2013 Sammies nominees: Vote for your favorite 22nd annual Sacramento Area Music Award nom at www.Sammies.com
SN&R's 2013 Sacramento Area Music Award nominees list celebrates the diversity of local music's ever-changing scene
What's the old cliché—the more things stay the same, the more things change?
OK, maybe that's not exactly how it goes, but it does seem apropos for the Sacramento music scene. Artists come, and artists go. Bands form, and bands implode. Venues open, and venues shut down.
One constant: For 22 years and counting, SN&R has highlighted the best in local music via the Sacramento Area Music Awards, a.k.a. the Sammies, an annual celebration of musicians who run the gamut of genres, including pop, rock, indie, hip-hop, rap, metal, hardcore, punk, jazz and experimental.
Cake, Chelsea Wolfe and C Plus. Tesla, Tribe of Levi and Track Fighter. Deftones, Death Grips, Dog Party and DJ Whores.
And that's just for starters.
Another constant? You.
Every year, countless Sacramento fans support their favorite local artists by going to gigs, buying merchandise and spreading the word.
They also get out the vote.
And, sure, playing your heart out on a stage—be it to 500 rabid devotees or to a handful of your closest relatives—isn't about some plaque you might get down the road, it certainly doesn't hurt to know that people like you—they really like you.
This year, thousands of votes were logged for hundreds of nominees in dozens of categories. The resulting nominations ballot represents a diverse spectrum of sounds and microscenes. There are heavy-metal bands that rock the suburbs, and punks who play grimy basement parties. There are deejays who whip up a frenzied dance party at the latest, hippest club, and reggae bands who lull fans into a peaceful calm. There are, of course, earnest singer-songwriters who toil away in Midtown coffee shops, and seasoned jazz musicians who could easily share the stage with any of the genre's most famous.
They're all here. And they're all pretty damn worthy.
For your consideration: the 2013 Sammies nominees. Check out the artists, visit their websites, listen to their tracks, buy their records (or whatever it is the kids do these days) and check out an upcoming gig.
Voting ends Wednesday, November 6 and the big show takes place Friday, November 8 at Ace of Spades (1417 R Street) with a 6 p.m. start time and a $10 ticket.Listen. Like. Support. Whatever you do, just don't forget to vote.
Hall of Fame 2013
Autumn Sky, www.facebook.com/autumnskymusic
Be Brave Bold Robot, http://bebraveboldrobot.com
DJ Epik, www.facebook.com/djepik1
DJ Rated R, http://sleeprockers.wix.com/sleeprockers
DJ Whores, www.facebook.com/djwh0res
Harley White Jr. Orchestra, www.harleywhitejr.com
The Nibblers, www.thenibblersband.com
Pus Cavern Recording Studios, www.facebook.com/puscavern
Tribe of Levi, www.tribeoflevi916.com
Zuhg, http://zuhgmusic.com
Artist of the Year
C Plus, http://plusmoney.tumblr.com
James Cavern, www.jamescavern.com
Chuuwee, https://soundcloud.com/chuuweeoftus
Dog Party, www.facebook.com/dogpartylive
Doombird, www.doombird.com
Kill the Precedent, www.facebook.com/killtheprecedent
