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There you have it, folks. Yet another Dallas Observer Music Awards has come and gone, and hopefully it was a memorable one. We laughed, we cried, we even had a prom. Between the crowning of our prom king and queen and the ambush performance of the End of the World Parade marching band, Tuesday night’s DOMA ceremony was as over-the-top as we could manage.
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But let’s not lose sight of all the wonderful musical happenings that have taken place over the past several days. On Saturday, we were treated to the DOMA showcase in Deep Ellum, which was the biggest one we’ve ever hosted: More than 60 bands showed up to play over seven hours of music at nine different venues. (We still have the bruises to show for it.) At the ceremony we got to enjoy a few encore performances from Sudie, Blue, the Misfit, Sealion, Goodnight Ned and Party Static.
Then there were the awards, the reason we do this whole crazy thing in the first place. This year we polled 150 local music experts to build the ballot, and more than 45,000 votes were received. As always, the DOMAs only tell part of the story; there will always be deserving bands whom we’d love to give awards to, but only a few of them — this year there were 43 categories — can be recognized. But the DOMAs aren’t so much the be-all, end-all of North Texas music as they are an excuse to celebrate and reflect on some of the things we love most.
As a reflection of the local scene and the tastes of local fans, this year’s winners are more than fitting. It was no surprise to see Sarah Jaffe come away with three awards this year, including “Best Song,” as she’s been a perennial winner in Dallas circles. Likewise with the Old 97’s, who edged out Jaffe for “Best Album” honors and nabbed “Best Alt-Country Act” as well as “Best Male Vocalist” for frontman Rhett Miller. A.Dd+ also continued to reign supreme as both an essential hip-hop act and a must-see live show with approval from the voting public.
Even the most cynical of observers would have to agree that the voters got things right. Take the González family, who have only continued to build their stellar reputation in 2014, and who picked up three awards. Or DJ Sober, the DJ who’s every other DJ’s favorite DJ, who won two awards. And of course there’s Party Static, who on Tuesday proved once again why their wild, calamitous music is so refreshing: it’s just plain fun.
Which is the point of it all. We can only live (and relive) prom so often. But DOMA rolls around every year, and the best part is its ability to surprise us — and our ability to surprise ourselves.
Best Album
Winner: Old 97’s Most Messed Up
Blue, the Misfit Child in the Wild
Buffalo Black REDPILLwondrland
Goodnight Ned Goodnight Ned
Sarah Jaffe Don’t Disconnect
Best Alt-Country Act
Winner: Old 97’s
Madison King
Quaker City Night Hawks
Somebody’s Darling
The O’s
Best Bassist
Winner: Aaron González
Danny Balis
Emsy Robinson
Nigel Rivers
Zack Busby
Best Blues Act
Winner: Jonathan Tyler
Jason Elmore
Lance Lopez
Miss Marcy
Steve James Trio
Best Country Act
Winner: Somebody’s Darling
Eleven Hundred Springs
J. Charles & the Trainrobbers
King Bucks
Madison King
Best Cover Band
Winner: The Rich Girls
Dallas Uber Alles
Panic
Raised Right Men
The Gorehounds
Best DJ
Winner: Sober
Blake Ward
Inzo
TX Connect/Gavin Guthrie
Wanz Dover
Best Drummer
Winner: Stefan González
Grady Sandlin
John Teague
Jordan Richardson
Matt Mabe
Best Electronic Act
Winner: Ishi
Blackstone Rangers
Cutter
Datahowler
Zhora
Best EP
Winner: A.Dd+ NAWF
Bad Mountain Bad Mountain
Bootyfade Bootyfade
