The Austin Chronicle 1994-95 Music Awards

Thirteen. 13. That's a number with personality, with style, with panache, with a reputation. It's impudent and aggressive, just like the return of punk. It's also the number of award shows we've had to celebrate our 14 music polls. Don McLeese asked me what I thought the overall results of this year's poll meant and I said that the shock waves were reverberating from the underground and alternative bands. This year's results prove, too, that Austin's veteran musicians have more lives than cats, as both Jimmie Vaughan and Storyville swept the major categories. It's also a testament to the power of a stellar recording, as last year's overwhelmingly popular Swim Away by Toni Price carried her back this year to Best Female Vocalist, and the subsequent popularity of her Monte Warden-penned "Just to Hear Your Voice" pushed him into Best Songwriter.

The best thing about the poll, though, is its ability to reflect Austin's musical trends. New categories gave more options to Spanish-language bands, urban music, and alternative bands, as well as the growing emphasis on local-music television shows and radio programs. It's easy to take a lowest common denominator attitude when dealing with mass voting, but the overall poll respondents are impressively knowledgeable (as well as opinionated) - where else could you find Jimmie Vaughan, Kathy McCarty, Don Walser, Tish Hinojosa, Sincola, and Martin Banks sharing honors? And even beyond the number one slots, the runners-up are equally impressive, this year bringing more new names into view than ever before. In truth, this poll reflects not just the state of music during the last year but what's on the horizon. And that, after all, is where the future of Austin's music lies.

- Margaret Moser

P.S. Many thanks to Nisa Sharma, who entered the ballots; to Dave Cook for his discerning and picky proofreading; to my office-mate Marjorie Baumgarten for putting up with my antics; to Diana and Ben for their infinite patience; to Raoul Hernandez, Chris Gray, and Andy Langer for consultation and support; to my husband Rollo for his begrudging tolerance; to Louis Black and Nick Barbaro for everything; and especially the readers and musicians who give us a reason for doing all of this.

Please Help!

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

2. Don Walser

3. Ian Moore

4. Tie: Monte Warden/Junior Brown

6. Chris Duarte

7. Malford Milligan

8. Kathy McCarty

9. Eric Johnson

10. Jimmy LaFave

Band of the Year

2. Soulhat

3. Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-a-Whirl Band

4. Sincola

5. Ian Moore

6. Monte Warden & the Lonesharks

7. Ugly Americans

8. Don Walser's Pure Texas Band

9. Austin Lounge Lizards

10. Tie: Little Sister/Seed

SONG OF THE YEAR

2. "Boom Bapa Boom," Jimmie Vaughan

3. "Bluest Eyes," Malford Milligan and Craig Ross

4. "Bonecrusher," Kevin McKinney and Frosty

5. "Candyman," Bob Schneider

6. "Harlem," Ian Moore

7. "Just Like Putty," Jimmie Vaughan and Paul Ray

8. "Good to Be Gone," Kevin McKinney

9. "Rolling Stone from Texas," Don Walser

10. "Destiny's Gate," Tish Hinojosa

NEW BAND

2. Storyville

3. Alien Love Child

4. Spoon

5. Splinter

6. Prescott Curlywolf

7. Derailers

8. Asylum Street Spankers

9. Billy White Trio

10. Rhythm Child

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

2. Bluest Eyes, Storyville (November)

3. Good to be Gone, Soulhat (Epic)

4. Rolling Stone from Texas, Don Walser's Pure Texas Band (Watermelon)

5. Dead Dog's Eyeball, Kathy McCarty (Bar None)

6. Michele Solberg, Michele Solberg (Chocolate)

7. Gringo Honeymoon, Robert Earl Keen (Sugar Hill)

8. Claim Dedications, Johnboy (Trance Syndicate)

9. Big As Life, Hamell on Trial (Doolittle)

10. Horses in the Mines, Bad Livers (Quarterstick)

ROOTS-ROCK

2. High Noon

3. Two Hoots & a Holler

4. Shakin' Apostles

5. Ugly Americans

6. Soulhat

7. Naughty Ones

8. Teddy & the Talltops

9. LeRoi Bros.

10. Loose Diamonds

SINGLE

2. "Bonecrusher," Soulhat (Epic)

3. "We Are Never Talking," Roky Erickson (Trance)

4. "Growing Up Gomez," Gomez (Little Deputy)

5. "Leftover Lunch/Chester," Banana Blender Surprise (Secret Ingredient)

6. "Do you Wanna Dance/Shoefly," Cherubs/Fuckemos (Unclean)

7. "Destiny's Gate," Tish Hinojosa (Warner Bros.)