Sleeprockers, www.sleeprockers.com
Young Aundee, www.facebook.com/youngaundee
Americana/Alt-country
50 Watt Heavy, http://tinyurl.com/50wattheavyband
Alkali Flats, www.thealkaliflats.com
The Carly DuHain Band, www.facebook.com/thecarlyduhainband
The FreeBadge Serenaders, www.facebook.com/discountjazz
JonEmery & the Dry Country Drinkers, www.drycountydrinkers.com
Richie Lawrence, www.richielawrence.com
Miss Maddy's F Street Stompers, www.facebook.com/fststompers
The Nickel Slots, www.thenickelslotsmusic.com
Rachel Steele & Road 88, www.road88music.com
Blues
Big Water Beat, www.facebook.com/bigwaterbeat
Bone Mac Donald Band, http://tinyurl.com/bonemac
Christian DeWild Band, www.christiandewildband.com
Dippin' Sauce Blues Band, http://tinyurl.com/dippinsauce
Rick Estrin & the Nightcats, www.rickestrin.com
Tessie Marie & the Poor Man Band, www.tessiemarie.com
Kyle Rowland Blues Band, www.kylerockinrowland.com
Stillwood Sages, www.stillwoodsages.com
Two-Tone Steiny & the Cadillacs, www.twotonesteiny.com
Club Deejay
DJ Billy Lane, www.facebook.com/djbillylanespage
DJ Eddie Edul, www.eddieedul.com
DJ Gabe Xavier, www.facebook.com/gabexavierlive
DJ Oasis, www.djoasis.com
DJ Peeti-V, www.djpeetiv.com
Cover Band
Apple Z, http://applezband.com
Cover Me Badd, www.covermebadd.net
Funk.defied, www.funkdefied.com
Groove Thang, www.groovethangband.com
Hip Service, www.hipservice.com
Oh! The Band, www.ohtheband.com
Radio, www.radiobandmusic.com
Tragically White, http://tragicallywhiteband.com
Dance Night
FFFreak at The Press Club, every other Tuesday with CrookOne, Ben “Dogtone” Johnson and Boogalicious; www.facebook.com/916fffreak
Le Twist Tuesdays at LowBrau, every Tuesday; www.facebook.com/letwisttuesdays?directed_target_id=0
The Lipstick Weekender at Old Ironsides, first Saturdays with DJ Shaun Slaughter and Roger Carpio; www.theoldironsides.com
Play at The Park Ultra Lounge on Saturdays with DJ Peeti-V, www.theparkdowntown.com
2nd Sundays at District 30, every second Sunday with Jurts and various deejays; http://district30sacramento.com
Sunday Circus at MIX Downtown with DJ Gabe Xavier on Sundays, www.mixdowntown.net
Sunday Night Soul Party at The Press Club on Sundays with DJ Larry Rodriguez, www.facebook.com/thepressclub
Deejay
DJ Lahn, www.djlahn.com
DJ Mike C
DJ Rock Bottom, https://twitter.com/djrockbottom
DJ Roger Carpio, www.facebook.com/recordclubsacto
Sam-I-Jam, https://soundcloud.com/sam_i_jam
Electronic
Dibiase, www.bandmine.com/dibiasebeats
Genre Peak, www.genrepeak.net
Kwes the Bess, www.facebook.com/kwesthebess
Paper Pistols, www.facebook.com/paperpistolsmusic
Saint Solitaire, www.facebook.com/saintsolitaire
Emcee
C Plus, http://plusmoney.tumblr.com
Century Got Bars, www.centurygotbars.com
Chuuwee, soundcloud.com/chuuweeoftus
Hennessy, www.thebeatknocks.com
Mahtie Bush, www.facebook.com/mahtiebush916
Nome Nomadd, www.facebook.com/nomenation
N-Pire Da Great, www.npiredagreat.bandcamp.com
Peso Harlem, http://pesoharlem.com
Soosh*E, http://sooshe.bandcamp.com
Task1ne, www.facebook.com/task1ne
Yung Gatlin, www.facebook.com/generalgatlin
Experimental
DJ Oasis and InkdUp, www.facebook.com/inkdupdrummer?fref=ts
