For years, the Wisconsin Area Music Awards (WAMI) have been an afterthought of the local music scene. Demonized for its somewhat exclusionary practices, pay-to-play politics and (insert BoDeans joke here), the organization has toiled away in its own world with little regard for or from most Wisconsin musicians. But this year’s awards, which take place at Turner Hall Sunday at 7 p.m., feature an impressively deserving litany of nominees from across the musical spectrum.
Although it looks like WAMI has come a long way in recent years, I still don’t know that we can entrust an organization that has given three awards to Boxkar with the difficult task of selecting worthy winners.
So here is my olive branch to the WAMI committee, a cheat sheet for who should win in key categories at this year’s awards. Consider yourselves enlightened.
GENERAL CATEGORIES
Artist of the Year
The Nominees: Bascom Hill, Bon Iver, Danny Gokey, Jaill, Kings Go Forth, The Wildbirds
The Winner: Jaill
The Reason: Although I contemplated giving the nod to Bon Iver on the strength of singer Justin Vernon’s side project Volcano Choir, it’s impossible not to go with Jaill on this one. No band made more strides toward national legitimacy in the past year than Jaill, which toured extensively and signed on with notable indie label Sub Pop Records.
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| Fresh Cut Collective |
Album of the Year
The Nominees: Bascom Hill Bascom Hill, BoDeans Mr. Sad Clown, The Cool Waters Band The Day They All Resigned, Jaill That’s How We Burn, Kings Go Forth The Outsiders Are Back, Fresh Cut Collective, Fresh Cut Collective
The Winner: Fresh Cut Collective, Fresh Cut Collective
The Reason: Made up of an all-star cast of local musicians and fronted by hip-hop maestro Adebisi, Fresh Cut Collective has made a habit of delivering high-energy live shows throughout the city. Last spring they attempted to translate all that onstage intensity to disc and, in my humble opinion, succeeded brilliantly.
Fresh Cut Collective In-Studio Session “BumbleBee” from Uni-Fi Records on Vimeo.
Song of the Year
The Nominees: BoDeans “Stay,” Danny Gokey “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me,” Ethan Keller “Keep on Lovin,” Jaill “Stroller,” Kings Go Forth “One Day”
The Winner: BoDeans “Stay”
The Reason: I don’t really like the song, but we have to fill our BoDeans Award quota for the year. This seems like a reasonable place to get it out of the way.
GENRE CATEGORIES
Alternative
The Nominees: Daredevil Christopher Wright, Fever Marlene, I’m Not A Pilot, Jaill, Verona Grove, Wildbirds
The Winner: Fever Marlene
The Reason: I’ve made no attempt to hide my enthusiastic (perhaps unhealthy) fixation with this dynamic duo. And last year’s release of the band’s impressive EP The Way We Broadcast has done nothing to temper these feelings. Why won’t they call me back?!
Hard Rock
The Nominees: Beyond Fate, Call Me Lightning, 4th Floor, Spiral Trance, World Minus One
The Winner: Call Me Lightning
The Reason: No contest.
Rock
The Nominees: The Form, Greg Waters and The Broad Street Boogie, Ronnie Nyles, The Sandcarvers, Steve Grimm, Annex
The Winner: I don’t know that anyone really wins this category. I just know that the genre of rock loses big time.
Tribute
The Nominees: 5 Card Studs, Beatallica, Light Up, No Quarter, Project Pink, Separate Ways
The Winner: Project Pink
The Reason: Now I can’t honestly say I have an informed opinion about this one, as I haven’t seen too many of these tribute bands live, nor do I have any real desire to. But I have had the pleasure of witnessing the over-the-top production that is Project Pink, a loving tribute to Pink Floyd. The nine-piece band not only channels Floyd’s psychedelically smooth delivery but also goes all out on the lighting, special effects and overall production. Seriously enjoyable stuff.
INDUSTRY CATEGORIES
Producer
The Nominees: Gary Tanin, Jack LeTourneau, Jeff Hamilton, Justin Perkins, Marc Golde
The Winner: Justin Perkins
The Reason: Perkins got his start recording his own bands, Yesterday’s Kids and the Obseletes. From there he has gone on to work at Simple Studios in Green Bay and Smart Studios in Madison before setting up shop for himself at The Mystery Room in Bay View. Barely 30 years old, Perkins has put his stamp on an impressive list of influential Wisconsin bands including Jaill, The Goodnight Loving, The Wildbirds and Corey Chisel.
Radio
The Nominees: 88nine, WAPL 105.7, WMMM 105.5, WIXX 101, WMSE 91.7
The Winner: 88nine
The Reason: This one is tough. WMSE has done so much for Wisconsin artists throughout the years and deserves all the credit in the world. But no station has taken a bigger role in the community (or done a better job of incorporating local musicians into its playlist) than 88nine RadioMilwaukee.
Venue
The Nominees: The Milwaukee Ale House, High Noon Saloon, Linneman’s, Malarkey’s Pub, Mill Creek, Turner Hall
The Winner: Cactus Club. Wait, I mean Turner Hall.
The Reason: Although I have a soft spot for the ol’ Cactus Club, it didn’t make the list. And Turner Hall is an incredibly worthy nominee. Gutted by fire decades ago, the resurgence of the elegantly decrepit club (along with the Pabst and Riverside theaters) has done more for the cause of bringing rocking bands to Milwaukee than any other venue in town.