8. "Tight Fit," Sons of Hercules (Unclean)

9. "What Up, G?," Retarted Elf (1994 re-release)

10. "All Kindsa Girls," Pork (Munster)

TAPE

2. Airline, Gal's Panic

3. Word, Sound, Power, Bowler Boys

4. Aquarodentia, Liquid Mice

5. Early Years, Earthpig

6. Squeal of Fortune, In the Hall of the Swine King

7. Ugly Americans, Ugly Americans

8. Cocktail Hour, Lucky Strikes

9. Sidehackers, Sidehackers

10. King Friday, King Friday

ROCK BAND

3. Ian Moore

4. Loose Diamonds

5. Joe Ely

6. Sincola

7. Sixteen Deluxe

8. Billy White Trio

9. Pushmonkey

10. Apaches of Paris

ALTERNATIVE/PUNK BAND

2. Ed Hall

3. Gomez

4. Pocket Fishrmen

5. Gals Panic

6. Seed

7. Noodle

8. Bad Livers

9. Sixteen Deluxe

10. Tie: El Flaco/Hormones/Motards/Sons of Hercules

HARD ROCK

2. Soulhat

3. Ed Hall

4. Tie: Billy White Trio/Dangerous Toys/Sunflower

7. Mumbleskinny

8. Sincola

9. Pushmonkey

10. Black Pearl

METAL/INDUSTRIAL

2. Skrew

3. Skatenigs

4. Pariah

5. Crust

6. Nipple 5

7. Ball Peen

8. Butthole Surfers

9. Pushmonkey

10. Terran

JAZZ ACT

2. Euripides Pants

3. Jazz Pharaohs

4. The Brew

5. Julie Burrell

6. Kyle Turner

7. 8 1/2 Souvenirs

8. Beto y los Fairlanes

9. Elias Haslanger

10. Paul Glasse

SONGWRITER

2. Daniel Johnston

3. Emily Kaitz

4. Sara Hickman

5. Butch Hancock

6. Kevin McKinney

7. Ed Hamell

8. Jimmie Vaughan

9. Bill Carter

10. Kathy McCarty

11. Alejandro Escovedo

12. Chris Wall

13. Ian Moore

14. Earthpig

15. Dan Israel

SINGER-SONGWRITER

2. Hamell on Trial

3. Monte Warden

4. Michele Solberg

5. Kathy McCarty

6. Daniel Johnston

7. Sara Hickman

8. Emily Kaitz

9. Charlie Sexton

10. Tie: Earthpig/Michael Fracasso/Butch Hancock

FEMALE VOCALS

2. Michele Solberg

3. Patrice Pike

4. Kathy McCarty

5. Kelly Willis

6. Rebecca Cannon

7. Lou Ann Barton

8. Sara Hickman

9. Tish Hinojosa

10. Kris McKay

11. Marcia Ball

12. Lavelle White

13. Sue Foley

14. Michelle Rule

15. Marti Brom

HORN PLAYER

2. Mark Kazanoff

3. Tomas Ramirez

4. Retarted Elf's Hell Horns

5. Elias Haslanger

6. Gingbreadmen

7. Michael Sweetman

8. Martin Banks

9. Joseph Marchione

10. Chris Womack

LIVE MUSIC VENUE

2. Steamboat

3. Continental Club

4. Backyard

5. Electric Lounge

6. Cactus Cafe

7. Emo's

8. Antone's

9. Hole in the Wall

10. Blue Flamingo

11. Broken Spoke

12. Austin Music Hall

13. Waterloo Ice House(s)

14. Back Room

15. Tie: Saxon Pub/Black Cat Lounge

COUNTRY BAND

2. Junior Brown

3. Christine Albert

4. Ricky Trevino

5. Derailers

6. Kelly Willis

7. Monte Warden & the Lonesharks

8. Bad Livers

9. Cornell Hurd Band

10. Asleep at the Wheel

POSTER

2. Jason Austin: Flaming Lips, Liberty Lunch

3. Guy Juke: Tish Hinojosa & Jimmie Dale Gilmore, La Zona Rosa

4. Kerry Awn: Uranium Savages 20th, Liberty Lunch

5. Lyman Hardy: Ed Hall and Sixteen Deluxe, Emo's

6. Bucky Tennyson: Soulhat, Backyard

7. Lindsey Kuhn: Supersuckers, Emo's

8. Tie: Biscuit: Raul's Reunion, Liberty Lunch;

Lyman Hardy: Jesus Lizard, Poison 13, Liberty Lunch; Terri Lord: Punk Prom, Chances

