First Prize Killers (tie)
GENRE: IT DON'T MEAN A THANG IF IT AIN'T GOT THAT TWANG
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What The Voters Say: "With a little bit of Pixies dust, a dash of Beck drawl, and some Neil Young guitar passion, First Prize Killers' warm mix of country, rock, and pop conjures the familiar. But on their first full- length release, The Powdery Parade, they quickly become unforgettable, owning their sound and their auspicious future. The best bit: These men are so refreshingly un- hipsterfied, you may have trouble recognizing them as local rock musicians." -- Brianna Riplinger, freelance writer
Tiki Obmar (17)
GENRE: DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC BLEEPS?
What The Voters Say:"Call it what you will: live IDM, laptop-enhanced lounge, or just a logical coming of age for young men with prodigious jazz chops, thoroughly composted imaginations, and no interest whatsoever in paying their remaining dues to the preening, clue-deficient denizens of yupster havens. One thing is apparent: The unbeatable lightness of Tiki Obmar's musical bearing hinges on the fact that they're strippers--at least in the focused, nuanced way they peel off layer after layer of their intricate compositions so relentlessly that, after a few minutes, you can almost see the individual electrons darting among band members' synapses." --Rod Smith
10. Luke's Angels (16)
GENRE: BABES IN BOYLAND
What The Voters Say:"This three- gals-and-a-guy outfit packs in surf-pop pep like a crowded Beetle beach-bound on a sunny Saturday. Imagine the Breeders in their heyday: Drummer Jamie Bollman's upswing rhythm cries, "Tequila!"; dual vocalists Amy Carson and Jennie Kalpin serve up the requisite "ooh-ah" harmonies; lead guitarist Melissa Kalpin is too busy crafting that full-throttle punk lick to sing. Their eponymous debut befits both an Indian summer top-down cruise and a late- night bar crawl. Beware of head-bob whiplash." --Kate Silver, freelance writer
THANKS TO ALL OF THE VOTERS:
Erin Anderson, Mark Baumgarten, Shannon Bretl, Scott Brown, David Campbell, Tim Campbell, Amy Carlson, Keri Carlson, Cecile Cloutier, Dan Cote, Ben Crew, Paul Demko, Mark Desrosiers, Martin Devaney, Dolores Dewberry, David de Young, Jennifer Downham, Ben Durrant, Enemy of the People, J.G. Everest, Sonia Grover, Nathan Grumdahl, Tom Hallett, Dan Haugen, Scott Henkemeyer, Tom Herbers, Rich Horton, Sarah R. Johnson, Rachel Lee Joyce, Diana Kim, Kevin Kippels, Nathan Kranz, Leo Kuelbs, Dawn Ledin, Tom Loftus, Melissa Maerz, Steve Marsh, James "Taco" Martin, Keith Moran, Marc Mueller, Davin Odegaard, Jeremy O'Kasick, Nate Patrin, Richard Paske, Nick Phillips, Robert Pickering, Dan Richmond, Chris Riemenschneider, Christina Rimstad, Brianna Riplinger, Earl Root, Reggie Royston, Sam Sawyer, Sarah Sawyer, Christina Schmitt, Peter S. Scholtes, Danny Sigelman, Kate Silver, Rod Smith, Rex Sorgatz, Matthew St-Germain, Chris Strouth, Chuck Terhark, Lindsey Thomas, Chris Valenty, Rob van Alstyne, Karrie Vrabel, Jacques Wait, Julie Wellman, Erik Westra, Gretchen Williams, Toki Wright.
