Monday, April 17, 2006

Dallas Observer Music Awards Preview - Part 2 - “Musician of the Year”

By Cindy Chaffin of Life Outside The Bubble

Here's the second installment of the "Preview the Dallas Observer Music Awards Nominees" series. Click here to cast your vote!

Part 2 - "Musician of the Year"

The nominees are:

By Kate Mackley

John Dufilho

I'll try to get through this without discussing my huuuuuuge crush on John Dufilho...oops...John writes and performs with Deathray Davies, I Love Math, Salim Nourallah and recently released his self-titled solo album in which he performed, recorded, mixed and produced all of the music.

"That John Dufilho would finally release a true solo album makes perfect sense. John also wrote, performed and recorded the first two albums put out by his band, The Deathray Davies. Only playing these songs live dictated that the Deathray Davies have more than one official member. John’s singular vision also led his side project, I Love Math. Even with two bands to front and a job working at a recording studio, John still had more to offer." ~Jason Janik/Harder Beat

Click here to listen to "an audio interview with John and a couple of tracks from the cd.

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Collin Herring

The first time I saw Collin Herring perform, I knew right away that his music would always be on my CD changer. I don't know how he does it, but Collin keeps managing to top himself musically with each and every new album. His music ranges from alt.country to roots rock and always good ol' fashioned rock 'n roll.

"Alt-country always strikes me as unparalleled in the context of authenticity. Collin Herring, hailed as "the torchbearer for alt-country" by the Dallas Observer (an assertion implying a responsibility that isn't entirely fair), plays his guitar and opens his mouth not to turn heads, but rather because playing music is simply what he does. Before even the first song ends, we understand that playing music is on par for Collin with eating, sleeping, and breathing..." ~Jackson Smith/BlogCritics

Click here to listen to "Aphorism"

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Photo by Lindsay Graham

Chris Holt

You've known him as The Slack and The Egos and The Jones Thing and The Lonelies and Olospo and Hard Night's Day and now The Wheel Deal...but he's always been the ultra-fab Chris Holt underneath.

"Dallas-based singer/songwriter/musician Chris Holt has been writing and recording his own music for more than a decade. Beginning with his passion for playing guitar while in his teens, Holt spent his twenties becoming a multi-instrumentalist, and working with a wide variety of regionally successful bands..."

Click here to listen to watch Chris perform "Goodbye Chicago" live at the TexasGigs.com studio

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Fishboy

Fishboy, Fishboy, Fishboy...what can I say...he's greatness. His goofy, quirky, eccentric brand of music has drawn an ever-growing fanbase. I do love him so.

"1997: On a middle school fieldtrip to the Dallas Aquarium, Eric Michener made good on a dare to pluck a fish from one of the tanks and swallow it whole, earning him a spot on the nightly news, two weeks of in school suspension, and the shameful moniker “Fishboy,” which haunted him throughout the rest of his formal education"

See he's brave and talented.

Click here to listen to "Cheer Up Great Pumpkin"

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Salim Nourallah

If you've hung out here at TexasGigs.com for any length of time, then you already know that as far as I'm concerned, Salim Nourallah can do no wrong. His music and his lyrics literally touch my soul. I love him as an artist and as a human.

"When Salim was 16, he started writing songs. His brother Faris was the only one who believed they were worth a crap and started playing drums. Salim played guitar. Faris sold his car for a drumkit then moved to guitar, and Salim moved to bass..."

Click here to watch a live performance of Salim performing "The World is Full of People Who Want to Hurt You"

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So as you can see kids; this votin' thing is harder than it looks. Next-up - Part 3 - "Album of the Year"...stay tuned...

Click here to cast your vote!

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