2008 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase

Karina Nistal (9 p.m.)
Nominated in: Best Latin Contemporary, Best Female Vocalist
www.myspace.com/karinanistal

If Houston ever has to answer the shot across the musical bow fired by M.I.A.'s Kala, Karina Nistal should be the only choice to pull the trigger. Like Ms. Arulpragasam, Nistal is multilingual and multitalented, singing, rapping and dancing her way across the stage while her live band pumps out a feet-friendly brew of R&B, salsa, soul and even a little Bollywood behind her. After 2006's Nistyle, Nistal has steadily been making a name for herself outside Houston as well; the upcoming Nistalgia could finally blow the doors wide open. — C.G.

Moodafaruka (4 p.m.)
Nominated in: Best World Music
www.myspace.com/moodafaruka

No, Moodafaruka is not some Armenian expletive or exotic Middle Eastern dish. But the band (whose moniker is a meshing of "mood" and a type of flamenco dance) does revel in the cross-cultural pollination of their tunes. Formed in 1999 by composer/player Rom Ryan, the often-improvisational collective also includes Mary Ann Willis, Katja Grimm, Arlandus Chimney, Adam Carman and Alesha Herrer. New compilation Essential Moodafaruka is out now, and September brings a new studio record. Your ears may not understand the words they hear, but your ass will get the beat. — B.R.

Umbrella Man (5 p.m.)
Nominated in: Best Miscellaneous Instrumentalist (Geoffrey Muller), Best Bassist (Nick Gaitan)
www.myspace.com/theumbrellaman4

Mixing genres is no sweat for this swinging, jumpy band that can rock with the best, hit a stone-cold country groove or riff on some old cabaret tune. Members come and go, so Umbrella Man's sound is continually evolving, especially when collaborators show up toting fiddles and saxophones. The addition of vocalist Kam Franklin has given Umbrella Man an exciting new dimension and turned it even further into one of the most eclectic roots-music groups in town, currently gaining momentum as rapidly as any band around. — W.M.S.

Wayside Drive (6 p.m.)
Nominated in: Best Alternative Rock
www.myspace.com/waysidedrive

Apologies to Wayside Drive for not discovering them sooner, but a recent trip to the local trio's MySpace page unearthed Verbena-like alt-pop blasts such as "Blanket" and "In My Car," which, luckily, are available on last year's CD Red Room. WSD has impeccable taste in covers, too: They recorded enigmatic, prolific local songwriter Jandek's "The Spirit" on the 2005 album Down in a Mirror: A Second Tribute to Jandek, joining Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Okkervil River and the Mountain Goats. Not bad company at all. — C.G.

dUNETX (7 p.m.)
Nominated in: Best Guitarist (Chris Sacco)
www.myspace.com/dunetx

Billing themselves as the "longest-­running active rock act in town," these power-pop veterans of more than 13-plus years are thus no strangers to the HPMA showcase either. Reminiscent of everyone from the Pixies and Weezer to Redd Kross and Cheap Trick, the trio has thus far released three CDs and one singles compilation, with fourth LP Bulletproof & Mile High due this fall. — C.G.

skyblue72 (8 p.m.)
Nominated in: Best Alternative Rock
www.myspace.com/skyblue72

2007 HPMA winners for Best Pop, Skyblue72 have somehow moved over to Best Alternative Rock this year. We're still trying to figure it out too — the elimination of the Best Pop category is our best guess — but little has changed about the trio's dynamic, wide-ranging sound, which made Feel My Way Home one of the more noteworthy local albums of last year. — C.G.

Blaggards (9 p.m.)
Nominated in: Best World Music
www.myspace.com/blaggards

Since 2004, Blaggards have partied hard and drunk heavily, yet been sensitive enough to make audiences weep at their potato-famine ballads. These purveyors of "Stout Irish Rock," founded by Dublin native Patrick Devlin (vocals/guitar) and Chad Smalley (bass), mix traditional Irish tunes with Johnny Cash and Thin Lizzy covers and boot-stompin' originals akin to the Pogues or Dropkick Murphys. Blaggards' wonderfully sweaty and chaotic live show is the perfect soundtrack for lifting a pint, punching a mate or kissing a lassie. Whether that's a girl or a dog depends on your Guinness intake. — B.R.

Two Star Symphony (4 p.m.)
Nominated in: Best Unclassifiable Band
www.myspace.com/twostarsymphony

This wacky classical ensemble calling itself "two star" is like calling a Ferrari a car. Simply put, Two Star Symphony is as edgy a string quartet as can be found anywhere. The quartet delivers exciting, original, head-warping pieces that appeal to audiences from such diverse venues as the hoity-toity Hobby Center to Rudz, where they release a new CD Friday. They've also appeared on a number of local albums in all types of genres and collaborated with the cutting-edge Dominic Walsh Dance Theater. — W.M.S.

Wild Moccasins (5 p.m.)
Nominated in: Best New Act
www.myspace.com/thewildmoccasins

The rapturously lo-fi Best New Act nominees the Wild Moccasins shine with a Kinks-like glimmer. Think "Waterloo Sunset" inside the Loop, with a healthy dash of boy-girl vocals. Along with Young Mammals and the Mathletes, the Moccasins are helping head up a Houston pop scene with a million flavors and as many possibilities. Factor in that the band's median age is barely a spry 20 and you can't help but think that, for a change, we've all just witnessed the birth of one damn vibrant scene with gas in the tank and its heart in the right place. — C.H.