And the Nominees are...

I just want to put a HUGE thank you out there to everyone who gave me their feedback and nominated their friends and colleagues for this whole ordeal. It has been wonderful to see musicians and fans come forward to support each other. Every single person/band on this list and the people who nominated them are already winners in my book.Voting will be up a bit later this week, but in a feeble effort to generate some more excitement, I wanted to release the nominees today. You know, so you have something to talk about over Thanksgiving and what not. So please, share if you or a fellow friend is on the list below and lets get people amped up about local music. Whether or not we will have an actual event is TBD (any ideas around this are welcome...a small night at a local club where winners play some tunes..something low key but special?) but until then...

Ladies and gentlemen, the very first (and hopefully not last) Red Line Roots "Big Red Local Music Recognitions" for 2013 are....(drum roll)

Favorite Local Female Songwriter- I feel that the music world can be tough on the ladies sometimes. So when a really great gal songwriter comes along, my ears perk up and I take notice (and listen and listen and listen). The following gals are not just a pretty face strumming a guitar and belting out words (though, they are all that as well), they are talented, introspective, intelligent writers and masters of the songwriting craft.

Danielle Miraglia
Eva Walsh
Hayley Sabella
Susan Cattaneo
Michelle Lewis
Abbie Barrett
Annie Lynch

Favorite Local Male Songwriter - Any college bro can pick up a guitar and strum out some chords to impress the ladies, but it takes a real talent to write a tune that will make them weep and...well, feel feelings. The following gents do just that. Artfully create emotion driven songs about things all over the spectrum. Great musicians, yes, but also incredibly talented poets.

Mark Kilianski
Dietrich Strause
Dan Baker
Ian Fitzgerald
Ryan Fitzsimmons
Chuck Melchin
Dan Blakeslee

Best Picker Guitar - Self explanatory, but that person who makes noises come out of an acoustic guitar that make your jam drop and wonder "how the hell did he/she do that?"

Michael Reese
Andy Cambria
Mark Kilianski
Sam Reid
Erin Harpe
Casey Abrams

Best Picker Banjo - (insert Deliverance music) Yeah, not THAT type of banjo player. The kind of player who takes the traditional bluegrass instrument to a whole entirely different level, adding hints of jazz, maybe playing other instruments at the same time, or just killing it each time you catch them out.

Mark Whitaker
Eric Royer
Lukas Pool
Maggie Mackay

Best Picker Mandolin - I hold a special place in my heart for mandolin. While I wish I could grace the list below, these fellas are just at a completely different level of playing that I am (plus I am not nominating myself for an instrument playing category!). Maestro's of the mando!

Jimmy Ryan
Greg Klyma
Aaron Goff
Forrest O' Connor
Sean Staples
Joe Walsh

The Multi-player- "Wait, wasn't he just playing fiddle, but now has a guitar in his hands...last week I saw him playing mandolin and an organ. What the hell?!" Yeah, "that guy".

Michael Spaly
Dinty Child 
Eric Royer
Evan Gavry
Ethan Robbins

Unsung Hero - That person who has been at it, out there working for the community and helping to build up "something" in this town, but never asks anything in return. They are doing it because they love the music in this town and that's reward enough.

Noel Coakley
Tom Bianchi
John Colvert
Eran Shaysh
Patrick Coman

Bad Ass Rock n Rollers - The band that rocks your socks off every time you see them. Whether it be bluesy swamp rock, toe tapping goodness, or just that there are so many people on stage making one wonderful output that you cannot believe its actually happening, these folks shake you to your core every night they play.

Coyote Kolb
The Blue Ribbons
Ryan Fitzsimmons Band
Tim Gearan Band
Sarah Borrello Band 

TIGERMAN WOAH!
Baker Thomas Band 
 

Roots Americana Act - All around Americana, not so heavy that its rock n roll, but is tinged with folk, roots, bluegrass, whatever. Americana is the shittiest thing to "define" but we all kind of have our view of it. These bands are examples of that.

Rusty Belle
Girls Guns and Glory
Marc Pinansky and Bored of Health
The Bean Picker's Union
Glenn Yoder and the Western States
The Mallett Brothers Band
The Whiskey Boys
Session Americana

Favorite Local Duo - A duo is perhaps the hardest thing to make work. Solo, what you are making come out is exactly what it is. In a band, you can quite frankly hide behind the other folks for any mistakes made or just distort your guitar to sound like it was purposeful. A duo is what I consider to be the most beautiful and difficult avenue for making music. Each artist's personality either shines, or falls flat and the relationship between the two people is obvious. These folks are clearly successful at the duo thing...

Tall Heights
The Coloradas
North of Nashville
brownbird
Ian Fitzgerald and Courtney Gallagher
Mark Mandeville and Raianne Richards
Iron Harvest

Best Local Roots music Venue - we are spoiled as hell with great, supportive venues...so, pick one.

Toad
Lizard Lounge
Atwoods
Club Passim
The Plough and Stars

Best Local Community Residency- The residency that exists to create a community within our community. People sitting in, giving folks a chance to play with other wonderful folks.

Americana Monday's at PAs Lounge 
David Gallagher's Round Table at Tommy Doyles
Roots in the Round at Toad
Lizard Lounge Open Mic Challenge
Bluegrass Tuesdays at the Cantab
Jam n' Eggs at Canary Square

Favorite Local Fiddle - Jesus, there's a shitload of fiddle players in this town...and most of them are friggin excellent. The below seemed to be of the most popular per your nominations. Have at it!

David Delaney
Rob Flax
Laurence Scudder
Eva Walsh
Laura Cortese
Joe Kessler
Kara Kulpa
John Mailander

Too much (or never enough) twang guitarist- The guitar player of the genre that can sit in with anyone, at any time and make the band just sound great. Ripping solos, but tasteful in their playing. They don't come around often, but when they do you never forget them!

Lyle Brewer
Duke Levine
David Deluca
Kevin Barry
Tony Savarino
Mike Castellana

Well...that is it. Like I said, voting logistics will be announced later on this week.