EP

2. Too Gone to be Good, Soulhat (Epic)

3. Texas Style, High Noon (Goofin')

3. Live in Austin, Ian Moore (Capricorn)

4. Free Love, Nickel Beer, Little Sister (SBK)

5. The Nefarious EP, Spoon (Fluffer)

6. Jimmie Dale Gilmore/Mudhoney (SubPop)

7. Number 3 Combo, doghouse

8. More Songs Less Music, Teen Titans

9. Splinter,Splinter (Resevoir)

10. Four Tales of Renegade Souls, Apaches of Paris

COVER BAND

2. Sweet Daddy Redd

3. Hotcakes

4. SSIK

5. Bowler Boys

6. Ted Roddy's Graceland Revue

7. Rotel & the Hot Tomatoes

8. Pictures

9. Bizness

10. Plan-C

BASS PLAYER

2. Mark Rubin

3. Brad Fordham

4. Sarah Brown

5. Chris Marsh

6. Glen Fukunaga

7. Chepo Peña

8. Kevin Smith

9. Daryl Phillips

10. Tie: Randy Glines/Spencer Starnes

PRODUCER

2. Mark Hallman: Sara Hickman, Necessary Angels

3. John Croslin: Wannabes, Mod Flower Cake

4. Jeff Cole: Prescott Curlywolf, Dang

5. Paul Leary: Meat Puppets, Too High To Die

6. Brian Beattie & Kathy McCarty: Kathy McCarty, Dead Dog's Eyeball

7. Bruce Hughes: Ugly Americans, Ugly Americans

8. Derek O'Brien: Sue Foley, Without a Warning

9. Stuart Sullivan: Banana Blender Surprise, Send in the Crowns

10. David Eaton: Pushmonkey, Maize

POP BAND

2. David Garza

3. Rocketbaby

4. Horsies

5. Javelin Boot

6. Fabu

7. Apaches of Paris

8. Storyville

9. Cotton Mather

10. Splinter

FOLK ACT

2. Tie: Nanci Griffith/Jimmie Dale Gilmore

4. Caryl P. Weiss & the Beached Buoys

5. Fabu

6. Sarah Elizabeth Campbell

7. Tish Hinojosa

8. Bad Livers

9. Meredith Miller

10. Asylum Street Spankers

NONE OF THE ABOVE

2. Austin Lounge Lizards

3. Bowler Boys

4. Naughty Ones

5. Caryl P. Weiss & the Beached Buoys

6. Tie: Horsies/Asylum Street Spankers

8. Alejandro Escovedo

9. Banana Blender Surprise

10. Earthpig

KEYBOARD PLAYER

2. Bukka Allen

3. Corey Mauser

4. Riley Osbourn

5. Ian MacLagen

6. James Polk

7. Floyd Domino

8. Pete Gordon

9. Dave Hall

10. Michael Ramos

NEW CLUB

2. White Rabbit

3. Electric Lounge (phase II)

4. Blue Flamingo

5. Casino el Camino

6. Paradox

7. Lovejoy's

8. Ruta Maya

9. Flipnotics Coffeespace

10. Stonehouse Brewery

RADIO PROGRAM

2. Eklektikos with John Aeilli, KUT-FM

3. Folkways with Dave Oberman and Dan Foster, KUT-FM

4. Twine Time with Paul Ray, KUT-FM

5. Sam Allred & Bob Cole Morning Show, KVET

6. HomeGroan with Ray Seggern, KNNC

7. Sunday Night News with Jody Denberg, KGSR

8. 501 Blues with Jody Denberg, KGSR

9. Local Licks with Loris Lowe, KLBJ

10. Tie: Texas Shock Syndrome with Andy Langer, ZRock/Shark Mann Morning Show, ZRock

MALE VOCALS

2. Don Walser

3. Monte Warden

4. Ian Moore

5. Kim Wilson

6. Jimmy LaFave

7. Guy Forsyth

8. Kevin McKinney

9. Jimmie Dale Gilmore

10. Jimmie Vaughan

11. Ted Roddy

12. Bob Schneider

13. David Garza

14. Charlie Sexton

15. Britt Daniel

ACOUSTIC GUITAR

2. Ed Hamell