Egg, www.eggeth.com
ElectroPoetic Coffee, www.electropoeticcoffee.com
Gentleman Surfer, http://gentlemansurfermusic.com
Pregnant, www.danielispregnant.com
Young Aundee, www.facebook.com/youngaundee
Folk Rock
Awkward Lemon, www.facebook.com/awkwardlemon
Cave Women, www.cavewomenmusic.com
Honeyock, www.facebook.com/honyockband
Brianna Lea Pruett, http://briannaleapruett.com
Parie Wood, www.pariewood.com
The Westwards, http://tinyurl.com/thewestwards
Xochitl, www.facebook.com/xochitlofficial
Funk
Crossing the River, www.facebook.com/ctrmusic
Groovincible, http://groovincible.com
Hans! and the Hot Mess, www.facebook.com/hansandthehotmess
Ideateam, www.ideateamband.com
Isaac Bear, www.facebook.com/isaacbearmusic
Joy and Madness, www.joyandmadness.com
Rendezvous With Cool Beans, www.rwcbmusic.com
Hardcore/Industrial/Post-hardcore
A Lot Like Birds, www.facebook.com/alotlikebirds
Color the Sound, www.colorthesound.com
Feral Coda, www.facebook.com/feralcoda
Havenside, www.facebook.com/havensideofficial
I Wish We Were Robots, www.facebook.com/iw3robots
Kill the Precedent, www.facebook.com/killtheprecedent
White Minorities, www.facebook.com/whiteminorities
Wreck and Reference, www.facebook.com/wreckandreference
Hard Rock
A Mile Till Dawn, www.amiletilldawn.com
A Single Second, www.facebook.com/asinglesecondsacca
Allinaday, www.allinadayband.com
California Riot Act, www.facebook.com/californiariotact
Dogfood, www.itsdogfoodbaby.com
Fair Struggle, www.fairstruggle.com
Journal, www.facebook.com/journalofficial
Long in the Tooth, www.littband.com
Misamore, www.misamore.com
Overwatch, www.facebook.com/overwatchtheband
Skin of Saints, www.facebook.com/skinofsaints
Some Fear None, www.somefearnone.com
Terra Ferno, https://twitter.com/terraferno
Track Fighter, http://trackfightermusic.com
Hip-hop/Rap
Alumni, http://tinyurl.com/alumnirap
California Bear Gang, www.facebook.com/californiabeargang
Destructikonz, www.facebook.com/destructikonz
DLRN, www.facebook.com/dlrnmusic
Live Manikins, www.thelivemanikins.com
Project4Trees, www.facebook.com/project4trees
Sleeprockers, http://sleeprockers.wix.com/sleeprockers
Tel Cairo, www.facebook.com/telcairo
Who Cares, www.whocaresdiscorock.com
Hip-hop Producer
Tofu De La Moore
DJ Epik, www.facebook.com/djepik1
Goldfingaz, www.goldfingaz.com
Hippie Sabotage, http://hippiesabotage.com
J-Intell, https://twitter.com/ominalabs
Medl4, www.reverbnation.com/medl4
Chase Moore, http://chasemoore.bandcamp.com
Nicatyne
Jon Reyes
Styles 1001
Indie
Cold Eskimo, www.facebook.com/coldeskimo
Contra, www.facebook.com/contraaband?directed_target_id=169754779893658
Doombird, www.doombird.com
The English Singles, www.facebook.com/pages/The-English-Singles/258438924560
Exquisite Corps, www.facebook.com/excorpsmusic
Freeport, www.facebook.com/freeportmusic
Musical Charis, www.facebook.com/musicalcharis
Saint Solitaire, www.facebook.com/saintsolitaire
The Speed of Sound in Seawater, www.facebook.com/thespeedofsoundinseawater
SunMonks, www.reverbnation.com/SunMonks
Jazz
Elements Brass Band, www.facebook.com/pages/Element-Brass-Band/175446165835269
E-Squared, www.esquaredband.com
