Photo by Marc Brubaker

​If one understands the historical depth and context of the singer-songwriter tradition in Houston -- and it was flourishing here long before it migrated to Austin or before a few (mostly Texan) outlaws started up a movement in Nashville -- it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that two of American Songwriter magazine's Top Fifty songs were written by local natives. However, big surprise -- Hayes Carll took the top slot with "Another Like You."

Popular New West Records artist Robert Ellis came in at Number 23 with "Friends Like These."

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2011 Houston Press Music Awards from Village Voice Media on Vimeo.

Video By Francisco Montes

Here's a quick recap of some of the winners and performances from Tuesday night's Houston Press Music Awards ceremony. Crank it up. No, seriously, turn the volume up, the video is kinda low.

Once again, thanks to everyone who voted, performed, and supported the showcase and awards this year. Looking forward to next year's event. There are great things in store, y'all.

Photo By Marco Torres

All night, attendees to the awards show signed a special banner for Chris Gray.

​Check out our slideshow of this year's Houston Press Music Awards winners.

It was a dandy of an evening last night at Warehouse Live as we handed out those silver records to some of Houston's best musicians and luminaries at the 22nd Annual Houston Press Music Awards Ceremony. If you were there you were treated to sounds from Delicious Milk, thelastplaceyoulook, Sideshow Tramps, Otenki, Uzoy, and Fat Tony.

If you were also there you remember the lusty and hearty crowd, who unleashed a round of boos any time that 94.5 The Buzz was mentioned, which made everything a bit more fun and exciting for those of us steering the show. Overall the event was a blast, the music was great, the acceptance speeches didn't disappoint, the presenters were lovely, and only a few cubes of ice were thrown at the stage.

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Photo By Marc Brubaker

Sideshow Tramps

​Tonight is the Houston Press Music Awards ceremony at Warehouse Live at 7:30pm, when the fruits of all of your torrid Facebook and Twitter campaigns will be picked from the vines of the Internets and presented to Houston. Hopefully bands won't break up and children won't be crying in the aisles. No doubt there will be kissing and hugging between grown men.

Again.

The event is free to the public, and will feature performances by Fat Tony, Otenki, Delicious Milk, thelastplaceyoulook, Sideshow Tramps, and Uzoy. So yeah, that's worth missing whatever comes on television tonight.

Rocks Off is heavily excited for tonight's event, especially for the final set which is sure to feature surprises that will astonish you physically and carnally.

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Checkout the slideshows of the bands and the crowd at the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase.

Photo by Marc Brubaker

Vivian Pikkles

​I'd like to preface this by mentioning that I got a stern lecture from a part-time shuttle driver, full-time pastor on Saturday at the Houston Press Music Awards. I dropped too many F-bombs -- big freaking shock -- and the first thing that came to mind was how Chris Gray would be shaking his head and laughing at me. Missed you there, CG.

I got to Home Plate in time to see one of my favorite bands, Vivian Pikkles, discuss three invaluable things in life: Boys, Beers, and Burgers. I'll never get tired of hearing lead singer April scream about ordering a chicken sandwich and two tacos after a night of drinking and chiefing. It was also pretty cool to see Girls Rock Camp Houston represented at the show. A burger bank was passed around for donations as April announced that supporters could put their donations in their "burger slot." Hey-o!

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Checkout the slideshows of the bands and the crowd at the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase.

Photo By Marco Torres

Ryan Scroggins onstage Saturday night at Warehouse Live.

​Saturday's Houston Press Music Awards Showcase was spread out over five areas and some eleven stages, which meant most of our photogs and writers were stationed at one location for most of their day. Our team circled the venues with the help of a few shuttle vans -- with their inquisitive drivers -- some bikes, and feet, to cover ground. Luckily the weather was fair, and we didn't freeze nor burn. That's hard to find at most music festivals.

This member of Rocks Off stayed mostly near the Warehouse Live-dominated space to catch the bands at the concert hall's two stages and Lucky's Pub next door. Though we did venture to all the other venues to see what was shaking. Lucky's Pub was a fun location, with the bands fighting for the attentions of the bar patrons glued to the televisions tuned to heir beloved college football games. In the end the bands just soundtracked the action of the games, and some new fans were probably born.

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Checkout the slideshows of the bands and the crowd at the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase.

Photo by Jason Wolter

Texas Johnny Brown

​I spent most of the my Houston Press Music Awards day circulating between five contiguous venues: Dirt Bar, Ben's Beans, Reserve 101, Pete's Dueling Piano Bar, and the House of Blues Foundation Room. Some random notes:

Drifting toward House of Blues on foot, we saw Little Joe Washington flash past in the passenger seat of an antique car; game face on, he looked like a man on the way to his 10,000th gig.

Texas Johnny Brown at Ben's Beans: He still has fire in his fingers and butter in the low end of a voice that can go from Bobby Bland to Barry White. We could've given all the awards to Brown and called a halt.

Caught the last number by supper club singer Kristine Mills, basically sung to an empty room. I've been to funerals that were livelier.

The Octanes had some tech issues, but also the best line all day: "I tried and tried to be true / Until I just got sick of you."

Recently publicists have been insisting Clory Martin is "the next Norah Jones," so I drifted into the middle of her set. Note to Martin: Don't teach your band the song during your awards showcase. This ain't amateur hour.

Rivers, a young power trio, aren't there yet but they've got a good direction and show much promise.

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Checkout the slideshows of the bands and the crowd at the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase.

Photo by Marco Torres

Hell City Kings

​Josh Wolf, lead singer of rock and rollers Hell City Kings, is fantastic. And mesmerizing. And pasty.

During his set at the HPMAs (Warehouse Live, 6 p.m.), he stalked around the rostrum, teal light from the overhead stage lights glowing on his white, semi-doughy torso, "Rock and Roll Nightmare" written across his sternum. At several points during the show he paused the ruckus, only to stand there in a Christ-like pose, microphone dangling, soaking in the adulation offered by the then-sparse crowd.

HCK was blinding and visceral and my twin sons, age 4, in attendance at the HPMAs for the first time, were entirely enthralled.

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Checkout the slideshows of the bands and the crowd at the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase.

Photos by Jason Wolter

The Beans at Ben's Beans...that's not a joke.

​We've attended every Houston Press Music Awards showcase since moving to Houston in 2003, and while each has varied slightly from year to year in location, bands and venues -- the core of the event remains the same. Every year we get turned on to at least one band we've never see before, and every year we see an act that makes us wonder how in hell they were nominated in the first place.

Yet Saturday's event was notably different in that it marked the first time in nine years we didn't find ourselves drenched in sweat and dying of heat exhaustion, thanks to a date change from mid-summer to late fall. And while the same may not be true in other parts of the country, November in Houston is downright temperate. But we enjoyed a lot more than just the weather. A blow-by-blow recap of our 2011 HPMA experience, listed below.

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​This just in:

Due to scheduling conflicts, Texas Johnny Brown will go on stage at Ben's Beans at 3 p.m. at this year's Houston Press Music Awards Showcase Saturday night.

And Kevin Taylor Kendrick will take the last spot on that night's lineup at Ben's Beans at 8 p.m. The rest of the schedule remains unchanged.

The HPMA showcase offers 50 bands for 10 bucks all in one night of music density. Buy your wristband at the door.