Buffalo Black REDPILLwondrland
Moonbather Out of the Start
Best Experimental/Noise Act
Winner: Unconscious Collective
Bludded Head
Cutter
Def Rain
Orgullo Primitivo
Best Female Vocalist
Winner: Sarah Jaffe
Amber Farris
Lily Taylor
Madison King
Sam Lao
Best Festival
Winner: Homegrown Music & Art Festival
Elm Street Music & Tattoo Festival
Index Festival
JMBLYA
Spillover
Best Folk Act
Winner: Whiskey Folk Ramblers
Bad Mountain
Fox & the Bird
Hares on the Mountain
Jacob Furr
Best Funk/R&B Act
Winner: Larry g(EE)
Bobby Patterson
C2 (C Squared)
Dezi 5
Sam Lao
Best Group Act
Winner: Goodnight Ned
A.Dd+
Dark Rooms
Grey Matter
Sealion
Best Guitarist
Winner: Ryan Thomas Becker
Chase Jowell
Lance Lopez
Nick Earl
Stephen Ketner
Best Hardcore Act
Winner: Power Trip
Drug Mountain
In Memory of Man
Modern Pain
Wiccans
Best Jazz Act
Winner: Snarky Puppy
One O’Clock Lab Band
Shelley Carrol
Unconscious Collective
Yells at Eels
Best Latin/Tejano Band
Winner: Dustin Cavazos
Mariachi Quetzal
Mayta
Revolucion Oi
Supersonic Lips
Best Live Act
Winner: A.Dd+
Black Dotz
George Quartz
Party Static
Sealion
Best Live Music Venue
Winner: Granada Theater
Club Dada
The Kessler Theater
Three Links
Trees
Best Local Music Compilation
Winner: I Love Ft. Worth
Dreamy Soundz Group Therapy Vol. 2
Dreamy Soundz Jazz Confusion
Hand Drawn Records Comp. Vol. 3
Pour Le Corps Compilations
Best Male Vocalist
Winner: Rhett Miller
Brent Best
Daniel Hart
Larry g(EE)
Sam Anderson
Best Metal Act
Winner: Mothership
Baring Teeth
Pinkish Black
Power Trip
Terminator 2
Best Mixtape
Winner: DJ Sober “Fly High”
Grey Matter “Grey Matter Project”
Snow Tha Product “Good Nights and Bad Mornings”
Track Meet “Ynfynty Scoll Summer ’14”
Tunk “No Meal No Deal”
Best Music Blog
Winner: Central Track
Chan-Lo
Gorilla Vs. Bear
THRWD
TooFresh Productions
Best Music Video
Winner: Blue, the Misfit “Trillionaire”
Buffalo Black “War Paint”
Home By Hovercraft “Lie in Your Bed”
Son of Stan “Noxeema”
War Party “Every Day I Bit the Hook”
Best New Act
Winner: Party Static
CashMir
C2 (C Squared)
Moonbather
Sudie
Best New Music Venue
Winner: Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
RBC
Two Bronze Doors
Vagabond
Vice Palace
Best Pianist/Keyboardist
Winner: Paul Slavens
Chad Stockslager
Daniel Creamer
Scott Danborn
Sean Kirkpatrick
Best Pop Act
Winner: Ishi
Charlie B
Larry g(EE)
Son of Stan
The Orbans
Best Producer
Winner: Blue, the Misfit
Beau Bedford
John Congleton
Picnictyme
Salim Nourallah
Best Punk Act
Winner: The Phuss
Bad Sports
Hex Cult
Sealion
Street Arabs
Best Radio Show/Podcast
Winner: “The Paul Slavens Show” on KKXT 91.7
“Cindy Scull Mornings” on KEGL 97.1
“Live from the Underground” on DeepEllumOnAir.com
“Local Edge” on KDGE 102.1
“The Hardline” on KTCK 96.7
Best Rap/Hip-Hop Act
Winner: A.Dd+
Blue, the Misfit
Buffalo Black
Sam Lao
The Outfit, TX
Best Record Label
Winner: Dallas Distortion Music
CMG
Gutterth
Kirtland
Pour Le Cours
Best Record Store
Winner: Good Records
Bill’s Records
Dead Wax
Mad World Records
Off the Record
Best Rock Act
Winner: Quaker City Night Hawks
Goodnight Ned
The Phuss
The Roomsounds
True Widow
Best Song
Winner: Sarah Jaffe “Lover Girl”
Blue, the Misfit “Alive”
Buffalo Black “War Paint”
Old 97’s “Longer Than You’ve Been Alive”
Somebody’s Darling “Bad Bad”
Best Songwriter
Winner: Sarah Jaffe
C2 (C Squared)
Daniel Hart
Jordan Richardson
Rhett Miller
Best Talent Buyer
Winner: Spune
Intelligent Grind
Moody Fuqua
Parade of Flesh
Tactics Productions
Best DJ Night
Winner: “Fresh 45’s” at Crown & Harp
“Big Bang” at The Basement
“Cool Out” at Crown & Harp
“Glamorama” at Beauty Bar
“Trillwave” at Beauty Bar
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