Full Disclosure: I'm actually the guitarist in both of these bands.
Every year here in Houston, the Houston Press, the premier arts/music publication and probably the 2nd largest print paper here, has their annual Music Awards, which is meant to honor the best music groups/artists here within the city.
Both of my bands, Kemo For Emo and Krunkquistadors have been nominated for Best Punk and Best Mainstream Hip-Hop, respectively. Kemo For Emo has made the Best Punk nomination several years (our 4th time, three of them with me in the band) so that wasn't a big surprise, especially since punk isn't exactly a huge genre here within the city. I'm nonetheless thrilled though.
But, what shocked the hell out of me was the fact that Krunkquistadors made the list too, and here's why. Hip-Hop and Rap are easily the most popular genres here in this city - and
we are literally the only artist on the list that isn't signed to a major record deal, and we are the only non-national artist in the nominee list. In fact, there are some major label recording artists in Houston that didn't even make the nominee list!
Here's who we're up against:
Chamillionaire
Bun B
Slim Thug
Devin the Dude
Z-Ro
I know you most of the forum dislikes/despises hip hop so you may not recognize half of these names, but this list reads like a who's who of hip hop. In fact, I'm sure some of you will even recognize some of their work:
Chamillionaire - Ridin' Dirty
Bun B's old group was UGK, who were the guest rappers on Jay-Z's song "Big Pimpin" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnoI7Be4VZk Slim Thug - I Run
For bands to make it, it's a pretty big honor, and it also garners attention from the Houston Chronicle, one of the nations largest newspapers. K4E's nod a few years back got the Chronicle to review our album, for example.
In addition to the awards ceremony, they also hold the Awards Showcase, which is an all-day event in downtown Houston, where nominated artists perform (usually national acts decline to perform) in various clubs. And if you're in a band, you get a VIP pass that lets you into an artists only area where you drink at a fully loaded open bar all day.
I never like to brag about my skills or my bands talent, I'm not wired like that - in fact I still view myself as a hack sometimes. But for me to be nominated in two different bands in a metropolitan area that covers 6,000,000 people is amazing to me. To me, it validates all of the time I've ever spent staying in on a Friday night to practice my guitar, or driving to a club to only play in front of our frontman's wife and the soundguy.
It's amazing to be sitting here writing all of this, and I feel absolutely humbled by it all.
Thank you for reading this. Both bands will have released in 2010, and I have a feeling things are going to get even better for both bands.
P.S. Rumor has it that when the second round of nominees are released, I may even make the "Best Guitarist" nominee list. I'll find that out Monday...though I'm not exactly holding out hope for that. I'm certainly not deserving of that title, and I'm definitely not expecting to be nominated for that.
