The 2012 Houston Press Music Award Nominees

Already? Indeed.

It’s only been seven months and change since the 2011 Houston Press Music Awards, but that was enough time for more than 7,000 local music fans to nominate their favorites in some 40 categories, a figure well north of 200 talented Houston artists.

So let’s get to it. Here are your 2012 Houston Press Music Award nominees. Voting runs through midnight Sunday, August 5, also the night of the of the HPMA Showcase. More details soon, but for now… drum roll… here is the 2012 Houston Press Music Awards ballot.

BEST LP/CD/EP

Alkari, Blackout Falls
Bang Bangz, Bang Bangz EP
Free Radicals, The Freedom Fence
Illegal Wiretaps, Jesus, What Have You Done?
Murder the Stout, Murder the Stout
Tawn P, The Next Phase

BEST MIXTAPE

220Music, The Following
Noon, Freestyle Mixtape
Onehunnidt, #keepit100
Potnaz-N-Rhyme, They Gone Feel Us Vol. 1

BEST SONG

excuseMesir, “Siren Song”
Noon, “Ford Taurus”
Nathan Quick, “Running”
Leah White, “Live Oak Trees”
Free Radicals, “Ben Taub Blues”

BEST LOCAL MUSIC VIDEO

Adamantium, “Strength In My Resolve”
Caretta Bell, “Growing Painz”
H.I.S.D., “Rockit Man”
Noon, “Ford Taurus”
Otenki, “Ghosts”
Leah White & the Magic Mirrors, “Live Oak Trees”

LOCAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

Kirko Bangz
Caretta Bell
Doughbeezy
Robert Ellis
Jandek
Asli Omar

BEST NEW ACT

A Sea Es
Brompton
David G. Cortes
excuseMEsir
Noon
The Suffers

BEST MALE VOCALS

German Alexander, Otenki
David G. Cortes
Chase Hamblin
Nathan Quick
Hayden Wander, excuseMEsir

BEST FEMALE VOCALS

Caretta Bell
Kam Franklin, the Suffers
Tessa Kole, PuraPharm
Asli Omar
Leah White

BEST SONGWRITER

David G. Cortes
Libby Koch
Noon
Nathan Quick
Jimmy Pizzitola
Leah White

BEST POP ARTIST

Cece Estrada
Nick Greer
Chase Hamblin
Wild Moccasins
DeAndre Wright

BEST ROCK

The Apostles
Floorbound
Espantapajaros
Six Gun Sound
The Trimms

BEST MODERN ROCK

Another Run
The Abyss
Hindsight
Otenki
PuraPharm
thelastplaceyoulook

BEST GARAGE/PUNK/HARDCORE

The Hates
Mikey & the Drags
Nine Minutes
Skeleton Dick
The Wrong Ones

BEST METAL

Adamantium
Day of Reckoning
Downfall 2012
Sanctus Bellum
Venomous Maximus

BEST EXPERIMENTAL/NOISE

B L A C K I E
Female Demand
Jonathan Jindra
LIMB
Alex Nikkoo

BEST ELECTRONIC ACT

Bang Bangz
FLCON FCKER
Glasnost
The Illegal Wiretaps
Molly On the Floor
Rudebwoyz

BEST SOLO RAPPER

Fat Tony
Kyle Hubbard
Noon
Onehunnidt
Thurogood Wordsmith
Tawn P

BEST RAP GROUP

220 Music
H.I.S.D.
Lower Life Form
The Niceguys

BEST RAP DJ

DJ Auditory
DJ Candlestick
DJ iPod Ammo
DJ Remix

BEST CLUB DJ/DJ NIGHT

A Fistful of Soul
Bombon
DJ Sun
GRRRL Parts
Skeezer

BEST LATIN ARTIST

Chango Man
Dat Boi T
La Sien
Los Guerreros de Musica
Los Skarnales

BEST JAZZ

Alisha’s Quartet
Cory Wilson Trio
Free Radicals
Tianna Hall

BEST BLUES

.07 Blues Band
Steve Krase & the In Crowd
The Mighty Orq
Paul Ramirez Band
Little Joe Washington

BEST SOUL/FUNK/R&B

Caretta Bell
Electric Attitude
Love Dominique
The Journey Agents
Lee-Lonn

BEST REGGAE/SKA/DUB

D.R.U.M.
Brains for Dinner
The Suffers
Idiginis
Potbelly

BEST ZYDECO

Bayou Roux
Step Rideau & the Zydeco Outlaws
J. Paul Jr. & the Zydeco Nubreeds
Zydeco Dots

BEST COUNTRY

Brant Lee Croucher
Johnny Falstaff
Miss Leslie
Mitch Jacobs
Mike Stinson
Justin Van Sant

BEST FOLK

Glenna Bell
Sarah Golden
Matt Harlan
Kevin Kendrick
Libby Koch
Murder the Stout

BEST AMERICANA

Buxton
Robert Ellis
Grievous Angels
Nathan Quick
Second Lovers
Sideshow Tramps

BEST COVER/TRIBUTE ACT

Beetle
Cousin Itt
Vince King
The Fab 5
Maximus
Nightbird

BEST GUITARIST

Rusty Cooley, Day of Reckoning
Fausto Padilla, Otenki
James Henry, Steve Krase & the In Crowd
Pablo Espantapajaros, Espantapajaros
Anthony Rodriguez, PuraPharm

BEST BASSIST

Paul Adams, PuraPharm
Dave Guitarza, La Sien
Jeremy Molinas, Brompton
Spare Time Murray, Steve Krase & the In Crowd/H-Town Jukes
Josh Tenorio, Otenki
Hayden Wander, excuseMEsir

BEST DRUMMER

Antonio D. Gonzalez, Espantapajaros
Gabe Bravo, the Trimms
Michael Hatter, Electric Attitude
Brian Moore, Brompton
Dylan Jamail, The Manichean
Patrick Williams

BEST OTHER INSTRUMENT

Steve Krase, harmonica
Alisha Pattillo, saxophone
Niki Sims, saxophone/clarinet
Kelli Thompson, keyboards
Sean Torres, timbales

BEST PRODUCER

DJ Cozmos
Josiah Gabriel
Brad Lambert
Third World TV
Dan Workman

BEST RADIO STATION

103.7 FM
Ampz Radio
KPFT (90.1 FM)
Local Live Houston
The Buzz (94.5 FM)
The Box (97.9 FM)

BEST RADIO PROGRAM

Counter Radio, Local Live Houston
Dirtbag Radio, Local Live Houston
Free Thinker Radio, Local Live Houston
Optimo Radio, Local Live Houston
The Rod Ryan Show, 94.5 The Buzz
Wide Open Spaces, KPFT

BEST LOCAL LABEL

Cutthroat Records
Molken Music
Space City Records
ZenHill Records

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE

BFE Rock Club
Continental Club
Fitzgerald’s
House of Blues
Scout Bar
Warehouse Live

BEST RECORD STORE

Cactus Music
Heights Vinyl
Sig’s Lagoon
Sound Exchange
Vinal Edge Records

BEST INSTRUMENT/EQUIPMENT STORE

Evans Music City
Fuller’s Vintage Guitars
Guitar Center
Rockin’ Robin
Texas Music Emporium

Congratulations to all the nominees, and good luck!

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