3. Mitch Watkins

4. David Garza

5. Steve James

6. Eric Johnson

7. Guy Forsyth

8. Jud Newcomb

9. Champ Hood

10. Tie: Monte Montgomery/Earthpig

ELECTRIC GUITAR

2. Eric Johnson

3. David Grissom

4. Ian Moore

5. David Murray

6. Chris Duarte

7. Junior Brown

8. Jesse Taylor

9. Mitch Watkins

10. Derek O'Brien

STRINGS PLAYER

2. Champ Hood, fiddle, mandolin

3. Danny Levin, mandolin

4 John Hagen, cello

5. Susan Voelz, violin

6. Richard Bowden

7. Alvin Crow, fiddle

8. Gene Elders, fiddle

9. Mandy Mercier, fiddle

10. Will Taylor, violin

MISCELLANEOUS INSTRUMENT

2. Danny Barnes, banjo

3. Kim Wilson, harmonica

4. Ted Roddy, bongos, harmonica

5. Ponty Bone, accordion

6. Guy Forsyth, harmonica

7. Wammo, washboard

8. Paul Glasse, mandolin

9. Mike Maddux, accordion

10. Lloyd Maines, pedal steel

DRUMMER

2. Chris Layton

3. Mas Palermo

4. Lisa Pankrantz

5. Chris Searles

6. George Rains

7. Terri Lord

8. Rey Washam

9. Paul Pearcy

10. Justin Hess

FUNK BAND

2. Retarted Elf

3. Gingbreadmen

4. Little Sister

5. E.R. Shorts

6. Soulhat

7. Bizness

8. Sweet Daddy Redd

9. Chris Duarte

10. Apaches of Paris

HIP-HOP

2. Retarted Elf

3. MC Overlord

4. MC Truth

5. Foundations DJs

6. To Da Curb

7. Ross Hogg

8. Gingbreadmen

9. Funk Dynasty

SOUL BAND

2. W.C. Clark

3. E.R. Shorts

4. Ugly Americans

5. Solid Senders

6. Soulhat

7. Little Sister

8. Gingbreadmen

9. Lavelle White

10. The Antone's band

BLUES BAND

2. W.C. Clark

3. Guy Forsyth

4. Sue Foley

5. Toni Price

6. The Antone's band

7. Chris Duarte

8. Omar & the Howlers

9. Storyville

10. Lavelle White

LOCAL MUSIC TV SHOW

2. Austin City Limits, PBS

3. Any AM15 show, Austin Music Network

4. Austin Up Late

5. Raw Time, ACTV

6. Segway City, ACTV, AM15

7. Dillo Mix, AM15

8. New Vids on the Block, AM15

9. Trippin' in Austin, ACTV

10. Remote Generation, ACTV

CLUB DJ OR DANCE CLUB

2. Proteus

3. Ohms

4. Escape

5. Club 404

6. Hollywood

7. Broken Spoke

8. Tangerine's

9. Phaces

10. Tie: DJ Wammo/Infinity

VIDEO

2. Tony Zavaleta: Michele Solberg, "Thinking of You"

3. Heyd Fontenot: Ed Hall, "White House Girls"

4. Bill Balsley: Flaco Jimenez, "Seguro Que Hell Yes"

5. Wayne Miller: Kelly Willis, "Heaven's Just a Sin Away"

6. Sara Hickman: Sara Hickman, "Joy"

7. Rocky Schenck: Seed, "Rapture"

8. Steve Osborne: New Texicans, "Scooby Doo"

9. John Bruce: Sugar, "Believe What You're Saying"

10. Carl Thiel: Black Pearl, "Like a Rocket"

RADIO DEEJAY

2. Johnny Walker, KLBJ-FM

3. Larry Monroe, KUT-FM

4. Rollee Rios, KGSR-FM

5. Paul Ray, KUT-FM

6. John Aeilli, KUT-FM

7. Dale Dudley, KLBJ-FM

8. Ray Seggern, KNNC-FM

9. Loris Lowe, KLBJ-FM

10. Shark Mann, ZROCK/KUTZ-FM

11. Tie: Rachel Marisay, KNNC-FM

Andy Langer, ZROCK-FM

Cecelia Nasti, KGSR-FM

Sammy & Bob, KVET-FM

15. Jay Trachtenberg, KUT-FM/KGSR-FM

RADIO STATION