Alex Jenkins Trio, www.alexdrums.net
Jim Martinez Quartet, www.jimmartinez.com
Tony Passarell, http://tonypassarell.bandcamp.com
Shawn Raiford, www.saxual1productions.com
Derek Thomas Band, www.facebook.com/musicbyderek
Harley White Jr. Orchestra, www.harleywhitejr.com
Latin
Cura Cochino, www.curacochino.com
Dinorah, www.dinorahmusic.com
In the No, www.facebook.com/intheno
La Noche Oskura, www.facebook.com/LaNocheOskura
Mentes Diferentes, www.mentes-diferentes.com
Pro Ma–on, www.facebook.com/ProManon
Rey y Kaye, http://reyykaye.com
Ritmoz Latinoz, www.ritmozlatinoz.biz
Solsa, www.solsaentertainment.com
World Hood, www.facebook.com/pages/world-hood/160322720696374
Live Performer
Alkali Flats, www.thealkaliflats.com
Exquisite Corps, www.facebook.com/excorpsmusic
Kepi Ghoulie, http://kepiland.com
Kill the Precedent, www.facebook.com/killtheprecedent
Nickel Slots, www.thenickelslotsmusic.com
Stevie Nader, www.facebook.com/stevienader
Metal
Black Mackerel, www.facebook.com/blackmackerelsac
Chernobog, www.facebook.com/Chernobog916
Deadlands, www.deadlandsmusic.com
Drop Seven, www.facebook.com/dropseven
FallRise, www.facebook.com/fallriserock
For All Ive Done, www.facebook.com/pages/FOR-ALL-IVE-DONE/209551684799
In the Silence, www.facebook.com/inthesilence
Lifeforms, www.facebook.com/wearelifeforms
Plague Widow, www.facebook.com/plaguewidow
Prylosis, www.prylosis.com
Restrayned, www.facebook.com/Restrayned
Stepchild, www.reverbnation.com/stepchild
Zeroclient, www.facebook.com/zeroclient
New Artist
A Mile Till Dawn, www.amiletilldawn.com
Joy and Madness, www.joyandmadness.com
Stevie Nader, www.facebook.com/stevienader
Saint Solitaire, www.facebook.com/saintsolitaire
Pop/Rock
The Bell Boys, www.facebook.com/BellBoysMusic
Fate Under Fire, www.facebook.com/FateUnderFire
Hero's Last Mission, www.facebook.com/heroslastmission
Wrings, www.facebook.com/wrings
Post-punk
Charles Albright, www.facebook.com/charlesalbrightcharlesalbright
The Croissants, http://croissants.bandcamp.com
Dog Party, www.facebook.com/dogpartylive
G. Green, www.facebook.com/ggreenband
Ghostplay, www.facebook.com/ghostplay.music
Nacho Business, www.facebook.com/nachobusinessband
Pets, www.facebook.com/Petstheband?ref=br_tf
Screature, www.facebook.com/screaturesound
Sneeze Attack, www.facebook.com/sneezeattack
Punk
Avenue Saints, www.facebook.com/avenuesaints
The Bar Fly Effect, www.facebook.com/thebarflyeffect
Bastards of Young, www.facebook.com/youngbasterds
BlackEyed Dempseys, www.facebook.com/TheBlackeyedDempseys
Crude Studs, www.facebook.com/crudestuds
The Left Hand, www.reverbnation.com/thelefthand
Rad, www.facebook.com/rad.sacto
Rat Damage, www.facebook.com/pages/Rat-Damage/135457953288775
Union Hearts, www.unionhearts.net
Whiskey and Stitches, www.whiskeyandstitches.com
R&B/Soul
James Cavern, www.jamescavern.com
Tessa Evans, www.facebook.com/tessaevansmusic
Thai Nicole, www.facebook.com/ThaiNicoleMusic
Shadia Powell, www.soulsandsounds.com/shadiapowell.html
Rashell, www.facebook.com/RashellsFanPage
Recording Studio
Alley Avenue Recording Studios, www.facebook.com/AlleyAvenue
Fat Cat Recording Studio, www.fatcatrecording.com
The Formulation Room, www.theformulationroom.com
