Umbrella Man (8 p.m.)
Nominated in: Songwriter (Nick Gaitan), Bassist (Gaitan), Misc. Instrument (Robert Rodriguez, accordion), Roots Rock/Americana
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Nick Gaitan's (Octanes, Billy Joe Shaver) latest project is hard to pigeonhole, and that's a good thing. Much of the material swings in an old-school country way, but there are always elements that take bits of the "country" out of the songs. "Country-soul" probably comes closer than any other category one might assign to Umbrella Man's music, but the mix also includes interesting swatches of blues, gospel and Cajun stomp. William Michael Smith
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Moodafaruka (9 p.m.)
Nominated in: Latin Traditional
"Nuevoflamencoworldfusionglobalgroovengypsysurfmusic" is a bit of a mouthful, so genre-bending musical explorers Moodafaruka have settled on the more nebulous, but less tongue-twisting, "World Fusion." Over the past decade, guitarist Rom Ryan has led a revolving cast of Houston musicians playing everything from African drums to Eastern European lap harps, bending to suit styles from Flamenco to New Age-inspired electronic dance tracks to trancelike mood pieces. Nicholas L. Hall
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House of Blues Bronze Peacock (1204 Caroline)
Heptic Skeptic (5 p.m.)
Nominated in: Local Musician of the Year (Kam Franklin), Female Vocals (Franklin), R&B/Funk/Soul (Franklin), World
Heptic Skeptic re-formed this January and is now working on an album of original material. Listeners can be forgiven if names like Erykah Badu or Lauryn Hill pop into their minds when they hear Heptic Skeptic's slinky, wah-wah-laden reggae beats and Kam Franklin's silky, soulful vocals. Jazzy tracks like "Better Than You" should give the band a broad appeal across several genres. William Michael Smith
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Karina Nistal (6 p.m.)
Nominated in: Latin Contemporary
Here's the list of Houston's Latina hip-hop MCs of consequence: Karina Nistal. That's it. Though Nistal seems to be drifting more and more toward a house-music base as of late — not entirely unexpected, nor entirely a bad thing — few can argue that when she unleashes her natural inclination to make Spanish hip-hop, anyone in town is better. 2007's boom-bap-esque track "Vivendo" and pseudo-Reggaeton dance track "Trabajalo" remain flagship songs for Houston's budding Latin-roots hip-hop genre. Shea Serrano
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LL Cooper (7 p.m.)
Nominated in: Roots Rock/Americana
Larry Cooper moved to the Hippie Riviera on the north side of Lake Travis last year, but he'll always be a hometown boy. Fronting his band LL Cooper, he has a rootsy, straight-ahead style that reflects his raising in nearby Decker Prairie outside Houston on Highway 249. Armed with the brand-new LP Tucson, the follow-up to his earthy Old Hardin Road Store, Cooper is set for another busy year. William Michael Smith
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Peekaboo Theory (8 p.m.)
Nominated in: Rock
Now three years old, Peekaboo Theory is still an incessantly exciting band. This year's debut full-length, Sy~3nc3 & Pr( )gr@m5, did nothing if not up the ante from the smattering of previously available cuts. What makes PBT a band to watch is that there are actually several Peekaboo Theorys: the one that takes its cues from dance beats and electronic instruments; the hard-rock version; the subdued indie metaphysical incarnation; the dub-tastic space band; and the turntable-fueled rap-rock group. Nicholas L. Hall
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Sideshow Tramps (9 p.m.)
Nominated in: Misc. Instrument (Geoffrey Muller, saw), Roots Rock/Americana
Over the years, Sideshow Tramps' live shows have become more and more frenetic — they're like some drunken Grand Ole Opry pickers with too much white lightnin' at their disposal. The past year has seen the Tramps getting out of town more, widening their exposure to places far outside the Loop, but the Montrose-centric collective keeps making some of the best roots-rock in town. William Michael Smith
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House of Blues Concert Hall
(1204 Caroline)
thelastplaceyoulook (7 p.m.)
Nominated in: Song ("Don't Make It So Easy"), Drummer (Andy Moths), Male Vocals (Nava), Rock
Somehow, despite being one of the finer mega-rock bands in the city, six-year-old quintet thelastplaceyoulook continues to operate outside the national limelight. Houston is still recognized first and foremost as being a "rap city," but if these guys keep churning out massive-sounding hits in the mold of the crushing "Don't Make It So Easy" (from LP See The Light Inside You, which should absolutely be in your iTunes library), soon it might not be totally inappropriate to suggest otherwise. Shea Serrano
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Mechanical Boy (8 p.m.)
Nominated in: Song ("She Does"),Guitarist (Michael Regino), Bassist(Chris Applegate), Rock
In a land of indie-bred kids and DJing dance-crazed fiends, there seems to be no place for just plain old alternative rock — which Mechanical Boy sees as a challenge. Rather than assuming some false shroud of humility, the hooks of MB's dance- and pop-inflected songs are as big as the band's ambitions. With Michael Regino's commanding guitar riffs and Tim Anderson's outstanding vocals, Mechanical Boy has all the components for grown-up success. Kim Douglass
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Los Skarnales (9 p.m.)
Nominated in: Drummer (Pat Kelly),Latin Contemporary
Beloved Houston institution and multiple HPMA winner (most recently for Best Punk last year), Los Skarnales has been giving ska a muscular Latin makeover for a solid decade. Felipe Galvan's vocals are wonderful on songs like "Una y Otra Vez" and "Perdida," but there's also the band's skillfully crafted musicianship and that inimitable horn section. Though most people haven't thought much about ska since the '90s, Los Skarnales continue pumping new life into the genre. Kim Douglass
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