2. 90.5 KUT-FM

3. 91.7 KVRX-FM

4. 93.7 KLBJ-FM

5. 107.7 KNNC-FM

6. 98.9 ZROCK/KUTZ-FM

7. 98.1 KVET-FM

8. 101 KASE-FM

9. 96.7 KHFI-FM

10. 88.7 KAZI-FM

INSTRUMENT/EQUIPMENT STORE

2. Ray Hennig's Heart of Texas Music, Inc.

3. Musicmakers Austin

4. South Austin Music

5. Tommy's Drum Shop

6. One World Music

7. Workhorse Guitars

8. Rock-n-Roll Rentals

9. Guitar Resurrection

10. Musical Exchange

RECORD STORE

2. Tower Records & Video

3. Sound Exchange

4. Antone's Record Store

5. MusicMania

6. ABCD's

7. Technophilia

8. Maldonado's Record & Video Shop

9. Sound Warehouse (RIP)

10. Best Buy

SLEEVE ART

2. Frank Kozik: Ugly Americans, Ugly Americans

3. Dick Reeves: Storyville, Bluest Eyes

4. Steve Wilkison: Wannabes, Mod Flower Cake

5. Greg Geisler: Roky Erickson, "We Are Never Talking"

6. David Kampa: Marcia Ball, Blue House

7. Kathy McCarty: Kathy McCarty,Dead Dog's Eyeball,

8. Mark Burdett: Jimmie Vaughan,Strange Pleasure

9. Joseph Tauber: Sons of Hercules

10. Tie: Jukebox: The Keepers, Looking for a Sign;

Roy Tompkins: Noodle, Fat Ass and Scatman Chuck Meet the Girls from 90210

CRITIC/WRITER/JOURNALIST

2. Margaret Moser

3. Andy Langer

4. Raoul Hernandez

5. John T. Davis

6. Ken Lieck

7. John Conquest

8. Rob Patterson

9. Michael Point

10. Tim Stegall

Honorable Mention: Gavin Lance, Mindy LaBernz, Andy Smith, Ken Hunt, Jay Trachtenberg, Greg Beets

BEST SHOW BY A TOURING BAND

2. Rolling Stones, Alamodome (San Antonio)

3. B.B. King, Little Feat, Erwin Center

4. Bonnie Raitt, Erwin Center

5. ZZ Top, Erwin Center

6. Lyle Lovett, Paramount

7. Dave Mathews, Liberty Lunch

8. Jimmie Vaughan, Backyard

9. Hole, Liberty Lunch

10. Jeff Buckley, Cactus, Chicago House, Electric Lounge

BEST THING TO HAPPEN IN 1994

2. Austin Music Network/AM15

3. Austin Music Hall

4. Tie: Jimmie Vaughan's return

SXSW

Ian Moore played with the Stones

WORLD MUSIC BAND

2. Beto y los Fairlanes

3. Susanna Sharpe & Samba Police

4. Horsies

5. Bowler Boys

6. East Babylon Symphony

7. Urban Roots

8. Brave Combo

9. Root 1

10. Correo Aereo

MEXICAN TRADITIONAL/ FOLK ACT

2. Correo Aereo

3. Los Pinkys

4. Ana Soledad & Luna Romantica

5. Texana Dames

6. Texas Tornados

7. Lourdes Perez

8. Flaco Jimenez

9. Centzontle

TEJANO OR CONJUNTO

2. Flaco Jimenez

3. Ruben Ramos

4. Tish Hinojosa

5. Johnny Degallodo

6. Santiago Jimenez, Jr.

7. La Mafia

8. Little Joe y la Familia

9. Tie: Eva Ybarra/La Diferenzia

AVANT GARDE

2. Timbuk3

3. Shoulders

4. Tie: Gals Panic/Creative Opportunity Orchestra

6. Hamell on Trial

7. Horsies

8. Crust

9. Marble Index

10. Swine King

BEST THING FOR 1995

2. Better sound

3. Better pay

4. Fewer city restrictions

5. More punk/alternative bandsand venues

WORST THING TO HAPPEN IN 1994

2. La Zona Rosa & Chances closed

3. Teen Curfews

4. Bush is in; Ann is out

5. Sixth Street