
Cash'd Out
Best Jazz
Erika Davies
Best Jazz Album
Gregory Page, Shine, Shine, Shine
Best Acoustic
Colin Clyne
Best Blues
Lady Dottie & the Diamonds
Best Blues Album
Candye Kane, Sister Vagabond
Best World Music
B-Side Players
Best World Music Album
The Devastators, Lights of Tomorrow
Best Americana or Country
Sara Petite
Best Americana or Country Album
Jesse LaMonaca & the Dime Novels, The Lament of Tumbleweed Hawk
Best Hip-Hop
Vokab Kompany
Best Hip-Hop Album
Parker & The Numberman, Clockwork Slang
Best Pop
The Silent Comedy
Best Pop Album
Mrs. Magician, Strange Heaven
Best Alternative
The Burning of Rome
Best Alternative Album
Dead Feather Moon, Dark Sun
Best Rock
The Donkeys
Best Rock Album
The Black Sands, 1977
Best Hard Rock
Lord Howler
Best Hard Rock Album
Retox, Ugly Animals
Best Club
Gabe Vega
Best Electronic
Hyena
Best Local Recording
Blackout Party, Closed Mouth Don't Get Fed
Best New Artist
Hills Like Elephants
Song of the Year
Delta Spirit, "California"
Album of the Year
Delta Spirit, Delta Spirit
Artist of the Year
Switchfoot
In last week's issue of CityBeat, I offered my predictions on five SDMA categories. I ended up getting three out of five correct, the same record I got last year. As I'd predicted, Vokab Kompany bagged Best Hip-Hop, Hills Like Elephants got Best New Artist and Switchfoot won Artist of the Year pretty much by default (1.8 million Facebook likes goes a long way at a local awards show). However, I was pleasantly surprised that singer Erika Davies won Best Jazz and rockers Delta Spirit got Album of the Year. Congrats to all!
Fortunately for SDMAs organizer and CityBeat publisher Kevin Hellman, the awards show didn't have any of the unexpected surprises or onstage shenanigans that have gone down in previous years. But there were some memorable moments. In particular, blues singer Candye Kane (who won Best Blues Album and also received the first-ever Courage in Music award) put on a lovely performance with jazz pianist Mike Wofford (who won this year's Lifetime Award). And then there was P.O.D.'s performance. Wow, what a trip! They sounded like a Christian version of Rage Against the Machine.
Of course, the SDMAs still aren't perfect. As I wrote in my feature, Joshua White should've at least gotten nominated for Best Jazz, and the fact that he didn't was a huge oversight on the part of the "Academy" that decides nominees. Methinks the Academy needs a jazz expert on hand (lookin' at you, Robert Bush).
All in all, though, I'm content with the results. While the Artist of the Year category was as unbalanced as ever, at least The Silent Comedy (who I was rooting for and who we featured on the cover in last week's issue) walked home with the trophy for Best Pop. I'm also thrilled that Parker & The Numberman won Best Hip-Hop Album for Clockwork Slang and Mrs. Magician got Best Pop Album for Strange Heaven. Definitely give those albums a listen if you haven't already.
See below for the full list of winners.
Best Tribute Band
Cash'd Out
Best Jazz
Erika Davies
Best Jazz Album
Gregory Page, Shine, Shine, Shine
Best Acoustic
Colin Clyne
Best Blues
Lady Dottie & the Diamonds
Best Blues Album
Candye Kane, Sister Vagabond
Best World Music
B-Side Players
Best World Music Album
The Devastators, Lights of Tomorrow
Best Americana or Country
Sara Petite
Best Americana or Country Album
Jesse LaMonaca & the Dime Novels, The Lament of Tumbleweed Hawk
Best Hip-Hop
Vokab Kompany
Best Hip-Hop Album
Parker & The Numberman, Clockwork Slang
Best Pop
The Silent Comedy
Best Pop Album
Mrs. Magician, Strange Heaven
Best Alternative
The Burning of Rome
Best Alternative Album
Dead Feather Moon, Dark Sun
Best Rock
The Donkeys
Best Rock Album
The Black Sands, 1977
Best Hard Rock
Lord Howler
Best Hard Rock Album
Retox, Ugly Animals
Best Club
Gabe Vega
Best Electronic
Hyena
Best Local Recording
Blackout Party, Closed Mouth Don't Get Fed
Best New Artist
Hills Like Elephants
Song of the Year
Delta Spirit, "California"
Album of the Year
Delta Spirit, Delta Spirit
Artist of the Year
Switchfoot
