If we didn't know better, we'd wonder whether the headline of the Boston Music Awards nomination press release was meant solely to appease OTD: after all, we know for damn sure that nobody else who reads BMA press releases -- i.e., Globe, Herald, Dig, your mom -- gives a shit about Killswitch Engage. How're we supposed to complain about the BMA's when our favorite Mass Metal destoryers get a league-leading seven nominations? (Scroll down for the full list.)
Well, as usual, they make it easy. Let's start at the bottom of the list, which mentions that Bobby Brown and Buffalo Tom are being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Let's repeat that: Bobby Brown and Buffalo Tom are being inducted into a hall of fame. The same one. On the same night. Far be it from us to suggest that Bobby and Buff aren't in the same league with Mission of Burma and Gang Green: we'll leave that to the message boards. But couldn't the BMA's have spared Mr. Whitney the indignity of being inducted the same year as everyone's favorite legacy-altrocking real estate agent? For shame!
This year's announcement also suggests that even the BMA's are beginning to run out of awards to bestow upon Aerosmith: having won every possible award at least twice, the Aeros are now being slotted in for "honorary chairman" (Joey Kramer) and a first-ever "personal achievment award" (ailing bassist Tom Hamilton).
On to our usual departments. This year's winner for most egregious "he slept here once" nominee: John Mayer, with three. Other non-residents include longtime LA girl Aimee Mann, recent departure DJ-C (now in Chicago, though he spent most of the year here), Frank Smith (Austin, but ditto), Isis (LA), Mr. Lif (who knows), and G. Love (Philly, last we checked, which wasn't recently).
The view from 10,000 feet is unchanged: the BMA's spend most of their time trying way (way, way, way) too hard to make the hub-of-the-universe case for Boston's mainstream rock relevance, and end up reminding you of shit that you already knew and wish you could forget (see: Boys Like Girls, five nominations; Click Five, two). And they do far too little to zero in on the up-and-coming bands who're making the most exciting music in town (we predict eight nominations for Drug Rug in, oh, about 2012, after they've moved to Athens or Portland or somewhere that gives a shit about pure awesomeness).
Also: can someone please stop distributing nomination ballots to the people who keep telling us how "great" the Boston folk scene is? It was over in 1968. Get over it.
As far as we can tell, there are exactly three good surprises on this list: Alana V from Medicated Kisses is nominated for Local Female Singer of the Year, which she is; Township are nominated for Best New Rock Band, which they may or may not be but deserve to be considered for; and the Dresden Dolls are nominated only twice.
In other news, the BMA ceremonies are moving back to the Orpheum on December 1: Avalon, of course, is out of business. Tickets are on sale now. Online voting begins Friday.
And the nominees are . . .
Act of the Year
Boys Like Girls
Dinosaur Jr.
Dream Theater
Killswitch Engage
Lori McKenna
Shadows Fall
Album of the Year (Major)
Boys Like Girls Self-titled
John Mayer "Continuum"
Josh Ritter "Historical Conquest of Josh Ritter"
Killswitch Engage "As Daylight Dies"
Lori McKenna "Unglamorous"
Shadows Fall "Threads Of Life"
Album of the Year (Indie)
Big D & The Kids Table "Strictly Rude"
Buffalo Tom "Three Easy Pieces"
Converge "No Heroes"
Martin Sexton "Seeds"
Matt Nathanson "Some Mad Hope"
Melissa Ferrick "In The Eyes of Strangers"
Patty Griffin "Children Running Through"
Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles "Diamonds In The Dark"
The Receiving End of Sirens "The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi"
The Slip "Eisenhower"
National Male Vocalist of the Year
Aaron Lewis (Staind)
Brad Parker (Aberdeen City)
Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage)
John Mayer
Josh Ritter
Kyle Patrick (The Click Five)
Martin Johnson (Boys Like Girls)
Matt Nathanson
National Female Vocalist of the Year
Aimee Mann
Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls)
Deb Talan (The Weepies)
Jo Dee Messina
JoJo
Juliana Hatfield
Lori McKenna
Melissa Ferrick
Paula Cole
Local Male Vocalist of the Year
Chris O'Brien
Eli "Paperboy" Reed
Jake Brennan
Pete Kilpatrick
Ryan Montbleau
Thom Moran (Bon Savants)
Tim Blane
Will Dailey
Local Female Vocalist of the Year
Alanna V. (Medicated Kisses)
Anna Price (The Silver Lining)
Aoife O'Donovan (Crooked Still)
Casey Desmond
Heidi Lee (The Snowleopards)
Holly (HUMANWINE)
Reva Williams (Gretel)
Rose Polenzani
Sarah Borges
Song of the Year
"Car Crash" (Matt Nathanson)
"Jenny" (The Click Five)
"My Curse" (Killswitch Engage)
"Satellite" (Guster)
"The Great Escape" (Boys Like Girls)
"Unfortunates" (State Radio)
"Unglamorous" (Lori McKenna)
"Waiting On The World To Change" (John Mayer)
Local Song of the Year
"Even Rats" (The Slip)
"I'm on Fire" (The Snowleopards)
"Moving Forward" (Protokoll)
"Pleasure Pleasure" (Bang Camaro)
"Radar" (Dear Leader)
"Supreme Girl" (The Sterns)
"Sweetest Goodbye" (Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers)
Outstanding Pop Act of the Year
Bon Savants
Boys Like Girls
The Click Five
The Everyday Visuals
The Snowleopards
The Sterns
Winterpills
Outstanding Rock Band of the Year
Aberdeen City
Bang Camaro
Buffalo Tom
Monty Are I
The Slip
Township
Outstanding Metal/Hardcore Band of the Year
All That Remains
Converge
Isis
Killswitch Engage
Shadows Fall
The Red Chord
Unearth
Outstanding Folk Act of the Year
Catie Curtis
Chris Pureka
Chris Smither
Crooked Still
Ellis Paul
Mark Erelli
Patty Griffin
Outstanding DJ/Dance Act of the Year
DJ BC
DJ C
Eli Wilkie
Porsches On The Autobahn
Steve Porter
The Campaign For Real Time
UV Protection
Outstanding Punk Band of the Year
Big D & The Kids Table
Darkbuster
Dropkick Murphys
Piebald
Street Dogs
Super Power
The Unseen
Vanna
Outstanding Americana Act of the Year
Dennis Brennan
Frank Smith
Girls Guns & Glory
Jabe
Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles
Session Americana
Three Day Threshold
Outstanding Funk/Jam Band of the Year
G. Love & Special Sauce
Lucy Vincent
Spiritual Rez
State Radio
The Eclectic Collective
Westbound Train
Outstanding Rap/Hip-Hop Act of the Year
7L & Esoteric
Akrobatik
Dre Robinson
D-Tension
Letia Larok
Mr. Lif
Slaine
Termanology
Outstanding Jazz Act of the Year
Club d'Elf
Dominique Eade
Hiromi
Jacques Chanier
Quartet Of Happiness
The Blueprint Project
The Leah Randazzo Group
Outstanding Singer/Songwriter of the Year
Alastair Moock
Chad Perrone
Dennis Brennan
Ellis Paul
Josh Ritter
Kristin Hersh
Paula Cole
Willy Mason
Outstanding Blues/Soul Act of the Year
Chris Fitz Band
Dwight & Nicole
Eli "Paperboy" Reed & the True Loves
Peter Gammons
Sam Bigelow
The Silver Lining
World's Greatest Sinners
Outstanding World Music Act of the Year
Atlas Soul
Roots of Creation
Soulfege
Spiritual Rez
The Superpowers
Westbound Train
Zili Misik
Outstanding Live Act of the Year
Bang Camaro
Dresden Dolls
Killswitch Engage
Matt Nathanson
Robby Roadsteamer
Session Americana
State Radio
The Campaign For Real Time
The Eclectic Collective
Best New Act of the Year
Hallelujah the Hills
Jen Murdza
Kid:Nap:Kin
Medicated Kisses
My So-Called Friend
The Dear Hunter
Township
Zili Misik
Local Producer of the Year
Adam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, Unearth)
Crit Harmon (Lori McKenna, Martin Sexton)
Ed Valauskas (Eli "Paperboy" Reed, Peter Gammons)
Matt Squire (Boys Like Girls, The Receiving End of Sirens, Monty Are I)
Mike Denneen (Fountains of Wayne)
Scott Riebling (Fall Out Boy, The Academy Is, My So-Called Friend)
Zeus (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed)
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