Omina Laboratories, www.ominamusic.com
Sound Cap Audio, www.soundcapaudio.com
Tanglewood Studios, www.tanglewoodstudios.com
The Track Shack, http://thetrackshack.com
UpRock Audio, www.uprockaudio.com
Reggae/Jam
The Bennys, www.facebook.com/thebennysband
Eazy Dub, www.facebook.com/EazyDubBand
Element of Soul, www.elementofsoul.com
Island of Black and White, www.islandofblackandwhite.com
JRas, www.soulifted.com
King Hopeton, https://soundcloud.com/king-hopeton
Massive Delicious, www.facebook.com/massivedelicious
Official Response, www.facebook.com/officialresponse
The Old Screen Door, www.facebook.com/theoldscreendoor
Simple Creation, www.simplecreationband.com
The Storytellers, www.facebook.com/sacstorytellers
Release of the Year
Bansky, Red
DLRN, Awakenings
Dog Party, Lost Control
Doombird, Cygnus
Stevie Nader, 333
Paper Pistols, Deliver Us From Chemicals
Ru, Rollr Coastr
Saint Solitaire, Full Artistic Control
Screature, Screature
Young Aundee, Fear in the Fold
Rock
Blue Oaks, www.blueoaks.bandcamp.com
The Diva Kings, www.facebook.com/thedivakings
Drive-Thru Mystics, www.facebook.com/DriveThruMystics
I'm Dirty Too, www.facebook.com/imdirtytoo
The Kelps, www.facebook.com/thekelpsmusic
Lite Brite, www.litebriteband.com
MindFlowers, www.facebook.com/mindflowersband
Odame, http://odamesucks.com
The Three Way, www.facebook.com/thethreeway
Walking Spanish, www.facebook.com/walkingspanish
Rock Producer
Charles Albright, www.facebook.com/charlesalbrightcharlesalbright
Dusty Brown, www.facebook.com/therealdustybrown
Tony Cale
Robert Cheek
John Glover
Joe Johnston
Ira Skinner, https://twitter.com/Iraisaudio
Sean Stack, www.facebook.com/pages/Sean-Stack-Producer-Recording-Engineer/166045893459336
Chris Woodhouse
Rockabilly
The Infamous Swanks, www.facebook.com/theinfamousswanks
KB & the Slingtones, www.kbandtheslingtones.com
The Vintage Vandals, http://thevintagevandals.com
Hank Biggs and the Hardtops, www.hankbiggs.com/index
Singer-songwriter
Sherman Baker, www.facebook.com/shermanbaker
Adrian Bellue, www.facebook.com/adrianbellue
Ricky Berger, www.facebook.com/rickybergermusic
Justin Farren, www.justinfarren.com
Stevie Nader, www.facebook.com/stevienader
Lindsey Pavao, www.lindseypavao.com
Mason Rex, www.masonrex.com
Kevin Seconds, http://kevinseconds.com
Teen Artist
A Mile Till Dawn, www.amiletilldawn.com
Dog Party, www.facebook.com/dogpartylive
Four Days Out, www.facebook.com/fourdaysout
Ugly Bunny, http://uglybunnytheband.bandcamp.com
Tribute Band
Cash Prophets (tribute to Johnny Cash), www.facebook.com/pages/Cash-Prophets/182247055162317
Chicago Tribute Authority (tribute to Chicago), www.chicagotributeauthority.com
Journey's Edge (tribute to Journey), www.atjourneysedge.com
Stellar (tribute to Incubus), www.facebook.com/stellartributeband
SuperHuey (tribute to Huey Lewis and the News), www.superhueylive.com
Turntablist
AmpOne, www.soundcloud.com/9ampone6
Mike Colossal, www.soundcloud.com/mikecolossal
DJ El Conductor, www.facebook.com/EL.C0NDUCT0R
DJ Mr. Vibe, www.facebook.com/djmrdotvibe
DJ Nocturnal, www.nocturnal916.wix.com/djnocturnal
Kodac Visualz, www.facebook.com/kodacvisualz